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Updated July 6, 2026. Quick answer (2026): Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline, Newton, Wellesley, and nearby Greater Boston households should compare advisor quotes in annual dollars before choosing between flat annual, retainer, hourly/project, and AUM pricing.
Use this Boston-Cambridge hub to move from the Massachusetts and Boston Metro routes into city-level fee guides. It is built for households comparing retirement-income planning, taxable brokerage decisions, employer equity, business income, home equity, charitable giving, and fiduciary advisor scope before booking intro calls.
Fast tools
- Financial Advisor Fee Calculator — compare AUM, flat annual, retainer, hourly, and project quotes in dollars.
- Find a Financial Advisor — compare matching paths, fee models, and intro-call questions before choosing a local advisor.
- Fee-Only Financial Advisor Near Me — review fee-only, flat-fee, and fiduciary search terms before outreach.
- Fiduciary Financial Advisor Near Me — check what fiduciary status should mean in writing.
- Flat Fee vs AUM Break-Even Calculator — see the portfolio balance where a flat fee starts to beat a percentage quote.
- Financial Advisor Fee Comparison — compare fee models, scope, conflicts, and first-year cost.
- Retirement Tax Windows — pressure-test Roth conversions, RMDs, Medicare/IRMAA, and taxable withdrawals.
- RSUs: Sell-to-Cover vs Net Shares — clarify equity-comp withholding before advisor calls.
Quick cost benchmarks
| Advisor quote | Example cost in dollars | What to confirm before an intro call |
|---|---|---|
| Flat annual planning | $6,000–$12,000/year | Meetings, written deliverables, renewal terms, implementation help, tax coordination, and what becomes hourly. |
| Monthly retainer | $500–$1,000/month, or $6,000–$12,000/year | Service calendar, response time, cancellation terms, and whether investment management is included. |
| Hourly or project planning | $300–$500/hour, or $2,000–$7,500+ per project | Not-to-exceed cap, written deliverable, timeline, and whether follow-up questions are included. |
| AUM comparison | 0.75% on $1,500,000 = $11,250/year; 1.00% = $15,000/year | Breakpoints, fund/platform costs, overlay fees, tax work, and whether planning scope is comparable. |
Choose your Boston-Cambridge guide
Boston and Cambridge city guides
Start here when the advisor search is centered around Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline, or nearby urban Greater Boston neighborhoods.
- Boston fee-only financial planner fees
- Cambridge MA retirement planner fees
- Somerville MA retirement planner fees
- Brookline MA retirement planner fees
- Newton MA retirement planner fees
Massachusetts and county routes
Use these hubs when the search crosses city, county, employer-equity, taxable-account, or retirement-income planning questions.
- Massachusetts financial advisor fees
- Boston Metro financial advisor fees
- Middlesex County advisor fees
- Suffolk County financial advisor fees
- Norfolk County retirement planner fees
Nearby Greater Boston comparison guides
Compare nearby suburbs when the advisor relationship, commute pattern, or household planning context crosses the Boston-Cambridge core.
- Boston Western Suburbs advisor fees
- Wellesley retirement planner fees
- Needham retirement planner fees
- Weston MA retirement planner fees
- Lexington MA retirement planner fees
- Concord MA retirement planner fees
What to compare before you book an intro call
- Total first-year cost: ask for planning, portfolio management, platform, fund, hourly, referral, and product costs in dollars.
- Scope: confirm whether retirement income, Social Security, Roth conversions, Medicare/IRMAA, RMDs, taxable withdrawals, pensions, employer equity, business-owner planning, real estate, charitable giving, estate basics, and CPA coordination are included.
- Fee model: ask whether the quote is flat annual, monthly retainer, hourly/project, AUM, commission, fee-only, fee-based, fiduciary at all times, or blended.
- Deliverables: compare written plan, action list, investment policy, tax-aware withdrawal map, equity-comp checklist, pension decision tree, real-estate scenario, charitable-giving checklist, or only verbal guidance.
Boston-Cambridge planning prompts
- If employer equity, RSUs, stock options, deferred compensation, consulting income, or business-owner income matter, ask how the advisor coordinates taxes, concentration risk, and cash reserves.
- If retirement is near, compare Social Security timing, Medicare/IRMAA, Roth conversion windows, RMDs, taxable withdrawals, pensions, and charitable giving before comparing price.
- If home equity, rental property, a relocation decision, or a large liquidity event affects the plan, ask whether written scenario work is included or becomes hourly/project-based.
- If the search crosses Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline, Newton, Wellesley, Needham, Weston, Lexington, Concord, Middlesex County, Suffolk County, or Norfolk County, compare the same written deliverables before choosing a local advisor.
How to choose in 60 seconds
- Start with the closest state, metro, subcluster, or city guide.
- Convert every advisor quote into annual dollars.
- Compare written scope before comparing price.
- Ask for fiduciary status and compensation in writing.
- Run the quote through the Financial Advisor Fee Calculator before a second call.
Boston fee-only planner route
For Boston-Cambridge advisor comparisons, use the Boston fee-only financial planner guide to compare fee-only, flat-fee, hourly/project, retainer, and AUM quotes in annual dollars.
Methodology
- We group these Boston, Cambridge, Middlesex County, Suffolk County, Norfolk County, and Greater Boston by practical planning context, including metro area, nearby suburbs, equity compensation, business-owner income, real estate, taxes, and retirement-income questions.
- We convert flat annual, monthly retainer, hourly/project, and AUM quotes into annual dollars for side-by-side comparison.
- This hub was materially reviewed on July 6, 2026. It is educational and does not rank, review, endorse, or list advisors.
Editorial standards: Editorial Policy
Greater Boston support routes
Use this hub with Boston Metro advisor fees, Suffolk County advisor fees, Middlesex County advisor fees, Norfolk County retirement planner fees, Boston Western Suburbs advisor fees, and Concord MA retirement planner fees.