# How to Price Advisory Services: Fee Schedules and Pricing Models

As of Oct 20, 2026, the most recent published figures we found put the average assets-based advisory fee near 104 basis points on a $750,000 account and 88 on a $1.5 million account (Cerulli, reported Feb 6, 2024), and the average planning retainer at $6,815 a year (Envestnet survey of 491 advisors, May 4, 2026).

As of: 2026-10-20
Address: https://advisoriq.com/practice/guides/advisor-fee-schedules-and-pricing-models/

## Facts

- Summary: AUM tiers, flat fees, subscriptions, retainers and hourly rates, with published fee data and what Form ADV Part 2A makes you disclose.
- Key facts: Form ADV Part 2A Item 5 requires an adviser to describe how it is paid, provide its fee schedule and say whether fees are negotiable.; Advisors who charge on assets reported averages of 103.7 basis points on a $750,000 account and 88.1 on a $1.5 million account.; Average planning retainer $6,815, flat fee $2,926, subscription $595 a month, AUM bundled fee 0.96% in a 2026 survey of 491 advisors.; An SEC-registered adviser's contract generally may not base compensation on a share of a client's capital gains or capital appreciation.

## Notes

- Educational, not legal, tax or investment advice.
- Practice management content is not eligible for CFP Board CE. CFP Board plans to allow up to five hours of it per cycle once its Q4 2027 changes take effect.

## Sources

- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission: Form ADV Part 2: Uniform Requirements for the Investment Adviser Brochure and Brochure Supplements (SEC 1707), checked 2026-10-20: https://www.sec.gov/files/formadv-part2.pdf
- Institutional Investor, Holly Deaton: The fight to win unadvised clients starts with fee clarity (reporting Cerulli Associates and Marketcast data), checked 2026-10-20: https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/index%2Ephp/article/2ctaz879nv0iexlnncz5s/ria-intel/the-fight-to-win-unadvised-clients-starts-with-fee-clarity
- Envestnet | MoneyGuide, survey by Datos Insights: Average financial planning retainer fee surges 52% since 2023 (2026 State of Financial Planning Fees, press release), checked 2026-10-20: https://www.envestnet.com/newsroom/press-releases/average-financial-planning-retainer-fee-surges-52-2023-industry-accelerates
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School: 15 U.S.C. 80b-5 (Investment Advisers Act Section 205), investment advisory contracts, checked 2026-10-20: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/80b-5
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School: 17 CFR 275.204-5, delivery of Form CRS, checked 2026-10-20: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/17/275.204-5
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Division of Examinations: Risk Alert: Observations from Examinations of Newly-Registered Advisers, checked 2026-10-20: https://www.sec.gov/files/risk-alert-newly-registered-ias-032723.pdf
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School: 17 CFR 275.206(4)-2, custody of funds or securities of clients by investment advisers, checked 2026-10-20: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/17/275.206(4)-2
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School: 17 CFR 275.206(4)-1, investment adviser marketing (the Marketing Rule), checked 2026-10-20: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/17/275.206(4)-1

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AdvisorIQ, as of 2026-10-20. https://advisoriq.com/practice/guides/advisor-fee-schedules-and-pricing-models/

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