There is no single price for working with a financial advisor in Omaha.
Advisors may charge a percentage of assets they manage, a fixed project fee, an
hourly fee, commissions, or more than one type of compensation. A useful
comparison looks at the expected annual dollar cost, the services included,
additional investment or account costs, and the capacity in which the
financial professional is acting.
In this guide
Start with the type of relationship
A financial professional may be compensated through:
- ongoing investment advice, often using an asset-based fee;
- financial planning or consulting, which may use fixed or hourly fees;
- brokerage transactions, which may involve commissions;
- insurance transactions, which may involve product commissions; and
- third-party managers or specialized programs, which may add separate fees.
Before comparing proposals, ask each professional to identify the legal firm,
the capacity in which they are acting, the services included, and every way the
firm and professional may be paid.
WealthPlan Group's website states that WealthPLAN Partners and WealthPLAN
Investment Management are affiliated registered investment advisers. Their
current SEC-filed relationship summaries describe different fee boundaries:
| Entity and SEC record | Public fee description | What the disclosure does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| WealthPLAN Partners, LLC, CRD 305026 | Asset Management and Institutional Intelligent Portfolios fee schedules range from 0.01% to 2.00%, depending on account value and service. Financial Planning generally ranges from $1,500 to $5,000. Consulting starts at $1,000 or may be hourly at $100 to $300. Fees vary, are negotiable, and other costs may apply. | It does not quote a particular client's rate, promise that planning is included with asset management, or identify the total cost of a particular portfolio. |
| WealthPLAN Investment Management LLC, CRD 311364 | The maximum annual fee for Asset Management and Institutional Intelligent Portfolios is 2.5%. The maximum flat Financial Planning and Consulting fee is $5,000, and the maximum hourly rate is $300. Fees vary, are negotiable, and other costs may apply. | A disclosed maximum is not the rate every client pays. It does not replace the fee and service terms in a signed agreement. |
WealthPLAN Partners and WealthPLAN Investment Management publish different fee
descriptions. WPP publishes fee ranges, while WPIM publishes maximums. These
disclosures are not a personalized quote. The actual fee depends on the firm,
services, assets, and written agreement.
An asset-based advisory fee is commonly stated as an annual percentage:
Assets subject to the fee × annual fee rate = estimated annual advisory fee
| Assets billed | 0.50% | 1.00% | 1.50% |
|---|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $1,250 | $2,500 | $3,750 |
| $500,000 | $2,500 | $5,000 | $7,500 |
| $1,000,000 | $5,000 | $10,000 | $15,000 |
| $2,000,000 | $10,000 | $20,000 | $30,000 |
This table is a mathematical illustration, not a WealthPlan quote or
recommendation. The examples exclude fund expenses, transaction and custody
charges, insurance or product costs, third-party manager fees, platform costs,
and other possible expenses. Actual billing can also change with account
values, breakpoints, account aggregation, and the terms of the agreement.
Look beyond the quoted advisory fee
Depending on the relationship, additional costs may include transaction or
custody charges, fund expenses, insurance-product costs or surrender charges,
third-party manager fees, and platform or program costs. Some costs are
deducted within an investment rather than shown on a separate invoice.
Compare the services included
Compare:
- whether investment management and monitoring are ongoing;
- whether financial planning is included or separately priced;
- which planning topics and deliverables are included;
- meeting frequency and the primary service team;
- which assets are managed or included in the billing calculation; and
- product, transaction, implementation or termination costs outside the quoted
fee.
Ten questions to ask an Omaha financial advisor about fees
- Which legal firm will provide my advisory services?
- Will you act through an advisory account, a brokerage account, or both?
- What is my expected fee in dollars during the first year, using my current
account values? - Which assets are included when the fee is calculated?
- Does the rate change at asset breakpoints or when related accounts are
combined? - Is financial planning included, and what deliverables and ongoing work does
it cover? - What custodian, transaction, fund, product, manager, platform, or surrender
charges could apply in addition to your fee? - Can you or an affiliated professional receive a commission or other
compensation from a recommended product or service? - How can the fee change, and what notice will I receive?
- May I review the current Form CRS, Form ADV brochure, fee schedule, and
proposed agreement before deciding?
The SEC includes a useful version of the dollar question in Form CRS: ask how
much would go to fees and costs and how much would remain invested. The answer
should be specific enough that a prospective client can compare it with another
written proposal.
A practical comparison worksheet
Before choosing an advisor, collect the same information for every proposal:
| Item | Proposal A | Proposal B |
|---|---|---|
| Legal firm and financial professional | ||
| Advisory, brokerage, insurance, or combination | ||
| Assets subject to advisory fee | ||
| Annual percentage and estimated first-year dollars | ||
| Fixed or hourly planning fee | ||
| Services included | ||
| Product and fund expenses | ||
| Custodian and transaction costs | ||
| Third-party manager or program costs | ||
| Commissions or other compensation | ||
| Cancellation and termination terms |
Update the comparison when account values or services change. Account
statements and confirmations can then be checked against the written agreement.
The bottom line
The cost of a financial advisor in Omaha depends on more than a percentage.
Start with the written agreement, translate every rate into dollars, add costs
outside the headline fee, and compare the actual work included. For a
WealthPlan proposal, confirm whether WPP or WPIM will provide each service and
use that entity's current Form CRS and Form ADV as part of the review.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a financial advisor cost in Omaha?
There is no single Omaha price. Advisors may charge an asset-based percentage,
a fixed or hourly planning fee, commissions, or a combination. Ask for an
estimate in annual dollars based on the services and assets that would apply to
your relationship.
What does a 1% financial-advisor fee mean?
One percent of the assets subject to the fee equals $10,000 per year for each
$1 million billed, before any other product, transaction, custody, manager, or
platform costs. The actual billed amount can change with the account value and
the terms of the agreement.
Is financial planning included in an asset-management fee?
Sometimes, but not always. The answer depends on the firm's service model and
the written agreement. Ask which planning topics, deliverables, meetings, and
updates are included and which carry a separate fee.
Is WealthPlan a fee-only financial advisor?
Do not rely on a label alone. Current public relationship summaries describe
asset-based, fixed, and hourly advisory fees and also disclose that some
financial professionals may receive commissions in brokerage or insurance
capacities. Ask which entity and capacity apply to the proposed relationship
and how every party would be compensated.
Are financial-advisor fees negotiable?
The current WPP and WPIM relationship summaries state that their fees vary and
are negotiable. A final fee depends on the entity, services, assets, and written
agreement.