Retirement Planning and Pension Services Fee Schedule

What a good one includes

• A detailed breakdown of your primary billing model, whether it is an Assets Under Management percentage, an hourly rate, or a flat project fee for a comprehensive retirement plan.
• A side-by-side comparison illustrating exactly what services are included in each price tier, such as pension optimization, tax planning, or annual portfolio reviews.
• Explicit statements regarding any minimum account sizes required for your services or the minimum annual fee charged to keep your advisory services active.
• A transparent list of potential extra costs, such as custodian fees, third-party administrator fees for pensions, or hourly charges for out-of-scope work.
• Clear instructions on how and when fees are assessed, including whether they are deducted quarterly from managed accounts or billed directly via invoice.
• A straightforward policy detailing how either party can terminate the agreement and how unearned, prepaid fees are calculated and refunded.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Burying your pricing terms in complex regulatory language, which makes clients feel confused and suspicious rather than informed.
• Failing to mention that external custodians or product providers charge separate fees, which damages client trust later on.
• Leaving the boundaries of comprehensive planning undefined, leading to scope creep and unpaid labor for complex pension analyses.
• Forgetting to align your fee schedule with your Form ADV Part 2A filing, which leads to serious compliance violations during regulatory audits.

Frequently asked questions