Is financial planner better than financial advisor? (2024)

Is financial planner better than financial advisor?

While both offer guidance on investments, taxes and other financial matters, financial advisors generally focus on managing an individual's investment portfolios, while financial planners take a look at the entire financial picture and an individual's long-term goals.

A financial advisor answers your one-off concerns, while a planner helps your finances holistically. The Mint app has shut down as of Jan. 1, 2024. For alternatives, check out CNBC Select's ranking of the best budgeting apps.

Not everyone needs a financial advisor, especially since it's an additional cost. But having the extra help and advice can be paramount in reaching financial goals, especially if you're feeling stuck or unsure of how to get there.

A financial advisor can help you plan for retirement and provide investment advice to grow your wealth. But working with an advisor is a long-term commitment that requires time and money. Before deciding if hiring a financial advisor is the right move, you need to ask yourself a few questions.

Bottom line. While not everyone needs an ongoing relationship with a certified financial planner, pretty much everyone can benefit from having a consultation — and some initial input — with a CFP. Especially since there are a variety of concerns that a financial professional can assist with.

Pros of hiring a financial advisor include gaining access to expertise, leveraging time, and sharing responsibility. However, there are also potential downsides to consider, such as costs and fees, quality of service, and the risk of abandonment.

Cons of Being a Financial Advisor

Working hours are often long, particularly in the early stages of growing an advisor business. Constant interaction with others can make this career less attractive for individuals who are introverted. Starting an advisor practice can require a sizable amount of capital.

Simply put, they don't offer good value or ROI compared to what they cost. If you really want to unlock financial freedom, doing it yourself is the way to go. And now that you know it's not only possible – but easy – you can get started.

What Percentage of Financial Advisors are Successful? 80-90% of financial advisors fail and close their firm within the first three years of business. This means only 10-20% of financial advisors are ultimately successful.

Generally, having between $50,000 and $500,000 of liquid assets to invest can be a good point to start looking at hiring a financial advisor. Some advisors have minimum asset thresholds. This could be a relatively low figure, like $25,000, but it could $500,000, $1 million or even more.

Is 1% fee for financial advisor worth it?

While 1.5% is on the higher end for financial advisor services, if that's what it takes to get the returns you want then it's not overpaying, so to speak. Staying around 1% for your fee may be standard but it certainly isn't the high end. You need to decide what you're willing to pay for what you're receiving.

Odder still, 70% of wealthy Americans work with a professional financial advisor — and yet one-third still worry about running out of money in retirement.

But the benefits of meeting with a financial planner when you're young can make a difference. New graduates and people in their early careers should look for financial planning support as soon as they start earning an income, Hudnett Reiss tells CNBC Select.

Depending on the net worth advisor you choose, you generally should consider hiring an advisor when you have between $50,000 - $1,000,000, but most prefer to start working with clients when they have between $100,000 - $500,000 in liquid assets.

Advisers often charge between 1% and 2% of the asset in question (e.g. a pension pot), with lower percentages being charged for larger assets. So, this means higher fees may apply for smaller assets. Every adviser is different, but they should be happy to discuss their fees upfront.

Overall, the survey found that only 30% of consumers have a paid financial advisor. Those most likely to pay for an advisor include consumers with incomes of $100,000 or more (55%) and college graduates (41%).

But when you're looking for financial advice, then having a fiduciary on your side can help you get the expertise and direction that's best for your situation, making it a better fit than a financial advisor who is not a fiduciary.

A disadvantage of a fiduciary is that fiduciary advisors are often more expensive than non-fiduciary advisors as they charge higher market rates.

Why is financial planner the best?

If your finances are simple, you may be able to take a DIY approach. But financial planners can provide an objective perspective, and bring expertise to decisions about how you should invest your money, what your financial priorities should be and what sort of insurance coverage and other protections you need.

The wealthy also trust and work with financial advisors at a far greater rate. The study found that 70% of millionaires versus 37% of the general population work with a financial advisor. Moreover, 53% of wealthy people consider advisors to be their most trusted source of financial advice.

The highest-paying states for financial advisors are New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, the District of Columbia, and Virginia. It is estimated that 35% of Americans consult with a financial advisor.

The rule is often used to point out that 80% of a company's revenue is generated by 20% of its customers. Viewed in this way, it might be advantageous for a company to focus on the 20% of clients that are responsible for 80% of revenues and market specifically to them.

Of high-net-worth individuals, 70 percent work with a financial advisor. You can compare that to just 37 percent in the general population. What's more, far and away, wealthy people consider financial advisors to be their most trusted source of financial advice—more than four times any other source.