Ark Royal Wealth Management's Zach Palmer Quoted in MarketWatch

Understanding Financial Advisor Compensation Structures - What's Right for You?

For some consumers engaging an hourly or project-based financial planner may be the right way to go. Ark Royal's Zach Palmer shared his thoughts with MarketWatch, "Hourly planners can be more cost effective if you only need to use them for a few hours (versus paying an assets under management fee, which is commensurate of how much you have in your portfolio). In most instances, hourly planners will provide an estimate based on the complexity and estimated time involved in completing the engagement. Most hourly planners charge in the $200 to $400 per hour range,” Palmer says. They also may be more readily available assist you as they’re used to working on demand, whereas planners who work in an ongoing capacity might have longer lead times for appointments.

But there are cons to beware of too, like making sure you’re not being charged for unnecessary billable hours. And if you have a complex situation that requires hours of work, you may end up paying a lot under an hourly structure, says Zach Palmer of Ark Royal Wealth Management. For the full MarketWatch article click here.

Not All Fiduciary Advisors Are Fee-Only, But All Fee-Only Advisors Are Fiduciaries

Whether the advisor is compensated on an hourly, flat fee or by a percentage of assets under management, many consumers mistakenly think working with a fiduciary advisor ensures the advisor is always obligated to work in the best interest of the client. Some advisors wear "two hats" - working under an RIA structure for financial planning for example, but then making most (if not all) of their compensation from the sale of commission products, like annuities. Capital Financial Advisory Group is an example of such a firm in the Raleigh-Durham area.

At Ark Royal, we are proud to be a fee-only fiduciary advisor and member of NAPFA. We are never compensated by commissions and we put it in writing.

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