How financial advisors can explain their advisory fee with confidence
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by Amotions, Inc.
Published Last reviewed By Amotions, Inc.
Direct answer
How should financial advisors explain their advisory fee?
Advisors should state their fee plainly and in dollars, not just as a percentage. Tie it to the specific work the client will receive. When a prospect pushes back, ask what they are comparing it to, such as a robo-advisor, a previous advisor, or doing it themselves. Answer that comparison honestly instead of defending the number.
What is Amotions AI?
Amotions AI is a real-time private AI sales coach that delivers in-call guidance, AI roleplay, and post-call scorecards—trained on the customer’s playbook. It does not join meetings as a bot.
Why fee conversations feel uncomfortable
Many advisors mention the fee quickly, as a percentage, near the end of the meeting. Clients notice the discomfort, and a percentage hides what they will actually pay.
Clear fee conversations build trust. They also meet the transparency your regulator and your firm expect.
State it plainly
Give the fee as a percentage and in dollars for this client. For example: “Our fee is [rate] of the assets we manage. On your portfolio, that comes to about [dollar amount] a year, billed quarterly.” Then stop and let the client respond.
Use your firm’s approved fee disclosure language and make sure the client receives the required documents.
Tie the fee to the work
List the specific work the client gets: planning, tax coordination, rebalancing, estate conversations, and being the person they call in a downturn. Connect each one to a goal they mentioned in discovery.
Avoid implying that the fee buys better returns. Talk about the work and the relationship, within your compliance guidelines.
When the prospect pushes back
“A robo-advisor costs a fraction of that.” Ask what they want help with beyond investing. If the honest answer is nothing, a low-cost option may suit them better.
“My last advisor charged less.” Ask what that advisor did for them and what they wished had been different.
“I could do this myself.” Agree that some people do. Ask how much time they want to spend on it and what happens if they are unavailable.
How Amotions AI approaches this
Amotions AI gives advisors private cues during prospect meetings on Zoom, Teams, or the phone. When a fee objection comes up, the cue suggests a diagnostic question from your firm’s playbook rather than a defensive answer. New advisors can rehearse the fee conversation with an AI prospect first.
Cues can be trained on your approved fee language. Amotions does not give investment advice, approve compliance, or speak to clients.
The example language in this post is illustrative only and is not a recommendation about fees.
Frequently asked questions
Q1.
Should I bring up the fee early or late in the first meeting?
A.
After discovery, so you can connect it to the client’s goals, and never hidden at the end.
Q2.
Should I discount my fee for large accounts?
A.
Follow your firm’s published fee schedule. Avoid ad hoc discounts made under pressure.
Q3.
Does Amotions know our fee schedule?
A.
You can load approved fee language into your playbook on Professional and Enterprise.
Q4.
Is this compliance advice?
A.
No. Check all fee language with your compliance team.
Next step
AI for financial advisors: https://amotionsinc.com/ai-for-financial-advisors
Book a demo: https://amotionsinc.com/pricing/contact
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