Headline advice fees are easy to compare; all-in costs are not. Platform charges, fund management fees, transaction costs, and FX spreads can dwarf the adviser line item—yet many reporting packs hide them in footnotes. Clients optimise what they see.
How we disclose
Quarterly reports from our desk include an all-in cost page: adviser fee per agreement, weighted average fund MER where known, identifiable platform fees, and an estimate of brokerage unless custodian provides exact figures. We state what is estimated and why.
Behavioural effect
When families see combined costs, conversations shift from “are we paying too much for advice?” to “are we paying twice for the same beta?” That shift often supports consolidation of legacy accounts and a cleaner fee stack.
Engagement pricing
Our own fees are quoted in writing via the proposal process; we do not publish rate cards that ignore complexity. Transparency is bilateral: we expect clients to disclose structures we must analyse.
Fees for your situation are confirmed in a written proposal.