Fee-Based Consultation

The term "fee-based consultation" refers to a form of consultation and compensation which is common in wealth consultation and wealth management circles.

As the term implies, in this type of consultation customers pay the consultant a fee for services provided. Fee-based consultants do not accept commissions, finder’s fees and retrocession fees from service providers. The primary advantage of fee-based consultation is that it prevents potential conflicts of interest.

In the strictest and most basic form of fee-based consultation, fees are based entirely on the amount of time which the consultant dedicates to a customer.

Today however, many financial service providers liberally define all business models which exclude third-party commissions as “fee-based consultation”.

Some “fee-based consultants” incorrectly charge recurring wealth management fees as a lump sum or a percentage, regardless of the actual time and effort involved.

More on this topic:
Private banking in Switzerland