How much does a financial adviser cost?

If you're considering professional advice for your superannuation, investments or retirement income, the first question is usually a practical one: what will it actually cost? In 2026, most Australians who paid for financial advice would have been charged somewhere between $500 and $7,000 for a piece of advice, and an average of $4,744 a year for an ongoing advice relationship, depending on complexity¹. 

Below, we break down the fee models, what's typically included, when advice fees are tax-deductible, and how to judge whether the value stacks up for your stage of life.  

Financial advice fees in Australia have steadily risen since the post-Royal Commission reforms, driven by higher compliance costs, adviser education standards, and the shift away from commissions. In 2026, indicative market ranges look like this:

• Super advice provided by a super fund: starts at no additional cost to members as it may be included in membership fees.
• Single-issue or scoped advice (e.g. advice on one super consolidation decision, or contribution strategy): up to $3,300².
• Comprehensive Statement of Advice (full plan across super, investments, insurance, and retirement): between $2,500 and $7,000 – and sometimes more for complex situations¹. 
• Ongoing service fee (annual reviews, strategy updates, implementation support): an average of $4,744 a year, with high-net-worth relationships often coming in above this range¹. 

This pricing is indicative only based on available benchmarks. Advisers set their own fees based on the work involved. 

_{Source: Adviser Ratings and CFS One-off advice.}

CFS can connect you with a range of tailored financial advice options to suit your needs, from super-only advice provided by CFS financial advisers, to one-off advice on one or more topics, to comprehensive advice. Explore our financial advice options.

Two households with similar incomes can face very different fees. The scope of the advice, the number of objectives addressed, whether an SMSF, trust or business is involved, and the adviser's experience and licensee model all affect the price. 

Advice focused on a single issue is naturally cheaper than a full retirement income strategy with estate planning layered in.  

Understanding the fee model is often more important than the headline number. Regardless of how an adviser structures their pricing, any fee arrangements must be clearly disclosed by the adviser and agreed to by the client. 

In 2026, most Australian advisers use one, or a blend, of the following:

Super advice provided by your super fund may be included in your fund’s annual fees and therefore may be accessible at no extra cost to members. Qualified financial advisers, funded by the general admin fees collected by the super fund, provide advice that is tailored to the member’s personal situation but is limited in scope to super. Note: the adviser – like all financial advisers – is legally required to act in the best interest of the member.

A set dollar amount for a defined piece of work, agreed up front. This is now the most common approach for new advice, because it aligns the fee to the work involved rather than the size of your balance. 

A fixed fee for a narrower engagement — for example, advice on consolidating super, a contribution strategy, or a transition-to-retirement plan. Ideal when you want confidence on one issue, or a limited range of issues, without committing to a full plan. 

An annual fee for a continuing relationship: reviews, strategy updates, portfolio monitoring, and access between meetings. Under the annual renewal and consent rules that apply in 2026, you must actively agree to these fees each year.  

Some advisers still charge a percentage of assets under advice, particularly for larger portfolios. Following successive reforms aimed at making the industry more transparent and accountable, purely asset-based charging is less common than a decade ago and must be transparent and agreed to by the customer. 

Commissions on new investment and super advice were banned under the Future of Financial Advice reforms. They are still permitted on life insurance products within capped limits and must be disclosed.   

Whatever the type of advice you’re seeking, what’s covered should be made clear before you sign on.

For example, super advice provided by your super fund may include:

• A digital fact-find
• An online strategy meeting
• A Statement of Advice (SoA) related to your super in the super fund.

Exactly what is covered may vary, so make sure you understand exactly what you’ll receive.

As a guide, a typical comprehensive advice engagement covers:

1. Discovery meeting: an initial conversation about your goals, situation, and whether the adviser is the right fit (often complimentary). 
2. Fact-find and analysis: gathering your financials, super, insurance and estate details. 
3. Strategy development: modelling scenarios across contributions, investment options, retirement income, and tax. 
4. Statement of Advice (SoA): the formal written document setting out recommendations, reasons and costs. 
5. Implementation: executing the strategy via rollovers, contributions, investment changes and insurance applications. 
6. Ongoing reviews: annual (or more frequent) check-ins to adjust the plan as your life and markets change. 

The fee reflects the complexity of the work. Expect a higher fee where you have multiple entities (SMSF, family trust, company), significant investments outside super, estate planning needs, aged-care decisions, or blended-family considerations. 

A single-topic engagement – say, reviewing your super investment options – sits at the lower end.

Adviser experience and specialisation (retirement income, aged care, business ownership) also affect the price.

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) sets out when advice fees are deductible. In general terms, fees for ongoing advice related to producing assessable income – for example, reviewing an existing investment portfolio – may be deductible. 

Fees for initial advice or drawing up an investment plan have historically not been deductible, though updated ATO guidance in recent years has clarified deductibility for portions of advice fees that relate to managing existing income-producing investments. 

The treatment depends on the nature of the advice and your circumstances, so keep itemised invoices and confirm with your tax adviser. See the ATO's guidance on deductions for financial advice fees for current detail.  

Where advice relates to a member's interest in their super fund, the fee can generally be deducted directly from the super account. 

This can include personal advice from an external adviser, subject to the fund's rules and the 'sole purpose' test, which requires that only advice related to super may be deducted from a super account. 

CFS members can access adviser support and manage their super online through FirstNet — login to FirstNet or download the CFS app to review your account and fee arrangements.  

Advisers are required by law to act in the best interest of the customer, so a customer should be better off for having received financial advice. 

Beyond that, the value a financial adviser delivers isn't only about price. Good advice can deliver:

• Strategy: the right contribution, investment and structure decisions for your stage of life. 
• Tax efficiency: using super, salary sacrifice, and timing to keep more of what you earn. 
• Behavioural coaching: the discipline to stay invested through market cycles. 
• Retirement income confidence: turning a balance into a sustainable income. 
• Estate structuring: making sure your wealth passes efficiently to the people you choose.

Understand more about the value of financial advice.  

1. What is your fee structure, and what's included?  
   Ask for a written fee schedule covering the Statement of Advice (SoA), implementation, and any ongoing service. 
2. What's the scope of the advice?  
   Confirm whether it's super advice, single issue-based advice, comprehensive, or somewhere in between.
3. What does your ongoing service include?  
   Consider the number of reviews, response times, portfolio monitoring, and access between meetings. 
4. What licensee are you authorised under, and what are your areas of specialisation?  
   Check the ASIC Financial Advisers Register.
5. How will you document and review the advice?  
   Ask about the SoA, annual renewal, and the consent process for ongoing fees.  

Start with the ASIC Financial Advisers Register via Moneysmart, or CFS' Find an Adviser tool. 

Our Find an Adviser tool connects CFS members with adviser support through the CFS network, helping customers to find a financial adviser aligned to your goals, whether you're building wealth or planning retirement income.