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Fee-Based vs Fee-Only


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Fee-Based Financial Advisor In South Florida, Fully Disclosed

Working with a fee-based financial advisor means most of the firm's compensation comes from advisory fees, with insurance and annuity commissions disclosed up front when those apply. Here is how it works at Intercoastal Wealth Planning. 

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Fee-Based, Fiduciary Fully Disclosed Independent IAR CFP®-Led

WHY FEE-BASED MATTERS

Honest compensation disclosure beats marketing claims.

Most compensation is advisory fees

The bulk of the firm's revenue comes from advisory fees paid by clients. These are disclosed in writing before any engagement, scaled to assets under management.



Commissions disclosed when they apply

Where insurance products or annuities fit a client's plan, the firm may earn a commission. We disclose the commission, the alternatives, and the rationale before recommending.


Fiduciary on all advisory work

The fee-based model doesn't change the fiduciary obligation. Advisory work is held to the fiduciary standard. Insurance and annuity work is held to the suitability and best-interest standards under separate rules.


Honest about what we are

Some firms claim fee-only when they should claim fee-based. We use the fee-based label because it's accurate. Honesty about compensation is part of the fiduciary obligation.


Long-term, not transactional

We meet on a real cadence, usually quarterly. The plan flexes as your life and the tax code change. Most relationships span decades.




South Florida-rooted, nationally licensed

Offices in Boca Raton and Plantation, plus licensed in all 50 states. Existing clients keep us when they move.




What Does Fee-Based Mean?

A fee-based financial advisor earns most of their compensation from advisory fees paid by clients, but may also earn commissions on certain products like insurance and annuities when those products fit a client's plan. The fee-based label is honest. Fee-only would mean the firm earns NO commissions on any product, ever. We do earn commissions in some cases, so we use the more accurate fee-based label.




Fee-Based Vs. Fee-Only.

  • Fee-Only: The firm earns compensation ONLY from client-paid fees (asset-management fees, hourly fees, flat-rate fees). No commissions on any product. NAPFA membership requires fee-only.
  • Fee-Based: Most compensation is from client-paid fees, but the firm may also earn commissions on specific products (typically insurance and annuity products). The fee-based label is appropriate when commissions are part of the picture, even occasionally.
  • Commission-Based: The firm earns compensation primarily from commissions on products sold. This is the traditional broker model.

How Compensation Works At Intercoastal Wealth Planning.

Advisory fees: Most of our compensation comes from advisory fees calculated as a percentage of assets under management. The percentage scales down as assets grow. The fee schedule is disclosed in the engagement documents and in the firm's Form ADV. Advisory work is held to the fiduciary standard.

Insurance and annuity commissions: Some clients hold life insurance, long-term care policies, or annuities. Where we're involved in recommending or placing these products, the firm earns a commission paid by the insurance carrier. We disclose the commission, the alternatives, and the rationale before any recommendation. Insurance work is held to applicable suitability and best-interest standards.

Securities and clearing: Securities transactions are processed through J. W. Cole Financial, the broker-dealer. Client assets are held at an independent custodian, not at J. W. Cole or at our firm.

Why We Do Not Claim Fee-Only.

Some advisor firms claim fee-only when they should claim fee-based. The distinction matters under SEC and state rules, and it matters under NAPFA's strict definition. We earn commissions in some cases, so we use the more accurate label. Misrepresenting fee status would itself be a fiduciary violation.

Bottom line: fee-based with full disclosure is honest. Fee-only with secret commissions is dishonest. Our compensation model is laid out in writing before any engagement and updated in the firm's Form ADV. See the disclosure page for the formal documentation.

RELATED PAGES

What to read next.

Pages that explain how the broader practice works:

The Fiduciary Standard

What being a fiduciary actually requires and how to verify it.


See fiduciary standard →

About Our Team

The team behind the practice and the credentials they hold.

See about our team →

Insurance Planning

Where insurance and annuity work fits, and how we disclose commissions when they apply.

See insurance planning →

WHO WE SERVE

Who works with us under this fee structure.

Every Intercoastal client engages under the same fee-based, fiduciary structure:

Pre-Retirees

For clients in their 40s, 50s, and early 60s coordinating the Social Security decision, Medicare timing, Roth conversion windows, and the income plan that follows.

Business Owners

For founders and owners. The planning runs from operating the business through eventual transition or sale.


Executives

For C-suite leaders with concentrated equity, deferred compensation, and the planning that comes with senior roles.


Inheritors

For clients receiving an inheritance, sudden or expected. Help making steady decisions in a moment when steady is hard.


Professional Women

For women in their career-building years working through equity comp, executive comp, and the planning that supports both.


Divorced Women

For women rebuilding financial independence after divorce. Coaching, accountability, and a real plan for what's next.


Widows

For women facing financial decisions for the first time after the loss of a spouse. Patience and a step-by-step approach.

 

What we don't do.

Contact Us Today

We don't lead with proprietary products, structured notes, or non-traded REITs as a portfolio building block. We don't take custody of your assets. We don't promise market-beating returns. The honest answer is that nobody who has to tell the truth to a regulator can.

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QUESTIONS, ANSWERED
Common questions about Fee-Based

  • A fee-based financial advisor earns most compensation from client-paid advisory fees, but may also earn commissions on insurance and annuity products when those products fit a client's plan. The fee-based model is held to fiduciary standards on advisory work.
  • Fee-only means the firm earns NO commissions on any product, ever. Fee-based means most compensation is from advisory fees, but commissions on specific products like insurance and annuities can apply. Intercoastal Wealth Planning is fee-based, not fee-only. We use the accurate label.
  • It matters because it tells you where conflicts of interest can arise. With fee-only, there are no commission-based conflicts. With fee-based, there can be commission-based conflicts on specific products, which is why disclosure is required and why a fiduciary obligation still applies to advisory work.
  • Not inherently. Commissions are a compensation structure. The issue arises when commissions are hidden or when they push an advisor to recommend the wrong product. When commissions are disclosed in writing alongside alternatives, and when the fiduciary obligation still applies, the structure is workable.
  • Most of our advisory work is billed as a percentage of assets under management. The percentage scales down as assets grow. Specific rates are disclosed in the engagement documents and in the firm's Form ADV before any engagement begins.
  • Our firm's ADV Part 2A and 2B documents are available on the disclosure page. These are the formal regulatory documents that disclose fees, conflicts, business practices, and the advisor's background.

    • Find Us

    Two offices, one team.


    Boca Raton (Home Office)

    1200 North Federal Highway, Suite 300

    Boca Raton, FL 33432

    (561) 210-7339

    Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM ET

    Palm Beach County

    Boca Raton Highland Beach Delray Beach Boynton Beach West Palm Beach Palm Beach Palm Beach Gardens

    Plantation

    7901 SW 6th Court, Suite 320

    Plantation, FL 33324

    (954) 809-3553

    Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM ET

    Broward County

    Plantation Fort Lauderdale Coral Springs Weston Cooper City Parkland

    Ready to talk about fee-based?

    The first meeting is a conversation, not a sales pitch. We'll talk about where you are, what you're working through, and whether Intercoastal is the right fit. In person in Boca Raton or Plantation, or by video from anywhere.

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