The Real Cost of a Financial Advisor (And Why the 1% Math Is Misleading)

A viral claim keeps making the rounds: that a 1% advisory fee will drain hundreds of thousands of dollars from your retirement savings. The math looks alarming... and that's exactly the point. But as with most things in finance (and life!), the truth is more nuanced than a headline or social media post makes it seem. In this episode, I break down research from Derek Tharp, Ph.D., CFP®, that puts this widely shared math to the test and reveals where it falls apart. Here's what you'll learn: → The misleading assumptions behind the popular "1% fee" calculation → How alternative fee models can be 3x more expensive using the same math → What academic research says about quantifying the value of a good advisor → A smarter way to evaluate whether hiring an advisor makes sense for your specific situation This episode isn't about defending any particular fee model. It's about making sure you have the right information to evaluate the cost, the value, and the role financial advice may play in your retirement planning. *** 📆 BOOK A CALL WITH OUR TEAM: Your retirement involves complex, interconnected decisions—taxes, income, healthcare, estate planning, investments. See how they fit together in one coordinated strategy built around your numbers. 👉 Learn More and Book a Call *** EPISODE RESOURCES: → Grab the Episode Show Notes → Join the Stay Wealthy Retirement Newsletter → Learn About the Total Retirement System™

You can listen to The Real Cost of a Financial Advisor (And Why the 1% Math Is Misleading) online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

The Real Cost of a Financial Advisor (And Why the 1% Math Is Misleading) is an episode from Stay Wealthy Retirement Show by Taylor Schulte, CFP®.

This episode is 23:13 long.

This episode was published on Apr 9, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Stay Wealthy Retirement Show when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.