Testimonials

What our legal clients have to say

"Thanks for urging us to invest more in our house in 2015. It cost 50% more but delights us daily. Your advice proved invaluable."

Carl
16,August

"You demonstrated we had a genuine surplus, giving us the confidence to spend. That foresight set you apart from typical financial advisers."

Carl
16,August

"Your low-cost ETF philosophy and focus on outcomes, not stock picking, have made a big difference. It's a refreshing approach to investing."

Carl
16,August

"Trusted for integrity, honesty, and peace of mind. Advice is clear, client-focused, and easy to assess. Truly a cut above the rest."

Carl
16,August

"Sustainability of the business ensures consistent support for lifetime planning. The focus on tech keeps pricing competitive and services reliable."

Carl
16,August

Ready for some detail?

Fixed fee to produce your Financial Plan

We charge a one-time flat fee for initial financial planning, typically ranging from £2,500 to £5,000. This fee is:

Based on the scope and complexity of your financial situation
Independent of your asset values
VAT exempt when it’s part of setting up goal-based portfolios

This planning fee will be incorporated into your annual portfolio fees if you become a client.

Ongoing Advice and Service Fees

For continuous portfolio management and advice, we use a regressive fee scale based on the percentage of assets assigned to goal-based portfolios:

0.80% on the first £3 million
0.60% on the next £4 million
0.15% on any amount over £7 million

These fees do not apply to institutional accounts (charities and endowments), where the fee scale is lower and flatter but maintains the same commitment to consistency across all accounts.

The intermediary service format for private clients means VAT is not applied. However, VAT is applicable to the fully discretionary service for institutional accounts.

Both our fees and third-party costs are factored into the model outcome probabilities for each client goal. These reflect the reductions in projected market returns, incorporating changes in asset allocation over the life of your plan.

Third-Party Investment Costs

When you invest with Fowler Drew, there are additional costs beyond our fees. These come from other companies involved in managing your investments:

Platform Charges

Fowler Drew doesn’t hold your money directly. Instead, we use an independent platform to safeguard your investments and manage transactions. Key details:

You maintain a direct relationship with the platform
Fowler Drew can operate your accounts with limited powers
Platform charges vary based on:
- The total amount you invest (larger investments often mean lower percentage fees)
- The types of accounts you hold (e.g., pensions may have higher charges)
- Whether you’re part of a family group (which can reduce costs)

Product Costs

We aim to minimise investment costs by selecting:

Low-risk assets like cash and government bonds
Globally diversified stock market index trackers

Product costs may vary over time as your investment plan evolves.

Total Third-Party Costs

The total third-party costs include platform charges and product costs. These are separate from Fowler Drew's fees but are carefully managed to ensure they remain as low as possible while meeting your investment needs.

Additional investment fees

In addition to Fowler Drew's fees, there may be additional charges related to the funds we recommend, the structures or pensions we invest in, and the wrap platform (also known as custodian fees). We’ll inform you of any charges that may impact your investments and pensions.
Typical fees cover discretionary investment management, wrap platform, and the underlying financial instruments in your portfolio.

For example, with a £1,000,000 investment in the Fowler Drew Evidence-Based Balanced Portfolio P50 on the Fusion platform, annual fees would include: a discretionary management fee of 0.09% (£900), underlying instrument costs of 0.273% (£2,730), and a Fusion platform fee of 0.185% (£1,850).
Including Fowler Drew's 0.71% annual fee, this results in a total cost of 1.258% (£12,580) for a £1,000,000 investment

What is not included in our fees

While Fowler Drew’s fees cover most services, there are some additional charges:

New financial planning for new goals or significant changes: Flat fees similar to initial planning (VAT exempt).
Collaboration with third-party specialist advisers: Charged based on time spent (plus VAT).
Globally diversified stock market index trackers

How do our fees compare?

Research into competitors’ cost disclosures suggests their fees range from 1% to 2.5% for similar portfolio sizes. However, these comparisons are not like-for-like in terms of the scope of service:

Competitors do not typically offer fully customised goal-based portfolios with quantified outcomes or the ability to measure progress toward these outcomes.
Few genuinely integrate continuous financial planning with portfolio management or demonstrate a formal, mathematical link between portfolio and plan.
Higher costs among competitors may result from expensive underlying investment holdings or high management charges.

Fees

What our legal clients have to say

Featured Insights