How to Start your own Financial Planning Firm

Start a financial planning firm by following these 10 steps:

1. Plan your Financial Planning Firm
2. Form your Financial Planning Firm into a Legal Entity
3. Register your Financial Planning Firm for Taxes
4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
5. Set up Accounting for your Financial Planning Firm
6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Financial Planning Firm
7. Get Financial Planning Firm Insurance
8. Define your Financial Planning Firm Brand
9. Create your Financial Planning Firm Website
10. Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your financial planning firm. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

• What will you name your business?
• What are the startup and ongoing costs?
• Who is your target market?
• How much can you charge customers?

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Financial Planning Firm Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

• Your state's business records
• Federal and state trademark records
• Social media platforms
• Web domain availability.

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

What are the costs involved in opening a financial planning firm?

Starting a firm requires you to become a registered investment advisor (RIA), registered with your state. You will spend between $10,000 and $20,000 for basic startup costs. Some of these include office rent, your legal documentation (including your form ADV client brochure and fee disclosure), and fees for your vendors. You’ll also need a good contract with a custodian.

What are the ongoing expenses for a financial planning firm?

Ongoing expenses include office upkeep and business liability insurance, rent, errors and omissions insurance, account maintenance fees for a custodian, and labor costs for any staff you retain.

Who is the target market?

The target market for most financial planners is middle-income. However, some advisors find that the upper middle-class or high net worth market is more worthwhile. Bottom line: choose a market that can afford your services and that has money to invest.

How does a financial planning firm make money?

Financial advisory firms make money by charging clients for financial advice, comprehensive plans, and modular plans. Many advisories also charge a fee for managing investments. The fee is usually a percentage of the assets held under management.

How much can you charge customers?

The typical fee for assets under management is between 1% and 2%. A typical comprehensive financial plan will cost between $1,800 and $10,000, depending on the client and his or her needs.

How much profit can a financial planning firm make?

A financial planning firm can be very profitable. Most firms have profit margins exceeding 10%, and the most successful ones have profits margins exceeding 20%.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Make your firm more successful by specializing in a specific type of financial planning. For example, you could choose to specialize in education planning, retirement planning, financial planning for millennials, or even non-investment planning.

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), and corporation.

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your financial planning firm is sued.

You can form an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

• Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
• Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

• Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
• Build your company's credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a financial planning business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

Is this Business Right For You?

A financial planner is usually the individual who owns a financial advisory firm. To sit in the CEO’s chair, you must be comfortable working long hours, have a passion for all things financial, and have a special interest in human psychology. 

Many financial decisions are not just about the numbers. They are about the client’s behaviors and how he or she views the world. For example, some investors are concerned about the environment and may eschew investments in fossil fuels, regardless of the mutual fund’s or stock’s long-term return to investors.

Other investors may be more concerned with protecting their principal and earning a conservative rate of return. These investors might only be willing to invest in bonds and bond funds, annuities, permanent life insurance, and conservative bank products.

Some clients may not be comfortable investing their money at all or may not be ready to. Others may need help reigning in spending, or they may be so focused on saving money that they’re living an unhappy life and are coming to you for advice on what to do. Understanding the psychology of different types of people and how each of your clients relates to money will enable you to gain their trust and best serve their long-term financial interests.

What happens during a typical day at a financial planning firm?

Financial planners do a lot of different things during the day. One of the most important tasks is prospecting and marketing. Even large financial firms need to constantly bring in new clients and service existing ones.

Many firms focus on “assets under management” or “AUM”. The more assets under management, the more the firm makes. Thus, most marketing efforts are geared toward bringing more assets to the firm.

Whether that’s making phone calls every day to existing clients (or new prospects), sending out direct mailers, or giving talks and lectures or holding seminars, the principal advisor in a firm is busy.

A financial planner also meets with clients or oversees meetings with his or her top advisors (who meet with clients). A financial planner also sends faxes, drafts financial plans for clients, does a multitude of calculations on financial planning software, and spends time keeping tabs on the financial markets.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful financial planning firm?

Financial advisors typically have at least some formal education and training in financial planning. Some colleges, like the American College, are set up specifically for this purpose. The specific skills needed by a financial planner include basic and advanced money management skills, the ability to explain complex financial concepts in simple terms, and a deep understanding of financial math, financial markets, and its relevance to human life.

What is the growth potential for a financial planning firm?

A financial planning firm can be small or large. Many firms are one-person operations. However, some financial advisors grow their firms into multi million-dollar companies. Blue Ocean Global Wealth is one example of a large planning firm. Edelman Financial Services is another example of a firm that grew into a household name.