Fee-only

Definition

Fee-only in plain English

A planner's website says "fee-only," yet the affiliated broker-dealer still collects 12b-1s on recommended funds. That label fails. Fee-only is a compensation representation available only where neither the certificant, the firm, nor any related party receives sales-related compensation. "Fee-based" is the softer cousin that still allows commissions somewhere in the stack. On ethics and disclosure stems, read who gets paid, not the marketing adjective. If any related party takes sales-related pay, fee-only is off the table.

Related Certified Financial Planner terms

• Elective deferral limit (2026)
• Transfer tax basic exclusion (2026)
• Accumulation trust
• Actual deferral percentage test
• Adhesion contract
• Adjusted gross income
• Adverse selection
• Aleatory contract
• Alternative minimum tax
• Annuity due