[kristinecfp]

Great info! I had a couple of thoughts while reading this thread. First, re: "44% wanted to pay a flat dollar amount that was known upfront", there are many fee-only financial planners who offer their services either by the hour, or by the project, and clients know how much the services will cost up front. To find these financial advisors, do an internet search for fee-only financial planner, or fee-only financial planning.

Second, re: "The negative view of financial advisors likely comes from the results they have provided. two-thirds say the advice they received from their financial advisors returned less than the S&P 500 while only 22% beat this benchmark." - There is much, much more to financial planning than just investment advice. Most of my clients come to me (I am an hourly, fee-only financial planner) to see if they are saving enough to retire at a certain age, to see if they have the right asset allocation for their age/time frame/goals, to minimize income taxes, or to learn how much they need to save for their childrens college education. In fact, I have never had a client come to me asking for help improving their investment returns. Given that the scope of financial planning is so much greater than investment returns, I think you should consider how your financial planner has helped you reach your financial goals instead of just looking at investment returns.