# Wellspent > Wellspent publishes the public graph of fee-only financial advisors (find.wellspent.co): structured, sourced records that AI assistants, search engines, and partner apps can read. Advisors keep their record current through a paid membership; nobody pays for placement. ## How it works One structured record per advisor, published in the public graph; what membership includes and who it's for. - [How it works](https://wellspent.co/how-it-works) ## Why Wellspent Why AI-assisted discovery rewards structured, sourced advisor records, and the commitments behind the graph. - [Why Wellspent](https://wellspent.co/why-wellspent) ## Pricing Individual advisor membership: $89 a month or $890 a year. - [Pricing](https://wellspent.co/pricing) ## Methodology How records are sourced, verified, and kept current. - [Methodology](https://wellspent.co/methodology) ## About Who builds Wellspent and why. - [About](https://wellspent.co/about) ## Join Become a member. - [Join](https://wellspent.co/join) ## Public graph Fee-only advisor records, specialty, region, and list pages, guides, and a glossary. Markdown mirrors and an MCP server for agents. - [Public graph](https://wellspent.cohttps://find.wellspent.co) ## Guides How clients find and choose advisors now, what each channel costs, and how AI assistants decide who to recommend. - [Guides](https://wellspent.co/guides/) ## Comparisons Lead services and directories for advisors, compared with sourced, dated prices. - [Comparisons](https://wellspent.co/compare/) ## Research Studies built from the public graph, SEC filings and fee-only firms' own websites. - [Research](https://wellspent.co/research/) ## Advice-only planning in Canada Advice-only is the main model among Canadian fee-only firms: 83% of those whose websites say how they charge list no asset-based fee. Canadian fee-only firms that publish prices charge a median C$1,900 for a one-time plan and C$2,300 a year for ongoing planning. The practical questions are where advice stops and registration starts, sales tax, and how clients find you. - [Advice-only planning in Canada](https://wellspent.co/guides/advice-only-planning-canada/) ## Can financial advisors use Google reviews? Yes. Reviews that clients post on your Google profile generally aren't your advertisement, as long as you let everyone post and don't delete, edit, sort or write them. They become your advertisement when you ask selectively, pay for them, or put them on your own website, and then the SEC marketing rule's disclosures apply. - [Can financial advisors use Google reviews?](https://wellspent.co/guides/can-financial-advisors-use-google-reviews/) ## Client acquisition cost for financial advisors, by channel The typical firm spent $2,551 to win a client in 2026, down from $3,800 in 2024. By channel the spread is wide: about $1,400 per client through online directories and review sites, about $3,000 through SEO and client referrals, and $40,000 or more through newsletters, client events and social media. - [Client acquisition cost for financial advisors, by channel](https://wellspent.co/guides/financial-advisor-client-acquisition-cost/) ## Fee benchmarks for fee-only advisors US fee-only firms that publish prices charge a median $4,500 a year for ongoing planning, $2,000 for a one-time plan, $300 an hour or 1% of assets. Ongoing fees run from $2,100 in Minnesota to $7,450 in New Jersey. - [Fee benchmarks for fee-only advisors](https://wellspent.co/guides/what-fee-only-advisors-charge/) ## Fee-only practice in Canada: CIRO, dealers and what "fee-only" means there No Canadian regulator defines "fee-only", so anyone can use the term. What regulators do control is registration: dealing representatives work for CIRO investment dealers or mutual fund dealers, and Ontario and Quebec restrict planner titles. In Wellspent's October 2026 check, 20 of 206 Canadian firms listed as fee-only showed a dealer tie in their own published words. - [Fee-only practice in Canada: CIRO, dealers and what "fee-only" means there](https://wellspent.co/guides/fee-only-in-canada/) ## Financial advisor bio examples that work in AI answers AI assistants match a bio against the client's question: who they are, what they're deciding, where they live, what they'll pay. A bio that lists those facts in plain sentences can be quoted. A bio about passion and holistic planning can't. Here are fill-in templates, before and after. - [Financial advisor bio examples that work in AI answers](https://wellspent.co/guides/financial-advisor-bio-examples/) ## Financial advisor directories: do they work? Yes. In Kitces' 2026 survey of 506 advisors, online directories had the lowest marketing cost per dollar of new revenue of any channel, $0.28, yet only 18% of firms used them. - [Financial advisor directories: do they work?](https://wellspent.co/guides/do-financial-advisor-directories-work/) ## Flat fee vs AUM for your firm A 1% fee and the median flat fee of $4,500 earn the same on a $450,000 household. Above that, AUM earns more and grows with markets. Below it, a flat fee earns more and opens the door to clients an asset fee can't serve. - [Flat fee vs AUM for your firm](https://wellspent.co/guides/flat-fee-vs-aum/) ## Getting ready for press: your expertise, headshot and topics Each quarter Wellspent matches members to stories with its media partners by specialty. When a match comes, the advisor who can send a clear paragraph, a usable photo and a quick answer that day is the one who gets quoted. Have all three ready before the match comes. - [Getting ready for press: your expertise, headshot and topics](https://wellspent.co/guides/getting-ready-for-press/) ## Google Business Profile for financial advisors A Google Business Profile is free and decides who shows in the map results for "financial planner near me". Google ranks them on relevance, distance and prominence, and you can't pay to move up. The hard parts for an advisor are eligibility if you work virtually, and reviews under the SEC marketing rule. - [Google Business Profile for financial advisors](https://wellspent.co/guides/google-business-profile-for-financial-advisors/) ## How AI assistants choose which financial advisors to recommend AI assistants don't keep a list of advisors. They search the web while they answer, read a handful of pages, and name the firms those pages describe clearly. Firms with thin, inconsistent or hidden facts rarely come up. - [How AI assistants choose which financial advisors to recommend](https://wellspent.co/guides/how-ai-assistants-choose-financial-advisors/) ## How CPAs and estate attorneys vet advisors before referring Among advisors who use centers of influence, 89% get referrals from CPAs and 79% from estate planning attorneys. Before either one sends a client, they're risking their own relationship. Here's what a careful CPA or attorney can check, and how to make every check easy. - [How CPAs and estate attorneys vet advisors before referring](https://wellspent.co/guides/how-cpas-and-attorneys-vet-advisors/) ## How journalists choose which advisors to quote Journalists quote the advisor who fits the story, answers fast and checks out. In Muck Rack's 2026 survey, 70% said a pitch must be clearly relevant to their beat, 58% wanted access to a source they could interview, and 40% wanted original data. - [How journalists choose which advisors to quote](https://wellspent.co/guides/how-journalists-choose-advisors-to-quote/) ## How much AUM the average advisor has The number most people quote is the median SEC-registered firm: $446.9 million at the end of 2025, across a median of 8 employees. Per advisor, the latest Cerulli figures come out near $90 million. Fee-only planners often manage far less, because flat and hourly fees aren't counted as assets at all. - [How much AUM the average advisor has](https://wellspent.co/guides/average-financial-advisor-aum/) ## How much financial advisor leads cost Pay-per-lead services charge from about $25 to over $1,000 a lead, and revenue-share networks take 15% to 35% of a client's fees, often for as long as the client stays. Worked out per client, a bought lead usually costs more than the $2,551 the typical firm spends to win a client. - [How much financial advisor leads cost](https://wellspent.co/guides/financial-advisor-leads-cost/) ## How new fee-only advisors get their first 25 clients Most new fee-only firms take two to three years to reach 25 clients. The first few come from people who already trust you. The next ones come from being easy to find and check, through directories, your own site and a clear niche. Referrals from clients start to matter only after that. - [How new fee-only advisors get their first 25 clients](https://wellspent.co/guides/first-25-clients-financial-advisor/) ## How to answer an introduction request An introduction request is a message a prospect wrote to you alone, from your record or after the matching quiz. It arrives by email with the prospect as the reply-to address. Reply the same day, answer what they asked, say what you charge, and offer one clear next step. - [How to answer an introduction request](https://wellspent.co/guides/answer-an-introduction-request/) ## How to become a fee-only advisor Becoming fee-only means no pay tied to a product sale, for you, your firm or anyone related to it: no commissions, no trails, no 12b-1 fees, no insurance commissions. In practice that's an investment adviser registration (the Series 65, or a waiver with a current CFP), a Form U5 ending your broker registration, a firm whose Form ADV checks only fees, and a plan for trails, which the CFP Board lets you work around only by transferring them, asking for them to stop, and giving the rest to charity. - [How to become a fee-only advisor](https://wellspent.co/guides/how-to-become-a-fee-only-advisor/) ## How to check what AI says about your firm Ask the questions your ideal clients ask, the way they ask them, in several assistants and several phrasings. Record who gets named, which pages are cited and what's said about you. Then trace every gap and every error back to a page you can fix. - [How to check what AI says about your firm](https://wellspent.co/guides/check-what-ai-says-about-your-firm/) ## How to choose a niche as a fee-only advisor Most fee-only firms name the same three services: retirement (63% of firm sites), tax (58%) and estate planning (43%). Equity compensation appears on 18%, founders before an exit on 7%, crypto on 1%. A niche is a group of clients, not a service, and the rare ones are where a small firm stands out. - [How to choose a niche as a fee-only advisor](https://wellspent.co/guides/how-to-choose-a-niche-financial-advisor/) ## How to complete your Wellspent record so AI quotes it AI assistants quote what a record says, and they keep using it as a client's questions get more specific. Fill in your fees as numbers, pick the specialties where you have depth, and describe your ideal client in your own words. Here's every field, what it does, and what's shown publicly. - [How to complete your Wellspent record so AI quotes it](https://wellspent.co/guides/complete-your-wellspent-record/) ## How to get clients as a financial advisor The typical advisory firm now spends $2,551 to win a client. Directories, referrals and SEO cost the least per dollar of new revenue; social media and client events cost the most. - [How to get clients as a financial advisor](https://wellspent.co/guides/how-to-get-clients-as-a-financial-advisor/) ## How to get quoted in Forbes, CNBC and Kiplinger Reporters quote the advisor who answers their exact question, quickly, in a few plain sentences they can drop into a story. 88% of journalists delete pitches that miss their beat. Here's how to be the answer that gets used. - [How to get quoted in Forbes, CNBC and Kiplinger](https://wellspent.co/guides/how-to-get-quoted-as-a-financial-advisor/) ## How to get your firm recommended by AI assistants AI assistants name the firms they can read clearly and check elsewhere. Publish your fees and specialties in plain text, keep your facts identical everywhere, let the AI crawlers in, and get onto the independent sources assistants trust. - [How to get your firm recommended by AI assistants](https://wellspent.co/guides/how-to-get-recommended-by-ai/) ## How to price financial planning Fee-only firms that publish prices charge a median $4,500 a year for ongoing planning, $2,000 for a one-time plan, $300 an hour or 1% of assets. Here's how to pick a model and set a number you can defend. - [How to price financial planning](https://wellspent.co/guides/how-to-price-financial-planning/) ## How to read your monthly AI visibility report Each month we put up to three questions a client like yours might ask to an AI assistant with live web search, and show whether you were named, who was recommended instead, and which sources the answers leaned on. The questions come from your record, so the report is only as specific as your record is. - [How to read your monthly AI visibility report](https://wellspent.co/guides/read-your-ai-visibility-report/) ## How to set an advice-only fee US fee-only firms that list no asset-based fee charge a median $1,950 for a one-time plan, $300 an hour and $5,000 a year for ongoing planning. That ongoing fee is well above the $4,500 median for all fee-only firms, and it should be: it's the whole relationship. - [How to set an advice-only fee](https://wellspent.co/guides/how-to-set-advice-only-fees/) ## Is your website blocking AI assistants? Open yoursite.com/robots.txt and look for the AI companies' user agents. Then check your hosting's security settings, make sure your fees and specialties are page text rather than images or PDFs, and add structured data that matches what the page says. - [Is your website blocking AI assistants?](https://wellspent.co/guides/is-your-website-blocking-ai/) ## Press for financial advisors: what a quote is worth A quote rarely brings a client on its own. It works as proof: prospects and AI assistants use it to confirm what you're expert in. About a quarter of AI citations in one 2026 study came from earned media. Here's what you can measure, and what you can't. - [Press for financial advisors: what a quote is worth](https://wellspent.co/guides/press-for-financial-advisors/) ## Publish your fees: why price pages get cited Clients ask AI what advice costs, and assistants answer with prices they can find. About half of fee-only firms publish one. A plain-text fee page that matches your Form ADV puts you in that half, and makes you the answer to every question that mentions a fee model. - [Publish your fees: why price pages get cited](https://wellspent.co/guides/publish-your-fees/) ## Referrals for fee-only advisors: why they slow down and what replaces them Referrals are still among the cheapest clients a firm gets, and they still run dry. In Kitces' 2026 research, slower-growing firms got 80% of new client revenue from referrals and high-growth firms about a third. The gap is made up by channels the firm controls. - [Referrals for fee-only advisors: why they slow down and what replaces them](https://wellspent.co/guides/financial-advisor-referrals/) ## SEO for fee-only advisors SEO is still one of the cheapest ways to win clients: $0.45 of marketing cost per $1 of new yearly revenue in Kitces' 2026 study, and only about a third of firms do it. What works has narrowed to a few pages that answer a real client's question, and the same pages now feed AI answers. - [SEO for fee-only advisors](https://wellspent.co/guides/seo-for-fee-only-advisors/) ## Shared leads vs exclusive leads vs referrals: close rates advisors report Shared leads close at about 1 in 20 even for advisors who do well with them (Kitces, 2024). An exclusive lead service reported converting about a fifth of referred assets. Client referrals, in advisors' own reports, close almost every time. The catch is that each rate counts something different. - [Shared leads vs exclusive leads vs referrals: close rates advisors report](https://wellspent.co/guides/financial-advisor-lead-close-rates/) ## Should you buy financial advisor leads? The math The most a lead is worth to you is the most you'd pay for a client times your close rate. At the $2,551 the typical firm spends per client and a 1 in 20 close rate, that's about $128 a lead, below the $150 to $300 reported for shared leads. Here's how to run it on your own numbers, for all three ways of paying. - [Should you buy financial advisor leads? The math](https://wellspent.co/guides/should-you-buy-financial-advisor-leads/) ## Should you have an asset minimum? Of the 781 US fee-only firms that state an asset minimum, 50% say they have none. A minimum makes sense when your fee depends on assets. When it doesn't, a minimum fee usually does the same job without turning clients away. - [Should you have an asset minimum?](https://wellspent.co/guides/should-you-have-an-asset-minimum/) ## Showing press mentions under the marketing rule You can show genuine press on your website, but the page is an advertisement under the SEC marketing rule, so it can't imply more than happened. In April 2024, SEC examiners flagged advisers who said they'd been "seen on" national media when the appearances were paid ads. Link every logo to its story, date it, and label anything you paid for. - [Showing press mentions under the marketing rule](https://wellspent.co/guides/press-mentions-marketing-rule/) ## Starting an RIA with no clients: where the first clients come from An RIA that starts with no clients typically earns about $5,000 in year one and $100,000 or more by year three. The first clients come from your network and from being findable. Client referrals and custodian programs, the channels established firms lean on, aren't open to you yet. - [Starting an RIA with no clients: where the first clients come from](https://wellspent.co/guides/starting-an-ria-with-no-clients/) ## Starting an RIA: costs, custodians, registration, first year Most new RIAs register with their state, because SEC registration generally starts at $100 million of assets under management. Hard costs are modest: Kitces put a typical launch at under $10,000 in the first year, and XYPN's registration packages run $3,500 to $10,250. The custodian choice narrowed in October 2026, when Fidelity's $100 million minimum was reported to apply to every RIA. The real cost is runway: firms that start from scratch typically earn about $5,000 in year one. - [Starting an RIA: costs, custodians, registration, first year](https://wellspent.co/guides/how-to-start-an-ria/) ## The SEC marketing rule for small RIAs: reviews, testimonials and ratings SEC-registered advisers have been allowed to use client reviews, testimonials and third-party ratings since November 4, 2022, as long as the disclosures sit right next to them. Many small firms are state-registered, so their state's rules apply instead. In September 2024 the SEC fined nine advisers a combined $1.24 million, most of them over awards and claims they couldn't back up. - [The SEC marketing rule for small RIAs: reviews, testimonials and ratings](https://wellspent.co/guides/marketing-rule-reviews-testimonials-ratings/) ## Trust signals that win prospects 74% of fee-only firm websites say "fee-only" and 71% say "fiduciary", so neither sets a firm apart any more. The signals that do are the ones a prospect can check: a verified record, prices in plain text, independent press, and client reviews shown under the SEC marketing rule. - [Trust signals that win prospects](https://wellspent.co/guides/financial-advisor-trust-signals/) ## Underserved niches and places for fee-only advisors Founders before an exit (7% of fee-only firm sites), crypto (1%) and concentrated stock (1%) are among the rarest specialties firms claim. By place, Ohio has 19 fee-only firms that publish an ongoing planning fee for 11.9 million people, while Colorado has 35 for 6 million. These are counts of firms, not of clients: they show where competition is thin. - [Underserved niches and places for fee-only advisors](https://wellspent.co/guides/underserved-niches-for-financial-advisors/) ## What happens when someone asks an AI assistant for a fee-only advisor in your city We took one answer from our study and followed it through. ChatGPT cited 22 pages on 17 sites, named five small firms, quoted their fees, pulled ratings from local listings, and asked three follow-up questions. Perplexity, asked the same thing, named five different firms. - [What happens when someone asks an AI assistant for a fee-only advisor in your city](https://wellspent.co/guides/asking-ai-for-a-fee-only-advisor/) ## What makes a firm fee-only by SEC data A firm is fee-only by SEC data when its Form ADV reports no commissions, it isn't a broker-dealer or a broker's registered representative, it isn't an insurance agent, it has no related broker-dealer or insurance agency, and its advisors hold no broker registration. That's the test we run on SEC data for the public graph, and you can run it on your own firm in ten minutes. - [What makes a firm fee-only by SEC data](https://wellspent.co/guides/what-makes-a-firm-fee-only/) ## What prospects check before they book a call A prospect who's about to book a first meeting checks four places: the SEC's adviser search, your website, reviews, and more and more often an AI assistant. 40% of the AI answers we studied told readers to look the advisor up with the SEC before hiring. Here's what each check shows them, and what to fix. - [What prospects check before they book a call](https://wellspent.co/guides/what-prospects-check-before-booking/) ## Why AI seems to recommend big firms over boutiques, and how small firms change that On broad questions, AI assistants lean toward firms with national footprints. On the specific questions clients ask, they mostly name small independent firms. The big-firm edge is coverage, a page for every city and a profile on every list, and a boutique can match it where it works. - [Why AI seems to recommend big firms over boutiques, and how small firms change that](https://wellspent.co/guides/ai-recommends-big-firms-vs-boutiques/) ## Canada: Wellspent vs FP Canada Find a Planner vs Globe and Mail Find an Advisor FP Canada's Find a Planner confirms who holds the CFP or QAFP, and comes with certification. The Globe and Mail's Find an Advisor fact-checks every listing for free and sells priority placement. Neither filters by how a planner is paid. Wellspent is a verified record for fee-only and advice-only planners that AI assistants read, for $89 a month. - [Canada: Wellspent vs FP Canada Find a Planner vs Globe and Mail Find an Advisor](https://wellspent.co/compare/fp-canada-vs-globe-and-mail-find-an-advisor/) ## Datalign Advisory review: how its auction leads work Datalign charges a one-time fee for each introduction, set by a second-price auction and tiered by the prospect's assets. The company has put prices at $25 to $1,000 a lead. Its October 2026 SEC brochure adds a change advisors should know: in some cases a prospect now goes to up to three advisers, each paying a fee. - [Datalign Advisory review: how its auction leads work](https://wellspent.co/compare/datalign-review/) ## Datalign vs SmartAsset vs Wellspent Datalign sells introductions by auction, usually to one adviser. SmartAsset sells leads shared with about three. Wellspent charges a flat $89 a month. On one $1 million client, both lead services come to roughly $3,000 to $10,000 in leads; Wellspent is $890 a year for every client it brings, or none. - [Datalign vs SmartAsset vs Wellspent](https://wellspent.co/compare/datalign-vs-smartasset-vs-wellspent/) ## Fee-Only Network vs Garrett Planning Network vs Wellspent These three get compared because all three are fee-only, but they do different jobs. Garrett Planning Network is a network for building an hourly, no-minimum practice. Fee-Only Network is a directory you get into through one of four associations, Garrett among them. Wellspent is a verified record AI assistants and search read, for $89 a month. Neither Garrett nor Fee-Only Network publishes its price. - [Fee-Only Network vs Garrett Planning Network vs Wellspent](https://wellspent.co/compare/fee-only-network-vs-garrett-planning-network/) ## Financial advisor lead generation companies compared Lead companies charge in one of three ways: per lead, per appointment or event, or a share of the client's fees. The cheapest per lead is rarely the cheapest per client, so compare them on what a signed client costs. - [Financial advisor lead generation companies compared](https://wellspent.co/compare/financial-advisor-lead-generation-companies/) ## Harness Wealth for advisors: the revenue share Harness Wealth refers clients with equity compensation and complex tax needs to wealth managers, and takes 15% of fees on accounts under $500,000 and 20% on accounts above, for as long as the client pays. Its network expects $300 million in discretionary assets, so most solo fee-only firms won't qualify. - [Harness Wealth for advisors: the revenue share](https://wellspent.co/compare/harness-wealth-for-advisors/) ## How much SmartAsset leads cost in 2026 SmartAsset doesn't publish a rate card. Reported prices run from about $150 to $300 or more per lead, with monthly budgets of $3,000 to $5,000 or more, and each lead is shared with about three advisors. What matters is the cost per client, which depends on your close rate. - [How much SmartAsset leads cost in 2026](https://wellspent.co/compare/smartasset-leads-cost/) ## Indyfin review: client reviews, now owned by WiserAdvisor Indyfin started as a client review and matching platform for advisors. WiserAdvisor bought its matching platform in July 2023, and prospects on indyfin.com are now referred through WiserAdvisor. What's left that's distinctly Indyfin is the review product, priced at $99 a month for a single advisor in early 2026. - [Indyfin review: client reviews, now owned by WiserAdvisor](https://wellspent.co/compare/indyfin-review/) ## Is SmartAsset worth it for financial advisors? At about $250 a lead and one client per 20 leads, a SmartAsset client costs about $5,000 in leads. A $1 million client at 1% pays that back in six months; a $4,500 planning client takes about 13. The answer turns on your close rate, your fee and whether you can carry the term. - [Is SmartAsset worth it for financial advisors?](https://wellspent.co/compare/is-smartasset-worth-it/) ## Is XYPN worth it? For a new or small planning-led firm, usually yes: $544 a month buys compliance help, a working tech stack and NAPFA dues, and four of the included pieces alone list at about $3,950 a year. For an established firm with its own stack, or one whose gap is being found, much less of it gets used. - [Is XYPN worth it?](https://wellspent.co/compare/is-xypn-worth-it/) ## NAPFA membership cost and what you get A NAPFA-Registered Financial Advisor pays $695 a year plus a one-time $150 processing fee, so $845 in the first year. It takes the CFP, a fee-only practice, a plan or peer review and 60 CE credits every two years. In return you get Find an Advisor, a Fee-Only Network profile, reporter requests and the best-known fee-only community in the country. - [NAPFA membership cost and what you get](https://wellspent.co/compare/napfa-membership-cost/) ## NerdWallet Advisors for advisors: what you pay NerdWallet Advisors charges advisors $13 to $1,150 per referral whether or not the prospect signs, or $500 or a share of revenue only if they do, according to its disclosure effective September 2, 2025. Its own affiliated adviser gets first pick of prospects who fit, and what you pay influences whether you're shown at all. - [NerdWallet Advisors for advisors: what you pay](https://wellspent.co/compare/nerdwallet-advisors-for-advisors/) ## Paladin Registry review: now a WiserAdvisor site WiserAdvisor bought Paladin's lead generation service in 2019, and paladinregistry.com is now one of its consumer sites. Its advisor sign-up leads to WiserAdvisor Growth, so for an advisor, joining Paladin Registry means joining WiserAdvisor, on WiserAdvisor's prices. - [Paladin Registry review: now a WiserAdvisor site](https://wellspent.co/compare/paladin-registry-review/) ## SmartAsset alternatives for fee-only advisors The main alternatives to buying SmartAsset leads are fee-only directories, matching networks that take a share of fees, and flat memberships. Kitces' 2026 study found online directories were the cheapest way to win new revenue of any tactic it measured. - [SmartAsset alternatives for fee-only advisors](https://wellspent.co/compare/smartasset-alternatives/) ## SmartAsset AMP review: what advisors pay and what they get AMP bundles SmartAsset's leads with automated calls, texts and nurture emails, sold on 6 or 12 month terms with no public price. Each prospect goes to about three advisors, and even successful users report about one client per 20 leads. - [SmartAsset AMP review: what advisors pay and what they get](https://wellspent.co/compare/smartasset-amp-review/) ## The best AI visibility tools for financial advisors AI visibility tools for advisors run from $29 a month for Otterly's smallest plan to $3,000 a month and up for a GEO agency. Most of them measure. Only some change what AI assistants read. Here's what each one actually checks, and which kind of firm it suits. - [The best AI visibility tools for financial advisors](https://wellspent.co/compare/ai-visibility-tools-for-financial-advisors/) ## The best financial advisor directories, compared honestly Directories were the cheapest way to win new revenue of any tactic in Kitces' 2026 study, at $0.28 per $1. The right one depends on how you're paid, whether you hold the CFP, and where your clients look. - [The best financial advisor directories, compared honestly](https://wellspent.co/compare/best-financial-advisor-directories/) ## Twenty Over Ten and FMG vs Snappy Kraken: what a website does and doesn't do for being found FMG, which bought Twenty Over Ten in 2020, and Snappy Kraken both build compliant advisor websites and run your email and social. Website plans start at $79 and $99 a month plus setup. A good site matters: AI assistants cite firms' own websites in most answers. But a site can't vouch for itself, and the sources assistants check it against are somewhere else. - [Twenty Over Ten and FMG vs Snappy Kraken: what a website does and doesn't do for being found](https://wellspent.co/compare/twenty-over-ten-fmg-vs-snappy-kraken/) ## Unbiased for US advisors Unbiased, an advisor-matching brand that began in the UK in 2009, now sells exclusive inquiries to SEC-registered US firms. Its pricing page says plans start at $4,000 a month, and its terms have firms buy each inquiry with prepaid credits. That's a budget built for established firms, not solo planners. - [Unbiased for US advisors](https://wellspent.co/compare/unbiased-for-advisors/) ## Wellspent vs Advice-Only Network The Advice-Only Network and Wellspent both cost $89 a month, and neither sells leads or takes a share of your fees. The Advice-Only Network is a directory, community and compliance home for planners who don't manage investments. Wellspent is a verified record that AI assistants and search read, open to any fee-only advisor. Advice-only planners can use both. - [Wellspent vs Advice-Only Network](https://wellspent.co/compare/wellspent-vs-advice-only-network/) ## Wellspent vs FPA PlannerSearch FPA PlannerSearch is included with FPA membership, $394 a year plus local chapter dues for a CFP professional, and relaunched on October 1, 2026 with a client quiz, automated follow-up and profiles built for AI search. It lists CFP members however they're paid. Wellspent is a verified, fee-only record AI assistants and search read, with introductions, a monthly AI visibility report and press, for $89 a month. - [Wellspent vs FPA PlannerSearch](https://wellspent.co/compare/wellspent-vs-fpa-plannersearch/) ## Wellspent vs NAPFA Find an Advisor NAPFA is the best-known fee-only association, and its Find an Advisor search carries real brand trust, for $695 a year plus a one-time $150. Wellspent does a different job: a verified record AI assistants and search read, with introductions, an AI visibility report and press. Most fee-only advisors are better off with both. - [Wellspent vs NAPFA Find an Advisor](https://wellspent.co/compare/wellspent-vs-napfa/) ## Wellspent vs SmartAsset SmartAsset sells leads, priced per lead and usually shared with other advisors. Wellspent is a flat membership with no lead fees: your verified record is where AI assistants and search look, and prospects write to you directly. - [Wellspent vs SmartAsset](https://wellspent.co/compare/wellspent-vs-smartasset/) ## Wellspent vs Wealthramp Wealthramp and Wellspent both work only with fee-only advisors. Wealthramp is paid by sharing a referred client's fees: 25% in the first year and up to 15% after, for as long as the client stays. Wellspent is a flat $89 a month and never takes a share of a fee. - [Wellspent vs Wealthramp](https://wellspent.co/compare/wellspent-vs-wealthramp/) ## Wellspent vs Wealthtender Wealthtender is a directory built around compliant client reviews and content written for AI search, from $59 to $99 a month, open to any advisor. Wellspent is a verified, fee-only record in the public graph AI assistants read, with introductions, an AI visibility report and press placement, for $89 a month. - [Wellspent vs Wealthtender](https://wellspent.co/compare/wellspent-vs-wealthtender/) ## Wellspent vs XY Planning Network XY Planning Network is the back office behind many new fee-only firms: compliance, a tech stack, education, community and NAPFA membership for $544 a month, with a Find an Advisor search for CFP members. Wellspent does a different job: a verified record AI assistants and search read, with introductions, a monthly AI visibility report and press, for $89 a month. Many advisors are well served by both. - [Wellspent vs XY Planning Network](https://wellspent.co/compare/wellspent-vs-xy-planning-network/) ## Wellspent vs Zoe Financial Zoe Financial charges nothing up front and takes 15% to 35% of a referred client's advisory fees for as long as the client stays. Wellspent is a flat $89 a month with no share of your fees, ever. - [Wellspent vs Zoe Financial](https://wellspent.co/compare/wellspent-vs-zoe-financial/) ## What the SEC's Zoe Financial order means for advisors who buy referrals On September 28, 2026, the SEC censured Zoe Financial and fined it $450,000 for undisclosed conflicts in how it referred clients. The order charges Zoe, not its network advisers. But every advisor who pays for referrals carries duties under the marketing rule, and the order shows where those duties bite. - [What the SEC's Zoe Financial order means for advisors who buy referrals](https://wellspent.co/compare/sec-zoe-financial-order/) ## WiserAdvisor review: what advisors pay and what they get WiserAdvisor charges advisors a membership plus a flat fee for each lead, and owns Indyfin and the Paladin Registry. Its three public documents give three price ranges: $40 to $300 a lead on its disclosure page, from $125 a month plus $40 to $400 a lead on its sales page, and $45 to $5,600 a month plus $20 to $350 a lead in its June 2026 SEC brochure. - [WiserAdvisor review: what advisors pay and what they get](https://wellspent.co/compare/wiseradvisor-review/) ## Zoe Financial alternatives with no revenue share The alternatives to Zoe that never touch your fees fall into three groups: flat-fee directories and networks, pay-per-lead services, and channels you build yourself. Directories were the cheapest source of new revenue in Kitces' 2026 study, at $0.28 per $1. - [Zoe Financial alternatives with no revenue share](https://wellspent.co/compare/zoe-financial-alternatives/) ## Zoe Financial for advisors: the revenue share explained Zoe takes 15% to 35% of a referred client's advisory fees for as long as an asset-management client stays, and for five years on flat-fee planning. On one $1 million client at 1%, that adds up to $30,000 to $70,000 over 20 years. - [Zoe Financial for advisors: the revenue share explained](https://wellspent.co/compare/zoe-financial-revenue-share/) ## Zoe vs SmartAsset vs Wellspent: one $1M client, three costs On one $1 million client at 1%, Zoe's share costs $1,500 to $3,500 every year the client stays, SmartAsset's leads cost roughly $3,000 to $6,000 once, and Wellspent costs $890 a year for every client you get, or none. - [Zoe vs SmartAsset vs Wellspent: one $1M client, three costs](https://wellspent.co/compare/zoe-vs-smartasset-vs-wellspent/) ## How AI assistants recommend financial advisors We asked ChatGPT and Perplexity to recommend fee-only financial advisors in 100 US and Canadian cities. Every answer named firms, almost 8 on average, but the two assistants agreed on fewer than 1 in 5, and a change of wording changed most of the list. - [How AI assistants recommend financial advisors](https://wellspent.co/research/ai-advisor-recommendations-2026/) ## The fee-only advisor website study Most fee-only firm websites say the same things: retirement (91%), fee-only (74%), fiduciary (71%). About 4 in 10 name no specialty beyond retirement, tax or estate planning, about half publish any price we could verify, and 2% mention AI at all. - [The fee-only advisor website study](https://wellspent.co/research/fee-only-advisor-website-study/)