Based on your financial expertise, provide your response or viewpoint on the given financial question or topic. The response format is open.

What can I expect to pay when meeting my first financial planner?
My suggestion would be to ask the planner as an initial question as there could be a couple possible explanations for a free meeting: Initial consultation - Within some industries there will be that first meeting which is free to see how well do two people work together.  In Canada there are some lawyers that will give a half-hour of their time and I'd imagine some financial planners may have a similar practice.  This would be where that first meeting is a half-hour or hour to see what is your situation and what expertise do you want that the planner would have. Straight commission - There is also the possibility that the planner is compensated by the products you purchase through him.  In this case, the mutual fund companies, insurance companies and other institutions that he recommends will be handling his compensation.  While this does present a conflict of interest, you have to decide whether you want a fee-only planner which wouldn't have this issue though you'd have to pay out of pocket. Something to consider is what are you bringing to this meeting and how long is it intended to be.  If you are bringing a lot of paperwork then it is definitely worth asking upfront while if it is an informal chat for a half hour then things may be different.