How Much Does Independent Wealth Management Cost in South Africa?
Quick answer
There is no single all-in fee. ClearGauge’s ongoing advisory fee is percentage-based below the applicable threshold and capped thereafter at the agreed monthly maximum. The figures on this page are ClearGauge advisory fees. Platform, investment-management, product, transaction and other third-party charges may apply separately and are not necessarily included in ClearGauge’s advisory fee.
Foundation Advisory
0.75% p.a.
R5,000 per month cap
Cap reached once assets under management exceed R8 million.
Strategic Advisory
1.0% p.a.
R7,500 per month cap
Cap reached once assets under management exceed R9 million.
Financial Clarity Review
Foundation from R10,000
Strategic from R15,000
A separate once-off engagement.
The appropriate tier, scope and fee are confirmed in writing before work begins.
Advisory fees can be collected in different ways. ClearGauge’s advisory tier reflects the agreed scope and complexity of the work, with percentage-based collection below the applicable threshold and a capped monthly advisory fee thereafter.
We believe advisory fees should reflect the professional judgement, complexity and ongoing work required to serve each client, rather than being determined solely by the value of their investments.
Our Pricing Model
Our ongoing advisory services are delivered through our Fair-Share Hybrid Model.
The Fair-Share Hybrid Model combines percentage-based fee collection with a capped monthly advisory fee once the applicable portfolio threshold is reached.
Advisory fees are determined by the scope and complexity of the work involved. For smaller portfolios, fees are collected as a percentage of assets. Once the applicable portfolio threshold is reached, the fee becomes a capped monthly amount, ensuring clients contribute fairly without paying progressively more simply because their portfolio increases in value.
Every engagement is individually scoped according to the complexity of your financial affairs. We recommend the advisory tier that best reflects your circumstances.
Foundation Advisory
Designed for individuals and families whose wealth is primarily invested through managed portfolios and who require ongoing financial planning, retirement planning and investment oversight.
| Platform collection rate | 0.75% p.a. |
|---|---|
| Monthly advisory fee cap | R5,000 per month |
| Annual advisory fee cap | R60,000 per year |
| Fee cap threshold | R8 million |
ClearGauge Wealth is not currently registered for VAT, and VAT is therefore not currently added to its advisory fees.
Below R8 million, the advisory fee is collected at 0.75% per annum. From R8 million and thereafter, it is capped at R5,000 per month. Capped advisory fees are reviewed annually in March. Where an adjustment is appropriate, the equivalent platform percentage is recalculated using the portfolio value at the last business day of February. Any fee change is agreed and documented before implementation and remains subject to the relevant platform’s administrative deadlines.
Strategic Advisory
Designed for families with more complex financial affairs, including direct share portfolios, trusts, business interests, offshore assets and broader strategic wealth planning.
| Platform collection rate | 1.0% p.a. |
|---|---|
| Monthly advisory fee cap | R7,500 per month |
| Annual advisory fee cap | R90,000 per year |
| Fee cap threshold | R9 million |
ClearGauge Wealth is not currently registered for VAT, and VAT is therefore not currently added to its advisory fees.
Below R9 million, the advisory fee is collected at 1.0% per annum. From R9 million and thereafter, it is capped at R7,500 per month. Capped advisory fees are reviewed annually in March. Where an adjustment is appropriate, the equivalent platform percentage is recalculated using the portfolio value at the last business day of February. Any fee change is agreed and documented before implementation and remains subject to the relevant platform’s administrative deadlines.
Most ongoing engagements fall within the Foundation or Strategic Advisory frameworks. Where exceptionally complex family structures require substantially broader ongoing work, fees are individually scoped.
How to Use the Advisory Fee Cost Illustration
The Advisory Fee Cost Illustration allows you to compare ClearGauge Wealth’s Fair-Share Hybrid Model with a traditional percentage-based advisory fee structure using your own portfolio value and fee assumptions.
Begin by entering your portfolio value and selecting the advisory tier that best reflects your circumstances. Next, choose the annual comparison fee you would like to illustrate, or enter a custom fee if applicable. You can also choose whether to compare fees excluding VAT or including VAT, depending on how your current adviser charges advisory fees. Finally, select the investment horizon over which you would like to view the comparison.
The calculator will estimate the annual and monthly advisory fees under both pricing structures, the difference in advisory fees over the selected period, and an illustration of the estimated value of those retained fees if they remained invested using the calculator’s standard assumptions.
The calculator is provided for illustrative and educational purposes only. It is intended to help explain the potential long-term impact of different advisory fee structures and the operation of ClearGauge Wealth’s Fair-Share Hybrid Model. It does not constitute financial advice, a personal recommendation, a quotation or a guarantee of future investment performance or future outcomes.
The results are based on the assumptions built into the calculator, together with the information entered by the user, including the portfolio value, advisory fee rates, VAT selection and investment horizon. The illustration assumes investment growth of inflation plus 5% per annum and annual increases to the applicable monthly fee cap in line with that assumption. Actual advisory fees, investment returns, inflation, taxation, legislation and future portfolio values may differ materially from those illustrated.
The calculator should not be relied upon in isolation when making investment or financial planning decisions. Personal circumstances, investment objectives and other relevant factors should always be considered, and where appropriate, personalised financial advice should be obtained before acting on any information presented.
Calculation Assumptions
- Investment growth assumed at inflation + 5% per annum
- Monthly fee caps increase annually by 5%
- Figures shown in nominal terms
- Results are illustrative only
Use this tool to illustrate ClearGauge’s advisory fee alongside a percentage fee you choose. It compares advisory fees only: services, product range, platform, investment-management and transaction costs may differ. Long-term figures are illustrations based on the stated assumptions, not investment forecasts or promises of future outcomes.
Advisory Fee Cost Illustration
Long-Term Impact of Advisory Fees
Additional Services
Financial Clarity Review™
An independent, once-off review of your financial affairs.
| Engagement | Typical fee |
|---|---|
| Foundation Review | From R10,000 |
| Strategic Review | From R15,000 |
The review concludes with a comprehensive written report.
If a Financial Clarity Review™ or Share Portfolio Guidance engagement is followed by an Ongoing Advice appointment, the once-off review fee may be credited against first-year advisory fees, subject to the scope and terms of the agreed engagement.
Share Portfolio Guidance
Independent portfolio reviews, research and second opinions for self-directed investors.
Once-off engagements are individually scoped, typically from R10,000.
If a Financial Clarity Review™ or Share Portfolio Guidance engagement is followed by an Ongoing Advice appointment, the once-off review fee may be credited against first-year advisory fees, subject to the scope and terms of the agreed engagement.
Platform Fee Administration
Where an investment platform is used to collect an agreed advisory fee, the fee may be expressed as an equivalent percentage for administration. This collection method does not alter the agreed advisory fee.
Below the applicable fee cap, the standard collection rate for the agreed advisory tier applies. Once the cap applies, the equivalent percentage may be adjusted to collect the agreed capped monthly fee.
Annual Review of Advisory Fees
Capped advisory fees are reviewed annually in March. Where an adjustment is appropriate, the equivalent platform percentage is recalculated using the portfolio value at the last business day of February. Any fee change is agreed and documented before implementation and remains subject to the relevant platform’s administrative deadlines.
Why Clients Choose ClearGauge Wealth
- Advisory tiers reflect the agreed scope and complexity of the work; percentage-based below the applicable threshold, capped thereafter at the agreed monthly maximum.
- Family-level advice reflecting interconnected financial decisions.
- Advisory fees that become capped as wealth grows.
- Independent advice with direct access to your adviser.
- ClearGauge Wealth is not currently registered for VAT, and VAT is not currently added to its advisory fees.
Start the Conversation
Whether you are seeking a Financial Clarity Review™, ongoing advice or an independent second opinion, we would welcome the opportunity to understand your objectives and discuss whether ClearGauge Wealth is the right fit for your family.
Frequently Asked Questions
Advisory Fees
Our philosophy is that advisory fees should reflect the professional judgement, complexity and ongoing work required to serve each client rather than increasing indefinitely as portfolio values rise. Once the applicable portfolio threshold is reached, the advisory fee becomes a fixed monthly amount. This allows clients to continue benefiting from portfolio growth without their advisory fee automatically increasing solely because the value of their investments has increased.
A percentage-based advisory fee is calculated from portfolio value. We believe there is also merit in considering the professional work required to serve each client. In many cases, the complexity of a family’s financial affairs does not increase in direct proportion to the value of its investments. Our Fair-Share Hybrid Model is designed to balance administrative practicality with a fee structure that more closely reflects the ongoing professional services provided.
Your advisory tier is determined by the scope and complexity of your financial affairs rather than portfolio value alone. We consider factors such as the types of investments you hold, the complexity of your planning requirements, family structures, trusts, business interests, offshore assets and the level of ongoing advice required. Before any engagement begins, we will recommend the advisory framework we believe best reflects your circumstances and explain our reasoning.
Where an investment platform is used to collect an agreed advisory fee, the fee may be expressed as an equivalent percentage for administration. Once the applicable monthly fee cap applies, that equivalent percentage may be adjusted to collect the agreed capped monthly fee. This collection method does not alter the agreed advisory fee.
Yes. Below the applicable threshold, ClearGauge’s advisory fee is collected as a percentage of assets: 0.75% p.a. for Foundation Advisory and 1.0% p.a. for Strategic Advisory. From the relevant threshold, the agreed monthly advisory fee is capped at R5,000 or R7,500 respectively.
An AUM advice fee is an advisory fee calculated as a percentage of assets under management. It is separate from charges that may be made by an investment platform, investment manager, product provider or other third party.
Foundation Advisory is 0.75% p.a. below R8 million and capped at R5,000 per month from R8 million. Strategic Advisory is 1.0% p.a. below R9 million and capped at R7,500 per month from R9 million. The appropriate tier and scope are confirmed in writing before an engagement begins.
The figures on this page are ClearGauge advisory fees. Platform, investment-management, product, transaction and other third-party charges may apply separately and are not necessarily included in ClearGauge’s advisory fee. The relevant costs should be confirmed in writing before a decision is made.
Capped advisory fees are reviewed annually in March. Where an adjustment is appropriate, the equivalent platform percentage is recalculated using the portfolio value at the last business day of February. Any fee change is agreed and documented before implementation and remains subject to the relevant platform’s administrative deadlines.
If your portfolio value falls below the applicable fee-cap threshold, your advisory fee will again be collected at the agreed platform collection rate applicable to your advisory tier. Your advisory relationship, service level and ongoing advice remain unchanged unless otherwise agreed.
ClearGauge is not currently registered for VAT, so VAT is not charged on the advisory fees shown. If this changes, clients will be informed and any change will be implemented in accordance with applicable requirements.
Advisory Relationship
ClearGauge’s advisory fee is agreed with you. Any remuneration, benefit or conflict that requires disclosure under applicable requirements will be disclosed before you proceed. Platform, investment-management, product, transaction and other third-party charges may apply separately and are not necessarily included in ClearGauge’s advisory fee.
Ongoing advisory services typically include investment oversight, financial planning, retirement planning, portfolio reviews, ongoing communication, meetings, coordination with other professional advisers where appropriate, and advice relating to significant financial decisions. The exact scope of services depends on the agreed advisory framework and your individual circumstances.
Yes. As your financial circumstances evolve, the scope and complexity of the advice you require may also change. We periodically review your advisory framework to ensure it remains appropriate. Where a different advisory tier is more suitable, we will discuss our recommendation with you and implement any changes only once they have been agreed.
In many cases, yes. Depending on the investment platform and the nature of your investments, it may be possible for ClearGauge Wealth to provide ongoing advice without requiring changes to your underlying investments. Where changes are necessary, we will explain the reasons, the available options and any associated implications before any action is taken.
Your advisory relationship is designed to evolve with you. As your financial affairs become more complex through events such as retirement, inheritance, business ownership, trusts or offshore investments, we will review the scope of advice required and discuss whether a different advisory framework would better reflect your circumstances.
Financial Clarity Review™
Yes. The Financial Clarity Review™ is available as a standalone engagement for individuals and families seeking an independent assessment of their financial affairs. There is no obligation to appoint ClearGauge Wealth for ongoing advice following the review. Where a review leads to an ongoing advisory relationship, the review fee may be credited against your first year’s advisory fees.