Do you know what your advice really costs?

This is the fee paid for ongoing strategic advice and portfolio management. In the traditional model it is charged as an ongoing asset-based percentage — so the more you accumulate, the more you pay every year, regardless of how much work is actually done. At NUA Private Wealth we have removed asset-based pricing entirely: our advice fee is fixed, charged flexibly and agreed in writing before any work begins. Our fees are also capped at an upper limit.

The MER (Management Expense Ratio), ICR (Indirect Cost Ratio) or ‘investment fee’ is an annual fee charged directly by an investment option or managed fund on the funds the manager has under administration. The fee is deducted by the manager before your returns are published so you do not see this fee coming from your account directly. However, this fee impacts your returns. It is important to remember, a high fee is not always bad, but it can be. A low fee is not always good, but it can be. If the fee is 1% or more, you should ask why.

Because these operational costs are inherent to managed investments, this fee is largely unavoidable for investors. However, maintaining awareness of your “investment fee” is essential, as even seemingly small differences, compound significantly over a working lifetime and directly reduce your net investment returns.

Wrap platforms and super administration providers charge a fee—either as a flat dollar amount or a percentage of your account balance—to manage investments, conduct tax reporting, and execute portfolio performance tracking. These fees vary depending on the specific provider, platform features, and the range of available investment options.