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What should a finance proposal template include?
A finance proposal template is a client-facing document that turns a financial need into a defined engagement: goals, current facts, recommended work, fees, assumptions, risks, deliverables, and a decision date. For a financial advisor proposal template in the United States, it should also separate your proposal from required regulatory disclosures.
Use seven sections in this order: client situation; objectives; scope and exclusions; recommended work; implementation schedule; fees and other costs; assumptions, risks, and acceptance. This order lets a client check the commercial terms before signing, rather than trying to infer them from a generic plan.
Copy this opening statement
Prepared for Jordan Lee on July 28, 2026. Jordan has $750,000 of investable assets, plans to retire in 12 years, and wants to fund $45,000 of annual pre-tax spending from portfolio assets beginning at retirement. This proposal covers a 90-day financial planning engagement and optional ongoing investment advisory services.
- State the client fact pattern with dates and dollar amounts; do not call estimates facts.
- Name every deliverable: cash-flow plan, investment policy statement, portfolio transition map, estate-planning coordination memo, or tax professional question list.
- State what is excluded. Example: This proposal does not include legal advice, tax-return preparation, or custody services.
- Set one acceptance deadline. Example: Please accept by August 15, 2026, so discovery can begin the week of August 18.
What disclosures belong beside a financial advisor proposal template?
For a U.S. registered investment adviser, make the proposal commercially clear, then deliver the required disclosures through the firm’s compliance process. SEC Form ADV Part 2 requires a narrative brochure and says the firm brochure must be delivered before or at the time an advisory agreement is entered into.
The SEC’s Form ADV Part 2 instructions require disclosure of the advisory business, fees and compensation, methods of analysis and investment strategies, material risks, brokerage practices, disciplinary information, and conflicts. Investor.gov also states that a brochure must describe compensation, provide a fee schedule, say whether fees are negotiable, explain billing, and disclose additional expenses.
| Proposal item | Plain-language wording to include | Disclosure item to coordinate |
|---|---|---|
| Advisory fee | 0.75% annually on the first $1,000,000 of managed assets, billed quarterly in arrears. | How fees are calculated, assessed, billed, and whether they are negotiable. |
| Other costs | Client may also pay custody, brokerage, mutual fund, ETF, and third-party manager expenses where applicable. | Other fees and expenses that the client may pay. |
| Strategy | The recommended allocation will be diversified across listed securities and fixed income; market loss remains possible. | Methods of analysis, significant strategies, and material risks. |
| Conflict | If an affiliate, referral source, or product compensation could affect a recommendation, we will identify it before implementation. | Material facts and conflicts of interest. |
| Termination | Either party may terminate in writing; any prepaid amount is handled under the advisory agreement and applicable policy. | Termination and refund policy when fees are paid in advance. |
Use exact firm-approved language for Form ADV, Form CRS, advisory agreements, and state-law requirements. This template is a proposal framework, not legal or compliance advice. The SEC source was accessed July 28, 2026; FINRA explains that advisory fees may be asset-based and are generally assessed whether or not securities are traded.
How do you show fees in a finance proposal?
Show fee math in dollars, not only percentages. A 0.75% annual advisory fee on $750,000 equals $5,625 per year and $1,406.25 per quarter when billed quarterly in arrears, before any proration or account-value changes.
Worked fee example
| Service | Fee basis | Calculation | Client amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial financial plan | Fixed project fee | $3,000 due after engagement acceptance | $3,000 |
| Ongoing investment advice | 0.75% annual AUM fee | $750,000 × 0.0075 | $5,625 per year |
| Quarterly advisory billing | Quarterly in arrears | $5,625 ÷ 4 | $1,406.25 per quarter |
| Estimated first-year advisory plus planning cost | Planning fee plus one year advisory fee | $3,000 + $5,625 | $8,625 |
Copy this fee paragraph: The initial planning fee is $3,000. If you elect ongoing investment advisory services, the annual advisory fee is 0.75% of assets under management up to $1,000,000, billed quarterly in arrears. On a $750,000 account value, that annual advisory fee is $5,625 and the quarterly amount is $1,406.25. Fees may change as account values change. Custody, transaction, fund, and other third-party expenses are separate where applicable.
For project-based work, avoid an unexplained range such as $2,000 to $5,000. Tie the price to a deliverable count. Example: $3,000 covers two 75-minute planning meetings, one written plan, one investment policy statement, and a 60-minute implementation meeting. Any work beyond those four meetings requires written approval at $300 per hour.
What is a good financial proposal template example?
A useful financial proposal template reads like a small project plan. The example below converts a retirement-planning need into four dated workstreams, each with an observable output the client can review.
Example scope for a $750,000 retirement-planning engagement
| Workstream | Client input | Advisor output | Target timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery | Last 12 months of statements, income, spending, insurance, and estate documents. | Client fact sheet and prioritized goals. | Days 1 to 14 |
| Cash-flow and retirement model | $45,000 annual pre-tax portfolio spending target beginning in 12 years. | Base case, lower-return case, and higher-inflation case with stated assumptions. | Days 15 to 35 |
| Investment policy | Risk capacity, liquidity needs, tax status, and investment restrictions. | Written target allocation, rebalancing rules, and implementation list. | Days 36 to 55 |
| Implementation and review | Client decisions and account-transfer authorization if elected. | 90-day action list and next annual-review date. | Days 56 to 90 |
Write assumptions explicitly. Example: The analysis assumes retirement begins July 2038, portfolio withdrawals start at $45,000 before tax in the first retirement year, and the client will review the plan annually. It does not promise an investment return, tax outcome, insurance approval, or estate-planning result.
- Decision requested: approve the planning scope and provide the discovery documents by August 25, 2026.
- Decision requested: confirm whether ongoing investment advice is included after the 90-day planning phase.
- Decision requested: name the client’s attorney and tax professional for coordination, if any.
- Decision requested: identify any investment restrictions before an allocation is recommended.
How do you create a finance proposal template with AnyGen?
Use AnyGen to turn approved client facts, service terms, and compliance-reviewed wording into an editable finance proposal. Start with the seven-section structure on this page; do not ask an AI tool to invent client balances, credentials, returns, fees, legal terms, or regulatory disclosures.
A practical prompt is: Create an editable finance proposal for a client with $750,000 of investable assets, a 12-year retirement horizon, and a $45,000 annual pre-tax portfolio spending target. Include the seven-section structure, a $3,000 planning fee, a 0.75% annual advisory fee, quarterly-in-arrears fee math, explicit exclusions, and a 90-day plan. Mark every client fact as supplied, every calculation as illustrative, and leave regulatory language for compliance-approved text.
What should you check before sending a finance proposal?
Before sending, run a 12-point check that tests facts, scope, arithmetic, timing, and disclosures. A proposal is ready only when the client could answer what is being done, what it costs, what could change, and what happens next.
| Check | Pass condition |
|---|---|
| Client facts | Name, assets, dates, goals, and spending targets match the source records. |
| Scope | Every deliverable has an owner and target date. |
| Exclusions | Legal, tax-return, custody, and other excluded services are stated. |
| Fees | Rate, fixed fees, dollar examples, billing method, cadence, and third-party costs are shown. |
| Math | $750,000 × 0.75% equals $5,625; $5,625 ÷ 4 equals $1,406.25. |
| Risks | No return, tax, or outcome is promised; material risks are not minimized. |
| Conflicts | Compensation and affiliate or referral conflicts are identified where applicable. |
| Disclosures | Applicable firm-approved Form ADV, Form CRS, agreement, and state-required materials are handled through compliance. |
| Acceptance | The client sees a signer, acceptance method, and date. |
| Version control | The file shows preparation date July 28, 2026 and a version identifier. |
| Privacy | Only necessary client information is included and the approved delivery method is used. |
| Follow-up | A meeting or response deadline is scheduled within 7 to 14 days. |
If the client is selecting an adviser, Investor.gov says the IAPD website provides public filings for Form ADV Parts 1, 2, and 3, while FINRA’s BrokerCheck can help research professional backgrounds. A proposal should make this verification easy, not discourage it.
Frequently asked questions
What is a finance proposal template?
A finance proposal template is a reusable client document that defines the client’s situation, objectives, scope, deliverables, fees, assumptions, risks, and acceptance terms. For advisors, it should be coordinated with, but not replace, approved regulatory disclosures.
What should a financial advisor proposal include?
Include client facts, measurable goals, service scope, exclusions, dated deliverables, a fee schedule in both percentage and dollar terms, billing method, additional costs, risks, conflicts where applicable, and an acceptance deadline.
How do I calculate an AUM fee in a financial proposal?
Multiply eligible assets by the annual fee rate. At $750,000 and 0.75%, the annual fee is $5,625. If billed quarterly in arrears, divide by four: $1,406.25 per quarter, before proration or account-value changes.
Can I use a finance proposal template for financial planning only?
Yes. Use a fixed-fee scope instead of an AUM schedule. For example, $3,000 can cover two 75-minute meetings, one written plan, one investment policy statement, and one 60-minute implementation meeting; state any additional hourly rate, such as $300 per hour.
Does a financial proposal need to disclose other investment costs?
It should clearly identify known additional costs. SEC Form ADV Part 2 guidance requires advisers to disclose other fees or expenses clients may pay, such as custody, brokerage, and fund expenses, in the applicable brochure.
Is a financial advisor proposal the same as Form ADV?
No. A proposal defines the client engagement. Form ADV Part 2 is a regulatory brochure containing narrative disclosures about the adviser’s business practices, fees, conflicts, strategies, risks, and other required information.
What risks should a finance proposal mention?
State that investing involves risk of loss and name material risks that relate to the proposed strategy. Do not promise returns, tax results, insurance approval, or retirement outcomes. Use firm-approved language for formal disclosures.
How long should a finance proposal be?
Use as many pages as necessary to make the scope and terms verifiable. A focused planning proposal commonly needs the seven core sections on this page; avoid adding generic market commentary that does not change the client’s decision.