Financial planners are compensated in many ways. Some planners charge an hourly fee, others a monthly fee, no matter what advice they give. Some planners charge a flat fee to draw up an annual financial plan, and others may charge a percentage of what you actually invest based upon the size of your portfolio. And still others earn a commission or percentage of whatever it is that they end up selling you. So you must be careful to consider how much you must pay out in fees before choosing an adviser.