Beyond the Signing Bonus: What Advisors Should Know Before Choosing a Firm

Exactly What Are You Signing Up For?

A strong signing bonus and a compelling pitch are easy to see and say yes to. The fees, deductions, and ownership incentives behind it often aren't — until you're already locked in.

This is the first in a three-part series meant to help guide advisors in avoiding that pattern — starting with the part that matters most before you sign anything: the real economics behind the offer.

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What You'll Learn Inside

The true cost of a signing bonus — and how forgivable loans quietly become handcuffs
Which fees are typically disclosed upfront, and which ones tend to surface only after you've moved
How a firm's ownership structure — public, private-equity-backed, or advisor-owned — shapes whose interests come first
The questions to ask any firm before you sign, including those most advisors don't think of until it's too late
What "aligned incentives" actually looks like in practice, not just in a pitch deck