Smarter Planner Podcast Planner Productivity: Where Advisors Gain (and Lose) Capacity - Michael Kitces [Chief Financial Planning Nerd]
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Jan 21, 2026 In this discussion, Michael Kitces, Chief Financial Planning Nerd and industry expert, delves into key aspects of advisory firm productivity. He shares that measuring revenue per advisor is a consistent gauge of efficiency. Surprisingly, he reveals that technology alone doesn’t significantly boost productivity; instead, effective team structure and delegation play a crucial role. Kitces also challenges common pricing myths, advocating for advisors to charge their true worth, and highlights how the right support staff can dramatically enhance capacity.
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Revenue Per Advisor As Core Metric
- Revenue per advisor is a stable productivity metric across models and services.
- It lets you compare firms regardless of pricing or client types.
Tech Alone Rarely Creates Capacity
- Technology often gives time savings but doesn't solve mental task-switching or create capacity.
- Delegation to team members removes the need to engage with tools and produces real leverage.
Benchmark With Simple Napkin Math
- Calculate your firm's revenue per advisor to benchmark productivity quickly.
- Most firms sit between $400k–$600k revenue per advisor, with solos around $200k–$300k.