You can acquire products directly from the entity distributing the product or through an agent the financial planner and the cost is often the same. Many financial writers emphasize fees and costs when discussing planning and investing. Being cost-conscious is good but emphasizing cost to the detriment of value is bad. Cost is an issue only in the absence of value. As an investor and as a financial consultant, I am less concerned with cost than actual net dollars earned.
Many planners are just salespeople who have a vested interest in selling a product.
I would want a planner who is independent with responsibility to me instead of a parent company. If planners have few clients, you might wonder how good they are. If they have many clients, you may not receive a high level of service. A planner who serves primarily millionaires may not devote time to those with less. On the other hand, if planners work primarily with people who have less, they may not know the intricacies of trusts and tax-advantaged investments.