About SMART Group Houston
SMART Group Houston is not your ordinary Financial Services firm. Most firms are transactional, focusing strictly on the accumulation of assets using arbitrary risk/reward criteria to select financial products. In our experience taking on additional risk will not necessarily yield greater returns. We approach our clients finances from a broader perspective. We focus not just on accumulating wealth but protecting it as well. We focus not just on your immediate needs, but how each piece fits in within your entire financial strategy. Our approach enables us to identify opportunities that other firms may, and usually do, overlook. We look for ways to make your money work harder for you in ways that you might never have imagined.
We have found that many common investment strategies seriously underestimate the challenges facing you as you transition into other phases of your financial journey. Ultimately, we strive to give each client the opportunity to spend less time worrying about their portfolio and wondering whether your money will be enough to give you the financial freedom you expect. We do this, not through unrealistically optimistic and risky investments, but through a comprehensive strategy that outlines the ideal path to your financial success.
In our view, taxes remain one of the biggest risks to wealth creation and accumulation. Every dollar is taxed in 4 ways, when you EARN it, when you GROW it, when you SPEND it, and when you PASS AWAY. At SMART Group, we won't file last years tax returns, but we will do your FUTURE tax returns by providing you with custom strategies designed to help you save taxes in each of the 4 phases of taxation. Our team of licensed CFP's and CPA's will help guide you throughout each step of your financial journey.
See Disclosures
General Information
Firm Start Year
1991
No. of Employees
10-19
CRD#
5626771
Firm CRD#
29087
Insurance License#
1548341
Name of Broker/Dealer
World Equity Group
Name of Custodial Firm
TD Ameritrade, Schwab, SEI, Fidelity
States Licensed in
TX, LA, FL, GA, HI
Years of Experience in Financial Services
16
Number of Years with Current Firm
3
Work Experience
I began my financial services career working for a large, well-established company with tremendous name recognition. I did not recognize it at the time, but these types of companies tend to be more product focused instead of solution oriented. However, as time went on, I realized the larger, more successful these companies grew, the less focused they became on sourcing and implementing creative solutions to meet the unique needs of clients. They focused on profit over principle and compliance over creativity, often requiring advisors to use higher margin, proprietary products, and other services that were not aligned with the clients best interests. At the end of the day, I felt like my time was spent chasing prospects, trying to sell insurance, annuities, and rolling over IRAs, and never really delivering any true long-term value. When I finally decided it was time to make a change, I evaluated numerous companies to filter out firms that exhibited those characteristics. I focused on finding a company that truly placed the interests of their clients first, regardless of the product or margins. I wanted a tax centric planning company, focused on delivering value, that not only allowed advisors to explore any available solution that would address client needs, but encouraged and supported it as well. Smart Group Houston exceeded those expectations. We are a small boutique firm that has been around for over 50 years, specializing in finding solutions for individuals and business owners to address the unique and complex financial challenges they face daily. As a data driven, holistic planning firm, we assess and compare every strategy, product, or service available in the marketplace, in a simple, easy to understand format that we call The SMART Plan. This not only enables our clients to easily evaluate whether our recommendations achieve their goals, but also to understand the long-term impact each decision will have on their lifestyle in the years ahead.
Work with the following types of clients
Businesses, Individual Investors, Non-Profit Organizations
Foreign Languages Serviced
English, Spanish
Advisory Services Provided
Legal Advice and Services, Tax Advice and Services, Financial Advice & Consulting, Investment Advice & Management, Financial Planning for Businesses, Financial Planning for Individuals, Education Funding and Planning, Risk Management, Money Management, Wealth Management, 401K Rollovers, Retirement Planning, Portfolio Management, Financial Planning, Insurance Products & Annuities, Estate Planning & Trusts
Compliance
Registered Investment Advisor
Yes
Registered Representative
Yes
Investment Advisor Representative
Yes
Acknowledged fiduciary
Yes
Compliance Disclosures in Last 5 years
I have a clean record
Criminal Disclosures in Last 5 years
I have a clean record
Qualifications & Membership
Certifications, Accreditations & Designations
LUTCF®
Securities Licenses
Series 66, Series 63, Series 7, Series 6
Insurance and Annuity Licenses
Accident, Annuity, Health, Life, Variable Annuity, Long Term Care, Disability, Variable Life
Firm Information
Advisor's Number of Clients
200+
Advisor's Number of Managed Clients
200+
Advisor's Number of Planning Clients
180+
Assets Managed by Advisor
$178,500,000
Compensation and Fees
Fee Structure
Fee-Based
Minimum Portfolio Size for New Managed Accounts
$250,000
Fee % Based on Assets
.
Education
Bachelor of Business Administration - General Business
Sam Houston State University
08/01/2000 -06/01/2004
Disclosures
Additional Detailed Disclosures
https://www.financialplanners.net/disclosure/1891647/financialplanners-SMART-Group-Houston-detailed-disclosure.html
Disclaimer
Securities and advisory through World Equity Group, Inc. Member FINRA and SEC RIA. Exponent Prosperity Accelerator Advisors, LLC & SMART Group Houston neither owned nor controlled by World Equity Group, Inc.