Choosing a Wealth Manager in Houston
This page is for people in Houston who are comparing wealth managers. It collects Post Oak’s seven guides on choosing an advisor.
Post Oak operates under a fee-based fiduciary advisory model, with recommendations evaluated in the context of each client’s financial needs, goals, and best interests.
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How to Choose a Fiduciary Wealth Manager in Houston
A fiduciary wealth manager in Houston should be evaluated based on whether they are required to put your interests first, how they are compensated, how deeply they understand your financial situation and whether they can coordinate investment management, retirement planning, tax-aware planning, estate considerations and long-term wealth strategy.
Fiduciary vs. Non-Fiduciary Advisors
Fiduciary vs. Non-Fiduciary Advisor
Which rules a financial professional must follow depends on the type of registration the firm has. Registered investment advisors owe clients a duty of care and a duty of loyalty. Broker-dealers operate under a different standard, and some firms are registered as both.
Post Oak Private Wealth Advisors is a registered investment advisor operating under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 as a fee-based fiduciary.
How Advisors Are Paid
Financial Advisor Compensation Structures compares the four primary pay models and the incentives each one creates.
Fee-based wealth managers typically charge a direct advisory fee, most commonly a percentage of the assets they manage for you. At the same time, they may also be licensed to receive other forms of compensation in specific circumstances, including commissions on insurance products or revenue-sharing arrangements tied to how certain assets are managed.
That other pay is a conflict of interest. A fiduciary must disclose it and manage it.
Post Oak is fee-based. Its Form CRS says the firm and its professionals may receive commissions from the sale of insurance products and services. Fee-Based Wealth Managers explains how these fees work, the other costs to expect and what to ask before you sign.
Reading Awards and “Best” Claims
How to Evaluate “Best Financial Advisor in Houston” Claims
Read the methodology behind any award recognition the firm displays, since logos look identical regardless of whether the underlying process was rigorous or a paid placement.
Post Oak’s media mentions and recognitions are listed on In the Media.
When You Are Facing a Major Transition
Retirement, a business sale, an inheritance and a divorce each bring several decisions at once. The choices affect each other, and most cannot be reversed. What a Wealth Manager for Complex Financial Transitions Actually Does Differently covers each case.
Post Oak’s guides by situation:
- Energy professionals near retirement
- Business owners selling a company
- Women after divorce
- Widows and widowers
- After an inheritance
- Retirement planning
Questions to Ask Before You Hire
Questions to Ask a Wealth Manager is a first-meeting checklist on fiduciary status, services, fees, investment philosophy, communication, custody and disciplinary history.
How Post Oak Works
RIAs have a fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of their clients and use institutional custodians (like Charles Schwab) to hold and safeguard their clients’ investments.
Post Oak does not provide legal or tax advice. Coordinated planning often involves working alongside a client’s CPA, attorney or other professional advisors.
Post Oak’s Form CRS summarizes the firm’s services, fees and conflicts of interest.
Who You Will Work With
Robert M. Wyrick, Jr.
Robert M. Wyrick, Jr. is Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer at Post Oak Private Wealth Advisors, a Houston-based fiduciary wealth management firm serving individuals, families, executives, retirees, and business owners through integrated financial planning, tax-aware retirement distribution planning, and risk-managed portfolio management.
Marium Murphy, CFP®
Marium Murphy, CFP®, is Executive Director of Financial Planning at Post Oak Private Wealth Advisors, where she leads the firm's comprehensive financial planning practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Post Oak a fee-based fiduciary?
Yes. Post Oak operates under a fee-based fiduciary advisory model, with recommendations evaluated in the context of each client’s financial needs, goals, and best interests. Its Form CRS says the firm and its professionals may receive commissions from the sale of insurance products and services.
What does fee-based mean?
Fee-based wealth managers typically charge a direct advisory fee, most commonly a percentage of the assets they manage for you. At the same time, they may also be licensed to receive other forms of compensation in specific circumstances, including commissions on insurance products or revenue-sharing arrangements tied to how certain assets are managed. See Fee-Based Wealth Managers.
What is the difference between a fiduciary and a non-fiduciary advisor?
Which rules a financial professional must follow depends on the type of registration the firm has. RIAs must follow a standard that has two separate legal duties. They are the duty of care and the duty of loyalty. Broker-dealers operate under a different standard. See Fiduciary vs. Non-Fiduciary Advisor.
How can I check an advisor’s record?
Checking disciplinary history is the most objectively verifiable of all the questions to ask a wealth manager, and it is the category most consistently skipped by people who are inclined to trust the person they just met. Search the firm on investor.gov and the advisor on FINRA’s BrokerCheck. Both searches are free. See Questions to Ask a Wealth Manager.
Schedule a Consultation
We offer a complimentary introductory conversation, with no cost and no commitment. Call 281-580-2100 or request a time online.
This page is for general information and is not individualized investment, tax or legal advice.