GDS Wealth Management is a financial advisor firm based out of Flower Mound, Texas, although the firm works with clients all throughout the United States. GDS has a wide range of advisory services available to its client base of individuals and families. These are generally split across financial planning, investment management and estate planning, with all three being tailored to each client's personal needs.
As a fee-only firm, GDS Wealth Management and its advisors do not earn third-party forms of compensation or commissions. Instead, the firm and its advisors are entirely compensated from client-paid fees. This is much different from a fee-based firm, which would allow its advisors to earn compensation from the sale of financial products, securities or insurance to clients. The firm abides by fiduciary duty, meaning it’s legally obligated to act in clients’ best interests.
GDS Wealth Management Background
Founded in 2007, GDS Wealth Management is under the leadership and ownership of CEO and chief investment officer (CIO) Glen Smith and senior vice president Robert Casey. As co-founders of GDS, they also hold a handful of advisory certifications. Smith is a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) and a chartered retirement planning counselor (CRPC), while Casey is an accredited asset management specialist (AAMS).
The rest of the advisory staff at GDS also holds a range of designations. These include more CFPs®, as well as certified private wealth advisor (CPWA), chartered financial consultant (ChFC), certified exit planning advisor (CEPA) and more.
GDS Wealth Management Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes
The client base at GDS Wealth Management is composed of individual clients, with a nearly even split between those with and without a high net worth. In order to become a client of GDS, the firm generally requires a minimum investment size of $1 million, though it reserves the right to adjust or waive this minimum.
Services Offered by GDS Wealth Management
The services available at GDS Wealth Management are split across three main areas: financial planning, investment management and estate planning. According to the firm's website, these pillars include the services and financial situations below:
- Financial planning
- Retirement income and tax planning
- Longevity and long-term care planning
- Social Security optimization
- Healthcare cost planning
- Financial goal planning
- Life event planning
- Investment management
- Personalized investment strategies
- Risk management
- Tax considerations
- Portfolio diversification
- Long-term goal alignment
- Estate planning
- Family legacy planning
- Charitable giving
- Strategic wealth transfer planning
- Tax-efficient planning
- Collaboration with estate planning attorneys and CPAs
GDS Wealth Management Investment Philosophy
GDS Wealth Management utilizes an investment approach that's designed to capture the individuality of each client's personal financial situation and future goals. This includes reviewing with clients their short- and long-term financial objectives, risk tolerance, time horizon and more. With these learnings, the firm creates an investment plan that's designed to work in concert with your larger financial plan.
According to the firm’s website, it tends to invest client assets in a combination of stocks, bonds, ETFs, derivative-based products, cash, cash equivalents and more. It generally utilizes the overall strategies of active management and diversification within client portfolios, in an effort to remain in line with clients’ needs.
Fees Under GDS Wealth Management
The client fee structure at GDS Wealth Management is fairly simple. The firm solely charges advisory fees based on a percentage of each client's assets under management (AUM), with rates varying from 0.5% to 1.5% annually. According to the firm's SEC documentation, each client's fee rate is set based on their amount of AUM, the makeup of their portfolio, the services they are receiving and who’s providing those services.
These fees are charged quarterly in advance, and are based on the value of a client's portfolio on the last day of the previous quarter. Clients may also incur separate costs, like investment fees, custodial fees and more.
GDS Wealth Management Awards and Recognition
The aforementioned Glen Smith has been ranked on Forbes' "Best-in-State Wealth Advisors" list for seven years in a row, as of 2025. Smith is also registered with the NFL Players' Association (NFLPA) Financial Advisor Program, reflecting his experience working with professional athletes.
What to Watch Out For
GDS Wealth Management has no legal or regulatory disclosures listed on its SEC-filed Form ADV.
Opening an Account With GDS Wealth Management
To speak with GDS Wealth Management about becoming a client, you can reach out to the firm directly over the phone at (469) 212-8072, by email at gds@gdswealth.com or by filling out the contact form on its website.
All information is accurate as of the writing of this article.
GDS Wealth Management compensates SmartAsset for client referrals. As a result, SmartAsset has a financial incentive to recommend GDS Wealth Management. Prospective clients do not pay additional fees as a result of this arrangement. Glen Smith has been recognized on the Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors list (2019–2025). The ranking is developed by Forbes in partnership with SHOOK Research and is based on qualitative and quantitative criteria, including industry experience, assets under management, revenue trends, compliance records and best practices. GDS Wealth Management did not pay a fee to be included in the ranking, though the firm may pay licensing fees to use the award logo. Rankings are not indicative of future performance or client experience. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
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