Located in Houston, Manske Wealth Management (MWM) is a fee-based financial advisor firm specializing in financial planning, wealth management and investment advising.
In 2020, Manske Wealth was recognized by the Houston Business Journal as one of 25 firms on its "Top Wealth Management Firms & Practices" list. That same year, three advisors were received the Five Star Wealth Manager award from Texas Monthly magazine.
Manske Wealth Management Background
President Christopher R. Manske founded Manske Wealth Management in 2012 after working as a financial advisor with Merrill Lynch for 12 years. Texas Monthly named him a “5-Star Wealth Manager” from 2009 to 2016. Manske, a certified financial planner (CFP), remains the firm's principal owner.
Manske Wealth Management owns an impressive collection of advisory certifications considering its small team.The firm employs CFPs, certified fund specialists (CFSs) and chartered retirement planning counselors (CRPCs).
Manske Wealth Management Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes
Most of Manske Wealth Management’s business comes from individuals and their associated trusts and estates. The firm maintains advisory relationships with pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations and businesses and charitable organizations, as well.
In contrast to the typical minimum account size at other firms, Manske does not have a minimum. Instead, the firm for a $1,500 minimum annual fee.
Services Offered by Manske Wealth Management
The services available at Manske Wealth Management are intricately designed in an effort to serve certain types of clients. General financial planning and investment management are offered here too, though. Take a look over what MWM can do here:
- Financial planning
- Retirement planning
- Education fund planning
- Debt and liability management
- General financial goal-setting
- Wealth management
- Combination of financial planning and discretionary investment management
- Investing assistance following a major financial windfall, like:
- Receipt of a life insurance payout
- Lawsuit and divorce settlements
- Inheritance
- Cash value from an initial public offering (IPO)
- Company retirement plans
- Work directly with business owners and HR teams
- Customized committee-based investment guidance
- Supervision for endowments and charitable funds
- Investment policy statement (IPS) creation
- Manske Wealth Management Wrap Program
- Traditional wrap-fee schedule
- Use of independent managers
Manske Wealth Management Investment Philosophy
Manske Wealth Management personalizes its investment strategies depending on the type of investor you are. More specifically, factors like your financial goals, risk tolerance, time horizon and income needs will drive the investment decisions the firm makes for you. Instead of viewing your portfolio’s returns against an arbitrary benchmark, Manske Wealth will compare them to the benchmark that your time horizon inherently creates.
MWM uses a plethora of investments, including mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), individual stocks and bonds, independent managers, hedge funds and unit investment trusts. These investment types are diversified using a well-developed asset allocation strategy.
Fees Under Manske Wealth Management
Manske Wealth Management’s most robust offering is its wealth management service, as it merges financial planning and investment management. In turn, the fee schedule for this service is an annualized, asset-based charge that ranges up to 1.00%. This rate is actually split into four quarterly fees that are paid, in arrears, on the market value of your assets under management on the last day of the previous quarter.
Because MWM’s financial planning and consulting services are not ongoing, the firm charges a fixed fee of $1,000 to $5,000. The scope and complexity of your needs will determine the rate you’ll pay. Manske Wealth states in its Form ADV that if you engage the firm for additional investment advisory services, those costs may offset a portion or all of this fixed fee.
| Overview of Manske Wealth Management Fees | |
| Service | Fee Schedule |
| Wealth management | Up to 1.00% annual fee |
| Financial planning/consulting | $1,000 - $5,000 fixed fee |
This firm provides a wrap-fee, investment advisory service called the Manske Wealth Management Wrap Program. This means that all brokerage and transaction costs are added into your base annual fee. While it might sound like a no-brainer, this added benefit could cause your fees to surpass the cost for firm’s standard investment services.
Manske Wealth does not use performance-based fees.
What to Watch Out For
Based on its SEC-filed Form ADV, Manske Wealth Management has a clean legal and regulatory record.
However, certain members of Manske Wealth Management’s staff are registered representatives of SEC-registered broker-dealer Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Inc. (PKS). Should you implement securities transactions through any of these MWM employees, they will receive part of the brokerage commissions that PKS charges. Beyond this, some MWM employees may earn ongoing 12b-1 fees from mutual fund companies that you’re invested in.
The commission and fee arrangements described in the paragraph above clearly create a conflict of interest. Despite this, Manske Wealth Management abides by fiduciary duty. In short, this legally binds MWM to act in clients’ best interests under all circumstances.
Opening an Account With Manske Wealth Management
To set up a consultation with a Manske Wealth Management advisor, call or email the firm at (713) 581-1994 or admin@manskewealth.com, respectively. The firm provides an extensive list of the documents it wants prospective clients to bring to their first meeting, such as:
- Current tax returns
- Bank, mortgage, brokerage and insurance statements
- Trust and will documents
- List of your current investments
- IRA, pension and retirement account statements
- Annuity contracts and policies
All information is accurate as of the writing of this article.
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