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Manske Wealth Management Review

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This review was produced by SmartAsset based on publicly available information. The named firm and its financial professionals have not reviewed, approved, or endorsed this review and are not responsible for its accuracy. Review content is produced by SmartAsset independently of any business relationships that might exist between SmartAsset and the named firm and its financial professionals, and firms and financial professionals having business relationships with SmartAsset receive no special treatment or consideration in SmartAsset’s reviews. This page contains links to SmartAsset’s financial advisor matching tool, which may or may not match you with the firm mentioned in this review or its financial professionals.

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
  • Investing assistance following a major financial windfall, like:
  • 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
  • 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.  

Investing Tips

  • Financial advisors are traditionally connected with financial planning and investment management, but many also offer investment consulting. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
  • A well-rounded knowledge base is a major key to becoming a responsible investor. With that being said, exploring the investment market is a complicated venture, so approach with caution. Perhaps a good place to start is SmartAsset’s guide featuring a detailed description of almost a dozen investment types and how they work.

How Long $1mm Lasts in Retirement

SmartAsset's interactive map highlights places where $1 million will last the longest in retirement. Zoom between states and the national map to see the top spots in each region. Also, scroll over any city to learn about the cost of living in retirement for that location.

Least
Most
Rank City Housing Expenses Food Expenses Healthcare Expenses Utilities Expenses Transportation Expenses

Methodology We analyzed data on average expenditures for seniors, cost of living and investment returns to determine how many years of retirement a $1 million nest egg would cover in cities across America.

First, we looked at data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on the average annual expenditures of seniors. We then applied cost of living data from the Council for Community and Economic Research to adjust those national average spending levels based on the costs of each expense category (housing, food, healthcare, utilities, transportation and other) in each city. Using this data, SmartAsset calculated the average cost of living for retirees in the largest U.S. cities.

We assumed the $1 million would grow at a real return (interest minus inflation) of 2%. Then, we divided $1 million by the sum of each of those annual numbers to determine how long $1 million would cover retirement expenses in each of the cities in our study. Cities where $1 million lasted the longest ranked the highest in the study.

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Council for Community and Economic Research