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Wealth Management in Austin
Coordinate investments, taxes, real estate and estate documents when your Austin finances have outgrown a simple plan. Talk with a wealth advisor who serves the area by phone or video. The first call is free.
- Free, no-obligation first conversation
- By phone or video, on your schedule
- Advisors who serve the Austin, TX area
Updated October 2026. Local figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Talk to an Austin wealth advisor
Tell us what has changed in your finances and an advisor who works with Austin clients will reach out for a free call by phone or video.
Free, private and no obligation
Wealth management in Austin usually begins with a sudden change: a company sale, a large vesting year, an inheritance, a Hill Country land purchase or a move from a high-tax state. The work is coordination across investments, taxes, property and legal documents, and it is worth paying for only when your finances are complex enough to need it.
Key takeaways for Austin
- Wealth management bundles investing, tax planning, estate work and real estate under one coordinated plan, so it fits once several of those areas are tangled together.
- Texas has no personal income tax, which changes the math for people moving to Austin from California, New York or Washington, but domicile has to be established and documented.
- Texas is a community property state, so who owns what, and how title is held, shapes both estate plans and divorce outcomes.
- Land, rental homes and closely held businesses are common in Austin portfolios and need a plan for liquidity, insurance and succession.
- Compare two or three advisors on total annual cost, how private assets are billed and whether the firm acts as a fiduciary on every account.
When Austin households start looking for wealth management
Most people do not shop for a wealth manager on a quiet Tuesday. They call after something changes. A software company gets acquired. A spouse inherits a house in another state. A couple sells a business in Round Rock and suddenly holds more cash than they have ever managed. Wealth management is the service built for that moment, when investments, taxes, property and legal documents all need to talk to each other.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, Austin’s median household income is $93,658 and its median home value is $555,300. Those are the middle of the city, not the top of it. Plenty of Austin households sit well above both numbers, and the gap between a typical paycheck and a large equity or real estate position is where most of this work happens.
What the service includes
The label covers a lot, so ask a firm to list what it actually does. A full-service arrangement usually pulls together:
- Investment management with a written policy for how money is allocated and rebalanced
- Tax planning that looks at the next several years, beyond the return you file in April
- Estate planning coordination with an attorney who drafts the documents
- Insurance review for life, disability, umbrella liability and property coverage
- Cash flow and spending guidance for households with irregular or lumpy income
- Charitable giving strategy, including gifts of appreciated assets
Some firms do all of this in house. Others lead with investments and refer out for the rest. Neither is wrong, but you should know which one you are hiring.
How it differs from a financial planner
A financial planner builds the written roadmap, often for a flat fee or by the hour. A wealth manager runs the roadmap on an ongoing basis, usually with account management included. If you are still figuring out whether to buy a house, pay down loans or max out a 401(k), start with a financial planner who serves the Austin area. If your questions are about taxes on a large sale, trusts, or how to hold several kinds of assets together, wealth management is the better fit. Many families use a planner first and move up later.
The move to Texas from a high-tax state
Austin keeps drawing people from California, New York, Illinois and the Pacific Northwest. Texas levies no personal income tax, so a person who truly changes domicile can stop paying state income tax on salary, investment income and business sales. The catch is that the former state may still claim you. Departing states often look at where you spend your days, where your family lives, where you vote, hold a driver license, register vehicles and keep your most valued belongings.
A wealth advisor and a tax professional can help you document the move before a big sale rather than after. Timing matters: a stock sale that closes while you are still a resident of the old state can be taxed there. Keep a simple file with a lease or deed, a Texas license, voter registration, and records of where you spent your time. Confirm the details of your former state’s rules with a tax professional.
Texas property law that shapes the plan
Texas is a community property state. Most income earned and property acquired during a marriage belongs to both spouses, while property owned before marriage or received as a gift or inheritance is generally separate. Why does that matter for wealth planning? Because the label on an account or deed affects who controls it, how it passes at death and how it is divided in a divorce.
Couples sometimes sign a community property agreement with right of survivorship so assets pass to the surviving spouse without probate. Others keep separate property clearly traced with records. Texas also gives homesteads strong protection from most creditors, and certain retirement accounts and life insurance values carry their own protections. An attorney should confirm how these apply to your situation.
Concentrated stock and private company equity
Austin is a technology hub, with large employers such as Dell Technologies, Apple, Oracle, Tesla and Samsung operating in the metro area, along with a deep bench of startups. People who join early or stay long often hold a big share of their net worth in one company. A wealth manager treats that position as a project with a calendar.
- Sell on a schedule so one bad quarter cannot undo years of work
- Use charitable gifts of appreciated shares when giving is already part of your plans
- Look at exchange funds or similar structures for very large holdings, with attention to their fees and lockup periods
- Plan for blackout windows and trading plans if you work at a public company
- Understand how a tender offer or secondary sale would be taxed before you accept it
The federal tax code, not Texas, drives these decisions, and it changes. Confirm current rules with a tax professional before acting on any of them.
Tell us what you own and when it vests, and we will connect you with an advisor who works with Austin tech households. The first call is free.
Selling a business
Beyond tech, Austin has thousands of owner-operated companies: contractors, restaurants, medical practices, marketing shops, and professional services firms in the suburbs. Texas does not tax personal income, but a business owner still faces federal tax on a sale, and the structure of the deal changes the bill. Asset sales and stock sales are taxed differently, and how the purchase price is allocated matters.
Texas also has a franchise tax, sometimes called the margin tax, that applies to many entities, so a sale can raise questions about final filings. Start planning two to three years before you want to sell. That runway gives you time to clean up the books, reduce dependence on you personally and arrange personal finances so the proceeds have somewhere to go.
Land, ranches and Hill Country property
Many Austin families own more than their primary residence. A lake house on Lake Travis or in the Highland Lakes, acreage west of the city, a rental duplex near the university or an inherited family ranch all show up in wealth plans. Real estate is illiquid, expensive to maintain and exposed to weather.
A good advisor will ask about insurance, because Central Texas has seen floods, wildfire and large hail. Ask whether your coverage matches rebuild costs, whether flood coverage is carried separately and whether an umbrella policy sits above everything. Rural land may qualify for special agricultural appraisal in Texas, which can lower the property tax bill if the use requirements are met, so check eligibility with the county appraisal district.
Property taxes on a high-value home
Texas has no state income tax, but local governments rely heavily on property tax, and Travis County bills can be large. Appraisal notices usually arrive in spring, and owners have the right to protest the value with the appraisal review board. Homesteads receive protections, including a limit on yearly growth in taxable value, though investment property and second homes are not covered the same way.
For households with several properties, a wealth manager can estimate the annual carrying cost of the whole portfolio and set aside cash for tax bills. Some owners hire a property tax consultant for protests. Ask what they charge before you agree, since many work for a share of the savings.
Estate planning for Texas families
Texas has no state estate tax or inheritance tax, which simplifies things. Federal estate tax applies only above a large exemption that Congress has changed more than once, so confirm the current figure. Estate planning matters well below that level anyway. A will, a durable power of attorney, a medical directive and guardianship named for minor children are basic, and probate in Texas can sometimes be avoided or simplified with the right setup.
Families with a closely held business, out-of-state real estate or a child with special needs often add trusts. Read more in our guide to estate planning and bring your questions to an attorney who practices in Texas.
Philanthropy and giving
Austin has a strong culture of giving, from arts and music nonprofits to the university and local hospitals. Our guide to investing explains the tax treatment of different account types, and a retirement planning review shows how giving fits with your later income. A donor-advised fund lets you contribute appreciated stock or cash in a high-income year, take the deduction then, and recommend grants over time. Private foundations offer more control but add paperwork and cost. A wealth manager can compare options against your goals and check that your giving is documented for the IRS.
Fees and how firms charge
The common model is a percentage of assets managed, with the rate falling as the account grows. Some firms add a planning fee, and some charge a flat annual retainer for households whose wealth is mostly private company stock or real estate that cannot be billed on a percentage basis.
| Fee model | How it works | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage of assets | Annual fee on managed accounts | Rate breaks at higher balances |
| Flat retainer | Set yearly amount for planning and advice | What is excluded from scope |
| Hourly or project | Pay for a specific question or plan | Estimates that run over |
| Commission | Paid by a product provider | Conflicts of interest |
Ask for the total yearly cost in dollars, including fund expenses, based on your own numbers.
Questions to ask before you hire
- Will you act as a fiduciary on all of my accounts, in writing?
- How do you bill for assets you do not manage, such as private shares or real estate?
- Who else will I work with, and who drafts the tax and legal documents?
- What is your minimum, and do you have a service model for clients near it?
- Where do you hold client assets, and who is the custodian?
- How often will we meet, and what happens between meetings?
Check any firm on the SEC’s adviser search and FINRA BrokerCheck, and for state-registered firms the Texas State Securities Board. For state-wide rules see our page on wealth management across Texas.
Warning signs in Austin
Austin’s growth attracts promoters. Be cautious with anyone who promises a fixed return, pressures you to move money quickly, pitches private deals only to a few friends or will not put fees in writing. Texas has seen its share of investment fraud tied to oil and gas, real estate and crypto. The State Securities Board publishes enforcement actions, and checking there takes a few minutes.
Tell us the timeline and we will connect you with an advisor who works with Austin newcomers and business owners.
Working with an advisor remotely
You do not need to meet in a downtown tower to hire a good advisor. Advisors who serve the Austin area work by phone and video, which saves a drive on MoPac or I-35 and lets you keep the same advisor if you later move to Dallas, Denver or Seattle. Documents are signed electronically and statements are available online.
Getting started
Gather your last two tax returns, statements for every account, equity award agreements, deeds and insurance policies. Write down your biggest worries in plain words. Then take the free call and see whether the advisor asks good questions before offering answers.
Share your situation and we will connect you with an advisor who serves Austin households by phone or video.
Frequently asked questions
When does wealth management make sense in Austin?
It usually fits once your finances involve several moving parts at once, such as a large equity position, a business sale, multiple properties or an inheritance. Many firms set minimums, so households earlier in the journey often begin with a financial planner.
Do I pay Texas tax on a stock sale?
Texas has no personal income or capital gains tax, so a sale triggers federal tax only. If you recently moved from another state, that state may still tax the sale, so document your move and confirm with a tax professional.
How do advisors charge for private company stock?
Many bill a percentage only on assets they manage, which leaves unvested or private shares out of the fee. Others charge a flat retainer. Ask for the policy in writing before you sign.
What does community property mean for my plan?
Most assets earned during marriage are owned by both spouses in Texas. That affects how accounts are titled, who inherits and how property is divided in a divorce, so an attorney should review your documents.
Can I protest my Travis County appraisal?
Yes. Texas property owners can protest their appraised value with the appraisal review board each year. Deadlines are short, so act soon after your notice arrives and gather comparable sales.
How do I check an advisor before hiring?
Search the firm on the SEC adviser database and FINRA BrokerCheck, review its Form ADV, and for state-registered firms look at the Texas State Securities Board. Ask for fees in writing.
Learn before you talk to an advisor
Ready to talk with a wealth advisor in Austin?
A free, no-obligation conversation by phone or video. Tell us a little about your goals and we will take it from there.