Austin Asset
Austin Asset is a fee-only, SEC-registered, employee-owned wealth management firm in Austin, Texas that provides investment management, wealth planning, life-event, charitable, family office, and nonprofit services to high-net-worth individuals and families in Central Texas.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Austin Asset does
Austin Asset is a fee-only, SEC-registered investment advisory firm headquartered in Austin, Texas, founded in 1987 by John Henry McDonald and now wholly employee-owned. It builds and manages customized, evidence-based, globally diversified portfolios of institutional-class mutual funds for high-net-worth individuals and families, supported by two proprietary planning artifacts: BOW© (Building Organized Wealth), a dynamic scenario-modeling tool that aligns client goals, income, and expenses with a designed portfolio, and ARROW© (Actual Rate of Return on Wealth), a portfolio-level performance report benchmarked against each BOW goal and tracking assets both inside and outside the firm's management. Clients access planning through RightCapital and view accounts in Tamarac's investment portal.
The firm is structured around six service lines — Investment Management, Wealth Planning, Life Event Planning, Charitable Planning, Family Office, and Nonprofit Institutions — delivered by a roughly 23-person team in which nearly two-thirds carry the CFP designation, supplemented by CPA, CFA, CIMA, and FPQP credentials. Austin Asset markets almost exclusively to the Austin/Central Texas region through referrals, webinars, and an educational content library, and does not disclose pricing publicly; as an RIA, revenue is generated from recurring advisory fees on assets under management.
AUM growth has been steady and organic, scaling from $25M in 1997 to $1B in 2020, and ownership has been progressively broadened across multiple principals under a succession plan initiated in 2007, with founder John Henry McDonald retiring in 2014 and Eric Hehman serving as CEO. The firm has been recognized on Worth's Leading Advisors list, CNBC FA 100, Financial Advisor Magazine's America's Top RIAs, WealthManagement.com's RIA Edge 100, Investment News Best Places to Work, and Austin Business Journal's #1 Financial Planning Firm.
Austin Asset firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Austin Asset
- Legal name
- Austin Asset
- Website
- https://austinasset.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Austin Asset is a fee-only, SEC-registered, employee-owned wealth management firm in Austin, Texas that provides investment management, wealth planning, life-event, charitable, family office, and nonprofit services to high-net-worth individuals and families in Central Texas.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Austin Asset industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wealth Management
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fee-Only Advisory (FSAEAAAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Investment Management Advisory (RIA) (FSAEAAAB), Financial Planning–Led RIAs (FSAAACAB)
Keywords
Where Austin Asset is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Austin Asset business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Fee-Only Advisory Services: Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) firm operating on a fee-only basis, one of the first in Central Texas since 1995. Charges advisory fees for wealth management and planning services without commissions on product sales.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Fee-only advisory model - specific tiers not publicly disclosed |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Austin Asset product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Austin Asset is a fee-only Registered Investment Adviser that provides comprehensive wealth management services to high net worth individuals, families, and nonprofit institutions in Central Texas. Core services include Investment Management, Wealth Planning, Life Event Planning, Charitable Planning, Family Office services, and Nonprofit Institution services, supported by proprietary tools BOW© and ARROW© and third-party planning platforms RightCapital and Tamarac.
Product overview
Austin Asset is a fee-only wealth management firm offering a unified suite of financial services centered on authentic, client-focused advice. The core offering combines Investment Management, Wealth Planning, Life Event Planning, Charitable Planning, Family Office, and Nonprofit Institution services. The firm differentiates through proprietary tools including the BOW© (Building Organized Wealth) financial modeling system and ARROW© (Actual Rate of Return on Wealth) performance tracking report, supported by an Online Performance Reporting Portal for client access. Services are delivered through integrated third-party platforms including RightCapital for comprehensive planning and Tamarac for portfolio management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Investment Management Strategic portfolio construction delivering sustainable, customized investment solutions. The team manages portfolios holistically using research-driven approaches with global diversification and institutional-class mutual funds, for high net worth individuals, families, and nonprofit institutions.
- Wealth Planning
- Life Event Planning
- Charitable Planning
- Family Office
- Nonprofit Institutions Services
- BOW© (Building Organized Wealth)
- ARROW© (Actual Rate of Return on Wealth)
- Online Performance Reporting Portal
Quantifiable outcome
- Reached $1 billion in assets under management milestone in 2020
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Austin Asset
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Austin Asset technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature2 records
Austin Asset partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- First Tee of Greater AustinminorAustin Asset team members serve on boards and volunteer with this youth development organization focused on teaching life skills through golf.
- CIS - Communities In Schools of Central TexasminorCommunity partnership supporting students in Central Texas through dropout prevention and support services.
- LifeWorks AustinminorPartnership supporting youth and families through services including youth homelessness prevention.
- Foundation CommunitiesminorCommunity partnership providing affordable housing and financial empowerment services.
- Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and South TexasminorSupporting wish-granting programs for children with critical illnesses.
- Any Baby CanminorBoard membership and volunteer support for organization serving families with children facing chronic health conditions. Greg Van Wyk served as Former Board Chair and Interim Co-CEO.
- Lonestar Soccer ClubminorEric Hehman serves on board of youth soccer organization.
- Wealth Management Center at McCombs (UT)corePartnership with University of Texas McCombs School of Business to build talent pipeline for the wealth management industry. Austin Asset participated in launching the Wealth Management Center which offers an undergraduate minor in wealth management.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves13 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Austin Asset competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Capstone Financial Advisors: Fee-only RIA based in Austin, Texas serving HNW individuals and families. Closely comparable to Austin Asset in size, geography, fee-only fiduciary model, and HNW focus in the Central Texas market.
- Luther King Capital Management: Independent, employee-owned investment manager based in Fort Worth, TX. Comparable as a Texas-based, employee-owned RIA offering wealth management and institutional investment services with a similar investment philosophy.
- True North Advisors: Fee-only RIA in the Dallas-Fort Worth area serving HNW families with investment management, financial planning, and family office services. Direct peer in services, model, and Texas HNW focus.
- Wescott Financial Advisory Group: Fee-only RIA providing wealth management, investment management, and family office services to HNW clients. Comparable scale and service mix to Austin Asset, with similar evidence-based investment approach.
- Modera Wealth Management: Fee-only RIA offering comprehensive financial planning and investment management to HNW households. Comparable services, fee-only model, and planning-led approach to Austin Asset.
- Crestwood Advisors: Independent, employee-owned RIA delivering personalized wealth management and planning to HNW clients. Comparable business model, ownership structure, and client profile.
- Bryn Mawr Capital Management: Independent, employee-owned investment advisory firm providing wealth management and family office services. Comparable in client focus, services offered, and employee-owned structure.
Regional players
- Fayez Sarofim & Co. Houston-based investment management firm. Comparable as a Texas-based, employee-owned asset/wealth manager, though larger and more institutionally focused than Austin Asset.
Broad incumbents
- Edelman Financial Engines: Large national RIA combining financial planning with technology-driven investment management. Comparable services and HNW focus, though at much greater scale and with a hybrid digital/human model.
- Creative Planning: One of the largest independent RIAs in the U.S., offering wealth management, financial planning, and family office services. Comparable in services and client types, but with a national footprint and significantly larger AUM.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Austin Asset social profiles
Digital presenceAustin Asset financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Austin Asset leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Austin Asset funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Austin Asset M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Austin Asset
What does Austin Asset do?
Austin Asset is a fee-only Registered Investment Adviser that provides comprehensive wealth management services to high net worth individuals, families, and nonprofit institutions in Central Texas. Core services include Investment Management, Wealth Planning, Life Event Planning, Charitable Planning, Family Office services, and Nonprofit Institution services, supported by proprietary tools BOW© and ARROW© and third-party planning platforms RightCapital and Tamarac.
Is Austin Asset a public or private company?
Austin Asset is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Austin Asset founded?
Austin Asset was founded in 1987. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Austin Asset based?
Austin Asset is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Austin Asset make money?
One revenue line is on record: fee-Only Advisory Services.
Who are Austin Asset's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Capstone Financial Advisors, Luther King Capital Management, True North Advisors, Wescott Financial Advisory Group, Modera Wealth Management, Crestwood Advisors and Bryn Mawr Capital Management. Fayez Sarofim & Co. is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Edelman Financial Engines and Creative Planning.
Does Austin Asset have an API?
No public API is recorded for Austin Asset.
What industry is Austin Asset in?
Austin Asset's product category is Wealth Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAAAL, Fee-Only Advisory, with a secondary code of FSAEAAAB, Investment Management Advisory (RIA). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.