Services

Financial Planning

Personal financial planning is included in the investment management fee. Todd Smurl, CFA, works through your retirement income, taxes, Social Security, Medicare, and estate decisions with your actual numbers, as your fiduciary. For clients with assets under management under $500,000, the Advisor reserves the right to charge an hourly fee for financial planning.

Last reviewed October 18, 2026

Older woman reviewing a notebook at home.

Who this is for

Families in or near retirement who want their income, tax, and withdrawal decisions worked out before they start drawing on their savings
Professionals whose taxes, benefits, and equity have outgrown do-it-yourself planning
People who want a fee-only fiduciary rather than a product salesperson
Business owners who want to connect their personal finances, retirement plans and investments with the business they have built

Problems it solves

Evaluating "Can we afford to retire, and when?" using your circumstances and stated assumptions, not rules of thumb
A tax return that is prepared every year but never planned
Benefits and existing coverage that were set up once and never revisited
Recommendations from a previous adviser that were never quantified or followed through

What makes it different

Your plan is developed by Todd Smurl, CFA, who also manages your portfolio, so the tax detail, the investments, and your goals are handled by the same person.
We publish our fees and take no commissions. Financial planning is included in the investment management fee, subject to this exception: For clients with assets under management under $500,000, the Advisor reserves the right to charge an hourly fee for financial planning.

Why Integrity

Why choose an independent, fee-only fiduciary?

Integrity Financial Planning is independent, fee-only and a fiduciary. No one outside the firm sets what we recommend, we are paid only by you, and we are required to act in your best interest for as long as we work together.

Independent. The firm is not owned by a bank, brokerage, or insurance company, so no one sets sales targets. Your accounts are held in your own name at Altruist, an independent custodian. Our registration and disclosures are in our Form ADV.
Fee-only. You are our only source of pay. We take no commissions, sales loads, revenue sharing, or referral fees.
Fiduciary. As a registered investment adviser, we owe you a fiduciary duty that "applies to the entire relationship between an investment adviser and its client" (SEC). A broker's duty under Regulation Best Interest applies "at the time the recommendation is made" (SEC).

What else you get

Low-cost investments. No product commissions. We build portfolios using individual stocks and low-cost ETFs, with close attention to investment expenses. We are paid by our clients, not through product commissions. Our advisory fee is 1.0% annually on the first $1 million and 0.85% on assets from $1 million to $10 million; fees above $10 million are negotiable. Compare that fee alongside your underlying investment expenses and any other applicable charges.
Customization where it matters. Active tax management for taxable accounts, and values-based investing that excludes the companies or industries you choose.
Personalized one-on-one service. Todd Smurl, CFA, manages your portfolio and your plan himself. You work with the same person every time.

Investment expenses and applicable transaction costs are separate from our advisory fee. Optional active tax management has a separate Altruist charge of up to 0.10% annually on enrolled taxable assets; IFP receives no part of that charge.

Financial planning is included in the investment management fee, subject to the following exception: For clients with assets under management under $500,000, the Advisor reserves the right to charge an hourly fee for financial planning.

What is included in personal financial planning?

Ongoing advice from an independent, fee-only fiduciary on the decisions in front of you, included in the investment management fee:

A retirement income plan: how much you can spend, from which accounts, and in what order
Social Security claiming analysis, plus Medicare and IRMAA planning
Roth conversion and required minimum distribution (RMD) planning, coordinated with your tax preparer
Charitable giving strategies, such as qualified charitable distributions and donor-advised funds
A review of your existing insurance coverage to check that it fits the plan
Estate plan coordination with your attorney, including beneficiary designations
A list of recommendations with assumptions, action owners and financial estimates where reasonably quantifiable

Planning that makes the trade-offs clear

Financial planning helps you compare decisions using your circumstances and stated assumptions. Depending on the agreed scope, we can evaluate:

Retirement spending and withdrawal scenarios, including which accounts to draw from and in what order
Projected lifetime taxes under alternative assumptions, coordinated with your tax preparer
When to claim Social Security, start Roth conversions, and exercise or sell concentrated stock
Questions about existing coverage to discuss with your insurance professional
Beneficiary and estate-coordination questions to discuss with your attorney

Where reasonably quantifiable, recommendations include estimates and the assumptions behind them. Projections are not guarantees; tax law, markets and your circumstances can change. Todd's review and coordination with your other professionals remain part of the process.

What financial planning covers

We start with your goals and your documents: tax returns, account statements, pay stubs, benefits guides, and existing insurance policies. Then we compare alternatives, explain the assumptions and trade-offs, and recommend next steps within the agreed scope. Depending on what you need, planning covers:

Tax planning

Forward-looking personal tax planning: Roth conversions, withdrawal order, charitable giving, and tax-aware investing, built with the tax return in mind and coordinated with your tax preparer.

Retirement planning

A savings target and investment policy tied to your retirement goals, followed by retirement-income and withdrawal scenarios. We compare which accounts to draw from and revisit the assumptions as circumstances change.

Insurance review (advice only)

We review the policies you already have (life, disability, long-term care, home and auto, and umbrella) in the context of your plan and identify coverage questions to discuss with your insurance professional. We do not sell insurance and earn nothing from any policy.

Portfolio management

Coordinating your investment portfolio with your goals, risk preferences, tax circumstances and any environmental, social or faith-based preferences. Tax outcomes and investment returns are not guaranteed.

Estate planning

Reviewing beneficiary designations and estate-planning priorities with you, then coordinating relevant questions with your attorney. We do not prepare legal documents or replace your attorney's advice.

How we work with you

Our recommendations explain the next steps and include estimates and assumptions where reasonably quantifiable. We agree on priorities and responsibility for next steps, and review progress together.

We agree on the scope and review process with you, and arrange meetings with Todd as planning needs arise. Where appropriate, we coordinate with your attorney, tax preparer, insurance professional and other advisers.

Planning is not a one-time project here; it is part of how we manage your money for as long as we work together. We meet by video, by phone, or in person; see what to expect from a fee-only financial advisor in Houston.

Questions about financial planning

What does financial planning at Integrity look like?

Advice, not just a document. We work through the decisions in front of you using your actual tax returns, account statements, pay stubs, benefits guides, and existing insurance policies, give you specific recommendations with the assumptions and estimates where reasonably quantifiable, and revisit the planning within the scope of our agreement as your situation changes.

How much does financial planning cost?

Financial planning is included as part of the investment management fee. We agree on your planning priorities, scope and review process together. For clients with assets under management under $500,000, the Advisor reserves the right to charge an hourly fee for financial planning. See our fees.

How often is the planning revisited?

We revisit the planning when relevant circumstances change, such as a job change, move or retirement date coming into view. We agree on the scope and review process with you, and arrange meetings with Todd as planning needs arise.

Who receives financial planning?

Any client who wants it. Financial planning is offered to every client as part of how we manage money, not as an add-on: the planning sets the targets, the portfolio and tax work carry them out, and we measure both against those targets as we go. There is no obligation to use it.

Do you work with business owners?

Yes. We help business owners connect their personal finances, retirement goals and investments with the demands of owning a business. We agree on the work together and may involve outside specialists where helpful.

Do you sell insurance or annuities?

No. We are fee-only and never earn commissions. We review the policies you already have and identify coverage questions to discuss with your insurance professional.

Do you prepare tax returns?

No. Integrity Financial Planning does tax planning, not tax preparation. We are not a CPA firm; we model the decisions ahead of time, give you and your preparer specific recommendations, and coordinate with your preparer on implementation and tax reporting.

Do you work with people outside Houston?

Yes. We are registered in Texas and Louisiana, and we meet virtually with clients wherever they live.

Talk with a CFA about your situation

A free introductory meeting, no obligation.

Book with Todd See our fees