How We Work
A fee-only fiduciary approach built on 35 years of deep client relationships. Disciplined strategy, accountable execution, and access to a network of professionals and institutional-grade investment strategies that most advisory firms cannot offer.
What True Wealth Means
True Wealth is not a number. It is confidence that your wealth has a clear purpose and a steady, experienced team guiding it. The freedom to pursue what matters most without financial hesitation. A life where money serves your goals, not the other way around.
True Wealth Management is the framework we use to deliver that. It brings every dimension of your financial life into one coherent, forward-looking strategy.
Your Definition. Revisited Every Year.
Each year, we ask every client two questions: What does True Wealth mean to you today? And how confident are you that you are on track to achieve it? We review how the definition has evolved, where the confidence score stands, and what gaps we can address. This annual conversation keeps the strategy anchored to what actually matters, not to last year’s plan.
Our Process
STAGE 1: UNDERSTAND YOUR DEFINITION OF TRUE WEALTH
We begin by understanding what True Wealth means to you. Through deep discovery, empathetic listening, and the establishment of a lasting, gracious relationship, we learn not just your financial picture but what you want your wealth to accomplish.
STAGE 2: BUILD YOUR TRUE WEALTH™ STRATEGY
We develop a tailored wealth management path: comprehensive financial planning, investment portfolio design, and a personalized strategy that brings every dimension of your financial life into alignment.
STAGE 3: EXECUTE WITH PRECISION
We implement the strategy with ongoing expert counsel, continuous analysis and adjustment, and proactive, personalized service. We are accountable at every step.
STAGE 4: DELIVER AN EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCE
Proactive financial plan reviews, trust built through collaboration, continuous feedback, and a fiduciary-first perspective throughout every phase of the relationship.
What It Means To Be A Fiduciary
The highest legal standard of care. Ours since 1991.
A fiduciary is legally required to act in your best interest at all times, in every recommendation, in every conversation. This is the highest standard of care in financial services. It differs from the suitability standard that governs many brokers and commission-based advisors, where a recommendation only needs to be suitable, not necessarily optimal for you.
As a registered investment advisor, we operate under the fiduciary standard at all times. That means:
- We recommend what is right for you, not what generates higher compensation
- We disclose all conflicts of interest — and we work to eliminate them
- We put your interests above our own in every decision
Every advisor on our team holds the CFP® certification or is an active CFP® certification candidate. The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation, awarded by CFP Board, requires rigorous coursework, a comprehensive examination, documented experience, and an ongoing commitment to ethics. CFP® professionals are held to a fiduciary standard when providing financial planning services. Having an entire advisory team at this credential level is uncommon in the industry. It reflects the standard of expertise and accountability we hold ourselves to.
We reinforce these standards through our fee-only compensation model. We receive no commissions, no product payments, and no referral fees. The only compensation we earn is the advisory fee you pay us directly. When those incentives are removed, every recommendation is advice, not a sales decision.
What Makes Us Different
One of the first. Still the standard.
Richard P. Slaughter founded this firm in 1991 on a conviction that was uncommon at the time: that excellent financial advice could be delivered without product conflicts or hidden incentives. That model, compensated only by advisory fees and never by commissions or product referrals, is how we have operated every day since.
FEE-ONLY FIDUCIARY
Our compensation is fully aligned with your interests. We are paid by you, never by what we sell you.
TEAM MODEL
CFP® PROFESSIONALS ACROSS THE ADVISORY TEAM
SELECTIVE
We work with a limited number of families. This is a relationship business. By remaining intentionally selective, we have the capacity to know your full picture, stay close to the details, and be there when life calls for a decision.
NO REFERRAL FEES
WOMEN-OWNED
One of the few. Only 5% of RIAs in the country are women-owned. We are proud to be among them, bringing a leadership perspective grounded in collaboration, thoughtful judgment, and long-term client relationships.
WHOLE BALANCE SHEET
NETWORK
Our Network
Decades of relationships. Real outcomes.
True Wealth rarely comes from financial planning alone. It requires the right attorney, the right accountant, the right specialist at the right moment. Over 35 years we have built relationships across every discipline that touches a complex financial life. We do not refer arbitrarily — we connect clients to people we know personally, whose work we have seen firsthand, and whose judgment we trust.
What That Looks Like In Practice:
A business owner assumed his company had no market value when he retired because his name was on the door and there were no formal client contracts. We introduced him to a business broker who identified real, transferable value and negotiated a sale that far exceeded the client’s expectations.
When a client’s husband passed away and the life insurance carrier denied her claim, we introduced her to an attorney specializing in litigation against insurance companies. He secured the full payout she was entitled to.
Access to the right people at the right time is not a marketing phrase. It is what 35 years of relationships looks like.
FAQs
Q: What does fee-only fiduciary mean?
A: A fee-only fiduciary financial advisor is legally required to act in your best interest at all times and is compensated solely by advisory fees, never by commissions or product sales. Richard P. Slaughter Associates has operated as a fee-only fiduciary since its founding in 1991.
Q: What is the difference between a financial advisor and a wealth manager?
A: A wealth manager brings investments, taxes, estate planning, income, and financial planning together as one integrated strategy. A financial advisor typically focuses on one of those areas. True Wealth Management™ is our framework for delivering the full picture.
Q: How often do we meet?
A: We reach out proactively, not just at scheduled reviews. We initiate contact when your situation, the markets, or a tax planning opportunity warrants a conversation.
Q: Is there an asset minimum?
A: We work with a limited number of families. If we are not the right fit, we will connect you with someone who is.
Q: Where are your clients located?
A: We are based in Austin and serve clients across all of Texas, nationally, and internationally.
Insights
Clear thinking for complex financial decisions.
Wealth Strategy & Protection
