Nationally Recognized but Close to Home

Give Glen Smith 15 seconds, and he’ll humbly spell out a lengthy list of goals he and his team at GDS Wealth Management in Flower Mound have for themselves and their clients. Some are for the upcoming year, and others are for 10 years down the road. Either way, they’re specific, measurable, and have a whole lot of zeros tacked on at the end. Being tasked with reaching such lofty numbers might force some people to think twice. Even Glen, with his unmistakably responsible and ever-cautious nature in tow, occasionally wonders to himself, “Are you sure?” But things tend to work out when you have a strong foundation of success and a watchful eye on what matters most to clients.

“Fingers crossed, of course. It’s humbling, but it’s also a big responsibility,” he said, adding that his team’s goal for the end of  2024 is to manage $1 billion in client assets. He’d like to hit $10 billion in the next decade. “One of the reasons we continue to grow is because clients expect more from their financial planner, and we are always thinking about what’s next for them. How can we make their life easier? What sophisticated planning can we do? Your relationship needs to be in-depth and diverse.”

Not to sound cliche, but the proof is in the pudding. GDS Wealth Management’s retention rate over the past three years is 99.37%. They are also currently ranked Number 8 by Forbes SHOOK for Best-in-State Wealth Advisors for 2023 — a distinction they’ve held for the past five years. They have developed a unique culture with young, innovative financial planners and are approved as an NFLPA Registered Player Financial Advisor, allowing them to help current and former NFL players with their financial needs. Leading that charge is Glen, the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of GDS Wealth Management, formerly Glen D. Smith & Associates, and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®). For nearly 20 years, Glen has combined his passion for number crunching with helping people responsibly build wealth through long-term planning, methodical decision-making, and personalized service. He’s the go-to advocate for high net-worth clients who need guidance with everything from investment management and retirement planning to estate planning, trust services, and more. Beyond dollars and cents, GDS routinely hosts client appreciation events. This includes small cooking classes, wine tastings, and larger events with guest appearances from the Eli Young Band, inspirational speakers, and Grammy award winners. They also moved into a new building in Lakeside Village in September. The new building has enough room to fit 75 employees, and Glen said his goal is to fill it up over the next decade.

“We are excited to be in Lakeside Village and watch it grow up around us,” Glen said. “You can know numbers, but clients also deserve and expect that human touch. That makes all the difference.”

Outside of the office, Glen is just like everyone else. He and his wife, Gisella, live in Flower Mound and try their best to raise two beautiful children, Nathalia and Lucas. Born in California, Glen grew up in Guayaquil, Ecuador, where his parents are still career missionaries. He and Gisella met when they were 8 years old, and they attend RockPointe Church in Flower Mound. That commitment to his family, team, and clients, and being able to adapt to any situation, is a breath of fresh air in today’s environment, where it can be difficult to remember what personal service feels like. GDS believes its strong client partnerships are made possible by combining the knowledgeable guidance and expertise they need with consistent and tailored service. Clients deserve to rest assured that their best interests always come first.

“When I’m getting to know my clients for the first time, I love asking questions like, ‘What does money mean to you?’ and ‘What was money like for you growing up?’ They may wonder what this has to do with managing their money, but in my mind, it helps me understand where they’re coming from,” Glen said. “Some people are super conservative, and others are not.” With that dedicated mindset, hitting many of those lofty goals might not be hard to attain after all. Learn more about how GDS Wealth Management can help you at GDSWealth.com.

GDS Wealth Management is an investment adviser in Flower Mound, TX. GDS Wealth Management is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any specific level of skill or training and does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the Commission. GDS Wealth Management only transacts business in states in which it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration. A copy of GDS Wealth Management’s current written disclosure brochure filed with the SEC, which discusses among other things, GDS Wealth Management’s business practices, services, and fees, is available through the SEC’s website at: adviserinfo.sec.gov. The retention rate is calculated based on the last three years of clients with over a million dollars in assets under management at GDS Wealth. Glen D. Smith’s status as a Registered Player Financial Advisor does not constitute an endorsement recommendation by the NFLPA of the Registered Player Financial Advisor, or his/her qualifications, or services. The NFLPA is not affiliated with GDS Wealth Management. The Forbes America’s Top Wealth Advisors 2023 ranking, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on in-person and telephone due diligence meetings and a ranking algorithm that includes: a review of best practices, client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, including assets under management and revenue generated for their firms.

This ranking is based upon the period from 6/30/2021 to 6/30/2022 and was released on 4/4/2023. Investment performance is not a criterion because audited records rarely exist and clients have varying risk levels. Rankings are based on the opinions of SHOOK Research, LLC, and are not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. Research Summary (as of April 2023): 39,007 Advisor nominations were received based on high thresholds. 22,243 Advisors were invited to complete the online survey. SHOOK has conducted over 17,546 telephone interviews with advisors. 3,557 Advisors were interviewed in-person at the Advisors’ location and 1,361 interviews were web-based. The final list of the top 250 advisors was then compiled based on an algorithm that considers both quantitative and qualitative criteria. This ranking is not indicative of an advisor’s future performance, is not an endorsement, and may not be representative of individual clients’ experience. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors or RIA firms pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Raymond James is not affiliated with Forbes or Shook Research, LLC. Please see https://www.forbes.com/lists/top-wealth-advisors/?sh=4281b4c61c7c for more info. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® (with plaque design), and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements. All investing involves risks. The use of a professional advisor does not guarantee your objectives will be met.