If your money has been parked in the same mutual funds since the early 2010s, the fees inside those funds may be costing you more than the statements make obvious. Catalano Financial is an independent registered investment adviser in The Woodlands, Texas that builds custom portfolios from low-cost, diversified ETFs for individuals and families across greater Houston. If you are a financial delegator, someone who would rather have a professional manage this than track it yourself, you can reach us at 832-696-0990 or book a discovery call.

Which advisors near Houston actually build low-cost ETF portfolios?

Catalano Financial builds low-cost ETF portfolios for clients across The Woodlands and greater Houston. We construct diversified portfolios using low-cost, diversified ETFs, with the allocation matched to your risk tolerance and rebalanced automatically as markets move, through the Betterment and Schwab platforms we use for client accounts. That means the fund-level cost of holding your investments stays low while the strategy behind them stays tied to your actual goals, not left on autopilot the way a decade-old mutual fund lineup tends to be.

The approach matters here. As ETF.com describes, advisors can actively manage a portfolio using low-cost passive ETFs rather than relying on higher-cost active funds to generate returns. I believe the value is in the strategy and coordination, not in paying a fund manager a premium to pick stocks inside a wrapper you forgot you owned.

What happens to a portfolio that has been sitting untouched for years?

We start by looking at what you actually hold and what it costs you. The first step is a clear picture: every fund, its expense ratio, where positions overlap, and how your current mix lines up with the risk you are comfortable taking today versus the risk you signed up for years ago.

From there the work usually follows a few steps:

• Review the current holdings and the internal fund expenses you are paying now

• Check the cost basis on each position before anything is sold, because mutual funds held for a decade often carry large unrealized gains

• Build a diversified ETF portfolio matched to your time horizon, income needs, and risk tolerance

• Sequence the transition so we manage the tax impact rather than triggering an avoidable bill in a single year

• Monitor and rebalance on an ongoing basis

That tax point is the part people underestimate. Selling appreciated mutual funds inside a taxable brokerage account can create capital gains, so we plan the move in a way that weighs the fee savings against the tax cost instead of selling everything at once. Inside IRAs and 401(k) rollovers, the transition is usually simpler because the sale itself is not a taxable event.

Comprehensive planning engagements are generally completed within 30 days after we receive the information we need, though timing varies with complexity and how quickly documents come in. Any inquiry you send is acknowledged within one business day.

What does it cost to work with Catalano Financial?

Pricing depends on whether you want a one-time review, a full plan, or ongoing investment management. Here is the schedule:

Service	Fee
The Financial Roadmap	$500 per household
Comprehensive Financial Planning	$6,000 per household
Strategic Portfolio Management	1.25% per year on the first $1M; 0.80% from $1M to $5M; 0.50% above $5M
Strategic Wealth Partnership	Generally begins at $15,000 per year

For ongoing investment management, the advisory fee accrues daily and is billed monthly in the arrears, deducted from the managed account once you authorize it. A $1,000,000 household, for example, works out to roughly $12,500 a year, about $1,042 a month before market changes. The ETF expenses charged by the funds themselves and any custodial costs are separate and typically much lower than what older actively managed mutual funds charge. Strategic Portfolio Management generally requires $250,000 in managed assets, though we can discuss exceptions. If you want a clearer breakdown before a call, see how much financial planning costs in 2026.

If you want help selecting insurance or annuities as part of a plan, those may involve commissions paid by the insurance company rather than an advisory fee, and we disclose that in writing. When we provide investment advice, we act as a fiduciary.

Why work with us instead of a national brokerage?

Catalano Financial is led by Peter Catalano, who has worked in financial services since 1992 and holds the CLU and ChFC designations. The firm is a registered investment adviser in Texas and has operated as an independent adviser from The Woodlands, with investment advisory registration since 2018. As an independent RIA, we are not pushing a parent company’s proprietary funds, which is the difference that lets us build around low-cost ETFs in the first place.

My job is to simplify your financial life, not add another layer to it. Many of the people I work with have collected accounts and products from different employers, old advisors, and stages of life, and they want one professional to bring it all into a single strategy. If you are weighing an independent adviser against a wirehouse, this comparison of independent planners versus national brokerages covers the practical differences.

Where does Catalano Financial work?

We are based at 1095 Evergreen Circle, Suite 200, in The Woodlands, Texas, and we primarily serve clients in The Woodlands, greater Houston, and across Texas. We also work with clients in other states where we are permitted, and we are insurance licensed in Texas, Colorado, California, and Missouri. Most meetings can happen in person or by video, whichever fits your schedule.

How do I get started?

The simplest first step is a discovery call. Call 832-696-0990 or book a discovery call, and we will talk through what you own now, what is bothering you about the fees, and whether a one-time Financial Roadmap or ongoing management fits best. There is no cost to the first conversation, and you will hear back within one business day.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to move my mutual funds into a low-cost ETF portfolio?

Ongoing investment management is 1.25% per year on the first $1 million, with lower rates on higher balances. There is no separate charge to transition your holdings; it is part of the management relationship. The ETF funds carry their own low internal expenses, which are usually well below what older actively managed mutual funds charge.

Will selling my old mutual funds create a tax bill?

It can, if the funds are held in a taxable brokerage account and have gained value over the decade you have held them. We check the cost basis on every position first and sequence the sales to manage the tax impact rather than realizing all the gains in one year. Inside IRAs and 401(k) rollovers, the transition generally does not trigger a taxable event.

Is there a minimum amount to have you manage my investments?

Strategic Portfolio Management generally requires $250,000 in managed assets. We can waive or adjust that based on the scope of the relationship, and if your situation is better suited to a one-time plan, the $500 Financial Roadmap or the $6,000 Comprehensive Financial Planning engagement may fit instead.

Do you only work with clients in The Woodlands?

No. We are based in The Woodlands and primarily serve clients there, throughout greater Houston, and across Texas, with the ability to work in other states where permitted. The financial delegator we serve values an ongoing relationship and responsive advice, and much of that work happens by video when that is easier for you.