Founding

Our history speaks volumes about our values.

After beginning his career in financial services with a major financial planning and investment firm in 1974, founder John F. Merrill registered with the SEC as a fee-only financial planning and investment advisory firm in 1979. This was rare at the time as most firms’ revenues were from commission-based products that they sold.

John’s ambition with Tanglewood was to give a different kind of experience than clients were accustomed to, aiming to remove the conflicts of interest that arise from commission based compensation, and to be truly independent – not tied to any one company. He established the firm with these mandates as its guiding principles. From day one, and every day since it has been “Clients first!”

From the beginning, John focused on and specialized in the financial needs of business owners and professionals. As time went by and more people sought the firm’s expertise, Tanglewood expanded to encompass the needs and expectations of the ever-broadening client base. In recent years, women in transition and retirement ready executives have become growing segments of the firm’s clientele.

The firm is proud to serve multigenerational families and business clients whose loyalty has endured over 40 years. While Houston will always be home, Tanglewood’s clientele has expanded throughout not only all of Texas, but across the United States and the globe.

To better serve its clients’ growing needs, Tanglewood added trust services to its list of distinctive capabilities in 2004. In 2014, after more than ten years each respectively at the firm, Brian Merrill (Director of Marketing, Investment Committee) and Keith Fenstad (Director of Wealth Planning and Chief Compliance Officer) became equity shareholders, solidifying Tanglewood’s future and adding breadth and depth to the management team.