DFX Intelligence

RIA Intelligence

Registered investment advisers, the advisors registered through them, the capital they report, the private vehicles they run and the people who own them, as a graph with a filing date behind every number. RAUM is what the adviser filed, a move is two registration dates, and a class is a rule you can read.

SEC-registered adviser

Tanglewood Total Wealth Management, Inc.

Independent wealth managerHouston, TexasCRD 107639SEC 801-38245websiteIAPD
Legal name Tanglewood Wealth Management, Inc.
Latest filing Mar 30, 2026
First filing on the tape Feb 13, 2012 · 30 filings
SEC status approved since Jan 25, 1991
RAUM
$1.6B
reported, Item 5.F
Discretionary
100%
of RAUM
Private clients
99%
$1.6B individuals and HNW
Advisors
9
registered through the firm on IAPD
RAUM per advisor
$177M
derived; firm RAUM over IAPD count
Employees
14
10 advisory (5.B.1)
Offices
0
beyond the principal office
Private funds
0
reported on Schedule D
History
30 filings and snapshots on the tape
RAUM$1.6B as of Mar 30, 2026
Feb 13, 2012$648M then
HNW client RAUM$1.5B as of Mar 30, 2026
Mar 26, 2018$813M then
State-registered IARs (5.B.3)8 as of Mar 30, 2026
Feb 13, 20120 then
Employees (5.A)14 as of Mar 30, 2026
Mar 28, 201311 then
Private funds: no history
RAUM +11% over the last fiscal year+9.6% a year over threeIARs 9 to 8
Practice profile
derived from the filing of Mar 30, 2026; every figure names its basis
Archetypes, each a printed rule
  • Independent boutique · a wealth manager with no broker-dealer, bank or insurance affiliate, 2 to 25 advisors, one to three offices, no public reporting company control
RAUM per advisor
$177MderivedRAUM over IAPD advisors; not a book size
Clients per advisor
46derivedindividual and HNW clients (5.D) over advisors
Average HNW client
$4.3MderivedHNW RAUM over HNW clients
Average account
$1.2MderivedRAUM over accounts (5.F.2.f)
Discretionary
100%derivedof RAUM
Institutional
0.3%derivedpensions, charities, corporations, government, insurance, banks, other advisers
Employees per advisor
1.6derivedItem 5.A over advisors
Advisors per office
9.0derived1 offices incl. principal (1.F.5)
RAUM growth, one year
+11%derivedbetween the last two annual amendments
Advisor growth, one year
-11%derivedItem 5.B.3 between annual amendments
Client growth, one year
-3.0%derived
Compensation
percentage of assetsreportedItem 5.E
Advisory activities
financial planning, portfolio management for individuals, portfolio management for businesses and institutionsreportedItem 5.G
Ownership
no PE, bank or public-company owner found on Schedule Aderived
Advisor book size
not public; not estimatedreported
Also answered yes on Form ADV
  • buys or sells securities as principal to or from clients (8.A.2)
  • has discretionary authority over which securities are bought or sold (8.C.1)
  • receives research or other products from a broker-dealer, soft dollars (8.E)
Where the RAUM sits
Form ADV Item 5.D, latest filing
  • High-net-worth individuals$1.5B97%
  • Individuals$34.8M2.2%
  • Corporations and businesses$4.8M0.3%
  • Charitable organizations$2.9M0.2%
  • Pension and profit-sharing plans$1.7M0.1%
Individual clients
54reported
HNW clients
363reported
Pension plan clients
n/areported
Charitable clients
n/areported
Accounts
1,296reported
Financial planning clients
101-250reported
Wrap fee programs
noreported
Custody of client assets
noreported
Compensation
% of AUMreported
Class basis
private_client_share=0.99 fund_share=0.0 institutional_share=0.0 related_bd=false related_bank=false bd_reps=0.0derived
Advisors registered through the firm
9 on IAPD today, longest tenure first
NameBranchHere sinceIn industryPrior firms
John Franklin MerrillHouston, TxFeb 1, 200042 y0
Brian Joseph MerrillCertified Financial PlannerHouston, TxNov 10, 200524 y0
Abigail Cheng GundersonCertified Financial PlannerHouston, TxJan 13, 201423 y5
Keith Alan FenstadCertified Financial PlannerHouston, TxJan 20, 201432 y0
Peter Lewis FaustCertified Financial PlannerHouston, TxMay 16, 201615 y2
Michael Shane PumphreyCertified Financial PlannerHouston, TxMay 8, 202411 y0
Adam Philip LawrenceCertified Financial PlannerHouston, TxJul 29, 202412 y1
Thomas Lloyd BruceHouston, TxMar 31, 202514 y0
Tina YangCertified Financial PlannerHouston, TxFeb 27, 202610 y0
Advisor movement
0 left, 0 joined in 12 months
net 0 in 12 months0 left in 90 days0 joined in 90 daysdeparture rate 0.0% of current headcount2 left over 36 months
Left, latest
Joined, latest
Private funds
No private fund reported.
Owners and control persons
Schedule A and B, latest filing
  • Alan Keith Fenstad · Chief Compliance Officer And Secretarycontrol
    since 01/2003 · owns 10% to 25%
  • Joseph Brian Merrill · Vice President And Treasurercontrol
    since 01/2014 · owns 25% to 50%
  • Franklin John Merrill · Presidentcontrol
    since 01/2000 · owns 25% to 50%
  • Joel Curtis Holden · Sr. Investment Officer
    since 11/2013 · owns less than 5%
Related persons
Schedule D 7.A
No related person reported.
Office movement
IAPD branch city; joins and departures in 12 months
OfficeAdvisorsJoinedLeftTeams outForming
Houston, Tx · principal910
Mountain Home, Ar000
Offices
Schedule D 1.F, the 25 largest
  • , 1 employees
What changed
consecutive filings, newest first
  • Accounts · 1,294 to 1,296
    Sep 24, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026
  • Advisory employees · 9 to 10
    Sep 24, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026
  • HNW clients · 334 to 363
    Sep 24, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026
  • Individual clients · 96 to 54
    Sep 24, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026
  • Employees · 15 to 14
    Sep 24, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026
  • State-registered IARs · 7 to 8
    Sep 24, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026
  • Discretionary RAUM · $1.4B to $1.6B
    Sep 24, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026
  • HNW RAUM · $1.4B to $1.5B
    Sep 24, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026
  • Individual RAUM · $67.9M to $34.8M
    Sep 24, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026
  • Pension RAUM · $1.5M to $1.7M
    Sep 24, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026
  • RAUM · $1.4B to $1.6B
    Sep 24, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026
  • Employees · 17 to 15
    Apr 2, 2025 to Sep 24, 2025
  • State-registered IARs · 9 to 7
    Apr 2, 2025 to Sep 24, 2025
  • Accounts · 1,286 to 1,294
    Sep 17, 2024 to Apr 2, 2025
  • Advisory employees · 4 to 9
    Sep 17, 2024 to Apr 2, 2025
  • HNW clients · 353 to 334
    Sep 17, 2024 to Apr 2, 2025
  • Individual clients · 74 to 96
    Sep 17, 2024 to Apr 2, 2025
  • Employees · 13 to 17
    Sep 17, 2024 to Apr 2, 2025
  • Financial planning clients · 101-250 to 101-250
    Sep 17, 2024 to Apr 2, 2025
  • State-registered IARs · 7 to 9
    Sep 17, 2024 to Apr 2, 2025
  • Other offices · 1 to 0
    Sep 17, 2024 to Apr 2, 2025
  • Discretionary RAUM · $1.3B to $1.4B
    Sep 17, 2024 to Apr 2, 2025
  • HNW RAUM · $1.2B to $1.4B
    Sep 17, 2024 to Apr 2, 2025
  • Individual RAUM · $46.9M to $67.9M
    Sep 17, 2024 to Apr 2, 2025
  • Pension RAUM · $1.4M to $1.5M
    Sep 17, 2024 to Apr 2, 2025
  • RAUM · $1.3B to $1.4B
    Sep 17, 2024 to Apr 2, 2025
  • Other offices · 0 to 1
    Mar 29, 2024 to Sep 17, 2024
  • Accounts · 1,263 to 1,286
    Oct 5, 2023 to Mar 23, 2024
  • Advisory employees · 8 to 4
    Oct 5, 2023 to Mar 23, 2024
  • HNW clients · 354 to 353
    Oct 5, 2023 to Mar 23, 2024
  • Individual clients · 86 to 74
    Oct 5, 2023 to Mar 23, 2024
  • Employees · 14 to 13
    Oct 5, 2023 to Mar 23, 2024
  • State-registered IARs · 8 to 7
    Oct 5, 2023 to Mar 23, 2024
  • Discretionary RAUM · $1.2B to $1.3B
    Oct 5, 2023 to Mar 23, 2024
  • HNW RAUM · $1.1B to $1.2B
    Oct 5, 2023 to Mar 23, 2024
  • Individual RAUM · $56.9M to $46.9M
    Oct 5, 2023 to Mar 23, 2024
  • Pension RAUM · $1.5M to $1.4M
    Oct 5, 2023 to Mar 23, 2024
  • RAUM · $1.2B to $1.3B
    Oct 5, 2023 to Mar 23, 2024
  • Accounts · 1,246 to 1,263
    Apr 1, 2022 to Mar 30, 2023
  • HNW clients · 358 to 354
    Apr 1, 2022 to Mar 30, 2023
Signals
4 dated events
  • Jeffrey Allan Speight left Tanglewood Total Wealth Management, Inc. for Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc (registered 2025-04-10)
    Apr 1, 2025 · Advisor changed firm · fact
  • Kayla Alexandra Tolunay left Tanglewood Total Wealth Management, Inc. for Ip Financial Advisory Services Llc (registered 2025-09-11)
    Nov 25, 2024 · Advisor changed firm · fact
  • Stephen Paul Buongiorno (Chief Investment Officer) no longer on Schedule A of Tanglewood Total Wealth Management, Inc. (listed 2023-03-31, absent 2023-10-05)
    Oct 5, 2023 · Control person left · inference
  • Stephen Paul Buongiorno (Co-Chief Investment Officer) appeared on Schedule A of Tanglewood Total Wealth Management, Inc.
    Mar 28, 2022 · Control person joined · fact
Across DFX
shared identifiers only, never a name match
No identifier-backed link to the venture, private equity, family office or sponsor graphs.
How to reach
public business contact points only, each with its source
Business phone
713-840-8880reportedpublished by the firm, firm site, Sep 15, 2026
Firm profile
linkedin.com/company/tanglewoodtotalwealthmanagementreportedpublic record, Form ADV, Sep 17, 2026
Website
TANGLEWOODWEALTH.COMreportedpublic record, Form ADV, Sep 17, 2026
Principal office phone
713-840-8880reportedpublic record, Form ADV, Mar 30, 2026
Contact form
tanglewoodwealth.com/contactreportedpublished by the firm, firm site, Sep 15, 2026
Team page
tanglewoodwealth.com/teamreportedpublished by the firm, firm site, Sep 15, 2026
Provenance
Form ADV
SEC filing data 2011 to 2024 and the monthly roster 2025 onreportedadviserinfo.sec.gov
Advisors
IAPD individual compilation feed, dailyreportedadviserinfo.sec.gov
Class
Independent wealth managerderiveda rule over Items 5.D and 7.A
RAUM per advisor
$177Mderivedfirm RAUM over the IAPD count; not a book size
Loaded
Sep 14, 2026