Chris Melber
CFP®
The Sum
Financial Advisor
Chris Melber
CFP®
The Sum
Financial Advisor
The Sum is here to simplify your financial life. We provide full service financial planning and investment management for a flat fee. - Chris Melber, CFP®
Fee-Only financial planner located in The Woodlands, TX, serving clients locally and across the country

Chris Melber a fee-only financial planner located in The Woodlands, TX. The Sum provides comprehensive financial planning and investment management to clients at a flat fee. Our goal is to organize, grow and protect client assets through life’s transitions. As a fee-only, fiduciary, and independent financial advisor, Chris Melber is never paid a commission of any kind, and has a legal obligation to provide unbiased and trustworthy financial advice.
Come see what makes us different. Give us a call or send us an email and let's get your plan started.
Christopher Melber, CFP®, Financial Advisor
Professional
In addition to providing financial guidance for clients, Chris Melber creates systems to optimize The Sum’s internal operations. With his organizational skills and planning experience, he ensures their team has a streamlined strategy to serve clients with efficient excellence.
Chris’s mission is that when a client shares their most important needs, desires, and goals with one of The Sum’s advisors, that information is intentionally filed so as to be leveraged throughout the planning process. In doing so, he ensures these important conversations are never just a discussion of dreams, but rather the fuel that drives everything they do for clients.
Chris is passionate about educating others, and he brings that passion to his work daily. He enjoys taking complex concepts and explaining them in a way that makes sense to his clients, and he excels at asking the right questions to help them stay on track for their goals. He knows financial planning can be intimidating, which is why he loves helping people address the concerns that keep them up at night. To Chris, making others feel safe, secure, and able to enjoy life is what keeps him going every day.
History & Education
Chris started his career in 2011 at Fidelity after earning an economics degree from Sam Houston State University. There, he worked his way up from a front-desk position to an assistant advisor (where he met Michael), and later became a full-time advisor serving numerous high-net-worth clients. While he enjoyed his work at the large financial firm, Chris’s passion for helping others gave him a desire to serve clients in way that’s unique to the financial industry and offers a fresh approach to planning. He left Fidelity in 2019 and earned his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation before joining The Sum in the summer of 2020.
Personal Life
When he’s not working, Chris loves to exercise and spend time with his family. His idea of a perfect weekend is to have coffee and breakfast with his wife Tatiana, go for a jog with Sophia in her stroller, and play a round of golf with his friends. He also enjoys basketball, football, and tennis, but he’s game for just about anything active or outdoors!
Fun Facts About Chris
What’s your favorite book or the book that has most impacted your life?
- My favorite would be Once a Runner—it’s a novel that talks about the struggles and the realities of competitive running. I used to be in track and cross country in high school with hopes of running in college and beyond. Unfortunately, injuries got the best of me.
If you had to eat just one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
- Bacon and waffles—I love just about any breakfast food.
If you could choose any superpower to have, what would it be?
- I'd love to be psychic. It would make my job much easier!
What’s your favorite quote or saying?
- “Comparison is the thief of joy.”
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
- I wanted to be a high school teacher and track coach. I've always enjoyed helping people through education.
Do you have a random talent or hobby?
- All of my downtime is pretty much spent exercising and taking care of Sophia!
The Sum is a Registered Investment Advisor firm located in The Woodlands, TX. We provide fee-only financial planning and investment management.
The Sum is our answer to years in the financial services industry that haven’t felt quite right. The industry can be complicated and isn’t always client friendly [In some cases, misaligned compensation structures drive advisor behavior]. Motives of companies and advisors don’t always align with those of their clients. Advisors, however, have a duty to serve those who put their trust and their family’s wealth in their hands. At The Sum, we have a perspective that our work is more than a duty, it is a privilege. We’ve taken on the challenge of providing a better place for advice; a better place for you. So if you’re tired of status-quo, give us a call, send us an email and let’s get your plan started
Fee-Only, Fiduciary, Independent: Three Important Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Financial Advisor.
Specialties
- Comprehensive Financial Planning
- Estate Planning
- Retirement Income Planning
- Investment Management
- Tax Planning
Ideal Clients
- Retirees and Near Retirees
- Growing Families
- Business Owners and Executives
- Oil & Gas Professionals
Working Together
- In-Office Meetings
- Virtual Meetings
- Clearly Defined Fees
- Complimentary Initial Consultation
Professional Designations & Affiliations
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Chris Melber is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional - Click for Verification
CFP® professionals are held to strict ethical standards to ensure financial planning recommendations are in your best interest. What’s more, a CFP® professional must acquire several years of experience related to delivering financial planning services to clients and pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Exam before they can use the CFP® designation.
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The Sum provides clients with roadmap to financial success on The Woodlands Online
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Chris Melber Presented "Beginning Retirement Earlier Than Planned" for SPE International Members in Transition
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Hyper Growth Working with Clients in the Oil and Gas Industries - The Career of Michael Rahn from The Sum Planning
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The Sum is a Member of The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce
Contact Chris Melber
Office Locations:
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4526 Research Forest Dr
Suite 240
The Woodlands, TX 77381