Marc Laviage
CFP®
The Sum
Financial Advisor
Marc Laviage
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. - Marc Laviage, CFP®
Fee-Only financial planner located in The Woodlands, TX, serving clients locally and across the country
Marc Laviage 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, Marc Laviage 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.
Marc Laviage, CFP®, Financial Advisor
Professional
As an advisor at The Sum, Marc’s overarching goal is to build relationships with families and help them let go of stress as they manage their wealth. With more than 25 years in the financial industry and a diverse professional background, Marc has firsthand experience navigating a bevy of planning situations. He knows what it’s like to plan for a child’s college education, buy a home, grow and sell a business, and leave a legacy for grandkids. With this insight and experience, Marc has a unique ability to understand his clients’ situations and feelings. More than that, he has an incredible capacity to recognize the needs of others. He believes that when you take time to listen to those you serve, they’ll tell you exactly what they need to move forward.
Marc loves serving couples who have worked hard their whole lives, been diligent with their savings, and need help navigating their next steps. He knows that no matter how successful you are, transitioning from your career to retirement often elicits a lot of uncertainty, and he feels privileged to give clients clarity so they have peace of mind about the future. For Marc, if he can take the burden of planning off his clients’ plates and allow them to enjoy the success they’ve created, he feels he’s done his job well.
Marc’s favorite part of being an advisor is walking through life with clients—he gets to experience life’s greatest moments alongside people he genuinely cares about and guide them down the same road he’s walked. The most rewarding part, he says, is seeing them smile because they finally have peace about the future.
History & Education
Marc has always been interested in finance and passionate about helping others succeed. After graduating from the University of Texas with a finance degree, he became a financial analyst, but when his grandfather asked for help running his banana-importing business, Marc decided to step in. Over time, Marc took over the operations, and he developed strong relationships with suppliers in Honduras and Guatemala as well as grocery store managers, and he soon doubled his grandfather’s sales. Later, when the banana industry shifted, Marc acquired one of his client’s restaurants, where he and his brother earned a reputation for making the best salsa in town. Marc gained a newfound respect for restaurateurs, and after they sold the business, he and his brother continued to sell their salsa to local grocery stores.
Marc loved the relationships and experiences he gained while running these businesses, but he always knew he’d return to the financial world. When their warehouse caught fire, he decided it was time to return to his roots and joined Mass Mutual as an advisor. Marc later spent 15 years at Fidelity, where he became friends with Michael and earned his CFP® designation before transitioning from the company in 2021. When Marc heard about Michael’s mission to serve clients in a comprehensive way under a unique flat-fee model, he was excited to join the team.
Personal Life
Marc currently lives in Houston with his wife Leslie, a nurse at MD Anderson, and their two rescue dogs, Ayla and Parker. Marc is incredibly proud of his two adult children—Andrew, an engineer who graduated from Southern Methodist University and recently blessed Marc with his second grandbaby, Sam; and Amanda, a lawyer who also went to UT (hook ‘em!) and is the mother of Marc’s first grandson, Henry.
When Marc’s not working, he loves to spend afternoons by the pool, grilling with his family and enjoying the outdoors. He likes to stay active and has completed 25 marathons (including the Boston Marathon) and one Iron Man in 2009. Today, he prefers mountain biking, golf, and driving his Z06 Corvette.
Fun Facts About Marc
What’s your favorite book or the book that has most impacted your life?
- Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
If you had to eat just one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
- Pepperoni and cheese pizza.
If you could choose any superpower to have, what would it be?
- I would want the power to grant wishes, and then I’d use it to help people eradicate cancer.
What’s your favorite quote or saying?
- “Do not listen with the intent to reply, but with the intent to understand.”
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
- An architect—but, in high school, I took an architecture class and knew that was not meant to be—I could not draw!
Do you have a random talent or hobby?
- I like to barbecue and smoke meats!
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
- Retirement Income Planning
- Estate Planning
- Investment Management
- Tax Planning
Ideal Clients
- Retirees and Near Retirees
- Growing Families
- Oil & Gas Professionals
- Business Owners and Executives
Working Together
- In-Office Meetings
- Virtual Meetings
- Clearly Defined Fees
- Complimentary Initial Consultation
Professional Designations & Affiliations
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Marc Laviage is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional - Click for VerificationCFP® 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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Marc Laviage is a member of The Financial Planning Association® (FPA®)FPA® is the largest membership organization for CFP® professionals in the U.S. and supports high standards of professional competence, ethical conduct, and clear, complete disclosure when serving clients.
Contact Marc Laviage
Office Locations:
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4526 Research Forest Dr
Suite 240
The Woodlands, TX 77381
