Michael Rahn, CFP® - Founder, Lead Advisor 

Professional 

As lead advisor and founder of The Sum Planning, Michael not only provides expert financial guidance for his clients, but he leads a passionate team with excellence. On a given workweek, he spends time meeting with clients, overseeing the firm’s processes and workflow, and ensuring he and the team are creating a 5-star experience for everyone they serve. 

One of the ways he seeks to enhance the client experience is to get rid of the word “no” whenever possible. He looks at situations from his clients’ point of view and asks, “If I were in their shoes, what would I want done for me?” This mindset, coupled with a commitment to transparent wealth management, has propelled his firm into rapid growth since its launch in 2018.

What Michael loves most about his job is the opportunity to solve important problems for families. When someone has worked their whole life, saved diligently, and feels unsure about what to do next, Michael helps them understand their options and move forward with confidence. With a thoroughly honed income distribution strategy, he excels at showing others how to spend their retirement well, and his favorite part of his job is watching clients let go of anxiety because they understand their next steps. 

Education is a key component of Michael’s planning process, and over time, he’s found that by treating his firm like a classroom, he can provide greater clarity and peace of mind for his clients. He knows that by being transparent and open, families will trust his advice and recognize that The Sum’s planning process isn’t about selling or doing what’s best for the firm—it’s about helping others discover what’s best for them. 

As a business owner in a constantly changing world, it’s important to Michael to foster a continually growing practice with professionals who challenge each other. He never hesitates to ask for feedback, and he constantly looks for ways he and his staff can better serve each other and their clients. He’s intentionally built a team of self-starters who love to tackle tough problems, and he gives his team the tools and autonomy to do so. To Michael, if one of his team members can make an impact on the firm or a client’s life and grow from the experience, that’s a success.

History & Education 

Michael has been fascinated by investing since college, and he earned his finance degree from Texas State University. He became interested in advising the day he graduated when his parents’ advisor met with them and shared stories about helping families solve real-world problems—this opened Michael’s eyes to how he could use his financial acumen to impact others in a big way.  

He started his career at a large Wall Street firm before moving to Fidelity, where he became an advisor. There, the more clients he served, the more he wanted to offer advice that wasn’t tied to a sales goal. And so, in 2012, Michael became a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and founded The Sum to help others find peace of mind through unbiased, fee-based wealth management.

Personal Life

In addition to his passion for finances, Michael has a special love for flying. As a child, he always wanted to fly professionally, and in middle school, he joined the Civil Air Patrol, where he participated in weekly drills, volunteer projects, and took his first flights. Today, he flies whenever he gets the chance, and one of his favorite ways to spend a free weekend is to fly him and his wife Marissa to new and exciting lunch spots. 

He and Marissa both love the outdoors, and they’ve camped in their Airstream trailer all over Texas Hill Country and traveled to the Ozarks and the Blue Ridge Mountains. They also love to travel abroad and have explored multiple countries, including Haiti, Israel, Italy, and France, where Michael fell in love with the coastal cities and their friendly people. 

He and Marissa live in The Woodlands and are incredibly excited to welcome their first child in the winter of 2021. Their faith is very important to them, and Michael strives to put God first in everything he does. To him, if he can serve Christ to the best of his ability and be a good husband, father, family member, business leader, and community member, he considers his life a success. 

Fun Facts About Michael

What’s your favorite book or the book that has most impacted your life? 

• I get accused of reading too many business books, but lately I’m on a biography kick—so my current favorite book is the biography of J.P. Morgan. 

If you had to eat just one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

• Steak and potatoes, though I prefer to cook it myself. I don’t just throw it on the grill, I dress it up. (This is also my favorite meal to cook.)

If you could choose any superpower to have, what would it be?

• I’d want to teleport, and I’d probably visit the coast of Greece first. 

What’s your favorite quote or saying?

• “Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.” - Abraham Lincoln

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

• A pilot—I was totally that geeky Top Gun fan. I was “that” kid. 

Do you have a random talent or hobby?

• I did three-event water skiing in college—slalom, trick, and jump. It was impressive back then, but nowadays everyone with a boat learns to waterski.