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Spenser Liszt, CFP®

Holistic Financial Life Planning for High-Earning Families | Fee-Only Fiduciary

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Motif Planning Spenser Liszt, CFP®
Dallas, TX

Serving Clients Nationwide

Holistic Financial Life Planning for High-Earning Families | Fee-Only Fiduciary

Website

Areas of Focus

  • Buying a House
  • Cash Flow
  • Compensation Planning
  • Education Distribution Planning
  • Education Funding
  • Education Funding Vehicles
  • Education Needs and Funding Analysis
  • Education Tax Deduction and Credit Planning
  • Education Tax Planning
  • Emergency Savings
  • Employee Benefits
  • Employee Stock Options
  • Equity Compensation Options
  • Estate Planning
  • Family and Money
  • Financial Life Planning
  • Having a Baby
  • Health Care Planning
  • High Net Worth
  • Inherited Wealth
  • Insurance
  • Investing
  • Job Loss
  • LGBTQ Couples
  • Money Psychology
  • Multi-Generational Wealth
  • Retirement Planning
  • Saving for College
  • Setting Up Retirement Accounts
  • Social Security
  • Tax-Smart Accumulation Planning
  • Taxes

About Spenser Liszt, CFP®

Hi, I’m Spenser Liszt, CFP®, founder of Motif Planning, an advice-only financial planning firm based in Dallas, TX.

I began my career as a professional musician and earned a Master of Music from the University of North Texas before transitioning into financial planning. After completing the CFP® certification program at Southern Methodist University, I built my practice to serve high-earning executives and families who face complex financial decisions.

My early work focused heavily on music industry leaders, where I saw firsthand how often high-income professionals were underserved. Many advisors did not understand executive compensation, equity awards, deferred compensation plans, or the tax implications that come with them. As a result, successful professionals were earning substantial income but lacked an integrated strategy.

Today, I provide holistic financial life planning for high-earning executives and families who want clarity, structure, and long-term direction. My work centers on lifetime tax planning, equity compensation strategy, investment planning, cash flow management, risk management, and estate coordination. Every recommendation fits within a broader financial life plan.

Motif Planning operates on a flat-fee, advice-only model. I do not sell products, earn commissions, or manage assets for a percentage fee. My role is to provide objective guidance so you can make informed decisions with confidence.

I believe financial planning should reduce stress, increase optionality, and support the life you actually want to live.

Outside of work, I enjoy woodworking and spending time with my family.

My Why

In August 2015, my life changed.

I spent 17 years fully committed to being a professional musician. Many see music as a risky career, assuming financial struggle is inevitable. I never believed that. After earning a Master’s in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas, I built a career playing with top artists, recording albums, and making a living as a performer—a goal I was proud to achieve.

My financial awareness came from my parents. My mom, who grew up poor, taught me to save. My dad’s business failure and our family’s bankruptcy in the late ‘80s showed me how to take risks and recover from setbacks. But in the summer of 2015, I returned from a tour to my $300-a-month rental in Dallas with just $67 in my bank account. I felt lost and exposed.

I told myself, “I never want to feel this way again. And no other music professional should either.”

That moment forced me to change. I started studying personal finance. I read books, listened to podcasts, and applied what I learned. I focused on building assets and became more selective with gigs. Within two years, I increased my income, began saving for retirement, and bought my first property.

I saw how clarity around money creates freedom. The ability to choose your work instead of chasing it.

I began teaching financial literacy to musicians. Over time, I earned my CFP® designation and launched Motif Planning.

As the firm grew, so did my focus.

I realized the people who most consistently needed deep, ongoing planning were high-earning executives and creative professionals with complex compensation, equity, tax exposure, and big life decisions. They did not need basic budgeting tips. They needed holistic financial life planning.

Today, I primarily work with executives and creative professionals who want to build wealth intentionally and align their money with their values.

And I still support musicians. I offer pro bono planning sessions and financial education to artists facing hardship or navigating unstable income. That part of my story never goes away.

My mission remains simple: help ambitious people make smart financial decisions so they can build stability, create freedom, and focus on the work that matters most to them.

Professional Designations

  • Certified College Financial Consultant (CCFC)
  • CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ®

Affiliations

  • Advice Only Network
  • CFP Board
  • Fee Only Network
  • Measure Twice Planners
  • National Association of Personal Financial Advisors
  • XY Planning Network

Primary Location

Dallas, TX, 75370

Video

Meeting Options

  • Video Conference
Book Intro Call

Compensation Methods

  • Fee Only
  • Flat Fee
  • Offers Advice-Only Services

What to expect in the first meeting

Click the 'Book Intro Call' button above to schedule a free introductory conversation. This complimentary 60-minute Zoom call is a chance for us to get to know each other. We’ll ask questions, listen, and learn more about your family, financial aspirations, and what you’re looking for in a planning relationship. You can ask us anything about fees, process, or how we work with clients. This is not a sales call. It’s a confidential conversation to see if working together makes sense. I look forward to speaking with you.

About Motif Planning

Working in fast-paced, creative environments means long hours, high expectations, and constant change. You’re surrounded by ambitious people, tight deadlines, and very few conversations about long-term planning. It makes sense if you’ve focused more on performance than on your money.

But as your income grows and your priorities shift, something changes. You start thinking about owning a home, starting a family, stepping back from the grind, or building the option to work on your terms. That’s when you realize it’s time to start adulting.

At Motif Planning, I help executives and creative professionals start adulting and build real wealth, without sacrificing the career, creativity, or drive that got you here.

We focus on the financial decisions that matter most as you grow:

Automate your cash flow
Defend against risks with insurance
Understand and maximize employee benefits
Leverage your executive comp
Trim your lifetime tax bill
Invest with intention
Navigate big life changes
Get your estate plan done

You need a system built for how you earn and live, guided by someone who understands complex compensation and high-income careers.

✔️ Holistic Life Planning

We look at your entire financial life (cash flow, taxes, investments, benefits, executive compensation, insurance, and estate planning) not just your portfolio.

✔️ Flat Fee

You pay a fixed, transparent fee. No percentages. No surprises. The cost stays the same regardless of your income or assets.

✔️ Advice-Only

We give you objective financial advice and help you implement it. You stay in control, we never take custody of your money.

✔️ Fee-Only

We’re paid only by you, not by commissions or third parties. We do financial planning, not financial selling. No product pitches. No hidden incentives.

✔️ Fiduciary

We’re legally and ethically obligated to put your best interests first always. No conflicts, no exceptions.

✔️ Concierge

You get direct access, fast response times, and personalized support for whatever life throws your way.

Education

CFP® certification program at Southern Methodist University and Master of Music (Jazz Studies) at University of North Texas

Volunteer Experience

Pro bono financial planning sessions for those facing financial hardship.

Hobbies and Interests

  • Camping
  • Eating Out
  • Family
  • Hiking
  • Hockey
  • Music
  • Reading
  • Relaxing
  • Skating
  • Walking
  • Woodworking

SEC Lookup

View Disclosure

Who We Serve

  • Airline Pilots
  • Attorneys
  • Business Owners
  • Corporate Executives
  • Couples
  • Creative Professionals
  • Data Scientists
  • DIY Investors
  • Dual Income Family
  • Educators
  • Entrepreneurs
  • Families
  • Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE)
  • Gen X
  • Gen Y / Millennials
  • Government Employees
  • Healthcare Professionals
  • Individuals
  • LGBTQ
  • LGBTQ Couples
  • Newly Engaged / Newlywed
  • Non-Traditional Clients
  • Parents
  • Physicians
  • Remote Workers
  • Single Women
  • Startup Employees
  • Technology Professionals
  • Travel Lovers
  • Women Professionals
  • Women’s Finance
  • Young Families

Wealthtender® is a trusted, independent financial directory and educational resource governed by our strict Editorial Policy, Integrity Standards, and Terms of Use. While we receive compensation from featured professionals (a natural conflict of interest), we always operate with integrity and transparency to earn your trust. Wealthtender is not a client of these providers. Testimonials may not be representative of other clients’ experiences and do not guarantee future performance or success.

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