Meet Spenser Liszt, CFP®
I’m Spenser Liszt, CFP®, founder of Motif Planning.
I help high income families in Dallas make better financial decisions across taxes, investments, equity compensation, employee benefits, insurance, college planning, retirement, and estate coordination.
Most of my clients are dual income families in their 30s and 40s. They earn strong incomes, often $350k to $500k+, and they are raising kids while managing demanding careers.
My background
I earned my CFP® certification at Southern Methodist University and hold a Master of Music from the University of North Texas.
Before becoming a financial planner, I spent 17 years as a professional musician. That background shaped how I work with clients. I listen closely, think creatively, and help families connect technical financial decisions to real life.
I built Motif Planning as an advice only, flat fee financial planning firm. Clients pay for advice and ongoing support. I do not sell products, earn commissions, or require you to move assets under management.
I am a member of Advice-Only Network, Fee-Only Network, XY Planning Network, NAPFA, CFP Board, Wealthtender and the Transparent Advisor Movement.
When I’m not working with clients, I’m spending time with my family or woodworking.
Why I became a financial planner
In August 2015, I came home from a tour to my $300 per month rental in Dallas with $67 in my bank account.
I had worked hard. I had built a career. But I did not feel financially secure.
That moment forced me to change how I handled money. I started studying personal finance, building assets, saving for retirement, and making better decisions with the income I had.
Over time, I began teaching financial literacy. Then I earned my CFP® designation and launched Motif Planning.
Today, I help families avoid that same feeling of uncertainty. Not because they lack income, but because their financial life has become too complex to manage in pieces.
Why I focus on families
Having a child changes the way you look at money.
The stakes feel different. You start thinking about protection, flexibility, time, college, home decisions, career choices, and the kind of life you want your family to have.
That is where financial planning matters most.
I help families turn a strong income into a clear plan, so they can make decisions with more confidence and less second guessing.
If you want advice only financial planning in Dallas from someone who looks at your full life, schedule a discovery call.
Financial education is part of the work
I write, teach, and speak regularly about financial planning for high-income families in Dallas and across the country.
The topics usually come from real planning questions families face: taxes, equity compensation, employee benefits, investing, insurance, college planning, estate planning, and making better decisions as life gets more complex.
That same teaching approach carries into client work. I explain the strategy, the tradeoffs, and the next step in plain language.
For more, you can read my blog, watch educational videos and past webinars on YouTube, or view previous speaking engagements and press features.