Our Team
behind the scenes at Catalyst
"When I say, ‘I’ll take care of it, and I’ll take care of you,’ I mean it. It’s what I do for my family, my friends and my clients. Building relationships and helping people is what’s important to me.”
WHO WE ARE
A Winning Story
David Ferneding founded Catalyst Investment Counselors, a financial advisory firm dedicated to protecting clients’ financial safety nests because he understands how hard they have worked to build them. Hard work is in the bones of this financial advisor, who has spent a lifetime educating himself and passing along his knowledge by advising others who have worked as hard as he has. David is passionate about his firm’s two goals: Building wealth and fiercely protecting it to provide his clients – people he considers part of his family – peace of mind.
It was a move to Texas with a friend who was pursuing an engineering degree that introduced the young man to an opportunity to quench his thirst for knowledge – night school at nearby DeVry University. It took David five years to earn his bachelor’s degree in Operations Management because he worked full time, rising at 5 a.m. to work all day before heading to school. He thrived in his accounting classes – the numbers just clicking for him – and he transitioned to a hard-earned job at Fidelity, one of the largest financial institutions in the nation.
Fidelity, and my life-changing experience
It was as a financial consultant at Fidelity that David’s passion for protecting people and their money was born. One day he fielded a call from an older, recently widowed woman who had been with an outside advisor. She was calling to check on her account balance and was devastated to learn that she had next to nothing. She had trusted someone claiming he could earn her money but who had swindled her instead. Even today, remembering that call brings David to tears. He vowed to ensure that didn’t happen to anyone who came across his path, and he took action.
He passed the GRE and headed back to night school – this time to the MBA program at Southern Methodist University (SMU) – to learn anything and everything about the markets. In 10 years at Fidelity, he vied through market roller coasters that taught him how to manage the emotional side of investing, but it was time to get into the nitty-gritty of how markets worked. Three years later, with an MBA and Series 7 general securities license in hand, he took the next step – becoming a registered representative for Wells Fargo. That was in 2009, and he has never looked back. In 2020, David tackled a new challenge, one that would allow him to help even more people. He founded Catalyst Investment Counselors – with a mission to provide peace of mind and prosperity by growing and protecting wealth one relationship at a time.
David has always been a coach. At Fidelity, he not only coached colleagues on the company softball team but tutored co-workers trying to become licensed financial advisors and studying to pass the Series 7. Today, David’s heart is in preventing others from becoming that woman on the phone who lost her life savings many years ago. He coaches his own clients – sharing his education and experience and providing insight into hidden costs, how investments are structured, tax implications, and the cost of risk – crafting portfolios that grow and protect wealth. David’s clients are winners because of it.
Dave Ferneding
Dave has been a respected financial advisor for more than 30 years. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Operations Management from DeVry University and his MBA from Southern Methodist University (SMU.) He began his career at industry giant Fidelity. He has advised clients at some of the largest firms, including Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo. He was First Vice President of Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., Inc. until 2020, when he launched his own independent financial advisory firm – Catalyst Investment Counselors.
Because he loves teaching and counseling on all things financial, for the last decade Dave taught Financial and Managerial Accounting to students at Tarrant County College.
As the founder and financial advisor, as well as a licensed insurance agent for Catalyst Investment Counselors, Dave is backed by the vast resources available within the industry and provides clients the solutions that fit their unique needs.
Meet Our PARTNERS
They Believe In Us
On a daily basis, Catalyst is working hand-in-hand with Little Rock, Arkansas’s Sowell Management. Sowell is both a Forbes and Barrons* top 100 Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) and was founded in 2001 on the principles of fee-based fiduciary investing. Behind-the-scenes, Sowell Management provides Catalyst our back-office services, technology and support, and portfolio management. Because of their diversity and broad strength, Catalyst has a solid and trusted partner.
Catalyst is proud to work with Fidelity – one of the largest providers of financial services in the nation, which enable us to offer the products, services and investments that can go a long way toward helping you meet your goals. Our partnership with Fidelity gives you access to your funds anytime with a simple sign-in from your computer or phone.
WHO WE ARE HERE FOR
Our mission is to provide peace of mind and prosperity
Catalyst Investment Counselors is a Texas-based financial advisory firm whose mission is to provide peace-of-mind and prosperity by growing and protecting wealth one relationship at a time. For investors who want a lifelong relationship with a trusted financial advisor who understands the hidden costs of risk, Catalyst Investment Counselors is an income-planning specialty firm that crafts plans and portfolios to preserve what’s yours.
Specializing in Coaching
Those Investing in Retirement
It’s never too early to plan for what’s next, and that’s what Catalyst Investment Counselors does best. Identifying how much income you will need to make your retirement dreams a reality is our specialty. We work one-on-one with clients and their families throughout a lifetime to mitigate risk and grow a nest egg while keeping it safe.
Prioritizing Helping Money
Work for Women
We recognize that women who have recently lost a spouse or become divorced are in a challenging position. We are proud to have helped many of them. We credit that to referrals from others who recognize our care, compassion and honesty.
Generational Wealth Serving
All in the Family
Part of our planning includes helping our clients consider what’s next. We respect the wealth you have built and are skilled at ensuring it is properly passed along to the next generation – and those who follow. Whether it’s protecting assets from tax consequences, gifting or the transference of wealth, we’re here for you.This integral part of what we do requires delicate conversations and honest advice, which we handle with expertise and compassion.
