David Kooger
Financial Planning Built for Growth-Stage Founders | Fee-Only | Fiduciary
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Serving Clients Nationwide
Financial Planning Built for Growth-Stage Founders | Fee-Only | Fiduciary
Areas of Focus
- 1031 Exchanges
- Business Owners
- Business Transitions
- Cash Flow
- Employee Benefits
- Equity Compensation Options
- Estate Planning
- Exit Planning
- Financial Planning
- Investing
- Investment Management
- Money Psychology
- Real Estate Investing
- Retirement Planning
- Tax-Efficient Planning
- Wealth Management
About David Kooger
Hi, I'm David Kooger, Founder of Texel Compass.My path to financial advisory wasn’t a straight line. After years in a different industry and co-founding two service businesses, I kept coming back to the same thing: how deeply your personal relationship with money affects the way you run a business and build wealth. I started Texel Compass because I wanted to help founders with exactly that.
I’ve been in the position most founders find themselves in — building something while trying to keep your personal finances from falling behind. The two are always connected.
My focus goes beyond portfolios and tax strategies. I believe your relationship with money — how you think about it, the habits you’ve built around it, the decisions you make under pressure — is the foundation everything else is built on. Good money habits, developed over time, are what separate founders who build lasting wealth from those who don’t.
Outside the office, you’ll find me on the mat training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, at the chessboard, or watching college football on a Saturday.
I hold degrees from Calvin University and Texas A&M University.
If anything here resonates, I’d love to talk.
Primary Location
San Diego, CA
Meeting Options
- Video Conference
- In-Person
- Phone
Compensation Methods
- Annual Retainer
- Fee Only
- Flat Fee
What to expect in the first meeting
Click the 'Book Intro Call' button above to schedule a free introductory conversation. We'll get to know each other and I'll listen to understand your unique circumstances so we can determine the best way to proceed. I look forward to speaking with you.Offers Investment Management
Yes
About Texel Compass
At Texel Compass, we provide financial planning built for growth-stage founders. We know that your company is building value, and our job is to make sure your personal finances keep pace. We work with founders who need integrated planning across their personal and business finances at every stage of building. Because your personal finances and your business finances don't exist in separate buckets, we plan across both so nothing falls through the cracks.We understand that a founder's financial picture changes fast. Business income, equity compensation, and major financial decisions all carry real tax consequences, so we map your options before you act—not after—to help you keep more of what you've built. We also know that founders often hold concentrated equity in their own company while sitting on a growing cash position. Instead of a generic allocation model, we build diversified, evidence-based portfolios around what you actually have.
Because most founders deprioritize retirement savings during the build years, we help you catch up strategically. By utilizing Solo 401(k)s, backdoor Roths, and other tools available to business owners, we ensure you're not starting from zero when the time comes. We also help you structure a benefits strategy that makes sense for your stage, your team, and your own compensation, recognizing that choosing the right health, retirement, and equity benefits affects both your personal finances and your ability to retain great people.
We are dedicated to providing long-term foresight. What does financial independence actually look like for you? We help you think beyond the next milestone to build a plan for what's next, not just what's now. Through our ongoing support, we're available between annual reviews—for the equity grant you didn't expect, the acquisition offer on the table, or the question you don't know who else to ask.
Above all, we provide just fee-only, fiduciary advice with no commissions and no AUM pressure. We don't earn commissions or take a cut of your assets; you pay a flat fee. That's it. We are legally required to act in your best interest—not ours, and not a product provider's. At Texel Compass, our interests and yours point in the same direction.
Investment advisory services are offered through Core Planning, LLC, a registered investment adviser.
Education
Texas A&M University, Master of Science | Calvin College, Bachelor of Arts
Hobbies and Interests
- Beach
- Cars
- Cooking
- Exercising
- Football
- Golf
- Hockey
- Horseback Riding
- Skiing
- Soccer
- Sports
- Tennis
- Video Games
- Working Out
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View DisclosureWho We Serve
- Business Owners
- Entrepreneurs
- Pre-Retirees
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