For Michael Schutza, TPCP®, financial services isn’t a job. It’s a responsibility. One shaped by lived experience, service, and a deep belief that the right guidance, given at the right moment, can change the trajectory of a family’s life.

Michael is a Financial Planner at Totus Wealth Management and holds the Tax Planning Certified Professional® (TPCP®) designation. He works primarily with families, business owners, and real estate investors, focusing on proactive planning that integrates advanced tax strategies, retirement income decisions, and real-world wealth management. But his “why” goes far deeper than credentials or years in the business.

Michael entered the financial services profession in 2007, earning his life and health license at just 26 years old. Almost immediately, he found himself traveling across Louisiana, helping individuals navigate Medicare at a time when Medicare Parts C and D were still relatively new.

“I was literally going from one extreme to the other,” Michael recalls. “I’d have a tabletop conversation with a mayor at one stop, and the very next appointment would be in a one-room house where the rest of it had collapsed. And I was providing the same service because everybody needs it. Medicare is the great equalizer.”

It didn’t take long for the work to become personal. About a month into the job, Michael received a call late on a Friday afternoon from a client who urged him to speak with a friend who had questions about Medicare. When he arrived at the home, he met a family facing devastating circumstances. The husband had been living with ALS for two years. His wife, a registered nurse, could only work part-time because he required constant care.

“I had never seen anything like that in my life,” Michael says. “You look at him in the eyes and he’s still there, mentally, but his body was failing him. It was horrific.”

Despite a lifetime of hard work and saving, the family’s assets, including a few rental properties, meant they didn’t qualify for Medicaid assistance. Neighbors rotated shifts to help care for him so his wife could leave the house to work.

Michael was brand new to the profession. “I didn’t know my head from a hole in the ground,” he admits. “I knew my book, and that was it. But I knew I had to do something.”

He asked the family to bring out every document they had. For two hours, he sat at the table reviewing paperwork, searching for anything that could help. That’s when he found it, an $80,000 whole life policy inside the husband’s retirement package from his work with the city.

Deep within the policy contract, Michael found the policy had an accelerated death benefit rider for terminal illness.

“I stopped everything,” Michael says. “I told her, ‘You see this number? You call it first thing Monday morning.’”

At 8:30 a.m. that Monday, the wife called Michael in tears. The policy was still active, even though he had retired over two years ago. The dividends and cash value had kept the policy alive. The carrier was sending a check for $65,000, money that would allow the family to hire nursing care so she could return to work.

“Now not every case works out like this,” Michael says. “But I knew that was the defining moment. That’s when I understood the power we have in this industry. We’re not just selling insurance. We have the ability to change people’s lives for the better.”

That moment became the foundation for Michael’s career philosophy, financial planning should be practical, proactive, and deeply human.

Today, with 18 years in financial services, Michael specializes in holistic financial planning with a concentration in advanced tax strategies. He earned the TPCP® designation through The American College of Financial Services, pairing formal education with years of hands-on experience.

“I’m not giving tax or legal advice,” he explains. “I help clients organize the planning process, identify key decision points early, and coordinate with their CPA so the tax and legal professionals can advise before anything is finalized.”

Michael sees his role as a facilitator, someone who helps clients and their professional teams communicate earlier and more effectively.

“You can’t drop paperwork on a CPA’s desk on April 1 and say, ‘Oh, by the way, six months ago we did this thing,’” he says. “At that point, the CPA can’t fix it. My job is to help move those conversations upstream.”

His approach reflects his background. Growing up in a family business that scaled from one employee to more than 100, and personally working through rental property rehabs and management, Michael understands complexity from the ground level, not just from spreadsheets.

Michael was introduced to NAIFA through fellow member John Wheeler Jr., CFP (Certified Financial Planner), CLU, ChFC, CRPC, LUTCF, LACP, CLTC, CPFA, NAIFA’s 2026 President-Elect. While Michael is relatively new to the association, he has already immersed himself in NAIFA’s educational resources.

“What really struck me was the depth,” he says. “I’ve been diving into The Journal of Financial Service Professionals, going back through the archives. The amount of information is breathtaking.”

What stands out most is the credibility behind the content.

“It’s not just other advisors. It’s PhDs, CPAs, and authoritative voices. That kind of education matters. It makes me optimistic about what else NAIFA has to offer.”

Michael is particularly interested in contributing content of his own in the future, sharing real client experiences and insights that can help elevate the profession.

While he’s still learning more about NAIFA’s advocacy efforts, Michael believes strongly in accountability and responsible regulation.

Service runs deep in Michael’s life. Both of his parents served in the U.S. Air Force, his grandparents served in the Navy and Army, and today his son serves in the Army National Guard as a drone pilot.

“It scared the hell out of me,” Michael admits with a laugh. “But I’m incredibly proud of him.”

Watching his son train, serve, and grow has reinforced Michael’s focus on action and accountability, values he brings into both his family life and his professional work.

Michael closes with a practical lens: “What matters to me is what’s actionable.”

He believes the best advisors aren’t just technicians, they’re teachers who help families make decisions, turning good intentions into a clear plan with follow-through.

“You can’t help everyone,” he says. “But if you do this right, if you act with care and stay accountable, your work can outlive you. If a client’s great-grandchild benefits because I cared enough to do this right, that’s enough for me.”

For information about the author’s professional affiliations and regulatory disclosures, see Disclosures and Affiliations (Michael Schutza) Securities offered through Cetera Advisors LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, a registered investment adviser. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity. 701 North Post Oak rd. Suite 320, Houston, TX 77024