Who We Are

At Dovetail Wealth Management, we strive to provide our clients the best financial advice and service. As part of that effort, we established our firm as an SEC registered investment advisor. This is an important milestone representing the growth and success of our clients and our firm. It means that the advice and services you receive are provided to you directly through your relationship with Dovetail Wealth Management and your advisor.

In 2023, Dovetail Wealth Management was named to USA TODAY’s Best Financial Advisory Firms list, placing us in the top 2% of all advisory firms in America. The list was created with input from clients and industry professionals, as well as looking at each firm’s growth of assets under management.

To act as custodian for your advisory and brokerage accounts, we have selected LPL Financial which is the largest independent broker dealer in the country (as reported by Financial Planning magazine, June 1996 -2018, based on total revenue.) We chose LPL based on their scale and services offered.

Why Dovetail Wealth?

The name Dovetail harkens back to when Louis and his wife, Ann, were newlyweds. They were on a very tight budget and living in an apartment in Dallas. They could only afford the four free channels that the television's antenna could harness, and one of those channels was PBS. A favorite show was "The New Yankee Workshop" featuring Norm Abrams. Each week, Norm would show viewers how to build a piece of furniture, often one that included a drawer. There are many ways to build a drawer and have it stay together. You can use screws, pegs, or graceful joinery. This graceful joinery is often the dovetail joint. It joins two pieces of wood together in a simple and incredibly strong joint. The dovetail joint is not only functional, it symbolizes beauty and the skill of the craftsman.

Each client or family has their own unique story, complete with a set of circumstances and vision of what they want to achieve. Louis chose "Dovetail" as the name for the firm as a symbol of binding wealth and aspirations, like joining two pieces of wood. This is what we have sought to do for the last 25 years, and will continue to do going forward.

Louis Hughes, CFP®

Louis is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ™ Professional that has been a Financial Advisor serving Taylor since 1998. Louis' clients include individuals, endowments, and corporate retirement plans. He was named Representative of the Year in 2009, and Investment Advisory Representative of the Year in 2013 and 2014 by Investment Centers of America, Inc*. He has been quoted in multiple financial planning trade publications.

In 2018, Louis created Dovetail Wealth Management, an SEC registered investment advisor, as a means to strengthen his relationship with clients and continue to grow his business.

Originally from Austin and a graduate of the University of Texas in 1990, Louis obtained a BBA with a major in finance.

He has served as President of the Taylor Rotary Club, member of the All Saints Presbyterian Property Search Committee in Austin, member of the Brentwood Christian School President’s Advisory Council, and is a current board member of City National Bank of Taylor and Temple College at Taylor Foundation.

He and his wife, Ann, reside on a farm in Taylor, where they raised their three children. Louis enjoyed restoring the farm back into the native tall grasses and wildflowers that once dominated the Blackland Prairie of central Texas.

_{*1. The Representative of the year is awarded to the advisor who the firm's senior management and representative advisory council select for exemplifying the firm's core values. 2. The Investment Advisory Representative of the Year is awarded based on a combination of the following criteria; Highest percentage growth of advisor's assets under management converted to the platform; Highest overall assets on the platform; participation in firm meetings to develop, enhance and promote the advisory program.}

Chris Carruthers

Originally from Dallas, Chris graduated from the Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech in 2010 with a degree in marketing. Upon graduation he moved to Ft. Worth and began a career in sales and business development, and his desire to make a larger impact led him to the financial services industry. In 2013, Chris moved to Austin and was employed by Merrill Lynch as a Financial Advisor. Upon securing his securities registrations, Chris spent the next 6 years advising clients at an independent wealth and financial planning firm located in central Austin.

Chris lives in Lockhart with his wife Priscilla, and two children, James and Kathryn. He enjoys spending time outdoors camping and fishing with his family and the local Cub Scout Pack, where Chris serves as Treasurer. A lifelong soccer fan, Chris has coached his kids’ teams at the YMCA and is a member of La Murga de Austin, the supporters' band for Austin FC. Chris is also passionate about barbecue, and while there are many great places to eat BBQ in Taylor and in Lockhart, he really enjoys cooking it himself. He is always on the lookout for new recipes to try or new techniques to improve his craft.

Vickie Thornton

LPL Registered Administrative Assistant

Vickie Thornton grew up in Austin and relocated to Taylor in 1979 after graduating from Southwest Texas State University with a degree in Accounting. She worked in the Medical Community for 33 years. In 2012, she changed positions and entered the financial services market with Investment Centers of America, Inc. She serves the firm as branch operations manager and holds the Series 6 and 63 registrations with LPL.

Vickie is a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and Catholic Daughters of the Americas, as well as serving on the Taylor Public Library Board. She participated in the mentoring program at Pasemann Elementary school for 13 years.

Vickie & her husband, Rick reside in Taylor and enjoy traveling as well as spending time with their children and grandchildren.

Jenny Pavelka

Administrative Assistant

Jenny Pavelka joined Dovetail Wealth Management in 2020. She is an Administrative Assistant with experience in the financial services industry and holds the Series 6 registration with LPL. She graduated from Texas State University with a degree in Applied Sociology and a minor in business management.

Jenny and her husband, Zach, reside in Taylor with their son, Jace. In her spare time, she enjoys baking and spending time with her family. It’s rumored she makes over the top birthday cakes for friends and family.

Client Centered

Whether you are investing to build wealth, protect your family, or preserve your assets, our personalized service focuses your needs, wants, and long-term goals.

Our team of professionals have years of experience in financial services. We can help you address your needs of today and for many years to come. We look forward to working with you.

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