Gayest & Greatest: Legal and Financial

Mass Mutual’s Bryan Cotton balances personalized planning and LGBTQ advocacy.

Marene GustinOctober 9, 2018

505 2 minutes read

It was a quick career climb for Bryan Cotton, who has been assisting executives, entrepreneurs, and homeowners with real estate and financial planning for over two decades.

Two years ago, Cotton decided he wanted to pivot from real estate and take on new challenges. He was approached by Mass Mutual Greater Houston to join their firm, and he seized the opportunity to introduce the leadership team to the LGBTQ community. He steadily worked to help build diversity and outreach for Mass Mutual by sponsoring activities with the Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce, the Montrose Center, and the LGBTQ Victory Fund.

A Houston native, Cotton began his career in real estate at Re/Max, then moved to Perry Homes before launching Bryan Cotton Properties. He received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Houston.

“I’m like a financial therapist,” Cotton says. “I take great care to get to know everything about my clients’ finances. Every client is different, and the most common complaint from clients is that they should have started financial
planning earlier.”

According to a 2017 survey, 57 percent of Americans have less than $1,000 in savings, and 36 percent have none at all. Among Millennials, the “no savings at all” figure jumps to 46 percent.

Besides being a multi-talented professional, Cotton is active in Houston, serving on the National Campaign Board of Directors for the Victory Fund and supporting the Montrose Center. He recently stepped down from the board of Out for Education (formerly the PFLAG/HATCH Youth Scholarship Foundation), a nonprofit that provides scholarships for LGBTQ students.

Regardless of your age, and no matter how you define financial success, most people won’t get there without a solid plan. Cotton is available to help strategize for retirement, college, and business growth—or customize a financial blueprint for anything life has to offer.

When you meet Cotton, you’ll most likely hear him say, “I enter into a long-term relationship with my clients, as I’m in the business of making 30-year promises.” So, the next time you start crunching your personal finances, consider calling Cotton to help stretch their longevity.

—Marene Gustin