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Washington, D.C. Five Star award winner
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PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

AWARDS

  • Five Star Wealth Manager award winner 2023
  • CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™
  • Retired Attorney admitted to the State Bar for Virginia, Washington DC, New York and New Jersey

 

As the CEO and Co-Founder of Trio Wealth Management, Michelle is responsible for developing and implementing effective financial strategies for the firm’s high net worth clients. Having both a CFP® and a law degree, Michelle brings an exceptional level of expertise to the financial planning process. To obtain the best results for her clients, Michelle carefully examines all aspects of their financial lives, including investments, lifestyle/retirement goals, estate documents, insurance coverage and tax planning. A former Vice President at Goldman Sachs Personal Financial Management, Michelle has honed her skills in this industry over the last ten years.

Michelle joined the financial services industry after a distinguished career practicing law in Virginia, the District of Columbia, and New York. Through her legal work, Michelle sharpened her ability to identify and execute detailed resolutions for her clients’ legal issues. Now retired from the practice of law, Michelle employs that same dedicated loyalty when working with her clients to help them meet and exceed their financial goals.

Michelle earned her CFP® Professional Certificate from Georgetown University. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and a Registered Investment Advisor, having also passed the Series 65. Michelle earned her J.D. from the George Mason University School of Law where she graduated in the top tier of her class and served as Editor of the George Mason Law Review. Michelle earned her B.A. from James Madison University, magna cum laude.

This award was issued on 10/17/23 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 1/9/23 through 7/31/23. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 2,627 Washington, D.C.-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 160 (6% of candidates) were named 2023 Five Star Wealth Managers. The following prior year statistics use this format: YEAR: # Considered, # Winners, % of candidates, Issued Date, Research Period. 2022: 2597, 159, 6%, 10/17/22, 1/10/22 - 8/26/22; 2021: 2091, 129, 6%, 10/17/21, 1/4/21 - 7/23/21; 2020: 2535, 115, 5%, 9/1/20, 1/27/20 - 8/21/20; 2019: 1956, 122, 6%, 10/1/19, 12/31/18 - 8/9/19; 2018: 1975, 100, 5%, 10/1/18, 2/1/18 - 8/24/18; 2017: 1417, 106, 13%, 10/1/17, 2/8/17 - 8/22/17; 2016: 1665, 208, 12%, 8/1/16, 3/2/16 - 8/30/16; 2015: 1837, 227, 12%, 9/1/15, 2/14/15 - 8/10/15; 2012: 449, 97, 22%, 10/4/11, 2/14/11 - 8/10/11.
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*Winners appearing on this page do not pay a fee to be considered or to win the Five Star Award. Professionals with a digital profile have paid a promotional fee.
Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. The award is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility criteria-required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser (RIA) or a registered investment adviser representative; 2. Actively licensed as a RIA or as a principal of a registered investment adviser firm for a minimum of 5 years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total of five settled, pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or FSP's consumer complaint process. Unfavorable feedback may have been discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints registered through FSP's consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client's experience; C. Individually contributed to a financial settlement of a customer complaint; D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F. Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards; 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria-considered: 6. One-year client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. Education and professional designations. FSP does not evaluate quality of services provided to clients. The award is not indicative of the wealth manager's future performance . Wealth Managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients' assets. The inclusion of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth manager by FSP or this publication. Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by FSP in the future. Visit www.fivestarprofessional.com.