Frequently Asked Questions
Questions, answered.
The things people ask before they reach out — about fit, fees, our services, and the firm behind the plan. If yours isn't here, it makes a great first message.
Working Together
The things people ask before they reach out.
What does "fee-only fiduciary" mean?
It means we're paid only by our clients — never commissions, never product sales — and we're legally bound to act in your best interest. The advice you get is the advice we'd want in your position, with no incentives pulling in another direction.
Who do you typically work with?
Business owners and high-earning families building first-generation wealth — people whose financial lives have outgrown one-off advice and need tax, investments, estate, and business decisions working together.
Do you replace my CPA or attorney?
No — we coordinate with them. Your CPA files; we plan year-round so the opportunities are found before the window closes. Your attorney drafts; we make sure the estate plan actually matches your life and your accounts. Everyone plays their position, and the strategy stays coordinated.
What does working together look like?
Three steps: a comprehensive discovery of your full financial picture, a personalized wealth strategy that connects every piece of it, and ongoing stewardship as your life evolves — including quarterly sessions to review what changed and adjust proactively.
Where are you located — and do you work virtually?
We're based in Bethesda, Maryland, and registered in Maryland and Florida. We serve clients nationwide where exemptions apply, and most of our work happens comfortably over video.
How do we get started?
With a 20-minute introductory call — no obligation, no pitch. We'll hear what you're building, share how we think, and you'll know quickly whether it's a fit.
Is Investably Right for You?
The honest fit questions people ask before their first call.
Is Investably right for someone like me?
If you're building first-generation wealth — a business, a strong income, a transition you didn't choose — and your financial life has outgrown one-off advice, you're who this firm was built for. The 20-minute call exists to answer exactly this question, honestly.
I've never worked with an advisor before. What's the first step?
A 20-minute conversation — no pitch, no jargon, no obligation. If it feels like a fit, we begin with a comprehensive discovery of your full financial picture before a single recommendation is made.
I'd rather hand this off to a professional than manage it myself. Is that how you work?
That's exactly how we work. Clients delegate to Michelle the way they'd delegate to a trusted operator: she implements, monitors, and evolves the plan, meets with you quarterly, and stays responsive in between. You stay informed and in control of the decisions — without carrying the day-to-day.
My financial life is scattered across accounts, advisors, and old plans. Is it too messy?
Scattered is the normal starting point. Discovery is built to gather the pieces — accounts, taxes, business interests, estate documents — into one picture, and the plan brings them into one integrated strategy.
Do you work with women navigating divorce or widowhood?
Yes — it's a specialty. For two decades Michelle has guided women through divorce, widowhood, inheritance, and business sales with clarity, confidence, and care.
What if I'm not ready to make changes yet?
Then a conversation is still the right first step. We'll listen, tell you honestly where you stand, and you'll leave knowing what matters and when. No obligation, and no pressure to act before you're ready.
Our Services
How the disciplines fit together, and what that means for you.
Do I need all six services, or can I start with just one?
It's one integrated relationship, not a menu you order from. We start where the pressure is — a business sale on the horizon, a tax year to get ahead of — but the value is in how the pieces connect, so the strategy always accounts for the whole picture, not just the piece in front of you.
I don't own a business or investment property. Are these still relevant?
You engage the disciplines that fit your life. Business and real estate integration matter enormously for the families who have them and simply don't apply for those who don't. The tax, investment, retirement-income, and estate work is where most relationships begin either way.
Do you replace my CPA, attorney, or M&A advisor?
No — we coordinate with them. Across tax, estate, and a business exit, the plan only works when everyone plays their position: your CPA files, your attorney drafts, your M&A partners run the deal, and we keep the strategy connected so the documents and the numbers actually match your life.
How do you actually manage the investments?
Evidence-based and low-cost: globally diversified, institutional-style ETF portfolios built around your goals, timeline, and tax profile — not stock picking or market timing. Asset location, rebalancing, and tax-loss harvesting run in the background to reduce drag, and the portfolio is monitored and adjusted as your life changes.
What does it cost to work across all of this?
One flat planning fee covers the full advisory relationship regardless of how many disciplines are in play, plus a transparent 0.50% on the assets we manage. The complete breakdown lives on our How We Work page, and a 20-minute call is the honest way to see what your situation would involve.
How We Work & Fees
What it costs, how it is billed, and why it is structured this way.
Why a flat planning fee instead of a percentage of assets?
Because your need for strategy doesn't shrink when markets decline, and it shouldn't cost more when they rise. The flat fee covers expertise, access, and coordination; the investment management fee covers portfolio stewardship. Keeping them separate keeps it clear what you're paying for, and why.
What if I have high income but limited investable assets?
That's often where planning has the most leverage: tax coordination, equity compensation, cash flow structure, protection gaps. The flat fee covers a full planning relationship regardless of portfolio size.
How does 0.50% compare to other advisors?
The industry-standard fee is typically 1.00%–1.25% of assets per year. At 0.50%, ours is materially below that. Even combined with the flat planning fee, total cost is typically lower than a single percentage-only advisor once assets are meaningful.
How are the fees billed?
Both fees are billed monthly: the planning fee to your household, and the investment management fee at roughly 0.0417% per month, deducted directly from managed accounts. Nothing is commission-based, ever.
Is the founder add-on tax deductible?
It's billed to your operating entity as a business advisory and planning expense. Whether it qualifies as deductible depends on your specific situation. That's a question for your tax professional, and we coordinate with them directly.
Is there a minimum to work with Investably?
There's no formal asset minimum. Our work is most valuable for families with $500K+ in investable assets, or high earners whose planning complexity warrants a dedicated advisory relationship. A 20-minute conversation is the honest way to find out.
About Michelle
Straight answers about who you would actually be working with.
Who is Michelle Gordon?
Michelle is the Founder & CEO of Investably, a boutique, fee-only fiduciary wealth management firm based in Bethesda, Maryland. She is an NYU graduate with 20 years of institutional investment experience, an Accredited Investment Fiduciary, and a weekly financial contributor on Comercio TV.
What does the AIF® designation mean?
AIF® stands for Accredited Investment Fiduciary, a designation for advisors trained in fiduciary standards of care. In practice, it means Michelle is legally bound to act in your best interest with every recommendation she makes.
Will I work with Michelle directly?
Yes. Clients work directly with Michelle, not a rotating team. She gets into the details with you, meets with you quarterly, and stays responsive in between when life doesn't wait.
How is Michelle paid?
Investably is fee-only: paid only by clients, never through commissions or product sales. The advice has no other agenda.
Where is Michelle based, and who can work with her?
Investably is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, and registered in Maryland and Florida. Michelle serves clients nationwide, where exemptions apply.
Where can I watch her TV segments?
Michelle appears every week on Comercio TV, the only 24/7 Spanish-language financial news channel, broadcast nationally and internationally. Replays of her segments are available on YouTube, embedded in the media section above.
About the Firm
Who Investably is, and how it is built.
What kind of firm is Investably?
Investably, LLC is a boutique, fee-only registered investment advisor (RIA) headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, founded and led by Michelle Gordon, AIF®. The firm serves business owners and high-income families with one coordinated strategy across tax, investments, estate, business, and retirement.
What does "fee-only" actually mean?
It means Investably is paid only by its clients, never through commissions, product sales, or referral incentives. Combined with the fiduciary standard, it means every recommendation has exactly one agenda: yours.
What does "boutique by design" mean in practice?
Capacity is intentionally limited so every client relationship receives Michelle's direct attention. You work with the founder of the firm, not a call center or a rotating team, and that only stays possible when the client list stays deliberately small.
How is Investably different from a traditional advisory firm?
Tax strategy is embedded in every decision rather than handled separately, fees are flat and fully transparent, you have direct ongoing access to your advisor, and business equity and investment real estate are managed as part of the plan. Those last two are areas most advisors don't address.
Who does Investably serve, and where?
Business owners and founders, high-earning professionals, women navigating transitions, and families preparing for retirement. The firm is registered in Maryland and Florida and serves clients nationwide, where exemptions apply.
Wealth with intention starts with a conversation.
Bring your questions, challenges, and goals. We'll listen and provide insight on what your options are for moving forward.