Michelle L. Bender
KESTRA ADVISORY SERVICES
Germantown, MD 20874
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CRD#: 4137145
Professional summary
Michelle Lynn Bender, CFP®, who also goes by Michelle Lynn Espelage, Michelle Learn, is a registered financial advisor currently at KESTRA ADVISORY SERVICES, LLC located in Germantown, Maryland and KESTRA INVESTMENT SERVICES, LLC located in Germantown, Maryland.
Michelle is registered as an IAR (Investment Advisor Representative) and RR (Registered Representative) and started their career in finance in 2000. Michelle has worked at 8 firms and has passed the Series 66, SIE and Series 7 exams.
Question & Answer
Are you a "fiduciary"?
Yes
Aliases
Michelle Lynn Espelage | Michelle Learn
Other business activities
Outside business activity is any business or activity undertaken by an advisor that is outside the scope of their relationship with their firm (e.g., consulting services, real estate, freelance work, teaching, etc.). Investors should stay informed about these activities to ensure no conflicts of interest.
Business Name: Potomac Financial Consultants, LLC Investment Related: Yes Address: 20251 Century Blvd, #350 Germantown MD 20874 Nature of Business: Registered Rep Activities through Kestra Investment Services, LLC using a DBA name; Insurance; Investment Advisory services through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC Position, Title or Relationship: Managing Member Start Date: 1/1/2014 Hours per month: 100%+ (More than 160 hours) Hours per month during trading hours: Up to 100% (0 to 160 hours) Duties: I manage clients assets through various investment platforms; we process client financial plans to determine their retirement projection and I sell clients insurances (health, life, disability and LTC) that they may need. Business Name: Kestra Advisory Services, LLC Investment Related: Yes Address: 5707 Southwest Parkway Building 2, Suite 400 | Austin, TX 78735 Austin TX 78735 Nature of Business: Investment Advisory services through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC Position, Title or Relationship: Financial Advisor Start Date: 11/29/2017 Hours per month: 100%+ (More than 160 hours) Hours per month during trading hours: Up to 100% (0 to 160 hours) Duties: Manage Client Assets and Give Financial Planning Advice Business Name: GREATER WASHINGTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION POSITION: Board of Trustee/Investment Committee Member NATURE: Board position (Board of Directors, Board of Trustees, etc.) INVESTMENT RELATED: No NUMBER OF HOURS: 6 SECURITIES TRADING HOURS: 4 START DATE: 04/01/2023 ADDRESS: 1325 G Street, NW #480, Washington DC 20005, United States DESCRIPTION: GWCF uses SEI as their outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO) and the investment committee works closely with them to set an investment policy, review asset allocation and monitors & evaluations investment performance. Business Name: MDRT FOUNDATION POSITION: Board Trustee NATURE: Board position (Board of Directors, Board of Trustees, etc.) INVESTMENT RELATED: No NUMBER OF HOURS: 6 SECURITIES TRADING HOURS: 4 START DATE: 09/01/2025 ADDRESS: 325 West Touhy Avenue, Park Ridge IL 60068, United States DESCRIPTION: As a Board Trustee, I will be responsible to work with the Staff of the MDRT Foundation in overseeing and laying out plans to continue supporting the mission of the Foundation. I will also be supporting our members in interacting with the Foundation.
CRS (Client Relationship Summary) - RIA
Click below to view Michelle Lynn Bender's CRS (Customer Relationship Summary).
Certified licenses
Advisors may have various certifications and credentials from different organizations. AdvisorCheck highlights these seven certifications - AIF®, CFP®, ChFC®, CFA, CLU®, CIMA®, CPWA®
CFP®
Start date: 2003
Experience
Current
November 29, 2017 - Present
KESTRA ADVISORY SERVICES, LLC
Office #1: 20251 Century Blvd. #350, Germantown, MD 20874RIA
CRD#: 283330
Germantown, MD
Current
November 29, 2017 - Present
KESTRA INVESTMENT SERVICES, LLC
Office #1: 20251 Century Blvd, #350, Germantown, MD 20874BD
CRD#: 42046
Germantown, MD
Past
September 24, 2010 - December 1, 2017
INVEST FINANCIAL CORPORATION
RIA
CRD#: 12984
GERMANTOWN, MD
Past
September 24, 2010 - December 1, 2017
INVEST FINANCIAL CORPORATION
BD
CRD#: 12984
GERMANTOWN, MD
Past
April 21, 2008 - September 27, 2010
PWA WEALTH MANAGEMENT
RIA
CRD#: 126927
GREENSBURG, PA
Past
April 21, 2008 - September 27, 2010
PWA SECURITIES, INC.
BD
CRD#: 145097
RESTON, VA
Past
October 29, 2001 - August 16, 2006
POTOMAC FINANCIAL GROUP
RIA
CRD#: 114722
GAITHERSBURG, MD
Past
May 8, 2001 - April 18, 2008
MUTUAL SERVICE CORPORATION
BD
CRD#: 4806
GAITHERSBURG, MD
Past
February 21, 2000 - May 31, 2001
1ST GLOBAL CAPITAL CORP.
BD
CRD#: 30349
DALLAS, TX
Primary Firm SEC Registration
This SEC-registered firm can serve clients nationwide. Some states may require the firm to submit a notice filing if the firm has more than 5 clients or a physical office there. You can view these state-level filings under the section titled "State Registrations and Notice Filings".
KA
KESTRA ADVISORY SERVICES, LLC
KESTRA ADVISORY SERVICES, LLC | NFP ADVISOR SERVICES LLC
CRD#: 283330 / SEC#: 801-56126
RIA
Registered Investment Advisory firm - (12/31/1998 Approved)State Registrations and Notice Filings
Listed states reflect where the advisor is authorized to serve clients under state regulations.
IAR
means the advisor is registered as an Investment Advisor Representative in this state and is authorized to provide investment advice to clients there.RR
indicates the advisor is registered as a Registered Representative in this state, allowing them to offer securities such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds through a broker-dealer.Visual representation of state registrations
RR
Alabama(10/27/2020)
RR
Arizona(11/29/2017)
RR
California(11/29/2017)
RR
Colorado(11/29/2017)
RR
Connecticut(9/22/2022)
RR
Delaware(11/29/2017)
RR
District of Columbia(11/29/2017)
RR
Florida(11/29/2017)
RR
Georgia(11/29/2017)
RR
Idaho(11/5/2019)
RR
Illinois(11/29/2017)
RR
Maine(9/13/2022)
RR
Maryland(11/29/2017)
IAR
Maryland(11/29/2017)
RR
Massachusetts(11/29/2017)
RR
Michigan(10/22/2021)
RR
Minnesota(11/5/2019)
RR
New Jersey(11/29/2017)
RR
New Mexico(11/29/2017)
RR
New York(11/29/2017)
RR
North Carolina(11/29/2017)
RR
Ohio(10/5/2023)
RR
Oregon(1/6/2025)
RR
Pennsylvania(11/29/2017)
RR
South Carolina(11/29/2017)
RR
Tennessee(11/29/2017)
RR
Texas(11/29/2017)
IAR
Texas(10/2/2025)
RR
Virginia(11/29/2017)
RR
Washington(11/29/2017)
RR
West Virginia(11/29/2017)
Exams
State Security Law Exam
General Industry/Product Exam
General Industry/Product Exam
SRO Registrations
RR
FINRA
Current Firm
KA
KESTRA ADVISORY SERVICES, LLC
KESTRA ADVISORY SERVICES, LLC | NFP ADVISOR SERVICES LLC
CRD#: 283330 / SEC#: 801-56126
RIA
Registered Investment Advisory firm - (12/31/1998 Approved)Upgrade to AdvisorCheck Premium
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Contact information
Main Address
5707 Southwest Parkway Building 2, Suite 400, Austin, TX 78735
Mailing Address
Phone number
(844) 553-7872
Established
Firm type
Fiscal year end
# of Employees
1,299
SEC notice filing (53 States and Territories)
Regulatory assets under management
| Total Number of Accounts | 155,482 |
| AUM (Assets Under Management) | $ 60,174,309,829 |
Accountant surprise examination report
| Filing Date | Form ADV-E Cover | Form ADV-E Report |
|---|---|---|
| 12/23/2024 | ||
| 10/20/2023 | ||
| 12/21/2022 |
Red Flags
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Check for any disclosures as part of your thorough research when choosing an advisor.
Company Information
KESTRA ADVISORY SERVICES, LLC
CRD#: 283330Germantown, MD 20874TRUST BUT VERIFY
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