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Michelle Kruger Fernandez

Michelle K. Fernandez

FOCUS PARTNERS WEALTH
Atlanta, GA 30305
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CRD#: 7417593
Michelle Kruger Fernandez

Professional summary


Michelle Kruger Fernandez, who also goes by Michelle Fernandez, Michelle Eleanor Kruger, Michelle Kruger, is a registered financial advisor currently at FOCUS PARTNERS WEALTH, LLC located in Atlanta, Georgia.

Michelle is registered as an IAR (Investment Advisor Representative) and started their career in finance in 2021. Michelle has worked at 3 firms .

Biography


Michelle was born in Cape Town, South Africa and lived in London, England prior to starting high school in the United States. When she is not in the office, Michelle enjoys spending time with her husband, two cats, and her 115-pound Great Pyrenees. Michelle's education and credentials include a Doctor of Philosophy in Financial Planning (University of Georgia), a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance (University of Georgia), and the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional designation.
top-8-questions

Question & Answer


What are your service offerings?
Michelle completed her Ph.D. w...
Prior to joining Elwood & Goet...
During her time at UGA, she se...
Michelle’s research has been p...
Do you have an area of expertise or specialization?
Cash Flow/Budgets/Credit Issue...
Estate & Generational Planning...
Investment Advice with Ongoing...
Retirement Plan Investment Adv...
Retirement Planning & Distribu...
Tax Planning
Are you a "fiduciary"?
Yes

Aliases


Michelle Fernandez | Michelle Eleanor Kruger | Michelle Kruger

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 Activity # 1 Name of Other Business: CFP Board Investment Related?: No Address of Company/Other Business: 1425 K Street NW #800, Washington, DC 20005 Nature or purpose of the company/other business: CFP Board sets and enforces standards for the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER� certification, which is the standard of excellence in financial planning. Position/Title/Relationship: Contractor/ Writer/ Editor Start Date of Relationship: 08/01/22 Number of Hours per month: Varies Number of hours during securities trading: 0 Duties: Writing and editing books and whitepapers. This work occasionally includes interviewing experts in the financial planning field. Business Activity # 2 Name of Other Business: National Underwriter, a division of ALM Media, LLC Investment Related?: No Address of Company/Other Business: 150 East 42nd Street, New York City, U.S Nature or purpose of the company/other business: A media company that offers financial planning resources such as books, annual editions, and tools covering topics like investment planning, income tax planning, and more. Their products aim to provide professionals with the information and tools needed to make informed decisions and advise clients effectively. Position/Title/Relationship: Contractor/ Writer/Editor Start Date of Relationship: 6/01/17 (Approximate date I entered into the first contract; each book is a separate contract). Number of Hours per month: Varies Number of hours during securities trading: 0 Duties: I write, edit, and update textbooks that are published through ALM Media. I currently have three textbooks. Business Activity # 3 Name of Other Business: University of Georgia Investment Related?: No Address of Company/Other Business: 215 S. Jackson St., Athens, GA 30602 Nature or purpose of the company/other business: The University of Georgia is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Position/Title/Relationship: Part-time Lecturer Start Date of Relationship: 01/01/23 Number of Hours per month: Varies. When I'm teaching, the work typically takes 10 hours per week, but I usually only teach one semester per year. Number of hours during securities trading: 0 Duties: I teach 1-2 classes annually in the financial planning program at UGA. Business Activity # 4 Name of Other Business: DataPoints Investment Related?: No Address of Company/Other Business: 4880 Lower Roswell Rd Ste. 165 #134, Marietta, GA 30068 Nature or purpose of the company/other business: DataPoints is a company that creates assessment for advisors to use with their clients that helps the advisor understand the client's money attitudes, wealth-building personality, and risk risk tolerance. Position/Title/Relationship: Consultant Start Date of Relationship: 01/01/2025 Number of Hours per month: <1 Number of hours during securities trading: 0 Duties: I will update the model with new data in January annually. The model maps risk tolerance scores to a range of potential investment allocations.

Blog Corner


CRS (Client Relationship Summary) - RIA


FOCUS PARTNERS WEALTH, LLC - Registered Investment Advisory firm

The Colony Group, LLC (“Colony”) is an investment advisory firm registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). We provide advisory, not brokerage services, and it is important for you to understand the differences between them as well as how their fees differ. Note that free and simple tools are available to research firms and financial professionals at www.investor.gov/CRS, which also provides educational materials about broker-dealers, investment advisors, and investing.

Types of Services Offered:

Typical services offered to our retail clients are financial counseling (wealth management) and investment management. Financial counseling generally consists of financial and related planning around tax, retirement, estate, cash flow, philanthropy, risk management, and education and may include tax return preparation. Investment management includes the discretionary management of clients’ investment portfolios. Based on each client’s objectives, risk tolerance, time horizon, reasonable restrictions, and other unique circumstances, we construct a portfolio that can include equity and fixed income strategies, mutual funds and ETFs, alternative investments, and sub-advised solutions. We also may manage portfolios on a non-discretionary basis, where we provide advice and recommendations, but the client ultimately decides on the investments. We do not hold clients’ assets. We generally are provided with a limited power of attorney to place securities transactions through unaffiliated broker-dealer custodians that hold our clients’ accounts. We monitor securities in clients’ portfolios on an ongoing basis and provide quarterly reports about activity, balances, and performance. We do not impose a minimum for investment management services but have guidelines with respect to minimum portfolio size for certain strategies.

For additional information, please refer to our ADV Part 2A brochure, especially Item 4 (Advisory Services), Item 7 (Types of Clients), Item 13 (Review of Accounts), and Item 16 (Investment Discretion)


Questions to ask your Professional:
  • “Given my financial situation, should I choose an investment advisory service? Why or why not?”
  • “How will you choose investments to recommend to me?”
  • “What is your relevant experience, including your licenses, education, and other qualifications? What do these qualifications mean?”

Our standard investment management fee schedule is simple, transparent, and based on a percentage of the assets managed. Our fee is calculated and paid quarterly. While the marginal rate decreases when certain asset levels are reached, we are incented to grow your portfolio in alignment with your objectives and to encourage you to increase managed assets. In addition to our fee, you will incur other fees and expenses associated with the management of your portfolio, including brokerage commissions, wire fees, and other transaction fees charged by your custodian. Some investments – such as mutual funds and ETFs, private investments, and separate account managed solutions – have their own built-in fees and expenses for which clients are responsible. You will pay fees and costs whether you make or lose money on your investments. Fees and costs will reduce any amount of money you make on your investments over time. Please make sure you understand what fees and costs you are paying.

Fees for financial counseling services vary and are based on the scope of engagement and complexity of the work. Generally, it is a flat fee negotiated between the client and their advisor. The fee and scope of engagement is memorialized in a Colony-client advisory agreement. For additional details about fees and expenses, please refer to Item 5 (Fees and Compensation) of our ADV Part 2A brochure.


Questions to ask your Professional:
  • “Help me understand how these fees and costs might affect my investments. If I give you $10,000 to invest, how much will go to fees and costs, and how much will be invested for me?”

When we act as your investment advisor, we have to act in your best interest and not put our interests ahead of yours. At the same time, the way we make money creates some conflicts with your interests. You should understand and ask us about these conflicts because they can affect the investment advice we provide to you. Here are some examples to help you understand what this means:

  • Custodians – We receive various benefits, including soft dollars and client referrals, from certain custodians. Receiving benefits has the potential to influence our recommendation to clients to use certain custodians over others.

  • Margin Accounts – Clients allowing margin in the management of their accounts will be billed on the assets under management, which are not reduced by any indebtedness of the account. This creates a conflict because we have an incentive to recommend that clients allow margin on their accounts rather than selling securities outright for their cash needs.

  • Solicitors – We have agreements in place with unaffiliated firms and individuals to refer clients to us in exchange for a portion of the advisory fee we collect from such clients or a fee based on the assets we manage for them. This creates a conflict because solicitors have an incentive to make referrals to us.

  • Industry Conferences – We may receive financial support for conference participation in the form of reduced fees, travel/meals, and related expenses from financial industry sponsors such as mutual fund companies. This creates a conflict because we may have an incentive to select those sponsors’ funds for inclusion in our clients’ portfolios.

For more information about conflicts, and how we address them, please refer to our ADV Part 2A brochure.


Questions to ask your Professional:
  • “How might your conflicts of interest affect me, and how will you address them?”

Our financial professionals are compensated through salary, bonus, and/or a share of our firm’s profits. A portion of that compensation typically is correlated to the amount of client assets they service, the revenue our firm earns from clients, and/or whether the financial professional has increased client assets under our management. We and our affiliates can refer clients to third party services providers, and are also eligible to receive additional compensation for revenues generated through those referrals. Some financial professionals may be compensated by our indirect parent company, Focus Financial Partners, LLC (or one of its affiliates), based on our firm’s revenues or earnings. This gives the financial professional an incentive to encourage you to increase the size of your investment portfolio that we manage. For additional information, please refer to Item 5 of your financial professional’s ADV Part 2B brochure supplement.

Certified licenses


Advisors may have various certifications and credentials from different organizations. AdvisorCheck highlights these seven certifications - AIF®, CFP®, ChFC®, CFA, CLU®, CIMA®, CPWA®
None

Experience


Current

August 5, 2024 - Present

FOCUS PARTNERS WEALTH, LLC

Office #1: 3535 Piedmont Road Ne Bldg. 14-500, Atlanta, GA 30305
RIA
CRD#: 159289
Atlanta, GA
Past

August 23, 2023 - December 2, 2024

GRATUS CAPITAL, LLC

RIA
CRD#: 173627
ATLANTA, GA
Past

September 21, 2021 - August 14, 2023

ELWOOD & GOETZ

RIA
CRD#: 154839
ATHENS, GA

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".
FOCUS PARTNERS WEALTH, LLC
FOCUS PARTNERS WEALTH, LLC
ATLAS PRIVATE WEALTH MANAGEMENT | THE COLONY GROUP, LLC | THE COLONY GROUP OF MISSOURI, LLC | THE COLONY GROUP OF FLORIDA, LLC | NEIRG WEALTH MANAGEMENT | MID-CONTINENT CAPITAL | INTEROCEAN CAPITAL GROUP | HUNT VALLEY WEALTH | HOYLECOHEN | GYL FINANCIAL SYNERGIES | GW & WADE AT THE COLONY GROUP | GW & WADE | GRATUS CAPITAL | FOCUS PARTNERS WEALTH, LLC | D. K. BREDE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT COMPANY, A FOCUS PARTNERS WEALTH COMPANY | D. K. BREDE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT COMPANY | CONNECTUS PRIVATE | COLONY WEALTH MANAGEMENT, A DIVISION OF THE COLONY GROUP, LLC | COLONY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, A DIVISION OF THE COLONY GROUP, LLC | CHURCHILL MANAGEMENT GROUP | BUCKINGHAM STRATEGIC WEALTH

CRD#: 159289 / SEC#: 801-72862

RIA
Registered Investment Advisory firm - (12/7/2011 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.

Highlighted states indicate IAR registrations

IAR
Georgia
(8/5/2024)

Exams


Current Firm


FOCUS PARTNERS WEALTH, LLC
FOCUS PARTNERS WEALTH, LLC
ATLAS PRIVATE WEALTH MANAGEMENT | THE COLONY GROUP, LLC | THE COLONY GROUP OF MISSOURI, LLC | THE COLONY GROUP OF FLORIDA, LLC | NEIRG WEALTH MANAGEMENT | MID-CONTINENT CAPITAL | INTEROCEAN CAPITAL GROUP | HUNT VALLEY WEALTH | HOYLECOHEN | GYL FINANCIAL SYNERGIES | GW & WADE AT THE COLONY GROUP | GW & WADE | GRATUS CAPITAL | FOCUS PARTNERS WEALTH, LLC | D. K. BREDE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT COMPANY, A FOCUS PARTNERS WEALTH COMPANY | D. K. BREDE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT COMPANY | CONNECTUS PRIVATE | COLONY WEALTH MANAGEMENT, A DIVISION OF THE COLONY GROUP, LLC | COLONY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, A DIVISION OF THE COLONY GROUP, LLC | CHURCHILL MANAGEMENT GROUP | BUCKINGHAM STRATEGIC WEALTH

CRD#: 159289 / SEC#: 801-72862

RIA
Registered Investment Advisory firm - (12/7/2011 Approved)
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Contact information


Main Address
190 Carondelet Plaza Suite 600, St. Louis, MO 63105
Mailing Address
Phone number
(314) 725-0455
Established
Firm type
Fiscal year end
# of Employees
1,600

SEC notice filing (51 States and Territories)


Blank US states mapAlaskaHawaiiAlabamaArkansasArizonaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIowaIdahoIllinoisIndianaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMassachusettsMarylandMaineMichiganMinnesotaMissouriMississippiMontanaNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaNebraskaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNevadaNew YorkOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVirginiaVermontWisconsinWest VirginiaWyoming

Documents


Customer Relationship Summary (CRS / SEC)Latest Form ADV

Part 2 Brochures

ADV PART 2A (10/7/2025)

Regulatory assets under management


Total Number of Accounts124,141
AUM (Assets Under Management)$ 95,889,888,426

Accountant surprise examination report


Filing DateForm ADV-E CoverForm ADV-E Report
12/20/2024
Cover Page
07/26/2023

Red Flags


Disclosures can be potential red flags, including customer disputes, regulatory fines, employer terminations, bankruptcies, judgments, liens, or certain criminal activities.

Check for any disclosures as part of your thorough research when choosing an advisor.

Company Information


FOCUS PARTNERS WEALTH, LLC

FOCUS PARTNERS WEALTH, LLC

CRD#: 159289Atlanta, GA 30305

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