Michelle Gessner, CFP®
Retire to a Life You Love®
Wealthtender Community Connect helps people discover the best financial advisors for their individual needs through their favorite blogs and podcasts.
Click Here to Learn More 
Gessner Wealth Strategies, LLC
Michelle Gessner, CFP®
Houston, TX
Serving Clients Nationwide
Retire to a Life You Love®
5 out of 5 Stars
Rate this
Advisor
Areas of Focus
- Estate Planning
- Investment Management
- Retirement Planning
- Taxes
- Women & Wealth
About Michelle Gessner, CFP®
As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, I am passionate about building a life plan for my clients and helping them see that they have choices, which often comes to them as a pleasant surprise.I am an independent thinker and a huge advocate of my clients’ interests. My greatest joy is working to do what is right for them and be their voice.
As an avid problem solver with a penchant for learning, I love to challenge myself with a new goal each year. I view my role as requiring not just financial aptitude, but also a constant desire for personal and professional improvement.
Teaching others is something that comes naturally to me, so you will often find me leading a retirement planning class at the local community college several times a year. I’m a big believer in partnering with my clients and ensuring that they are empowered to make their own important decisions, so I strive to speak in plain English and simplify complex information.
I have a B.S. in Finance from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and an M.S. in Management from Boston University, Brussels. Growing up in Montana and moving to Colorado for college, I took out student loans and worked my way through all four years.
After graduating in 1987 with honors, I accepted a job at Shell Oil in Houston, and worked my way up the corporate ladder to a management position before leaving in 1992 for Brussels, Belgium, where I lived for 4 years. In Brussels, I learned about different cultures and basic conversational French as well as pursuing and earning a graduate degree in management.
Returning to the U.S. in 1997, I made my way to a boutique financial planning firm and then to MassMutual, where I received an excellent education in financial services and insurance planning like Long Term Care, disability, and life insurance.
In 2015, I formed Gessner Wealth Strategies LLC, and in 2016, borne out of a strong desire to truly help people with an unbiased approach to financial planning, I launched my own independent practice, and have loved every minute of it.
As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner, I am held to the highest standards set forth in the industry. I surround myself with a back office of experts in tax and investment research so that my clients have the best of both worlds – the resources of a large firm with the caring, dedication, and personal service of a small firm.
I am honored to be able to help others with the decisions that are so personal and important in their lives and can truly say that I love helping others find financial security and peace.
Professional Designations
- CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional
- Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow (LUTCF)
Affiliations
- Financial Planning Association
Primary Location
1717 St James Place, Suite 625, Houston, Texas 77056
Video
Meeting Options
- Video Conference
- In-Person
- Phone
Compensation Methods
- Fee Based
- Percentage of Assets Managed
What to expect in the first meeting
Click the 'Book Intro Call' button above to schedule a complementary call. We’ve learned a lot from our clients over the years, and it always begins with a conversation about you. If you’re ready for a simple but meaningful approach to connecting your money to your life, we’d love to hear from you.Offers Investment Management
Yes
About Gessner Wealth Strategies, LLC
As your trusted advisor, our job at Gessner Wealth Strategies is to help you make smart decisions about your money. But our personalized approach is about so much more than that.We strive to understand what is important to you from generating income and protecting your financial security to assisting aging parents and legacy planning. We spend a good deal of time looking for ways to reduce taxes in retirement. And most important, we offer guidance and clarity for decisions that come up throughout the year, because money is tied to all aspects of life.
We want to be your first call when an important decision comes up, because we are passionate about building long term relationships with our clients.
Our firm is independent, which means that we are not beholden to any company’s goals or relationships which could color our recommendations to you. We are a fiduciary advisor, which means we put your interests ahead of our own.
Gessner Wealth Strategies, LLC operates independently of our custodian and investment team. We do not hold client assets but instead use highly reputable firms, such as Charles Schwab, for important checks and balances. The custodian is strictly in charge of recordkeeping and custodial services for your money, such as statement preparation and tax reporting documents. The custodian is in charge of the safekeeping of your assets, and you always have access to your money.
We don’t make bets on single stocks, industries, regions, or the economy. Instead, we work with some of the best minds in investment management to engineer portfolios consisting of a wide diversification of securities which hold a large number of distinct companies across 9 asset classes, 40 countries, and multiple industry sectors. Please read about our investment philosophy here and here for a discussion about why it’s important to hire experts for your portfolio of investments.
Our independent team of highly credentialled CFA® investment professionals create portfolios designed for long-term investors. All of our portfolios are created with these important concepts:
Fiduciary Status | Transparent 100% of the Time
Gessner Wealth Strategies never takes a commission to buy and sell investments in your account, as we believe that system – which the big, national brokerage firms use – is fraught with potential conflicts of interest. Instead, we align our interests with yours by charging a percentage of assets under our management on a quarterly basis, with full disclosure. All of our investment advisory services are offered on a fiduciary basis.
Education
Boston University Brussels Graduate Center (BUB), Master of Science (MS), Management | University of Colorado Boulder - Leeds School of Business, B.S., Finance
Awards and Honors
Hobbies and Interests
- Family
SEC Lookup
View DisclosureWho We Serve
- Baby Boomers
- Business Owners
- Corporate Executives
- Dual Income Family
- Gen X
- Intergenerational Families
- Living in Retirement
- Parents
- Single Women
- Women Professionals
To make Wealthtender free for readers, we earn a nominal monthly fee from financial advisors and firms in exchange for marketing services (including being featured on this profile page), subject to terms of use. This compensation creates a natural conflict of interest when we favor their promotion over others. Wealthtender is not a client of these advisors or firms. Testimonials may not be representative of other clients’ experiences and do not guarantee future performance or success.
Write a Review
By clicking submit, you acknowledge this review is based on your own experience and reflects your genuine opinion. You also agree to our review policy, privacy policy, and terms and conditions, and give this financial advisor permission to publicly display your review on their website.
A Successful Life Is Up to You
✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Mar 24, 2025
If you are reading this, you have probably worked hard all of your life too and have found a way to provide for the needs of yourself and your family. What we do next is very important. For me, it was just as important to protect the money we saved as it was to make it.
Gessner Wealth Strategies can be summed up in just three words. A True Ally.
What I found with them is trust. We met face to face and reviewed all of our needs and wants together. Gessner clearly defined what the financial results could be and we made decisions and set up financial goals together.
Working with Gessner has made me feel empowered to finish my working years with confidence because I am making the best choices to protect my family for many years to come.
I had only planned to hear them out, ask questions, learn and move on. I ended up deciding to become a client.
I am very happy that I now have a very resourceful and dependable financial ally.
Nathan
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Current Client
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Looking for Help with your Financial Planning? Michelle Gessner is one of the Best!
✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Mar 16, 2025
We have been working with Michelle's team for 8 years. She steered us towards a Life Insurance Retirement Plan (LIRP) that is now paid and ready. The Gessner office staff is ready with personalized & customized solutions to improve your financial planning and the execution of your financial choices for your best future.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Current Client
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: Please See Comment Below
Disclosure: Life Insurance is not appropriate for everyone and is reviewed very carefully within the context of a financial plan before considered as a recommendation for a client.
Our Comfort Zone
✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Mar 15, 2025
Just prior to my retirement I can't deny that my wife and I were a bit nervous about our financial future. Although we did our best to save and prepare, we were in strange waters and not sure how to condition our spending and lifestyle.
Over the years since our "partnership" with her, Michelle Gessner has slowly erased those concerns about our retirement nest egg and how we can relax and enjoy the retirement life.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Current Client
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
5 Stars
✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Jul 23, 2023
Since I became a client of Gessner Wealth Strategies in early 2020, I have peace of mind knowing that I have a solid attainable retirement plan.
I trust Michelle Gessner completely, she ensures that my retirement plan takes into account all aspects that may impact my retirement life, like taxes, inflation and more.
She gently nudges me to address the not so fun things like updating my Will and makes recommendations where she sees holes in my estate planning and other areas.
Michelle is not only guiding me towards a successful retirement life, but she is also making financial recommendations that impact my everyday life today.
I feel very comfortable and grateful for Michelle and her very capable assistant, Lauren, knowing they are both looking out for my best interest. And, as a bonus, both ladies are very nice, respectful and easy to work with!
I highly recommend Gessner Wealth Strategies to anyone who wants a successful retirement life!
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Current Client
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
5 Stars
✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Jan 22, 2023
Michelle Gessner has been our advisor for about 10 years now. After having attended a seminar where she presented her materials, I walked away very impressed with the information she shared and her approach and decided to meet with her to discuss specifics about our goals and the rest, as they say, is history. For the past 10 years, she has continued to maintain the highest level of professionalism and service. The things that I appreciate the most about her are: 1) She always presents facts that are research based 2) Her research is so very thorough, current and balanced (including her very clearly stated references) 3) Her presentation of the information she has gathered in a manner that is easy to digest (for me at least) and 4) That she NEVER sells! She always presents information and helps make the investment choices that best suit our family and risk appetite.
I can't offer any greater compliment than to recommend her to others and have done so whenever an opportunity has presented. In the current financial world of constant upheaval, I'm very glad to have such a thorough professional in my phone book to be able to make well-educated and informed decisions for our long term financial stability and health.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Former Client
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
5 Stars
✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Dec 30, 2022
My Husband and I have been clients of Michelle Gessner at Gessner Wealth Strategies for 3+ years now and I can safely say selecting Michelle to guide us through our retirement years is the best decision we have ever made!
Almost all of the financial planners we interviewed prior to our retirement dealt strictly with our investment portfolio. The health of our portfolio is just the tip of the iceberg for Michelle. She takes an in depth and critical look at EVERYTHING that can affect our financial picture. Taxes, Wills and Insurance are all examined to make sure all of our assets are maximized and protected. We’ve all heard the saying “you don’t know what you don’t know.” Thankfully, Michelle has not only done a great job with our investments but enlightened us on all the things we didn’t know and saved us $$$
And we can’t brag on Michelle without mentioning Lauren!!!! Lauren not only keeps Michelles office running smoothly but keeps us personally on track as well by sending us reminders of financial deadlines we need to meet. And she does it all with the most incredible warmth and professionalism imaginable!!!! Michelle and Lauren are truly a dynamic duo!
If you are looking for a firm to take a look at your total financial picture, then look no further than Gessner Wealth Strategies. You won’t regret it!!!!
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Current Client
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
5 Stars
✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Sep 24, 2020
Michelle Gessner is not only a talented financial professional, but she is a trusted advisor. I met her through a business associate who learned about her from classes she teaches at HCC on financial planning. The thing I find most unique about Michelle is that she is more of a counselor than you typically find in the financial world. Her motivations are driven, not by her desire to make money off of your money, but by her desire to help you grow your financial nest egg and lower your future tax exposure.
One of the valuable tools she shared with me is a book call The Power of Zero. The approach she uses is based on a proven history of performance that has been developed by some of the most highly respected people in the financial industry. If you choose to work with her you will find you have put yourself in good hands.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Former Client
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
We Want Your Voice to be Heard
Wealthtender exists to help people discover trusted and authentic financial professionals and educators who may be a good fit based on their unique needs and circumstances.
Your honest reviews help people decide which financial professionals and educators may be best suited to their individual needs.
The majority of people trust reviews as much as personal recommendations, so what you write in your review should reflect your own opinion and experience.
Tips for Writing a Helpful Review
Be descriptive. Instead of just saying what you like or dislike, share why. What have you enjoyed most or least about your experience with the provider? Have they helped you overcome a difficult financial challenge or strengthened your knowledge about particular money matters? The more details, the better!
Be honest. Your rating and review should reflect your actual experience.
Stay relevant. Ensure your review is helpful to others by avoiding off-topic discussions or personal opinions not relevant to your direct experience.
Make your review easy to read. Reviews should be readable to others. Use proper grammar, avoid excessive capitalization or punctuation, and be sure to check your spelling.
Be yourself. Don’t post as, or pretend to be, someone else, and do not say you’re associated with a person or organization with which you are not.
Be nice. Don’t write abusive, hateful, threatening, or harassing content. Avoid personal threats, hate speech, obscenities, or inflammatory language.
Respect the privacy of others. Don’t post information that can be used to identify another individual or compromise their privacy.
Report abuse. Thank you for helping us ensure reviews on Wealthtender are helpful to everyone. If you suspect possible violations of our guidelines or believe a review is inappropriate, please email support@wealthtender.com with a link to the provider’s profile, indicating the review in question and the reason you believe it violates our guidelines.
➡️ Are you reviewing a financial advisor? Learn more about Certified Advisor Reviews.
Disclaimers
Wealthtender reserves the right to remove reviews that violate its guidelines and/or regulations issued by the Federal Trade Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, FINRA, and other regulatory agencies. Further, financial advisors are subject to individual firm policies and rules prescribed by federal and state regulators that may result in reviews being removed, not published, or potentially modified upon the documented request submitted by an advisor, compliance officer, or other firm professional to maintain compliance with federal and state regulations.
If you submit a review on Wealthtender, the Federal Trade Commission has issued guidance to ensure you always maintain the right and ability to request reviews be removed from any online review website, including Wealthtender. To request the removal of a review you submitted on Wealthtender, please send an email to support@wealthtender.com using the same email address you utilized when submitting the review. Please include in your email a link to the profile on Wealthtender where your review is published.
In addition to your review being published on Wealthtender, you acknowledge your review may also be published by your financial advisor on their website, social media accounts, and/or profile pages on other directory websites.
The reviews posted on Wealthtender are individual and subjective opinions. The opinions expressed in reviews are those of the reviewer and not of Wealthtender, Inc. Wealthtender does not endorse any of the opinions expressed by reviewers.
Please refer to the Wealthtender terms of service and privacy policy for additional information.
If you have questions or if we can assist with anything at all, please contact us by email at support@wealthtender.com or call us at (512) 540 – 3811.
Thank you for visiting Wealthtender and giving us the opportunity to serve you.
© 2024 Wealthtender, Inc.
