We build and steward financial plans the way a curator assembles a collection — every asset placed with intent, every decision measured against the life you actually want to live. No commissions. No conflicts. Just counsel.
Most of our clients did not inherit a fortune. They built one — slowly, over careers in medicine, law, federal service, technology, and small business. By the time they reach us, they are tired of sales pitches dressed up as advice. They want a planner who will sit with the numbers, ask better questions, and tell them the truth. That is the entire premise of this firm.
Where the conversation
actually happens.
Rockefeller Capital Management is a fiduciary, fee-only firm. We do not accept commissions, kickbacks, or revenue-sharing from any fund company, insurance carrier, or custodian. The fee you pay us is the only money we receive for the work we do — and it is disclosed, in writing, before we begin.
That structure is not a marketing line. It is the entire architecture of the firm. It determines who we work with, how we invest, and what we are willing to tell you when the answer is uncomfortable.
"They told me to do less, not more. To sell the second rental, consolidate the accounts, stop chasing the tax loss. I have never felt more in control of my own money."— Dr. Anika Rao, internist at Suburban Hospital, client since 2019
Six core engagements, each with transparent flat or asset-based fees. No hidden line items, no surprise invoices. Most clients begin with Comprehensive Planning and add services as their situation grows more complex.
Our flagship engagement. A full diagnostic of your cash flow, balance sheet, insurance, taxes, retirement trajectory, and estate documents — rebuilt into a single living plan we revisit twice a year. Includes unlimited email and call access between reviews. This is where most new clients begin.
Discretionary portfolio management built on low-cost index funds, municipal bonds, and selective tilts. Tax-aware rebalancing, direct indexing where appropriate, and quarterly performance reporting against a custom benchmark matched to your actual goals.
For clients within five years of retirement. We model withdrawal sequences, Social Security claiming strategies, Roth conversion windows, and Medicare surcharge thresholds — then stress-test the plan against market drawdowns and longevity to age 95.
We do not draft legal documents — but we coordinate closely with your attorney to ensure trusts, beneficiary designations, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives actually reflect your plan. Includes a written legacy summary for your heirs.
Year-round tax planning — not just a meeting in April. Quarterly reviews of realized gains, loss-harvesting opportunities, charitable bunching, and qualified charitable distributions. We coordinate directly with your CPA so nothing falls through the cracks.
For founders and solo practitioners in the D.C. metro. Entity structure review, retirement plan selection (SEP, Solo 401(k), defined benefit), succession planning, and the eventual sale or transition of the business into personal wealth.
Not ready for a full engagement? We offer hourly advisory sessions for specific questions — a lump-sum rollover, a stock-option exercise, a second opinion on an existing advisor's recommendations, or a single-issue deep dive. Bring your statements; we will bring the honesty. Minimum engagement two hours.
We are not the cheapest planner in Bethesda, and we are not trying to be. We are, however, the most deliberate. The clients who stay with us do so because the work is unhurried, the advice is honest, and the plan actually holds up when life changes — a diagnosis, a divorce, an inheritance, a relocation, a sale.
Every engagement letter includes a written fiduciary pledge. We are legally bound to act in your best interest — not at the moment of sale, but continuously, for the life of the relationship.
No commissions, no revenue sharing, no hidden trails. Our only source of compensation is the fee you pay us directly. Independently verified each year by a third-party CPA firm.
You are not handed off to a junior associate after onboarding. The planner you meet at the first consultation is the same person who answers your call five years later. Continuity is the product.
We understand the federal pay structure, the RSU vesting calendars of local biotech, the Maryland estate tax exemption, and the particular rhythm of life inside the Beltway. Local knowledge is not a luxury — it is leverage.
A four-step onboarding designed to be unhurried. Most clients complete it in six to eight weeks — not because we are slow, but because the questions deserve time.
A few frames from our office on Wisconsin Avenue. No glass towers, no trading floor — a quiet suite with good light, real coffee, and a door that closes.
Where plans are presented,
not pitched.
We cap new client intake at roughly twenty households per year. The ceiling is not a marketing line — it is the number of relationships a single lead planner can genuinely hold in her head at once.
Paper still matters.
So does a highlighter.
"I have referred my entire partners' group to Margaret. She is the only planner I have met who will say 'don't do that' — and then explain, in plain English, exactly why."— Jonathan Veksler, partner at a Bethesda law firm, client since 2017
Tell us a little about your situation. We respond to every inquiry personally within two business days — never an automated funnel, never a sales associate.
Wisconsin Avenue, downtown Bethesda — two blocks from the Metro. Free parking validated for client meetings. In-person consultations by appointment only.
Phone consultations available Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern. Leave a voicemail and we will return your call the same business day.
Primary clients in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Potomac, Northwest D.C., and Northern Virginia. We also serve a small number of remote clients across the Mid-Atlantic by video.
Households with investable assets of $500K or more, business owners preparing for a liquidity event, and professionals within ten years of retirement. If you are not sure whether you fit, send the form anyway — we will tell you honestly.