Michelle Kruger (CFP®, PhD)

Planning Specialties

Michelle completed her Ph.D. with a concentration in Financial Planning at The University of Georgia after graduating magna cum laude with a B.B.A. in Finance from the Terry College of Business. Michelle started as a Financial Planning Intern at Elwood & Goetz in 2015 and continued to work part-time as a Financial Planning Analyst during her graduate studies.

Prior to joining Elwood & Goetz full-time, Michelle worked as an Assistant Professor of Finance at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. Michelle has taught a variety of finance and personal finance courses at Loras College and the University of Georgia. Her favorite courses to teach include Investments and Personal Finance as well as courses with an emphasis on responsible corporate behavior and economic justice.

During her time at UGA, she served as a financial counselor and supervised undergraduate student financial counselors at the ASPIRE Clinic, an interdisciplinary teaching and research facility, applying marriage and family therapy theories and techniques to her work with financial clients. Michelle has also served as a site coordinator with UGA’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, supervising undergraduate students in preparing tax returns for members of the Athens community.

Michelle’s research has been published in academic journals such as the Journal of Financial Planning, Journal of Financial Therapy, and Financial Services Review. Her research publications have focused on topics such as the financial satisfaction and financial management practices of couples, risk tolerance, and behaviors associated with building wealth.