Professional Profile
Melanie Folstad helps investors pursue their retirement and legacy goals by transitioning from work to retirement. She joined RBC Wealth Management in 2014. Melanie brings more than 25 years of financial services experience to each relationship, including experience as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch and a decade working in wealth management and institutional consulting at TIAA-CREF. Today, Melanie applies her understanding of retirement planning to create a strategy that makes sense, is flexible and helps clients achieve their financial goals.
As a financial advisor, Melanie focuses on guiding investors from their careers through their retirement years. She believes clients deserve personalized planning, ongoing support and prudent strategies, so she dedicates significant time and resources to understanding clients as individuals and investors. Melanie works not just to help clients achieve long term goals- but also maintain liquidity to support their current lifestyles. Additionally, she begins each relationship with a cash-flow analysis designed to align clients' liabilities and spending habits with their long term objectives. From her perspective, this multi-faceted approach helps clients feel prepared and protected for changes in their lives or the markets.
Committed to ongoing improvement and education, Melanie has earned the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor® and CFP®, designations. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland and an MBA from The George Washington University.
Personal
Melanie is a dedicated member of her local community. She is chair for the Community Foundation of Montgomery County and has served as chair, vice president and board member for the Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce. Melanie has served as the president of her neighborhood association as well as on the finance committee and vestry of her church. She served for many years on the board, including two years as chair of Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area. Melanie was on the board of the Bethesda Chevy Chase High School Educational Foundation and regularly volunteers with Junior Achievement. She is currently on the Personal Financial Planning committee for the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. Melanie and her husband, Rick, have three children and live in Chevy Chase, Maryland.
