John Harold Axley III

Advisor at Merrill — North Bethesda, MD Grand Park Ave

Updated today

Credentials

Series 63, Series 65

Experience

36 years

Location

North Bethesda, MD 20852

Merrill logo

Merrill

Institution

Total advisors

25,478

Across 3,094 offices

Clients per advisor

70 Very Low

Avg AUM per client

$860,085 Very High

HNW client ratio

29% High

About

John Axley is a Wealth Management Advisor and Senior Vice President with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He joined Merrill in 1990, initially working in the Rockville, Maryland office, now located in North Bethesda. John holds the Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) certification awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., as well as the Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) designation from the Investments & Wealth Institute™.

John’s client focus areas include education planning, family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, and portfolio management services. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland with a double major in Finance and Economics.

Outside of his professional role, John is involved in various civic and philanthropic activities. He has served as Chair of the University of Maryland Colonnade Society and is a member of Leadership Montgomery. He resides in Montgomery County with his wife and three children and participates actively in his church. His personal interests include genealogy, pickleball, reading, running marathons, and traveling.

Client services

Based on Merrill

Portfolio management Pension consulting Selection of other advisers Educational seminars or workshops
Performance measurement reports, allocation modeling, ips, research reports and services, see schedule d

Expertise

Wealth management General estate planning guidance Charitable giving & philanthropy Multi-generational wealth transfer College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)

Demographic focus

Parents Values-based investing

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Fee options

Commissions

SEC-reported: Commissions on certain transactions, including foreign securities and fixed income; mark-ups, markdowns and dealer spreads may apply to some trades.

Location

See office

North Bethesda, MD Grand Park Ave

11810 Grand Park Ave

North Bethesda MD 20852

Advisors at this office

78

Most active in

Maryland · Texas

Work history

36 years of industry experience

Bank Of America, N.A.

2010 - Present • 16 years

Rockville, MD

Merrill

1990 - Present • 36 years

Rockville, MD

Disclosures

Exclamation point means they have disclosures of this type. Check mark means no disclosures of this type were found.

Business activities & affiliations

user avatar

Gerardo M

CFA®

Washington, DC

BLU Capital

Gerardo Martinez Y Carriles is a CFA® charterholder with one year of experience in financial advising. He is the sole advisor at BLU Capital and previously worked at Berlin Wealth Group Advisors and International Fintech Intelligence. BLU Capital serves institutional and individual clients, including foundations, pension plans, and small businesses. The firm uses a combination of fundamental research, quantitative modeling, factor-based strategies, and ESG screening, and offers services such as portfolio management, financial planning, and consultant selection.

ESG / Sustainable investing Private / alternative investments Factor investing / smart beta Charitable giving & philanthropy General estate planning guidance

Kevin M

CFP®, Series 65

Washington, DC

Illumint

Hi, I'm Kevin. I'm a financial advisor in Washington, D.C., and the founder & CEO of Illumint. In 2017, I launched Illumint to offer financial planning for Millennials. I specialize in helping our generation answer the question, "Are we going to be ok financially?" For you, this may mean investing more of your savings. Or smartly managing an inheritance. Perhaps you want to put your kids on the right track financially. My work as a Certified Financial Planner™ draws on my past finance experience. I previously held financial roles in the NFL and in the commercial real estate industry. The birth of my first child, though, inspired me to become a financial advisor for Millennials in Washington, DC. Around this time, I noticed that couples like us lacked good options for financial advice. The limited advice that we did receive wasn't specific to our stage in life. And the industry's compensation structure often wasn't in our best interest. I wanted to see more fee-only financial advisors. I wanted to see financial advisors with expertise in student loans and renting vs. buying. I wanted financial planning to start making inherited IRAs, Health Savings Accounts, and 529 plans work for our generation. I work hard to put myself in a position to answer any questions that Millennials have on topics like these. To this end, I serve as a resource for many journalists. Over the years, I've provided insight to the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, CNN, NPR, and NBC News. And I've written for Forbes, Yahoo! Finance, Kiplinger, and Fatherly. I've also worked with employers and brands on a variety of Millennial-driven personal finance events and projects. I've partnered with John Hopkins University, Nestle, and General Assembly, among others. I'm proud to hold an undergraduate business degree from Georgetown University (Hoya Saxa!). I later added an MBA in finance from Georgia Tech (THWg!). Last, but certainly not least, I'm the father of two young boys, who couldn't care less about any of this stuff. They only care that I play with them after school.

Inheritance planning Multi-generational wealth transfer Inherited wealth Gen Y/Millennials (Born 1980-1995) Gen Z (Born 1996-2010)
user avatar

John B

CFP®

Clarksville, MD

Free State Financial Planning, LLC

John Bell is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 21 years of industry experience. He is currently the sole advisor at Free State Financial Planning, LLC, having previously worked at Charles Schwab and Ameritrade, Inc. Beyond his advisory work, he serves as a FINRA arbitrator and acts as the financial secretary and council member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, where he manages donation tracking and budgeting. Free State Financial Planning LLC provides fee-only financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and businesses. The firm’s guidance is based on Modern Portfolio Theory, emphasizing passive investments through low-cost ETFs and no-load mutual funds, and focuses on delivering educational resources without discretionary investment management.

General retirement planning General tax planning Passive / index investing Charitable giving tax strategies Roth conversion strategy Government Employee Technology Professional Public Service Employee Approaching retirement Gen X (Born 1965-1980) Retired Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964) Christian Faith Based

Alvin C

CFP®, CFA®

Arlington, VA

District Capital Management, LLC

Hi, I'm Alvin, I’m a fee-only financial advisor in Washington, D.C, and the founder of District Capital Management. I am deeply committed to helping professionals in their 30s and 40s retire by 55, through holistic financial planning and research-driven investing. Since 2013, I’ve empowered over 400 clients to take control of their financial futures, making personal finance approachable and less intimidating. Life in your 30s and 40s can be overwhelming. You may be balancing multiple high-stress jobs, managing a mortgage, paying off student loans, trying to save for your child’s education, and perhaps even starting a new business. With all these demands, it’s tough to find the time—let alone the desire—to dive into the complexities of investments, taxes, retirement planning, and which accounts to use to optimize your finances. Your focus should be on what you love, not deciphering financial jargon. That’s where I come in. I’m here to help you maximize your finances so you can retire by 55 and live the life you’ve always envisioned. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFA® charterholder, my approach goes beyond just providing a financial plan; I partner with my clients through life’s ups and downs, offering personalized guidance and unwavering support. I’m an active member of the XY Planning Network, Fee-Only Network, and the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA). My insights have been featured in leading publications such as The New York Times, Forbes, Business Insider, Time, and Yahoo! Finance. I also hold an MA in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University. I also serve as Coaching Chair for Entrepreneurly, a non-profit supporting small business owners in DC. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, swing dancing, and playing pickleball. Learn more here: https://districtcapitalmanagement.com/ * "Washington, D.C.'s Best Financial Advisors" -- Washingtonian Magazine * “Top Financial Planners In Washington, D.C.” - Expertise.com * “Best Financial Planners For Millennials” - Millennial Money * Washington Parent Picks Winner - Washington Parent * Diversity Scholarship Winner - FPA

General retirement planning Income planning Debt management Wealth management Mid-Career Professionals Married/Couples/Partners Women Professionals Gen Y/Millennials (Born 1980-1995)
user avatar

Ben A

Series 66

North Bethesda, MD

Independent Financial Group, LLC

Ben Arie is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Independent Financial Group, LLC, based in North Bethesda, MD. He has two years of industry experience and previously worked at Plotkin Financial Advisors and APEX Home Loans. Outside of advising, he is involved in selling life and health insurance. Independent Financial Group, LLC is a dual-registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, charities, corporations, and plan sponsors. The firm offers a variety of advisory programs through its AccessPoint platform and third-party asset managers, providing both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management.

Wealth management Passive / index investing Active portfolio management Private / alternative investments Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive

Simeon E

Series 66, Series 7, TPCP®

North Bethesda, MD

LPL Enterprise

Simeon’s role is to help clients create a coordinated financial strategy that aligns their investments, taxes, retirement income, and long-term goals into one cohesive plan. A big part of his approach is helping clients simplify complexity and make confident decisions during periods of uncertainty.

Retirement income strategy Tax-loss harvesting General retirement planning General tax planning Wealth management Self-Employed Founder/Business Owner Approaching retirement Retired
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