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Karen Lynn Brelsford

Advisor at Independent Financial Group, LLC — Columbia, MD Berger Road

Updated today

Credentials

CFP®, Series 66

Experience

23 years

Location

Columbia, MD 21046

Independent Financial Group, LLC logo

Independent Financial Group, LLC

Enterprise

Total advisors

461

Across 291 offices

Clients per advisor

56 Typical

Avg AUM per client

$474,424 Typical

HNW client ratio

9% Low

About

Karen Brelsford is a CFP® professional with 22 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Independent Financial Group, LLC. Her prior experience includes roles at CIC Wealth and Commonwealth Financial Network. Outside of advising, she owns JK Associates, LLC, a tax preparation and accounting firm, and volunteers at Bethany United Methodist Church. Independent Financial Group, LLC is a dual-registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser offering brokerage, portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan services. The firm serves individuals, charities, corporations, and plan sponsors through a national network of Investment Adviser Representatives and provides a range of advisory programs utilizing multiple platforms and third-party managers.

Client services

Based on Independent Financial Group, LLC

Financial planning Portfolio management Pension consulting Selection of other advisers

Expertise

Based on Independent Financial Group, LLC

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

Occupation focus

Based on Independent Financial Group, LLC

Founder/Business Owner Executive

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Fee options

Fixed

Flat fees for financial planning and consulting services; negotiable and specified in Financial Planning/Consulting Agreement.

Percentage

$0 - $250,000: 2.00% maximum Advisor Fee + 0.16% Program Fee $250,000 - $500,000: 2.00% maximum Advisor Fee + 0.12% Program Fee $500,000 - $1,000,000: 2.00% maximum Advisor Fee + 0.10% Program Fee $1,000,000 - $2,000,000: 2.00% maximum Advisor Fee + 0.06% Program Fee $2,000,000 - $5,000,000: 2.00% maximum Advisor Fee + 0.05% Program Fee $5,000,000+: 2.00% maximum Advisor Fee + 0.04% Program Fee

Commissions

Commissions earned by IARs when acting as registered representatives for brokerage services outside advisory programs.

Project-based

Hourly financial consulting fees, collected in advance or arrears; negotiable and specified in Financial Planning/Consulting Agreement.

Subscriptions

Subscription-based fees for financial planning programs, stated in the Financial Planning/Consulting Agreement, paid monthly or quarterly.

Other

Account minimum: $2,000 to $100,000 depending on program; specific minimums include $5,000 for AccessPoint Models, $25,000 for AccessPoint Advisor Portfolios, $2,000 manager dependent for Fund Strategist Portfolios, $100,000 for Separately Managed Accounts, $50,000 for Unified Managed Accounts, $25,000 for AP Client, $50,000 for CAM Client Schwab, no minimum for Retirement Plan Services (RPS) Fee-only: Hourly rates, flat fees, and subscription billing for financial planning and consulting services; fees are negotiable and detailed in Financial Planning/Consulting Agreement.

Location

See office

Columbia, MD Berger Road

9520 Berger Road, Suite 310

Columbia MD 21046

Advisors at this office

1

Most active in

Maryland

Work history

23 years of industry experience

Independent Financial Group, LLC

2025 - Present • 1 year

Columbia, MD

CIC Wealth

2013 - 2017 • 4 years

Columbia, MD

Commonwealth Financial Network

2003 - 2025 • 22 years

Waltham, MA

SELF EMPLOYED

2002 - 2025 • 23 years

Columbia, 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

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

Michael H

CFP®, Series 63, Series 66

Ellicott City, MD

Forty W Advisors

Michael Hoffman is a CFP® with 18 years of industry experience, currently serving as Co-Managing Director of Forty W Advisors. He previously worked at Verdence Capital Advisors and held roles at Hightower Securities and Hightower Advisors. Forty W Advisors delivers comprehensive wealth management across three critical areas: financial administration, proactive tax-aware planning, and investment management with institutional access. Together, these services help align your personal wealth, family priorities, and business strategy into one coordinated plan, with the goal of reducing complexity and maximizing post-tax wealth.

Wealth management Equity compensation tax strategy Business sale tax planning Trust structures (GRAT, IDGT, revocable) Charitable giving tax strategies Self-Employed Executive Retired Mid-Career Professionals Established Professionals Retired

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

Scott L

Series 63, Series 65

Baltimore, MD

Equitable Advisors

Scott Latshaw is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors, LLC in Baltimore, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has worked at Stifel Independent Advisors since 2011. Equitable Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, trusts, and municipal entities, offering brokerage and investment advisory services. The firm uses a collaborative planning process with proprietary market models to develop tailored asset allocation recommendations and provides a range of services under both brokerage and fiduciary agreements. Latshaw Wealth Management's low fee framework utilizes a flat 0.50% fee based on assets under management. A simple low fee designed to maximize long-term return potential.

General retirement planning Income planning Wealth management Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Founder/Business Owner Retired Executive Approaching retirement Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964)
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Jessica H

CFP®

Silver Spring, MD

Tender Wealth

Jessica Horner is a CFP® professional at Tender Wealth with experience that includes roles at Chevy Chase Trust and JMH Financial LLC. She also runs an after-school program combining ultimate-frisbee instruction with basic financial literacy lessons. Tender Wealth provides financial planning and consulting services to individuals and high-net-worth clients, offering educational seminars and workshops on financial literacy, budgeting, and retirement planning. The firm focuses on comprehensive planning and supports clients in implementing recommendations through custodians or brokers of their choice.

General tax planning
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Christopher R

CFP®, Series 63

Chevy Chase, MD

Green View Advisors LLC

Christopher Rhim is a CFP® with 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is the principal of Green View Advisors LLC, where he has worked since 2008. The firm provides discretionary asset management, ongoing financial planning, and specialized divorce financial analysis for individual and trust clients. Green View Advisors manages approximately $25.2 million for a small roster of clients, using active management across multiple asset classes tailored through model portfolios and client risk assessments. The firm offers a formal divorce financial analysis service and focuses on individualized client service through a deliberately small client base.

Divorce financial planning College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
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