Large-firm, charitable giving & philanthropy financial advisors in Baltimore, MD

Cecil Denton is the sole advisor at Decisions, LLC in Baltimore, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Decisions since its founding in 1997. In addition to his advisory work, he is involved in life insurance activities with brokerage companies. Decisions, LLC provides financial planning and consulting services while referring clients to third-party asset managers and broker-dealers for portfolio management. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, business entities, and nonprofit organizations, and does not take custody of client assets.

Yuanyuan Yang is a financial advisor with Return on Life Wealth Partners in Baltimore, MD, holding a Series 66 designation and 13 years of industry experience. Yang has worked at LPL Financial since 2012 and is also involved with Planned Financial Services and 401(k) Prosperity. Return on Life Wealth Partners provides comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm employs a values-driven, holistic planning process that integrates investment, risk management, and legacy strategies with client goals and offers a range of fee arrangements and specialized services.

Melissa Mazard is a financial advisor at Seek the Plan with 13 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been involved with several nonprofit and educational organizations, including Junior Achievement and Spark Business Academy, where she supports financial literacy and business education programs. Prior to founding her firm, she worked at Foresters Financial. Seek the Plan provides tailored financial planning and investment advice to individual clients, focusing on education, asset allocation, and comprehensive non-investment planning topics such as tax optimization and cash-flow management. The firm emphasizes a long-term investment perspective, offers financial education seminars, and uses non‑AUM fee structures without holding custody of client assets.

Thomas O'Neil Jr. is a CFA® charterholder with 36 years of industry experience. He has been with D.F. Dent and Company, Inc. in Baltimore, MD since 1985. D.F. Dent and Company provides discretionary investment management and financial planning to individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charitable institutions, and municipal entities. The firm employs a disciplined portfolio construction process across equity and fixed-income strategies and manages a family of mutual funds while serving other advisors and wrap/UMA programs.

Validmir Kats is a financial advisor at Fiduciary Financial Advisors in Baltimore, MD, holding a Series 65 designation with two years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Freedom Calls, LLC, Five Doors, Legacy, and ER4RE, LLC. Kats serves on the advisory board of Alchemy of Money and works as a business consultant in private practice. Fiduciary Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, retirement plans, corporations, and charitable foundations. The firm offers discretionary investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and outsourced CFO services, with an investment process that integrates strategic asset allocation and multiple analytical approaches.

Sally Hyman is a financial advisor with Seasons of Advice Wealth Management in New York, NY. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 43 years of industry experience, including roles at Ameriprise Financial Services and RBC Capital Markets. Outside of her advisory work, she records and sells vocal CDs and is involved in publishing her father's book on the spiritual meaning of disease and science. Seasons of Advice Wealth Management provides financial planning and discretionary investment management to individuals, high net worth clients, trusts, small business owners, professionals, and families. The firm uses a proprietary planning process that integrates goal tracking, asset allocation, and tax planning, tailoring investment recommendations to each client’s objectives and risk tolerance.

Richard Martin is a financial advisor at Cetera with 29 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has a background that includes nearly three decades at Avantax Advisory Services and eight years at Avantax Insurance Agency. Outside of his advisory work, he is the owner and sole proprietor of Martin & Pellegrin, CPAs, a tax preparation and accounting firm. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm provides a multi-manager platform offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to various program structures and third-party money managers.

Thaddeus Phelps is a CFP® professional with 28 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC since 2019 and previously spent 14 years with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. In addition to his advisory work, Phelps owns a tax preparation business and an accounting support service, and he serves in fiduciary roles such as trustee and executor. Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm offers discretionary investment management through a wrap asset management program and emphasizes an individualized approach with asset allocation supported by fundamental, sector, and technical analysis, including risk management strategies such as put options and conservative cash instruments.

Edward Blatz serves as a Senior Resident Director and Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch. He specializes in working with high net-worth individuals and families, focusing on estate and wealth management needs. Since joining Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 1985, he has provided personalized financial solutions tailored to his clients' risk tolerance, time horizon, liquidity needs, and investment goals. Edward's expertise encompasses a range of areas including college education planning, divorce transition planning, employee benefits, executive compensation, family wealth management strategies, managing new wealth, individual and corporate investment strategies, and retirement income planning. He collaborates closely with clients' tax advisors and estate planning attorneys to ensure comprehensive management of clients' financial and personal affairs. Edward is recognized as a member of The Blatz-Rooney Group, which was named to the 2024 Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams" list. Edward holds a Bachelor's Degree from Adelphi University and has earned several professional designations including Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). Outside of his professional work, he has interests in golfing, reading, and tennis.

Patrick Ferguson is a financial advisor at Intentional with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Commonwealth Financial Network, and LPL Financial. In addition to his advisory role, he is a licensed agent involved in the sales of fixed and traditional insurance products. Intentional provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, businesses, and institutions. The firm offers pension consulting, estate planning support, business exit planning, and due diligence on alternative investments, utilizing a combination of fundamental, technical, and economic analysis within a fiduciary framework.

Jeffrey Park is a financial advisor at Merrill with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Merrill and affiliated firms since 2011, including roles at JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities. Outside of his advisory work, he is a sole owner and co-owner of family rental properties in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

Scott Mahoney is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in New York, NY, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley since 2009, including roles at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved with Giants Foot Cubed LLC. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a large SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a wide range of advisory programs and financial planning services supported by structured planning tools and broad investment resources.

Elizabeth Brown is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in New York, NY, where she has worked since 2012. She has 26 years of industry experience. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to clients such as corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

Wesley Pool is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at JPMorgan Securities LLC for seven years. Outside of finance, he has been involved with #TagMeBro LLC and Fry Street Public House. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions.

Willie Myles is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2016, previously serving at Axa Advisors and MSI Financial Services. Outside of advising, he is a co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for Alpha Light Fund Inc., a nonprofit focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a range of clients including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement consulting, and asset management through a network of representatives and third-party managers. The firm offers various investment vehicles and ERISA fiduciary services, relying on third-party program sponsors and an affiliation with a publicly traded parent company.