Independent financial advisors working with military members and veterans 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.

Craig Schwegman is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Erie, PA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and over 30 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 1995. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs and investment strategies supported by a nationwide network of over 23,700 financial advisors.

Jonathan Pollack is a Financial Consultant currently serving clients at Fidelity. He has held several roles within Fidelity Investments since 2023, including Investment Consultant, Relationship Manager, and Financial Representative. Prior to joining Fidelity, he was a Financial Advisor at Ameriprise Financial Services LLC from 2022 to 2023. His professional background is complemented by his service as a U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret, which has contributed to his strategic approach to financial planning. Jonathan holds a California Insurance License, supporting his work in financial consulting. Born and raised in Northern Nevada, Jonathan is committed to serving his community. His personal interests include family activities, fitness, football, military service, pets, and volunteering.

Quintina Wallace is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, specializing in small business retirement plans and qualified plan education. She partners with business owners to design, implement, and service retirement plans that align with their workforce needs and business objectives. Quintina helps plan sponsors evaluate plan designs, fulfill fiduciary responsibilities, and improve participant outcomes by coordinating with recordkeepers, TPAs, accountants, and other service providers. Quintina holds professional designations including Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). She earned her Bachelor's degree from Albany State University. Quintina also serves as a resource for retirement plan participants, providing education and personalized guidance to assist them in making informed financial decisions throughout life transitions such as retirement and career changes. Beyond her professional role, Quintina is involved with organizations such as the Alzheimer's Association, the COVA Christian Chamber of Commerce, and the National Association of Plan Advisors. Her personal interests include camping, hiking, and spending time with her family.

WHAT I DO: I help Locum Tenens physicians and advanced practice providers gain clarity about their finances, identify opportunities and pitfalls, and stay on track with a trusted accountability partner. WHY IT MATTERS: Three recurring concerns stand out in my conversations with Active Duty Military and Civilian physicians and advanced practice providers: Skill Atrophy – Concerns about staying clinically sharp and staying competitive due to limited patient volume or exposure to diverse clinical settings. Financial Catch-Up – After years of training, many feel the pressure to fast-track savings and build long-term financial security. Time Flexibility – A deep desire for greater control over one’s schedule to prioritize family, entrepreneurship, or personal goals. These pressures often lead physicians to pursue Locum Tenens work—part-time or full-time—for its higher earning potential and flexible structure. But with that flexibility comes greater financial complexity, making a clear strategy and support system more important than ever. HOW I DO IT: Together, we assess your strengths and gaps across the six pillars of financial planning: Cash Flow Management, Risk Management, Estate Planning, Tax Strategy, Retirement Planning, and Investment Management. Then, we develop action items over 3 months to strengthen your financial foundation. Clients are empowered to self implement recommendations or collaborate with us for efficiency and accountability. NEXT STEPS: Ready to take control of your financial future? Connect with me on LinkedIn or reach out directly at [email protected]—I’d love to learn more about your goals and how I can help. MORE ABOUT ME: I rediscovered my love for running three years ago thanks to one of my sons, starting with local 5Ks around the San Francisco Bay Area. Since then, I’ve become especially fond of the half-marathon distance, with races like the Oakland and San Francisco Half under my belt. Marathon training is next on the horizon, and I’m looking forward to the challenge. I also love exploring new places—favorites so far include Ilocos Sur (Philippines), Tokyo, Seoul, Busan, Barcelona, Lisbon, and London.

Scott Cadieux is a CFP® with 27 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Fidelity Brokerage Services, Strategic Advisers LLC, and Fidelity Personal and Workplace Advisors before founding Echelon Private Wealth LLC, where he has been since 2020. Outside of his advisory work, he owns and operates a vending machine business and works as an independent insurance agent. Echelon Private Wealth provides discretionary portfolio management, asset allocation advice, and goal-based financial planning to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis alongside modern portfolio theory, offering customized investment strategies including options programs managed on a discretionary basis.

Jared Fruth is a financial advisor at Northwest Asset Management with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Securities America, Inc., KMS Financial Services, Inc., Oppenheimer Funds, and John Paul Mitchell Systems. Northwest Asset Management is a registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.6 billion for nearly 3,000 clients, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charities, and corporations. The firm employs a customized, fiduciary approach using Modern Portfolio Theory and strategic asset allocation, combining fundamental and technical analysis to build diversified portfolios with periodic rebalancing.

Edwina Martin is a Series 65 licensed financial advisor with two years of industry experience, currently with Waverly Advisors, LLC. She previously worked at 9258 Wealth Management for five years and was employed at Teradata Corp for eleven years. Martin also serves as assistant director of tax planning at 9258 Tax and Planning, a non-investment related business. Waverly Advisors is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing portfolios for individuals, retirement plans, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm combines traditional equity and fixed-income strategies with alternative and private-market allocations, offering a range of investment management and financial planning services.

Craig Mcdaniel Jr. is a financial advisor with Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC in Columbia, SC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Capital Investment Group, Inc. and The McDaniel Corporation since 2012. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in life insurance sales and serves as an independent agent for annuities and related products. Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and supervisory services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers customized investment management through discretionary mandates, third-party managers, and private-label model portfolios, using a blend of analytical methods with ongoing portfolio monitoring.

David Hart is a financial advisor with Martin Wealth Management, LLC in Irvine, CA. He holds a Series 65 credential and has 15 years of industry experience. Hart previously worked with Safeguard Investment Advisory Group and LifePro Asset Management. He is also a Certified Financial Fiduciary and volunteers as an instructor with the Foundation for Fiduciary Education, providing unbiased fiduciary financial education to the public. Martin Wealth Management offers investment advisory services primarily to individuals and high-net-worth clients by co-advising and directing accounts to a third-party money manager, Matson Money. The firm focuses on client onboarding, documentation, and ongoing review of third-party manager accounts rather than direct asset management.

Sarah Currier Barrella is a CFP® professional with 26 years of experience in financial advisory services. She currently works at Santander Securities LLC and Santander Bank, NA, having previously held positions at TD Bank and Citizens Securities, Inc. Barrella is based in Boston, MA. Santander Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base with approximately $3.14 billion in regulatory assets under management across 10,800 client relationships. The firm offers investment advisory services, portfolio management through wrap-fee programs, and financial planning, operating both as a registered investment adviser and a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.