Independent, values-based investing 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 35 years of industry experience. He has been with D.F. Dent and Company, Inc. since 1985. D.F. Dent and Company provides discretionary investment management and financial planning to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as a range of institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $8.6 billion in assets and offers growth-oriented equity strategies across market capitalizations, alongside fixed-income management, serving both traditional and less common client types such as Unified Managed Account programs and registered investment companies.

Validmir Kats is a financial advisor with Fiduciary Financial Advisors in Baltimore, MD, holding a Series 65 credential and one year of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Five Doors and Legacy, and he has been involved in business consulting through his private practice. Kats serves on the advisory board of Alchemy of Money and holds a Maryland real estate license. Fiduciary Financial Advisors provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, and legacy position management to individuals, families, trusts, retirement plans, corporations, and charitable foundations. The firm combines strategic asset allocation with tactical adjustments using fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis, and offers services including individual professional trustee roles and access to private alternative funds.

Tucker Horsley is a CFP® and Series 65-registered advisor with three years of industry experience. He currently works at Mariner in Sarasota, FL, where he has been since 2021. Horsley previously served as an advisor at Allegiant Private Advisors and was involved with Lucky-U Cycles for five years. He is a board member of the nonprofit Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County. Mariner serves a diverse client base with services including investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and coordinated tax services. The firm offers customized, discretionary portfolios supported by an internal team and third-party managers, along with specialized tax, accounting, and family office services.

Eldin Foco is a financial advisor at Sterling Advisory Group LLC with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at several firms including CIG Capital Advisors and Cco Investment Services Corp. since 2012. Sterling Advisory Group provides portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting to individuals, families, trusts, foundations, businesses, and employer-sponsored plans. The firm manages client accounts on a tailored basis and also serves institutional clients, offering a range of strategic investment models that emphasize asset allocation, diversification, and Shariah-compliant selection.

Nicholas Stecklein is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with six years of industry experience. He is currently affiliated with Telos Partners LLC and has previously worked at firms including DFPG Investments, Diversify Wealth Management, and North Capital Investment Technology. Outside of investment advising, he provides tax preparation services through Advantage Tax and Planning. Telos Partners LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $139 million in discretionary assets for about 65 clients. The firm employs multiple proprietary, long-term, growth-oriented strategies that integrate equities, fixed income, and selective funds, with options for ESG and impact screening, and offers family-office consulting as well as educational seminars.

Andrew Halbrook is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with a Series 66 credential and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Edward Jones, he worked for the City of Ruston for nine years. Outside of his advisory role, he co-manages a family-owned LLC involved in rental property. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, offering a range of investment strategies and advisory services supported by a nationwide network of over 23,700 financial advisors.

Peter Hughes is a CFA® charterholder and Series 63 licensee with six years of industry experience. He is currently an advisor at Telos Partners LLC and has previously worked at Forrest Financial Partners LLC and Evolve Investing LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he owns separate consulting and coaching businesses focused on company valuation, business improvement, and personal performance coaching. Telos Partners LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $139 million in discretionary assets across about 65 client relationships. The firm offers tailored investment management, financial planning, family-office consulting, and educational seminars, employing primarily long-term, growth-oriented strategies with ESG considerations when requested.

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.