Independent, business sale tax planning financial advisors in Columbia, MD

Freddie Watson is a financial advisor with Lincoln Investment Planning, Inc. in Rockville, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 45 years of industry experience. He has been with Lincoln Investment since 1989. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as president of Watson Family Farms LLC. Lincoln Investment Planning, LLC is a large enterprise firm serving individual and high-net-worth investors, trusts, charities, and retirement plans, including a long history with educators and 403(b) and 457(b) program participants. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, and advisor-led consulting, supported by an in-house Investment Management & Research team that constructs model portfolios and employs third-party managers.

Max Hoffman is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with two years of industry experience. He is currently with Fidelity Investments and previously worked at Equitable Advisors. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, including discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, fund advisory, and model portfolio delivery. The firm employs a combination of proprietary fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction.

Eric Wells is a financial advisor with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and three years of industry experience. He has worked at Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. since 2023 and has concurrent experience with the federal government and T. Rowe Price dating back to 2010. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors is a large SEC-registered firm serving a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through a network of independent professionals, employing a range of portfolio management strategies and proprietary models.

Jeffrey Grodsky is a CFP® professional with 17 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Cetera. His prior roles include positions at Avantax Investment Services and Carmichael & Associates Inc. In addition to his advisory work, he is involved with Palumbo Financial & Tax Services LLC, where he provides tax preparation and accounting services. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm supporting a nationwide network of independent advisors, serving individual, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with a range of portfolio management options, including model portfolios, third-party managers, and bespoke strategies, with over $256 billion in assets under management.

Eric Armentrout is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and seven years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at T Rowe Price and Equitable Advisors. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as certain retail brokerage clients. The firm emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and integrates its services closely with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Ethan Singer is a financial advisor at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked previously at The Colony Group, LLC and Buckingham Strategic Partners, LLC. Focus Partners serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients with a comprehensive range of wealth management and advisory services. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach that combines active and passive strategies within an enhanced open architecture framework.

Brian Moore is a financial advisor with Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC, holding a Series 65 credential and bringing 13 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Advisory Services Network, LLC, and Precision Capital Management. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in several non-investment business activities including ownership roles in insurance commissions and land ownership ventures. Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC is an enterprise-scale RIA managing approximately $36.7 billion in regulatory assets. The firm serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as institutional clients such as pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, offering a range of investment advisory and financial planning services.

Rodney Laurenz is a financial advisor with Flagship Harbor Advisors, LLC in Boston, MA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 24 years of industry experience. He has been with Flagship Harbor Advisors and LPL Financial since 2011. Laurenz teaches several investment-related classes annually through the Cambridge Centre for Adult Education. Flagship Harbor Advisors is an SEC-registered firm that serves individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $3.42 billion in discretionary assets and employs a range of investment strategies including mutual funds, ETFs, individual securities, and third-party managed accounts.

Matthew Armendinger is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designations. He specializes in helping individuals and families with various financial strategies including employee benefits planning, family wealth management strategies, investment consulting for defined contribution plans, legacy planning, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, small business strategies, tax minimization, and retirement income. Matthew earned his Bachelor's Degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University and remains actively engaged with his alma mater through the Fairleigh Dickinson Young Alumni Association. His professional involvement extends to volunteering as a guest speaker with ALPFA NJ and supporting the Lupus Foundation for America, New Jersey Chapter. Outside of his professional work, Matthew enjoys baseball, basketball, football, golfing, reading, running, spending time with his family, and practicing yoga. He participates in activities such as running with his run club in Jersey City and competing in indoor golf leagues.

William Frankenstein is a CFP® with 42 years of industry experience, currently serving as an investment advisor representative at Sovran Advisors, LLC. His prior roles include positions at Mass Mutual Investors Services, MassMutual Life Insurance Co., and MetLife Securities Inc. He is also involved with the Foundation for Senior Services, where he discusses financial planning with seniors. Sovran Advisors provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, charitable and corporate entities, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $1.78 billion in client assets through a team of about 53 advisors, offering customized portfolio management and diversified investment strategies.

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.