Independent financial advisors working with faith-focused clients 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.

Kurt Supe is a financial advisor with Creative Financial Designs, Inc. in Kokomo, IN, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. He has been involved with Supe Culpepper Inc DBA Creative Financial Group and related entities since 2006, focusing on insurance, tax planning, and financial services. Outside of advisory work, Supe is involved in tax planning and preparation, online retail sales, and authoring tax-related content for Amazon. Creative Financial Designs serves individual clients, charitable organizations, corporate and business clients, and employer retirement plans with a range of investment management and financial planning services. The firm uses a model-driven investment approach informed by third-party research and offers various strategies including Biblical Responsible Investing, with flexible billing and execution options.

Owen Freel is a financial advisor at Christy Capital Management, Inc. in Macon, GA, holding a Series 65 designation with four years of industry experience. He has been with Christy Capital Management since 2018 and previously worked for Fountain Car Wash from 2016 to 2018. Christy Capital Management serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and retirement plans by providing investment advisory, wealth management, financial planning, and related services. The firm uses a client profile and risk-tolerance questionnaire to tailor recommendations and implements discretionary management through a subadvisor program, offering values- or faith-based model portfolios managed by EverSource Wealth Advisors.

Benjamin Nunn is a CFP® and Series 65-licensed financial advisor with 11 years of industry experience. He has been with Values First Advisors, Inc. since 2014. In addition to his advisory role, he is licensed to sell insurance and may receive commissions on insurance product sales. Values First Advisors, Inc. is an independent SEC-registered firm serving individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, and charitable organizations. The firm employs Biblically Responsible Investing principles and uses long-term equity and fixed-income strategies, managing approximately $215 million for nearly 1,000 clients through a team of seven advisors.

Robert Barber is a financial advisor with Christian Financial Advisors in New Braunfels, TX, holding a Series 63 license and bringing 32 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Cetera Advisor Networks LLC and Girard Securities, Inc. He is also the author of a book titled *7 Pillars of Biblical Stewardship*. Christian Financial Advisors is a team of five advisors managing approximately $187.7 million, serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and broker/dealers. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan services, employing a long-term, customized investment approach that incorporates a Biblically Responsible Investing overlay.

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.

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.