Independent advisors focused on retirement plans for business owners (sep, solo 401k) in District of Columbia

The right financial advisor for you depends on how you weigh location, expertise, experience, the clients they typically serve, and how they work with you.

If you run a business and want to set up a retirement plan like a SEP or solo 401(k), you need an advisor who understands how these plans fit into your overall financial picture. A common mistake is choosing an advisor who treats your business retirement plan separately from your personal finances, missing opportunities to optimize both.

  • Plan type guidance. Confirm they explain the pros and cons of SEP versus solo 401(k) based on your business size and income.
  • Contribution strategy. Ask how they help balance your business contributions with your personal retirement goals.
  • Tax implications. Make sure they consider how plan contributions affect your business taxes and personal tax situation.
  • Independent advice. Since these advisors operate independently, check how they tailor recommendations without product sales pressure.

Here are top matches to get you started. Review each profile to compare experience, credentials, and approach.

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Dexter W

Series 63, Series 66

Washington, DC

Morgan Stanley

Dexter Walker is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 28 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. since 2015 and MORGAN STANLEY SMITH BARNEY llc since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, he is a 40% owner of Washington DC Inferno, LLC, a professional women's squash franchise. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management serves individual and institutional clients with a wide range of advisory programs and tailored financial planning, managing approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets. The firm’s planning process includes structured discovery and firm-approved tools but does not provide individual security recommendations as part of standalone planning.

General estate planning guidance
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David C

Series 63, Series 65

Annapolis, MD

Westbourne Investment Advisors Inc.

David Cunningham is a financial advisor with Westbourne Investment Advisors Inc. in Annapolis, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 27 years of industry experience. He has worked at Westbourne Investment Advisors since 2007 and has been with Cunningham Capital Management, LLC since 2012. Westbourne Investment Advisors provides discretionary portfolio management to individuals, trusts, pension plans, and non-profit organizations. The firm employs an equity-oriented, buy-and-hold investment strategy supported by fundamental analysis and technical review, managing approximately $359 million across about 420 accounts.

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Concentrated stock management
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Stephen D

Series 66

Atlanta, GA

Equitable Advisors

Stephen Dunbar III is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Atlanta, GA, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. He has been with Equitable Advisors since 2010, previously associated with AXA Advisors, LLC during the same period. Outside of advising, he writes a monthly financial column for Kiplinger and is involved as an owner and investor in a family-run baking business. Equitable Advisors serves individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement-plan support, and access to asset management through LPL programs and third-party asset managers. The firm operates a hybrid referral and implementation model that combines advisory and brokerage services tailored to clients’ goals, risk tolerance, and time horizons.

Retirement income strategy Social Security optimization Founder/Business Owner Retired Executive Approaching retirement Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964)
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Anne W

Series 63, Series 66

Chicago, IL

Thrivent Investment Management

Anne Whiting is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and possessing 14 years of industry experience. Her prior work includes roles at O Long Law, LLC, Churchill Capital USA, Inc., and Rodan + Fields. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients, focusing on holistic, goal-based financial planning rather than portfolio management. The firm offers these planning services either on a one-time or ongoing basis and allows clients to integrate planning with managed accounts through a consolidated billing option called “WealthPlan.”

Business ownership considerations
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Heather R

Series 63, Series 65

Laurel, MD

Transamerica Financial Advisors

Heather Ramlal is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and nine years of industry experience. She has held roles at HLR Financial Solutions Inc and Amplify, an education company, alongside her ongoing work with Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2016. Ramlal is also president of HLR Financial Solutions Inc, an S corporation established for expense documentation purposes. Transamerica Financial Advisors provides investment advisory, brokerage, and retirement-plan services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, employer-sponsored plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes a model portfolio approach implemented through third-party managers and proprietary platforms such as Transamerica ONE and TFA365.

ESG / Sustainable investing Concentrated stock management Wealth management Founder/Business Owner
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Craig M

Series 63, Series 65

Columbia, SC

Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC

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.

Active portfolio management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Annuities Options & derivatives strategies Founder/Business Owner Retired
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Hassan A

Series 63, Series 65

Rockville, MD

LPL Financial

Hassan Al Kadhimi is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Rockville, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and one year of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at J.P. Morgan Securities, JP Morgan Chase Bank, and TD Bank. He is also involved with NIHFCU Wealth Advisors, a DBA for his LPL business. LPL Financial provides advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, institutions, and high-net-worth households. The firm offers a variety of delivery options supported by an in-house research team, combining large-scale advisory operations with a broad range of financial products.

Wealth management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Tax-loss harvesting Founder/Business Owner Retired
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Elanna G

CFP®, Series 66

Cleveland, OH

Cambridge Investment Research Advisors

Elanna Gould is a CFP® professional with five years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors. Her prior work includes roles at PepsiCo and The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Center. She also maintains an independent insurance agency representing various insurance companies. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a diverse clientele including individual investors, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, portfolio management, and access to third-party sub-advisers through multiple account platforms.

Retirement income strategy Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Annuities Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Thomas T

Series 66

Independence, OH

Hantz financial Services, Inc.

Thomas Trefzger is a financial advisor at Hantz Financial Services, Inc. with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Hantz Financial Services since 2018. Prior to his advisory role, he was employed at Sprint and also spent time at Cleveland State University. Hantz Financial Services serves a diverse client base including individual investors, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and retirement plan sponsors. The firm employs model-driven ETF strategies along with managed account solutions and offers a broad range of financial planning, wealth management, and fiduciary services supported by affiliated entities such as a trust company and in-house tax and business consulting.

Private / alternative investments Tax-loss harvesting Active portfolio management Passive / index investing Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Taylor R

Series 63, Series 65

San Francisco, CA

Oppenheimer

Taylor Reed is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Atlas Capital Advisors LLC, New York Life Insurance Company, and NYLIFE Securities LLC. He is based in San Francisco, CA. Oppenheimer serves a broad client base including individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm provides advisory and brokerage services such as discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, consulting, retirement services, and financial planning, utilizing a range of asset allocation and investment strategies.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Wealth management Active portfolio management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Jared F

Series 65

Huntington Beach, CA

Northwest Asset Management

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.

Retirement income strategy Wealth management Active portfolio management Founder/Business Owner
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Edwina M

Series 65

Cincinnati, OH

Waverly Advisors, LLC

Edwina Martin is a financial advisor at Waverly Advisors, LLC with two years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at 9258 Wealth Management for five years and Teradata Corp for eleven years. In addition to her advisory role, she serves as assistant director of tax planning at 9258 Tax and Planning. Waverly Advisors, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise adviser serving individuals, corporations, retirement plans, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and fiduciary services, employing a combination of centralized and customized investment strategies across traditional and alternative asset classes.

Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Tax-loss harvesting Options & derivatives strategies ESG / Sustainable investing Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Craig M

Series 63, Series 65

Columbia, SC

Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC

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.

Active portfolio management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Annuities Options & derivatives strategies Founder/Business Owner Retired
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David H

Series 65

Corona, CA

Safeguard Investment Advisory Group, LLC

David Hart is a financial advisor with Safeguard Investment Advisory Group, LLC, holding a Series 65 credential and 15 years of industry experience. He has worked with Safeguard since 2020 and previously held roles at LifePro Asset Management, LLC, Martin and Associates Insurance Services, Inc., and Martin Wealth Management, LLC. Hart is also a Certified Financial Fiduciary and volunteers as an instructor with the Foundation for Fiduciary Education (NACFF), providing unbiased fiduciary financial education. Safeguard Investment Advisory Group, LLC serves individual, high-net-worth, institutional, and business clients, offering discretionary portfolio management, access to third-party sub-advisers, and fee-based financial planning. The firm employs a fundamental-analysis investment process with a preferred horizon of two to ten years and manages over $600 million across approximately 1,800 client relationships.

Wealth management Passive / index investing Active portfolio management Retirement income strategy
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Sarah C

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Boston, MA

Santander Securities LLC

Sarah Currier Barrella is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 26 years of industry experience. She is currently with Santander Securities LLC and Santander Bank, NA, having previously worked at TD Bank and Citizens Securities, Inc. Barrella holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Santander Securities LLC provides investment advisory and related services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, charitable organizations, retirement plans, and institutional clients. The firm offers wrap-fee advisory programs and financial planning services, delivering investment advice through the FMAX managed-account platform with discretionary portfolio management and ongoing suitability reviews.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting General retirement planning Income planning Founder/Business Owner
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