Top financial advisors working with African American clients in Gaithersburg, MD

Martin Depetris is a financial advisor at Fidelity with seven years of industry experience and holds the Series 66 designation. His prior work includes roles at Bank of America, Merrill, H. Beck, and Scottrade, as well as four years at Fidelity Investments, LLC. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, including an IRS-qualified Charitable Gift Fund and registered investment companies. The firm employs a systematic investment approach that combines proprietary research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction across mutual funds, ETFs, and ETPs.

Matthew Bacon is a CFP® professional with 14 years of experience in financial advisory. He currently works at MAI Capital Management, LLC and has held previous roles at Carmichael Hill & Associates, University Federal Credit Union, CUSO Financial Services, MSI Financial Services, and New England Securities. MAI Capital Management, LLC provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, integrated wealth management, retirement plan consulting, and family-office services to a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, families, institutional clients, and sports professionals. The firm employs a range of portfolio management strategies and serves as both product sponsor and adviser to mutual funds and private investment vehicles.

Cornell Abod is the sole advisor at Beacon Investment Advisors LLC with a Series 65 credential and 23 years of industry experience. He has been with Beacon since 2003 and is also the owner of C.P. Abod & Co., LLC, an accounting firm, as well as Beacon RPC, LLC, a retirement plan consulting company. Beacon Investment Advisors LLC provides discretionary wealth management, portfolio management, and financial and retirement planning services to individuals, families, high-net-worth households, trusts, estates, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $542 million in discretionary assets and uses fundamental analysis to develop client-specific investment plans that often include diversified portfolios and derivative strategies.

Mariah Lightfoot is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with LPL Financial, based in Gaithersburg, MD, and has eight years of industry experience. She has worked at LPL Financial since 2019 and previously held roles at Mass Mutual Investors Services, Mass Mutual Life Insurance Co, MGM National Harbor, and Capella University. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser providing advisory and brokerage services to individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of financial planning and investment management solutions and supports its advisors with proprietary research, third-party strategies, and various operational tools.

Robert Costello is a financial advisor at Transamerica Financial Advisors with 30 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked at several firms including Grove Point Investments, H. Beck, and Prudential. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in rental property management. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a wide range of clients including individual investors, pension plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm offers both advisory and broker-dealer services, utilizing proprietary and third-party model portfolios across discretionary and non-discretionary platforms.

Glenn Evans is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, specializing in providing personalized financial strategies to a diverse client base. His clients include corporate executives in pharmaceutical, technology, and real estate sectors, business owners, attorneys, medical professionals, widows, members of the LGBTQ community, and extended families across more than 20 states. Glenn’s approach centers on understanding each client’s unique goals and challenges, with an emphasis on planning-based wealth management and legacy strategies. Before joining Merrill, Glenn held senior corporate development and strategy roles at Fortune 500 companies and served as a mezzanine lender to middle market businesses. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor’s degree from Amherst College. Glenn’s professional credentials include the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP®) certification, Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC™) designation, and Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA™) designation. He is an Advisory Member of the Association of African American Financial Advisors and serves as a Trustee of The Kappa Guide Right & Scholarship Fund of Montclair, supporting leadership development and scholarships for local high school seniors. In addition to his advisory work, Glenn contributes as a pro bono consultant to nonprofit organizations focused on arts and education and participates in the Harvard Business School Club of New York Community Partners Initiative. He resides in Livingston, New Jersey, with his daughter and enjoys activities such as biking, hiking, running, swimming, photography, music, genealogy, and traveling.

As a Certified Financial Planner®, my goal is to help you take charge of your finances without the lecture, just practical advice. My approach provides the tools and know-how to handle your money like a pro, no spreadsheets required (unless you’re into that sort of thing). You’ll walk away making confident financial decisions without second-guessing yourself. You’ll get a custom financial plan made just for you by a CFP® professional, but we don’t just hand it over and wish you luck. We’ll help you actually put it into action, so it doesn’t just gather digital dust.

Andy Loving is a CFP® with 26 years of industry experience. He is based in Louisville, KY, and has worked with First Affirmative Financial Network, LLC for 13 years prior to his current role at Natural Investments. Natural Investments is a values-focused advisory firm serving individual clients, including high-net-worth households, institutions, and charitable entities. The firm manages approximately $2.05 billion through a team of 24 advisors and emphasizes asset-class diversification and a long-term investment approach using socially responsible funds and community investment instruments.

Cindy Mota Rios is a CFP® with six years of industry experience, currently serving at Re Envision Wealth in New York, NY. Her previous roles include positions at Grid 202 Partners, Greenspring Advisors, LLC, and Quadrant Capital Management. Outside of her advisory work, she owns Sublime, a business focused on Mindset and NLP-related coaching. Re Envision Wealth is an SEC-registered advisory firm that serves individual and high-net-worth households as well as some institutional clients. The firm provides financial planning, investment consultation, wealth management, and discretionary portfolio management, emphasizing asset allocation combined with fundamental and cyclical analysis and due diligence on private-market opportunities.

Tarif Carson, CFP®, serves as the Director of Portfolio Strategy & Wealth Planner at 2nd Story Wealth Planners, LLC, where he blends nearly 20 years of portfolio management expertise with his passion for cultivating meaningful client relationships. He designs and oversees the investment portfolio models that guide clients toward their financial goals, while also working directly with clients to deliver personalized financial strategies that align with their values, aspirations, and long-term legacies. Throughout his career, Tarif has partnered with many clients—from high-net-worth individuals managing significant portfolios to underserved communities striving toward financial independence. His professional journey includes roles as a Senior Lead Planner at Facet Wealth, where he helped clients achieve major life goals such as early retirement, homeownership, and world travel, and as a Senior Financial Advisor at Vanguard, managing over $500 million in assets while collaborating with clients and their tax professionals to ensure tax-efficient decisions. Tarif’s approach to planning evolves as life changes, ensuring clients' financial plans remain flexible and forward-looking. In addition to his technical expertise, Tarif believes strongly in the power of personal growth and financial legacy. His guiding philosophy: "Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny," serves as the foundation for how he advises clients on building lasting legacies for their families. Outside of his professional role, Tarif is focused on planting the seeds of a meaningful legacy for his family and helping his clients do the same—building not just wealth, but values that endure across generations. His commitment to mentorship extends this philosophy, as he is dedicated to guiding and developing aspiring financial planners. Through mentorship, Tarif ensures that the next generation of financial professionals upholds the same standards of integrity, service, and the pursuit of financial empowerment. Tarif earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the first HBCU Cheyney University and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation. He is also a member of the Financial Planning Association, Association for African American Financial Advisors and a VITA Volunteer who helps income tax payers accurately prepare and file taxes