Large-firm, multi-generational wealth transfer financial advisors in Gaithersburg, MD

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.

You might be facing complex decisions about passing wealth to your children or grandchildren, especially in a state like Maryland that has both estate and inheritance taxes. Without careful planning, you could unintentionally trigger significant tax burdens or family disputes.

  • Tax-aware strategies. Look for advisors who understand how Maryland’s dual tax system affects your estate and can help minimize what your heirs owe.
  • Generational coordination. Ask how they involve multiple family members to align goals and prevent conflicts across generations.
  • Asset protection focus. Confirm they consider how to shield assets from creditors or divorce, preserving wealth for future heirs.
  • Long-term outlook. Wealth transfer isn’t a one-time event; check how they plan for changes in laws and family circumstances over decades.

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

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Martin D

Series 66

Montgomery Village, MD

Fidelity

Martin Depetris is a Series 66 registered advisor with Fidelity Investments, bringing six years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Bank of America, Merrill, H. Beck, Inc., Scottrade, and the University of Maryland University College. He works with Strategic Advisers LLC, a Fidelity Investments company that provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients. The firm utilizes a combination of proprietary fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction to manage model portfolios involving mutual funds, ETFs, and ETPs.

Charitable giving & philanthropy Active portfolio management
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Matthew B

CFP®, Series 66

Gaithersburg, MD

MAI Capital Management, LLC

Matthew Bacon is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 14 years of industry experience. He is currently with Carmichael Hill & Associates, Inc and has prior experience at University Federal Credit Union and Cuso Financial Services, L.P. He is based in Gaithersburg, MD. Matthew is affiliated with MAI Capital Management, LLC, an enterprise firm managing $72.3 billion in assets as of May 31, 2026. MAI provides a range of services including discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, integrated wealth management, retirement plan consulting, and family-office services for individuals, families, sports professionals, trusts, and institutional clients.

Private / alternative investments Business exit / sale strategy Trust structures (GRAT, IDGT, revocable) Tax strategies for small businesses Founder/Business Owner
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Cornell A

Series 65

Gaithersburg, MD

Beacon Investment Advisors LLC

Cornell Abod is the principal of Beacon Investment Advisors LLC in Gaithersburg, MD, holding a Series 65 designation and with 22 years of industry experience. He has been with Beacon Investment Advisors since 2003 and also owns C.P. Abod & Co., LLC, an accounting services firm, and Beacon RPC, LLC, a retirement plan consulting company. Mr. Abod dedicates a significant portion of his time to accounting and retirement plan consulting activities. Beacon Investment Advisors provides wealth management and discretionary portfolio management services to individuals, families, trusts, estates, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm’s investment approach centers on customized asset allocation guided by fundamental analysis and includes a range of securities and strategies tailored to client needs.

Active portfolio management Concentrated stock management Options & derivatives strategies Private / alternative investments
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Mariah L

Series 66

Gaithersburg, MD

LPL Financial

Mariah Lightfoot is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with eight years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at LPL Financial since 2019. Prior to that, she was with Mass Mutual Investors Services and Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company from 2017 to 2019. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, financial planning, and consulting services, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by proprietary and third-party research.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
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Robert C

Series 63, Series 65

Gaithersburg, MD

Transamerica Financial Advisors

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.

ESG / Sustainable investing Concentrated stock management Wealth management Founder/Business Owner
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Kayla S

Series 65, Series 63

Warwick, RI

Mass Mutual Investors Services

Kayla Santos is a financial advisor with Mass Mutual Investors Services and holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses. She has 10 years of industry experience, including roles at MetLife Securities and Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company. In addition to her advisory work, she operates as an independent insurance agent specializing in life, fixed annuities, disability, long-term care, and health insurance. Mass Mutual Investors Services, LLC is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm provides ongoing financial planning, asset management, and educational seminars, utilizing firm-approved tools to develop collaborative, goal-oriented financial plans.

Divorce financial planning General estate planning guidance Multi-generational wealth transfer Cash flow / budgeting Founder/Business Owner Attorney Executive Married/Couples/Partners Divorced
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Deborah E

Series 63, Series 66

Cape Girardeau, MO

Edward Jones

Deborah Etherton is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Cape Girardeau, MO, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with 20 years of industry experience. She has been with Edward Jones since 2005. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a range of advisory strategies, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee programs, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Multi-generational wealth transfer Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive

George B

Series 66

Austin, TX

Merrill

George Bonikos is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. In his role, he focuses on helping clients build, manage, and optimize their wealth through clear and disciplined strategies tailored to their goals. His areas of expertise include family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, and retirement income. George's approach is rooted in curiosity, discipline, and a drive for continuous improvement. He aims to be a trusted partner for clients navigating complex financial decisions and planning for their financial futures. George holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Hunter College and is a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). Outside of his professional work, he enjoys adventure sports, camping, chess, cooking, fishing, hiking, music, reading, rock climbing, and spending time with his family.

Wealth management General retirement planning Retirement income strategy
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Carson L

CFP®, Series 66

Greenville, RI

Kintra Wealth, LLC

Carson Leydecker is a CFP® professional with two years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Kintra Wealth, LLC. He has held positions at Kintra Wealth and Mutual Securities, Inc. since 2026 and previously worked at Loring Advisory Group and Commonwealth Financial Network. Kintra Wealth serves individuals, families, trusts, charitable organizations, foundations, pension plans, and corporations, providing wealth management, financial planning, retirement-plan consulting, and portfolio management. The firm combines client interviews and document review with model-driven asset allocation and fundamental security analysis to implement tax-efficient investment strategies on a household basis.

Business exit / sale strategy Retirement income strategy General retirement planning Wealth management Founder/Business Owner
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Taylor S

CFP®, Series 65

Chamblee, GA

Verisail Partners, LLC

Taylor Stanfill is a CFP® professional with 15 years of industry experience. He has been with Veritas Planning Group since 2014 and is currently part of the Verisail Partners, LLC team in Chamblee, GA. Verisail Partners serves individuals, families, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and other institutions with comprehensive financial planning and investment management. The firm employs a top-down, asset-allocation first approach, emphasizing a factor-based framework informed by the Fama-French three-factor model, and manages portfolios primarily on a discretionary basis.

Retirement income strategy Income planning Multi-generational wealth transfer College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Factor investing / smart beta Founder/Business Owner Retired
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Jeffrey P

Series 66

Dacula, GA

Merrill

Jeffrey Park is a financial advisor at Merrill with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Merrill and affiliated firms since 2011, including roles at JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities. Outside of his advisory work, he is a sole owner and co-owner of family rental properties in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

Tax-loss harvesting Active portfolio management Wealth management
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Scott M

Series 63, Series 65

New York, NY

Morgan Stanley

Scott Mahoney is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in New York, NY, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley since 2009, including roles at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved with Giants Foot Cubed LLC. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a large SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a wide range of advisory programs and financial planning services supported by structured planning tools and broad investment resources.

General estate planning guidance
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Elizabeth B

Series 66

New York, NY

J.P. Morgan Securities

Elizabeth Brown is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in New York, NY, where she has worked since 2012. She has 26 years of industry experience. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to clients such as corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Wesley P

Series 63, Series 66

Fort Worth, TX

Wells Fargo Clearing

Wesley Pool is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at JPMorgan Securities LLC for seven years. Outside of finance, he has been involved with #TagMeBro LLC and Fry Street Public House. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions.

Retired Founder/Business Owner
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Willie M

Series 63, Series 66

Cary, NC

Equitable Advisors

Willie Myles is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2016 and previously at AXA Advisors, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for the nonprofit Alpha Light Fund Inc., focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual, high-net-worth, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients, offering financial planning, broker-dealer services, insurance distribution, and access to third-party asset management programs. The firm operates as both an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, leveraging LPL-sponsored programs and endorsed TAMPs to deliver advisory and brokerage solutions.

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