Independent, retirement income strategy financial advisors in Towson, MD

James Simmons is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 28 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments and The Simmons Partnership, Inc. since 2011. In addition to his advisory role, he is involved in the sales and service of fixed life insurance and annuity contracts as an insurance agent. The Simmons Partnership, Inc. advises individuals, trusts, foundations, pension plans, and corporations, serving both high-net-worth and non-HNW clients with financial planning, retirement-plan consulting, and portfolio management. The firm constructs portfolios based on client-specific asset allocation guidelines using a variety of investment vehicles and provides services on discretionary and non-discretionary bases.

Michele Beernink is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory in Towson, MD, holding a Series 65 credential and bringing 16 years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Verdence Capital Advisors, Private Advisor Group, and LPL Financial. She also serves as Director of Private Wealth Services at Capital Financial Partners, LLC. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to institutional and individual clients, including plan sponsors. The firm offers fiduciary consulting, plan design, and investment advice supported by due diligence, serving a diverse client base that includes large institutional investors and sovereign wealth funds.

Austin Smith is a financial advisor with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors in Towson, MD, holding a Series 66 designation and eight years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. and The Legacy Group, Inc., where he has also worked as an independent insurance agent. Prior to his advisory career, he spent a year with the United States Postal Service. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors is a large SEC-registered firm serving a diverse client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, trusts, and retirement-plan sponsors. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, and retirement plan advisory services through a network of independent Financial Professionals, utilizing a range of portfolio management approaches and proprietary as well as third-party strategies.

Joseph Valletta is the principal of HR Investment Consultants, Inc. in Baltimore, MD, holding a Series 65 credential with 35 years of industry experience. He has been with HR Investment Consultants since 1994. Outside of advisory services, he co-owns Pension Data Source, Inc., a firm that publishes fee benchmarking data for retirement plans. HR Investment Consultants, Inc. provides specialized retirement-plan consulting to corporations, institutions, and associations with participant-directed plans, focusing on 401(k) and 403(b) sponsors. The firm operates as a solo practice serving a limited client base, offering non-discretionary fiduciary and non-fiduciary consulting services without managing client assets.

Thaddeus Pedzich is a financial advisor with Cetera who holds the ChFC® designation and has 36 years of industry experience. He has worked at Cetera and its affiliates since 2021 and previously spent seven years with VOYA Financial Advisors. He serves as president and owner of Green Gate Technology, Inc., where he manages business, financial, accounting, and personnel activities, and is a member of the finance committee at Life Bible Fellowship Church. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered adviser operating a large nationwide network of independent advisors, serving individuals, retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with various portfolio management and financial planning services, supporting a wide range of program structures and custodial relationships.

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.

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.

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, previously serving at Axa Advisors and MSI Financial Services. Outside of advising, he is a co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for Alpha Light Fund Inc., a nonprofit focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a range of clients including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement consulting, and asset management through a network of representatives and third-party managers. The firm offers various investment vehicles and ERISA fiduciary services, relying on third-party program sponsors and an affiliation with a publicly traded parent company.

Elanna Gould is a CFP® professional with six years of experience, currently advising at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors in Cleveland, OH. Her background includes roles at PepsiCo and The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Center, as well as academic experience at The Ohio State University. She is also an independent insurance agent for various companies. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a broad client base, including individuals, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through a network of independent professionals. The firm provides a range of portfolio management options, proprietary and third-party strategies, and various custody platforms tailored to client objectives.

Gordon Brown III is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with 18 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Edward Jones since 2008. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, with approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment options, operating under a fiduciary standard.

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.