Top Financial Advisor Firms in Maryland

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Chevy Chase Trust Company (CCTC), a fee-only financial advisor located in Bethesda, is the No. 1-rated advisory firm in Maryland. 

CCTC mainly serves high-net-worth individuals. With a $3 million minimum account size, the firm does not currently work with individuals below the high-net-worth threshold. However, it does serve other investment companies, pooled investment vehicles, pensions and profit-sharing plans, charities, local governments, insurance companies, corporations and escrows. 

The firm's advisory staff has a number of accredited professionals. Certifications include: 

• Chartered financial analysts (CFAs)
• Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®)
• Certified public accountants (CPAs)
• Chartered market technician (CMT)
• Certified trust and financial advisors (CTFAs)

As a fee-only firm, CCTC's advisors do not earn commissions or sell third-party products. Instead, their compensation comes solely from the fees that clients pay for their services. 

CCTC was first established in 1997. Services available to individual clients of this firm include financial planning and investment management. More precisely, financial planning can touch on topics like asset allocation, estate planning, cash flow and wealth projections, among others. 

The firm primarily relies on a thematic investment strategy, focusing on long-term secular trends, innovations and economic shifts rather than traditional classifications like value or growth. Portfolios may include equities, fixed income, ETFs, ADRs, options, and real estate-related instruments. Fixed income investments can include government, corporate and foreign bonds. The firm customizes portfolios to client needs, aiming for long-term, risk-adjusted returns.

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1919 Investment Counsel is a fee-only firm that serves both high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth individuals, as well as investment companies, pensions and profit-sharing plans, charities, local governments and corporations. 

The firm, which is also featured in our Baltimore financial advisor rankings, has a number of accredited professionals, including chartered financial analysts (CFAs), Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®), certified trust and financial advisors (CTFAs), among others.

1919 Investment Counsel provides comprehensive investment advisory services, including discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management. Its offerings include financial planning, family office services and estate and generational wealth planning. The firm also serves as an investment manager for mutual funds and offers tailored portfolios based on each client’s financial goals and circumstances.

Depending on the investment program, clients will have a minimum balance requirement to open an account, ranging from $10,000 for access to the firm's fund asset allocation programs to $500,000 for a tailored investment strategy. As its name indicates, the firm was established in 1919. It is now a subsidiary of Stifel Financial Corp., which is a financial services holding company. 

The firm emphasizes actively managed, customized portfolios based on each client’s risk tolerance, return objectives and financial needs. 1919's investment philosophy focuses on high-quality, mid- to large-cap equities and investment-grade fixed income. Advisors use proprietary and third-party research, and may incorporate mutual funds, ETFs, private equity, hedge funds or real estate. Responsible and impact investing options are also available.

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Facet Wealth is a fee-only advisor that provides holistic financial planning and investment management exclusively to individual clients. Unlike many traditional advisors, Facet offers its services virtually through a flat-fee, membership-based model.

Services are structured across four membership tiers—Foundations, Core, Plus and Complete—based on the complexity of each client’s financial needs. The firm primarily serves U.S. residents and delivers advice via phone, video and a proprietary web platform through a team of Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®). While the High-Yield account has no minimum, other investment accounts require a $500 initial investment. Annual fees range from $1,000 to $7,000, depending on the selected tier.

Facet’s planning services may include goal setting, investment management, retirement and education planning, tax and insurance guidance, estate planning via Wealth.com and employee benefits analysis. Investment management is included at no extra cost and is tailored to each member’s financial goals and risk profile. Portfolios are primarily composed of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and may also include individual equities, mutual funds and bonds. Qualified members can access additional strategies like Direct Indexing and an Alternative Income Strategy, which may involve private credit or real estate.

Facet emphasizes a personalized, tax-aware investment approach. Strategies may include ESG investing, tax-loss harvesting and proprietary algorithms for optimizing legacy assets. Portfolios are aligned with one of four allocation profiles—Aggressive, Moderately Aggressive, Moderate or Conservative—and rebalanced occassionally to maintain the target mix.

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T. Rowe Price Advisory Services provides discretionary and nondiscretionary investment advisory services to individual investors, including online portfolio management (ActivePlus Portfolios®) and retirement fund recommendations. The firm supports a range of account types, including individual taxable accounts and traditional, Roth and rollover IRAs. The ActivePlus Portfolios® program requires a $50,000 minimum investment and a $10,000 ongoing balance minimum. No separate advisory fees are charged; compensation comes from management fees within proprietary mutual funds.

Founded in 2000, T. Rowe Price Advisory Services works exclusively with individuals below the high-net-worth threshold. 

The firm’s ActivePlus Portfolios® rely on long-term, diversified asset allocation using only T. Rowe Price mutual funds. Portfolios are tailored based on clients’ time horizons and risk tolerance, and categorized along a spectrum from conservative to aggressive. Equity allocations include a mix of U.S. and international stocks across different market capitalizations, while fixed income investments span investment-grade, high-yield and emerging market bonds. 

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D.F. Dent and Company is a fee-only advisory practice that's been in business since 1976, making it the third-oldest firm on this list. For individual clients, account minimums range from $1 million to $5 million, depending on the type of portfolio you own.

High-net-worth individuals comprise the largest percentage of D.F. Dent's client base. The firm also works with individuals below the high-net-worth threshold and a variety of institutional clients, including retirement plans, charities, pooled investment vehicles, government entities, among others. 

These clients may receive a combination of discretionary investment advisory and financial planning services, along with sub?advisory support and continuous account monitoring. Investment advisory services may be rendered through separately managed accounts, mutual funds, wrap-fee and unified managed account (UMA) programs.

The D.F. Dent team features a number of chartered financial analysts (CFAs). Meanwhile, some staff members hold other credentials like the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) or certified public accountant (CPA). 

According to the firm's website, it adheres to a quality-growth, concentrated, low-turnover equity approach that's complemented by fixed income. D.F. Dent invests in domestic equities—across small-, mid- and all?cap growth strategies—alongside investment-grade bonds, ETFs, options and cash equivalents. Investment decisions draw on fundamental, technical and cyclical methods of analysis supported by extensive research.

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Harbor Investment Advisory is a fee-based financial advisor firm located in Lutherville. It serves both high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth individuals, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, charities and corporations.

The minimum account size at Harbor varies based on the type of account a client selects, ranging up to $1 million. Fees at Harbor are generally based on a percentage of assets under management, though some services are subject to a flat fee.

Harbor is both an investment advisor and a broker-dealer. Therefore, it may charge a commission when it is acting as a broker-dealer and not as an investment advisor for specific assets. 

There are numerous advisors at the firm with multiple professional certifications, including:

• Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®)
• Chartered financial analyst (CFA)
• Chartered retirement planning counselor (CRPC)
• Certified investment management analyst (CIMA)
• Certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA)
• Certified private wealth advisor (CPWA)

Founded in 2010, Harbor Investment Advisory offers a broad range of services including discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory, financial planning and retirement plan consulting. The firm also provides portfolio management through third-party platforms like Envestnet, access to wrap fee programs and brokerage services for clients preferring transactional support without ongoing advice. 

Advisors at Harbor work with clients to develop a strategy that fits their life and goals. A mix of quantitative and qualitative analyses are used to develop investment strategies. Possible investments include stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, variable annuities and asset classes.

Quantitative analysis is done using only raw numbers; outside factors affecting the company won't be considered. Qualitative analysis, on the other hand, looks at the full story behind a company. If a new management team is hired or a new strategy is put in place, this analysis may cause stockpickers to buy or sell shares of the company.

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G10 is a fee-only firm located in Hunt Valley that specializes in highly customized investment management and wealth advisory services to high-net worth-individuals, family offices and institutions.

The firm's services include managing private investment vehicles, separately managed accounts (SMAs) and comprehensive family office support. G10’s offerings encompass investment management, tax and estate planning, strategic family planning, philanthropic planning and assistance with major asset transactions, all tailored to support multigenerational wealth preservation and growth. The firm does not list investment minimums for its private funds or SMAs in its Form ADV brochure. 

G10 was founded in 2023 by the principals of Knollwood Investment Advisory, LLC—a family office established to manage a wealthy family's assets. G10 remains under the ownership of the Mary Catherine Bunting 2011 Perpetual GST Exemption Trust. 

The firm focuses on long-term capital appreciation through private market investments, emphasizing direct, co-investment and secondary opportunities, especially in technology-driven companies. The firm also incorporates public equities, fixed income, digital assets and real estate when aligned with client goals. Using a data-driven, qualitative due diligence approach, G10 builds customized portfolios based on each client’s objectives, risk tolerance and liquidity needs.

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Founded in 1986, Baltimore-Washington Financial Advisors (BWFA) is a fee-only firm that offers financial planning, investment management, tax preparation and consulting services. BWFA also provides business advisory services and employer-sponsored retirement plans. Their offerings include tailored financial blueprints, retirement and estate planning, business valuations and support for buying/selling businesses.

The firm primarily works with individuals and high-net-worth individuals, as well as charitable organizations, corporations and other businesses. Unlike other firms on this list, there is no minimum investment or account size requirement to be a client. Members of the BDFA team hold a variety of financial credentials, including the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), certified public accountant (CPA), certified investment management analyst (CIMA), chartered retirement planning counselor (CRPC) and chartered financial consultant (ChFC) designations, among others. 

BWFA relies on a long-term, research-driven investment strategy focused on capital growth. They construct diversified portfolios using public securities—stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs—and consider each client’s risk tolerance and goals. Investments are selected based on in-depth analysis, aiming to reduce volatility and avoid speculative practices. Their typical holding period is three to five years.

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XML Financial Group is a fee-based advisory practice that serves both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, charities and businesses. 

Members of the XML team hold a variety of professional credentials, including the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), chartered financial analyst (CFA), chartered life underwriter (CLU), retirement income certified professional (RICP), chartered retirement planning counselor (CRPC), among others. 

The firm does not have a set account minimum. However, clients enrolled in the Morningstar Managed Portfolios (MMP) through XML have a $50,000 minimum account size. 

Located in Bethesda, XML Financial first came into the financial services industry in 2016. Today, it exists as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Focus Operating, LLC. It provides a range of personalized financial services, including discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting and advisory consulting. The firm also offers wrap fee programs that bundle management and transaction fees into a single cost. Services are tailored to individual needs and may involve selecting investments, creating financial plans and advising on assets held at third-party custodians or within retirement accounts.

XML Financial runs various asset-management programs through different investment advisor representatives (IARs). Based on your needs, it may recommend a particular model with a specific asset allocation and investment objective. The firm will build a strategy based on your individual financial circumstances and investment goals. It may construct your portfolio with exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds, as well as individual stocks and bonds.

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Heritage Investors Management Corp., a fee-only firm in Bethesda, rounds out our list of the top financial advisors in Maryland. Heritage serves both high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth individuals, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, charities and corporations.

The advisory team holds multiple professional certifications, including the chartered financial analyst (CFA) and certified public accountant (CPA) designations. The firm calls for a $2 million account minimum. 

Founded in 1974, Heritage is the second-oldest firm on this list. Heritage offers both discretionary and non-discretionary investment management services tailored to individual client objectives. In doing so, the firm considers a client's risk tolerance, tax situation, income needs and preferences for specific industries or securities. 

Heritage primarily invests in stocks, bonds, exchanged-traded funds (ETFs) and money market instruments. The decisions it makes about specific investments are not only affected by clients’ needs, but also by any domestic or foreign events that occur that could affect the market.

Heritage says that it typically engages in long-term purchases of securities, and the firm’s advisors will usually only hold onto investments long enough to make sure that taxes don’t heavily impact returns. Still, it does not believe that securities should be bought and held forever, and it will adjust portfolios in response to economic and market conditions. It occasionally engages in short-selling and margin transactions, though only after consulting with the client about the risks of these strategies.