We’re doing something unusual in wealth management: openly recommending our most respected competitors.
Best Financial Advisors in Washington, DC, Maryland, Northern Virginia (2025 Update)
In an industry where most wealth management firms are reluctant to acknowledge their competitors, I’m taking a different approach. Having served as a financial advisor in the DC metro area for over 25 years—including leading the greater DC chapter of the International Association for Financial Planning and serving as President and chairman of the Financial Planning Association’s National Capital Area Chapter—I’ve had the privilege of knowing and working alongside many exceptional advisors.
Today, I’m sharing my personal recommendations for the best financial advisors across Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland. This isn’t based on standard industry metrics or typical ranking methodologies (you can learn more about how various “top advisor” lists work in our comprehensive guide). Instead, these recommendations come from direct professional experience—advisors I’ve worked with, referred clients to, or served alongside on professional boards.
Why Share Our Competition?
Sometimes we meet with potential clients and it’s just not the right fit. Perhaps our wealth management philosophies aren’t aligned, or they don’t meet our $2 million of investable assets minimum. That’s okay—because finding the right advisor fit is more important than winning every client. When Glassman Wealth isn’t the right match, I want to ensure you have access to other highly qualified advisors who might better suit your needs.
How This List is Different
Unlike typical “best advisor” lists that rely on assets under management or other standard metrics, these recommendations come from real professional relationships and interactions within the DC metro area’s financial community. I’m sharing insights from my direct experience, knowing these advisors through professional organizations, board service, and industry collaboration.
Of course, you should always conduct your own due diligence when selecting a financial advisor. Make sure to verify they’re a true fiduciary (here’s how to know if your advisor is actually a fiduciary) and ask the right questions during your interview process (check out our guide to the ten essential questions to ask your next advisor). Even with recommendations, finding the right advisor requires careful evaluation to ensure they match your specific needs and circumstances. Here are the best financial advisors in the Washington, DC area, along with brief excerpts collected from their websites.
Best Financial Advisors in Washington, DC (according to Glassman Wealth)
Ryan Fleming, Armstrong Fleming & Moore — Washington, DC
“We know how important it is to provide a clear picture of your progress and options and we welcome your questions along the way. Through our decades in DC as pioneering financial planners, we’ve developed an approach that focuses on doing the right things today so you can enjoy tomorrow.”
Paul Gloth, Pathstone Federal Street — Washington, DC
“Pathstone is a partner-owned multi-family office dedicated to serving ultra-high net worth families, single family offices, foundations, and endowments. Our advisors provide an integrated suite of services designed to empower our clients to realize their unique goals and maintain their legacy.”
Best Financial Advisors in Northern Virginia (according to Glassman Wealth)
Jennifer Myers, SageVest Wealth Management — McLean, VA
“We know that your financial goals are about more than just the numbers, and we take the time to get to know what your wealth means to you. Working with SageVest, you receive personal attention and clear advice, all just a phone call or email away.”
Elissa Buie, Yeske Buie — Vienna, VA
“The financial planning process helps us identify your goals and resources and then establish steps to harness those resources in pursuit of your Live Big® goals. Your financial plan will cover cash flow and tax planning, risk management, retirement and other goal planning, investment planning, and estate planning. It will do so in a big-picture, holistic way.”
David B. Armstrong, Monument Wealth Management— Alexandria, VA
“Our team can help you understand how to meet your goals using what we know today and adapt to the unforeseen changes of tomorrow—always with the unfiltered opinions and straightforward advice we’re known for. Ours is a collaborative, creative, customized approach to turning a wealth of ideas and resources into a blueprint that represents the life you want to live.”
Stephan Cassaday, Cassaday & Company — McLean, VA
Christopher Krell, Cassaday & Company — McLean, VA
“Our primary objective is to provide you with a comprehensive roadmap that consolidates all of the various financial components of your life into a centralized, integrated plan. We believe that financial planning is a process, not an event.”
Ric Edelman, Edelman Financial Advisors — Fairfax, VA
“Your relationship with us goes beyond managing investments. Your planner has the experience—and the understanding—to help you navigate difficult financial conversations. How much do you need for retirement? How do you strengthen your legacy to provide for your loved ones? The moment you choose us, we strive to keep you moving forward.”
Brian Mackin, West Financial Services — McLean, VA
Glen Buco, West Financial Services — McLean, VA
“In a profession where the people behind a company are as important as the company itself, West Financial is staffed by a team of skilled and experienced financial professionals. At West, we quietly go about meeting the needs or our clients with the expectations that each relationships ”
Greg Sullivan, Creative Planning — McLean, VA
Mark Johannessen, Creative Planning — McLean, VA
At Creative Planning we understand your needs and goals are unique, so they can’t be met with a standard plan or portfolio. That’s why we take a planning-first approach, building a custom financial plan that will drive decisions around all aspects of how your money is managed. It’s this commitment to your individual needs that helps us advocate for what’s most important to you.
Brian Jones, CJM Wealth Advisors — Fairfax, VA
Jessica Ness, CJM Wealth Advisors — Fairfax, VA
“At CJM, we understand what it means to start from the ground up. From our own roots as a family-run office, we’ve built our reputation by adhering to straightforward values: building a currency of trust between client and advisor, respecting the unique wealth challenges of each relationship, and delivering highly specified and customized solutions to everyone we serve.”
Lisa Kirchenbauer, Omega Wealth Management — Arlington, VA
“Holistic means that our work with you is more than just about your money. We want to understand you, your strengths, your dreams and your goals at a deeper level. From there we can deliver a personalized financial life plan that puts your money in service to you.”
Eileen O’Connor, Hemington Wealth Management — Falls Church, VA
“Relationship management involves three key tasks: first, fully understanding the clients’ official needs and meeting those needs over time through a consultative process; second, assembling and managing a network of financial experts; and third, working with our clients’ other professional advisors such as their attorneys and accountants.”
Mark Joseph, Sentinel Wealth Management — Reston, VA
“We strive to help you clearly define your long-term goals as the foundation for the careful, comprehensive counsel we provide to help you achieve them. Because planning for our clients’ financial lives is generally complex, we have assembled a team that is both highly experienced and credentialed. We are equipped to manage the most complex of financial situations.”
Best Financial Advisors in Maryland (according to Glassman Wealth)
Leslie Smith, Chevy Chase Trust — Chevy Chase, MD
Michael Gildenhorn, Chevy Chase Trust — Chevy Chase, MD
“To appreciate our true value, investors must first understand the basic principles that separate Chevy Chase Trust from other investment management firms. The good news: when you look at the methodology, the motivation and the promise upon which we’ve built our reputation, you should find the common thread is actually common sense.”
Nathan Gendelman, The Family Firm — Bethesda, MD
“We begin each relationship with the recognition that every client is a unique human being, with their own personal needs, hopes, dreams, and life situations. From there, we can start to build an investment plan and portfolio that reflects this individuality, supported by these core principles: A Focus on Results, Diversification, Independent Thinking, and Risk Management.”
Dawn Doebler, The Colony Group — Bethesda, MD
“As your dedicated fiduciary, our extensive team of investment professionals partner with you to tailor a portfolio built to maximize the probability of achieving your long-term investment objectives. Each client has a personalized investment plan that guides portfolio decisions, and individual circumstances inform the investment decisions our team makes on your behalf.”
Ashley Iddings, Wealthspire Advisors — Potomac, MD
Grant Ruder, Wealthspire Advisors — Potomac, MD
“Our team consists of fiduciary advisors who value connecting all parts of a client’s financial life to deliver thoughtful, collaborative strategies that optimize their finances and fulfill their aspirations. Our advisors act as a wealth manager, investment advisor, consultant, and constant partner in helping clients gain confidence in their financial futures.”
Jim Joseph, FSA Wealth Partners — Rockville, MD
“Our mission is to listen to your story and understand what you cherish most. We want to create a personalized plan that not only protects the fruits of your labor but also aligns with your aspirations for the future.”
Fred Cornelius, Burt Wealth Advisors — Rockville, MD
“We help you create an investment and financial plan flexible enough to meet unexpected challenges, yet disciplined enough to maintain your long-term vision for the future. We employ a conservative, balanced, and disciplined approach to investing that aims to help you meet your goals while minimizing your risk.
John Devine, Brown Advisory — Chevy Chase, MD
“For each and every client, we commit to bringing to bear the resources of our entire firm to help them get to wherever it is they want to go. Each client’s “where” is different, so the solution we develop to help them get there will be different—no two client relationships look exactly the same.”
Karen Schaeffer, Schaeffer Financial — Rockville, MD
“We’re committed to taking the mystery out of financial matters and helping people make smart financial decisions. We help guide people to smart money decisions through competent, ethical, affordable financial planning advice.”
Bruce Wiener, Wiener Financial — Potomac, MD
“We take a highly personal approach and deliver objective, tailored advice, integrated wealth management, and access to private investments to help clients achieve their goals and build wealth that lasts. We partner with hardworking high net worth individuals and families who face evolving issues at different stages of life by developing a thoughtful, goals-based plan and a customized, risk-appropriate portfolio.”
Brian Salcetti, Sandbox Financial Partners — Bethesda, MD
“We believe wealth is about more than numbers—it’s about the freedom to “live more and worry less.” It’s the confidence that enjoying life today can also create a lasting legacy for tomorrow. We understand the value of growing, preserving, and protecting your wealth, and we’re here to guide you every step of the way.”
Making Your Decision
Remember, while these recommendations come from my professional experience in the DC metro area’s financial community, it’s essential to conduct your own due diligence. Take the time to interview multiple advisors, verify their fiduciary status, and ensure their approach aligns with your needs.
Additional Resources for Your Advisor Search:
- How DC’s Top Financial Advisor Lists Actually Work
- The Secret Ways to Know if Your Advisor is a Fiduciary
- Top 10 Questions to Ask Your Financial Advisor
This list is not intended to be comprehensive, and there are certainly other qualified advisors in the DC metro area. This is not a testimonial or endorsement of these advisors, but rather represents my professional observations from my career in wealth management. Remember to do your homework and ask plenty of questions when deciding on a wealth advisor.
This list should not be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that the client will experience a certain level of results if the investment professional or the investment professional’s firm is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services. Glassman Wealth Services was not paid any direct or indirect compensation to include any of the investment professionals on this list. The only criteria or methodology is based on Mr. Glassman’s personal observations and knowledge of the investment professionals and the services they provide. No ranking or recognition should be construed as an endorsement by any past or current client or by Glassman Wealth Services.
