Your Financial Future Has a Home
Meet the team that plans your financial future, manages your portfolio, and watches over both with care every day.
Wealth Management Firm in Ellicott City, Maryland
Marks Wealth Management is an independent, fee-only fiduciary firm based in Ellicott City, Maryland. Led by a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and supported by a Chartered Market Technician (CMT), the firm provides comprehensive financial planning, active portfolio management, and ongoing advisory services from a single office.
Founder Charles Marks has been recognized by Forbes as a Best-In-State Wealth Advisor on multiple occasions. The firm is registered with the SEC, serves clients across 10 states, and works with individuals, families, and business owners throughout the greater Baltimore, Annapolis, and Washington, D.C. area.
Where We Serve from Ellicott City
Our Ellicott City office is easily accessible for clients throughout the area, and we love having our clients into the office regularly!
Howard County, Maryland
We have many clients from the surrounding Howard County communities, including Ellicott City, Columbia, Clarksville, Fulton, Highland, and Dayton. Many of our long-standing client relationships began just a few miles from the office.
Baltimore and the Baltimore Metropolitan Area
Outside Howard County, our firm serves clients throughout Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Towson, Lutherville, Timonium, Pikesville, and their surrounding communities. Clients from this area are able to come into the office since we are only approximately 20 miles west of downtown Baltimore.
Annapolis and Anne Arundel County
Our office is around 40 minutes from the Annapolis area. Clients from Annapolis, Severna Park, Arnold, Crofton, and broader Anne Arundel County area have enjoyed coming to the office for reviews and meetings.
The Greater Washington, D.C. Corridor
The office is also accessible to clients from the Washington D.C. area, including Mongomery and Prince George’s Counties. Clients from areas such as Bowie, College Park and Laurel find that the office is easily accessible through I-95 or Route 29.
Beyond Maryland
Although Marks Wealth Management is based in Maryland, our advisory relationships and services are not limited by geography. Marks Wealth Management is registered with the SEC and serves clients in over 10 states. Many of our clients reside outside the state of Maryland or began their planning with us here and continued to work with us following their relocation.
Our Ellicott City Office
Our choice to base our firm in Ellicott City was a deliberate and thought-out decision. Howard County consistently ranks among the wealthiest and most educated counties in the United States and is placed in a perfect spot between the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area.
Our office is at the center of the majority of our client base and is able to welcome our clients.Our office reflects how our team and process works. The all-glass building mirrors our commitment to transparency, ensuring that there is nothing between you and the team managing your wealth. Clients who come into the office are greeted with smiles, treated with care, and get to see technical analysis and portfolio monitoring in real time.
Visit Our Maryland Office
We are based in Maryland and work with clients both locally and across the country. For those nearby, we welcome the opportunity to meet in person.
For clients outside of Maryland, we regularly engage via secure video and phone, and employ robust planning and reporting technology so you receive the same high-touch, personalized service regardless of location.
Marks Wealth Management Services
As an independent, fiduciary, wealth management firm, we put our clients’ best interests first above all else. Our team builds long-lasting relationships that focus on growing our clients’ assets, protecting their financial future, and preserving what they have built.
Retirement & Social Security Planning
Turn retirement goals into a working strategy with clear timing, income structure, and Social Security decisions aligned to your plan.
Legacy & Estate Planning
Aligning your will, trust, and family legacy plan so your assets support the people and priorities that matter most.
Tax Efficiency Strategies
Structure your income, investments, and withdrawals to manage tax impact across federal, state, and local levels and retain more of what you earn.
Risk Management
Align your level of risk with your savings, lifestyle, and timeline, so your financial strategy reflects both what you want to achieve and what you…
Investment Management
Turn your assets into a more actively managed portfolio, with disciplined oversight and market insight aligned to your financial goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The firm is registered with the SEC and currently serves clients in 10 states. While the Ellicott City office is the center of daily operations, the advisory relationship extends beyond state lines.
Many clients who began their planning in Maryland continue working with the firm after relocating. New clients outside of Maryland can establish a relationship by phone or video.
Yes. The Ellicott City office is available for in-person meetings with prospective and current clients. The firm welcomes the opportunity to meet face to face and discuss whether it is the right fit for your financial goals.
Meetings can also be conducted by phone or secure video for clients who prefer remote consultation or are located outside the immediate area.
Key Takeaway:
Marks Wealth Management provides fee-only fiduciary financial planning for individuals, families, business owners, pre-retirees, and professionals across Maryland with complex financial lives and long-term planning needs. Our team helps clients coordinate investment strategy, retirement planning, taxes, employer benefits, and estate considerations within one comprehensive financial plan.
Who We Serve
Wealth financial planning is most effective when it reflects the realities of your life, career, and financial position. We work with individuals, families, and professionals who want thoughtful guidance, a long-term partner, and a strategy built around the decisions that matter most.
Individuals & Families
We work best with individuals and families who have at least $1M in investable assets and want a trusted partner to help guide meaningful financial decisions over time.
From retirement planning to day-to-day wealth decisions, we help ensure each move supports your broader strategy and long-term goals.
Business Owners & Executives
Business owners and corporate executives face complex financial decisions, from equity compensation and concentrated positions to retirement planning and tax strategy.
We serve as your personal CFO for your financial life, helping you coordinate those moving pieces so each decision supports your long-term objectives.
Johns Hopkins Personnel
Johns Hopkins faculty, staff, and researchers often have access to strong benefits, but making the most of them takes specialized planning.
We help you evaluate your options, optimize retirement and benefit elections, and build a strategy that works in step with your institutional benefits and long-term plans.
Baltimore Gas & Electric Employees
BGE employees often have valuable pensions and benefit structures, and the right planning can help you make the most of them.
We help coordinate retirement benefits, pension decisions, and broader wealth strategies so your employer-sponsored plans support the life you want now and in the years ahead.
The Team
Charles N. Marks
Founder and CEO
Recognized by Forbes as a Best-In-State Wealth Advisor for 2025/2026, Charles Marks founded Marks Wealth Management in 2020 on a principle he carried from his first role as an intern at Merrill Lynch at age 20: his clients' best interests come first. He leads the firm's strategy today with the same conviction, building long-term relationships with clients who become friends and family.
Catherine C. Jackson
Principal Financial Planner
Catherine leads the firm's financial planning work, building and guiding plans for clients across retirement, Social Security optimization, and long-term wealth strategy. She earned her CFP® designation in 2019 and has been with the firm since 2016, making her one of the longest-tenured members of the team.
Taylor A. Marks
Managing Director
Taylor oversees client relationships, compliance, and the firm's operational direction. Every piece of content and every client-facing detail passes through her review before it reaches the outside world. She sets the standard for how the firm presents itself and how clients experience the relationship.
Finnian P. Devine
Associate Portfolio Manager
Finnian is one of the youngest Chartered Market Technicians in the country. He works alongside Charles Marks conducting daily portfolio monitoring and market analysis, bringing technical analysis skills to the firm's active management approach.
Richard T. Gloekler
Associate Advisor
Finn works directly with clients on their financial and investment goals, bringing a focus on clear communication and personal attention to every relationship. A University of Maryland graduate and Baltimore native, he interned with the firm before joining full time.
What Our Clients Say
Have been with MWM since retiring in 2022 and it’s one of the best financial decisions I’ve ever made. They have solid investment strategies with expert analysis that adapts to the ever changing markets in order to grow your portfolio. This coupled with regular communications and support have made the financial side of retirement a piece of cake. So, check out MWM and make your life easy.
Cary Allen
The entire Marks Wealth Management team is great to work with. Since investing with them, my portfolio has steadily increased and reaffirms what a great decision it was to trust them with my portfolio.
Donnie Halloway
As an older retiree, I have depended on Charles and his team to help keep me as independent as possible. I am one of the few among my friends who doesn’t seem to have money worries. Special thanks to Catherine and Taylor for all your care.
Jan Dove
I’ve been with Charlie MWM for 11 years now and could not be more pleased. His staff is very attentive, knowledgeable and professional. In a word …outstanding!
Joe Karl