Among other accolades, Tom was recently named the #1 financial advisor in Maryland in the 2026 Forbes Magazine Best-in-State Wealth Advisor Rankings. This is the 8th year in a row he has been named a Best-in-State Wealth Advisor. He has also been one of the top financial advisors in the country by the Barron’s Top Financial Advisor 1,500 award for 2021-2026. In the 2026 Barron’s ranking, Tom was ranked the #4 advisor in Maryland. Tom is one of only a handful of financial advisors in the Greater DC area to achieve both distinctions simultaneously, being ranked as one of the top 5 advisors in Maryland for both publications. In addition, Tom has appeared on Dow Jones, Financial-Planning.com, and FedLife. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Amherst College, and his investment approach is steeped in academia, utilizing principles from Nobel Prize winners, Harry Markowitz, Daniel Kahneman and Eugene Fama. Tom regularly teaches all the financial advisors at Lee, Sipe, and Associates and is quick to admit that he learns more from the advisors than they do from him.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, Certified Financial Planner®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization’s initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.
Barron’s Top 1,200 Financial Advisors (2025)
Barron’s is a registered trademark of Dow Jones & Company, L.P. All rights reserved. The rankings are based on data provided by 7,855 individual advisors and their firms and include qualitative and quantitative criteria, and 1,500 won. Time period upon which the rating is based is from 09/30/2024 to 09/30/2025, and was released on 03/20/2026. Factors included in the rankings: assets under management, revenue produced for the firm, regulatory record, quality of practice and philanthropic work. Investment performance is not an explicit component because not all advisors have audited results and because performance figures often are influenced more by clients’ risk tolerance than by an advisor’s investment picking abilities. The ranking may not be representative of any one client’s experience, is not an endorsement, and is not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Compensation provided for using the rating. Barron’s is not affiliated with Raymond James.
***Best-In-State Wealth Advisors (2026)
The Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors 2026 ranking, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative criteria, mostly gained through telephone and in-person due diligence interviews, and quantitative data. This ranking is based upon the period from 6/30/2024 to 6/30/2025 and was released on 4/7/2026. Those advisors that are considered have a minimum of seven years of experience, and the algorithm weighs factors like revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience and those that encompass best practices in their practices and approach to working with clients. Portfolio performance is not a criteria due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Out of approximately 52,043 nominations, roughly 11,302 advisors received the award. This ranking is not indicative of an advisor’s future performance, is not an endorsement, and may not be representative of individual clients’ experience. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors or RIA firms pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Compensation provided for using the rating. Raymond James is not affiliated with Forbes or Shook Research, LLC. Please visit https://www.forbes.com/best-in-state-wealth-advisors/ for more info.