EQUITY PLANNING INC. TEAM
President and Financial Planner
As President of Equity Planning, Inc., Marc is an accomplished and experienced financial planner. He joined the family practice in 1979, and in 1984, he earned the prestigious CERTIFIED FINANICIAL PLANNER™ designation. For over 30 years, Marc has built the firm on his core values and a commitment to placing his clients’ needs above his own. He specializes in personal financial engineering, and his goal is to enhance each client’s wealth by creating and implementing tailored and effective financial strategies.
He has been featured on several talk shows and radio broadcasts, and was quoted in the Wall Street Journal (Tax Report, 10/25/2000). He is also a contributor to the John Eric Home Magazine, where he writes a monthly column on pertinent financial topics. Marc attended the University of Maryland, College Park, and holds the FINRA Series 7, 24, & 63 securities registrations held with LPL Financial and life and health insurance licenses as well. He is a member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA®) and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA), and is on the Planned Giving Committee for the Montgomery College Foundation.
Marc resides in Bethesda, MD, and in his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Christine, and his three children, Trevor, Kyle, and Colette. He also enjoys scuba diving, bike riding, spinning classes, racquetball, and traveling.
Financial Planner
In 2011, Amanda joined the firm as a Financial Planner. In 2013, she earned the prestigious CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation. Her primary goal in partnering with clients is to make the financial planning process as streamlined and practical as possible. She offers an extra set of trained eyes to examine our valued clients’ unique situations. Amanda understands the unique challenges that females face, and her specialty is counseling women across all life stages and investment savvy. Amanda has a passion for educating her clients on finance, and she takes pride in her ability to effectively communicate the various options and strategies available to them.
She brings to the table a vast knowledge of investments, insurance, employee benefits, and banking. Prior to joining Equity Planning, she was a Financial Advisor at a bank in Baltimore, MD. She ultimately decided that her valued clients would benefit from the knowledge and impartiality of an independent, comprehensive financial planning firm. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Towson University’s Honor College with a B.A. in Business Administration/Marketing and from Loyola University with an MBA in Finance. She has successfully completed the FINRA Series 7, 63, and 65 securities registrations held with LPL Financial, and holds her life and health insurance licenses as well. Amanda is also a member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA). She is regularly featured in speaking engagements and financial seminars in Maryland, DC, and Virginia.
She resides in Baltimore, MD, and in addition to spending precious time with family and friends, she enjoys spinning, yoga, cooking, and traveling.
Corporate Secretary/Treasurer
Arlene and her husband, Edward I. Schliefer, founded Equity Planning Institute in Philadelphia, PA in 1963. Arlene is ecstatic to be celebrating the firm’s golden anniversary this year. In addition to managing the corporation’s finances, she is dedicated to providing outstanding customer service to the firm’s clients by being attentive and solving problems they may have. She is also a licensed life and health insurance agent.
She resides in Rockville, MD, and in her spare time, Arlene loves spending time with her children, grandchildren, and dog Babette. She has an affinity for the arts and enjoys traveling, theatre, and decorating as well.
Office Manager
Elaine entered the life insurance and financial services industry in 1989 by way of her own consulting firm. She has decades of experience both as a corporate paralegal and a licensed life and health insurance agent. Elaine has been a part of the Equity Planning team for over twenty years, and she works closely with the firm’s principal to streamline all facets of client service. She oversees client reporting and paperwork processing, and is a valuable resource to our clients.
She originally hails from Missouri but now resides in Gaithersburg, MD. In her spare time, Elaine enjoys reading, exercising, traveling, and volunteering with various organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters and Artstream.
Operations Associate
Jennifer joined Equity Planning in 2013 an Operations Associate, and she assists each team member in streamlining office processes and client service. She has 23 years of vast experience in the financial services industry, with service to both retail banking and brokerage segments. Her prior roles included branch banking posts and supervisory, operational, and administrative responsibilities in retail brokerage, all within the DC Metropolitan area. Jennifer earned a B.S. in Economics from Allegheny College in Meadville, PA, and has successfully completed the FINRA Series 4, 7, 24, 63, and 65 securities registrations held with LPL Financial, as well as the MSRB Series 53 registration.
She is a native of Western Pennsylvania and is currently residing in Rockville, MD. In addition to spending precious time with family and friends, Jennifer enjoys gardening, cooking, traveling, and repurposing/rehabbing antiques.
Administrative Assistant
Farah joined the Equity Planning team in 2012 and is the smiling face that will greet you when you walk into our practice. Farah brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in office administration and human resources. At Equity Planning, she assists with the preparation of client reports, the maintenance of our client database, the processing of life insurance applications, and marketing. Farah holds an MBA and B.A. in Business Administration from IAUT in Tehran, Iran.
She currently resides in Bethesda, MD, and in her spare time, Farah enjoys hiking, reading, and traveling.