About John A. Mele
John A. Mele, CFP®, a founding partner of The Mount Clare Wealth Management Group at Morgan Stanley, began his career in 2002 as an unpaid intern and in 2021 became one of the youngest Financial Advisors to earn the prestigious Managing Director title at Morgan Stanley.
Upon completion of his unpaid internship, John was selected by two highly respected industry veterans to serve as the succession plan for their wealth management practice. John was mentored extensively and integrated into their practices to provide continuity for the clients they served and cared for. John brings to clients the comprehensive perspective of a Financial Advisor with more than 20 years of his own experience combined with the wisdom of his mentors spanning more than 75 years.
John’s mentors taught him more than investing and financial advice; they imparted the values and skills that truly differentiate elite Financial Advisors. Above all, they believed putting client interests first is paramount. They also recognized that the best Financial Advisors are excellent listeners, seeking to fully understand clients’ unique goals and concerns in order to provide sound advice. John’s mentors approached their work with clients as an ongoing teaching-learning relationship; believing if we invest the time to explain concepts in ways that resonate, our clients will be more likely to succeed in accomplishing their goals. These are just a few of the principles that were instilled in John that continue to guide The Mount Clare Wealth Management Group at Morgan Stanley to this day.
Throughout John’s career, he has advised a wide range of clients including entrepreneurs, successful young professionals, c-suite executives, retirees, sports and entertainment professionals, and in many cases the fourth and fifth generations of families entrusted to him by his mentors.
At Morgan Stanley, John is part of an exclusive group of Financial Advisors who have earned the Family Wealth Director designation. This designation signifies that he has extensive experience working with ultra-high net worth families and has direct access to broad range of Morgan Stanley resources needed to help highly affluent families navigate the complex, multigenerational challenges of managing significant wealth. He has also earned the designation of Global Sports and Entertainment Director at Morgan Stanley having advised a wide range of uniquely successful clients from the sports and entertainment world, including Super Bowl Champions as well as GRAMMY and Academy Award Winners.
John’s exceptional skillset, resources, and experience allows him to understand a wide spectrum of client situations as varied as young fast-rising sports and entertainment professionals whose life, family dynamics, and financial situations can shift seemingly overnight, to established ultra-high net worth families who strive to grow, preserve, protect, and perpetuate their wealth in the most tax-efficient way. The diverse clientele he has guided through the years allows John to understand various situations clients face and deliver relevant advice.
John has been consistently recognized as a Top Advisor by Forbes, most recently earning a Top-5 Best-In-State Wealth Advisor ranking (2024).
John holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Science from Washington & Lee University and a graduate degree in Financial Planning from Georgetown University. John has held the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation since 2008.
2017-2020 Forbes America’s Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors & Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors Best-in-State (formerly referred to as Forbes America's Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors, Forbes Top 1,000 Next-Gen Wealth Advisors, Forbes Top 500 Next Generation Wealth Advisors)
Source: Forbes.com (Awarded 2017-2020). Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on 12-month period concluding in Mar of the year the award was issued.
2018-2024 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors
Source: Forbes.com (Awarded 2018-2024). Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based 12-month time period concluding in June of year prior to the issuance of the award.
2023 - 2024 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams
Source: Forbes.com (Awarded Jan 2023 - 2024) Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based 12-month time period concluding in March of year prior to the issuance of the award.
Securities Agent: VT, AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI, WY; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
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