How we can help

We work alongside our clients to understand their needs and help them organize their financial lives. Together, we seek to maximize their wealth through extensive planning while avoiding costly mistakes.

Our group believes that what differentiates the preeminent advisers from the rest is extraordinary client service. We make it our priority to go above and beyond to ensure our clients receive our constant attention and the best advice possible.
Services Include
Check the background of Our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck.*

Forbes, Wall St Journal, Baltimore Magazine, Smart CEO Magazine

2024 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams
Source: Forbes.com (Awarded Jan 2024) Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based for the period from 3/31/22–3/31/23.

Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams (2023)
Source: Forbes.com (Awarded Jan 2024) Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based for the period from 3/31/21 - 3/31/22.

​Forbes Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors
Source: Forbes.com (Awarded June 2019) Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on time period from 3/31/18 - 3/31/19.

2012-2024 Five Star Wealth Manager Award
Source: fivestarprofessional.com (Awarded 2012-2024) These awards were determined through an evaluation process conducted by Five Star Professional, based on objective criteria, during the following periods:
2024 Award - 4/10/23 - 10/31/23
2023 Award - 4/18/22 - 10/21/22
2022 Award - 5/10/21 - 11/12/21
2021 Award - 4/27/20 - 10/30/20
2020 Award - 4/19/19 - 11/13/19
2019 Award - 4/19/18 - 11/07/18
2018 Award - 4/21/17 - 11/06/17
2017 Award - 3/26/16 - 11/11/16
2016 Award - 6/16/15 - 11/09/15
2015 Award - 6/16/14 - 11/09/14
2014 Award - 6/16/13 - 11/09/13
2013 Award - 6/16/12 - 11/09/12
2012 Award - 6/16/11 - 11/09/11

​Forbes Top 1,000 Next Gen Wealth Advisors
Source: Forbes.com (Awarded Jul 2018) Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on time period from 3/31/17 - 3/31/18.
  • 2024 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams
  • Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams (2023)
  • Ken DiBlasi named to Forbes Best-in-State Next Generation Wealth Advisors in (2019)
  • Rick Popel was voted 2012 - 2024 Five Star Wealth Manager by Baltimore Magazine
  • Ken DiBlasi was voted 2013 -2024 Five Star Wealth Manager by Baltimore Magazine
  • Ken DiBlasi named to Forbes Magazine 2018 America's Top Next Generation Wealth Advisors

Experience

Rick Popel and Kenneth DiBlasi have over 50 years combined experience providing customized solutions to individuals, families and institutions by utilizing advanced retirement, investment, tax & estate planning strategies; centered around proper risk management.

WORKPLACE FINANCIAL BENEFITS WITH MORGAN STANLEY AT WORK

Our mission is to help your company elevate your workplace financial benefits—helping you to attract and retain top talent. Our end-to-end solutions support your company and employees at any stage of growth through a powerful combination of modern technology, insightful guidance, and dedicated service.

    Equity Solutions

    Equity ownership is a powerful motivator. Streamline equity management through our leading-edge technology and provide global audit-ready reporting and insights, alongside customizable participant experiences to engage and educate your employees on how to make the most of their benefits. Our global solutions support private and public companies at any stage of growth.

    • Equity Administration and Financial Reporting
    • Liquidity Events
    • 409A Valuation Services and Cap Table Management

    Learn more
    Retirement

    For your employees, retirement is more than a date in the future—it's a milestone that takes time, hard work, and the right tools. Through our consultative process, we strive to assist with the management of your fiduciary responsibilities and risk, simplify plan management, and help you improve retirement readiness for your employees.

    • Defined Contribution Consulting
    • Solutions-Oriented Plans
    • Fiduciary Investment Oversight

    Learn more
    Deferred Compensation

    Access a range of Nonqualified Deferred Compensation plan services or pick the ones that best fit your needs. We provide recordkeeping and plan design, portfolio construction services, and plan education for your executive talent. We help you determine the appropriate plan design and inform a funding strategy through a needs-based assessment and consultative approach.

    Services include:

    • Recordkeeping and Plan Design
    • Portfolio Construction
    • Wealth Management Services
    Learn more
    Executive Services

    Our dedicated team provides concierge-level support for your executives' equity compensation plans, from 10b5-1 trading plans to form filing related to Rule 144 transactions, to access to wealth management and tax-optimization strategies, so helping them navigate their complex financial needs with greater confidence and certainty:

    • Equity Compensation Services
    • Equity Award Analysis
    • Specialized Solutions
    Learn more
    Saving and Giving

    Saving and Giving benefits can make a real difference in your employees' lives as they can support the things that matter most to them—like saving for education and repaying student loans. Show that you are committed to your employees' priorities with leading-edge solutions that help them chart a path toward financial well-being.

    • College Savings
    • Student Loan Repayment and Refinancing
    • Charitable Giving
    Learn more
    Financial Wellness

    We offer Financial Wellness with every solution we provide. Through a powerful combination of education, digital tools and guidance, Financial Wellness is designed to address the unique needs of your employees and empower their financial journey at every stage. Give your employees the confidence to take charge of their finances.

    • Financial Education
    • Digital Tools
    • Financial Guidance

    Learn more

Location

2330 W Joppa Road
Ste 255
Lutherville, MD 21093
US
Direct:
(410) 583-4843(410) 583-4843
Toll-Free:
(800) 662-2576(800) 662-2576

Meet The Popel DiBlasi Group

About Ariel "Rick" Popel

Rick Popel, Managing Director and Certified Financial Planner has provided highly customized advice, investment solutions and other financial services to individuals, families and institutions for almost 30 years. He has been recognized in Forbes , Wall St Journal, & Baltimore Magazine. Rick is firmly committed to building long-term relationships with his clients based on the shared principles of trust, planning and communication.

Rick graduated with honors from the University of Maryland at College Park. He currently resides in Baltimore County with his family.
Securities Agent: KY, NH, VA, MT, LA, CO, WV, WI, SC, MI, DE, CA, RI, OR, TN, OK, OH, MO, ID, NV, NM, NJ, DC, IL, HI, FL, AZ, VT, NC, KS, ND, PA, MA, WA, TX, NY, ME, MD, GA, CT, AL, UT; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative; Managed Futures
NMLS#: 1252996
CA Insurance License #: 0K72546

About Kenneth DiBlasi

I am passionate about helping others take control and organize their financial lives. I am privileged to be in a position to work closely with families and business owners to help them improve their financial health.

In a time where so many are saving and investing blindly, I find comfort in knowing my clients are taking the right steps to secure their future now and for generations to come.

My focus is to provide advice to individuals and business owners planning for/in retirement. My experience and mentors along the way have given me a unique perspective to deliver advanced planning strategies; centered on proper risk management.

Positive accolades:
• Forbes Best-In-State Weatlh Managements Team 2023
• Forbes #30 in Maryland, 2019 Next Gen Best in State
• America's Top Next Generation Wealth Advisors, 2018 Forbes magazine
• Baltimore Magazine & Wall Street Journal Five Star Wealth Manager 2013 -2023

Outside of the office, I enjoy spending quality time with my wife and three children, coaching youth baseball, & golfing.
Securities Agent: LA, FL, RI, MA, NJ, MI, ME, KY, CO, SC, PA, NY, WV, UT, NM, MT, ND, WI, TX, IL, CT, VA, OK, MD, DE, CA, VT, OR, NC, KS, TN, ID, DC, WA, HI, AZ, AL, OH, NV, NH, MO, GA; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative; Managed Futures
NMLS#: 1252980
CA Insurance License #: 0K70932

About Philip V. Nazzaro

Phil Nazzaro serves as the team's Consulting Group Analyst, a prestigious title actively held by less than 400 Morgan Stanley employees globally. He provides clients with comprehensive performance reporting, cash flow analysis, asset allocation overviews, and risk analysis. Phil is also responsible for developing and monitoring investment strategies for new and existing clients. As part of this process, he will interview and screen several hundred portfolio managers on an annual basis.

Phil attended Towson University where he received his Bachelor's Degree in Finance and Business Management. He currently lives in Sykesville with his wife Courtney and their three children

About Valentina Pinto

Valentina serves as the group's Client Service Associate and delivers an excellent level of service and coordination between clients and the firm. She is responsible for the administration support and takes pride in working closely with our clients to ensure an efficient experience with every interaction.

Valentina joined the group from an internal operations position within our Lutherville, MD branch. She is bilingual (Spanish) and an International studies graduate from Towson University with expertise in Sales Management, Customer Service, and International Sales. She resides in Harbor East, Baltimore with her daughter Lucia.
Wealth Management
Global Investment Office

Portfolio Insights

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Equity Compensation

Helping you make the most of your equity awards and better understand how it may fit into your your larger financial picture – today and tomorrow.

  • Vesting events
  • Option expirations
  • Restricted stock units
  • Tax implications

Retirement

Working with you to understand your life goals and develop a personalized wealth strategy. Today and for the years to come.
  • 401(k) Rollovers
  • IRA Plans
  • Retirement income strategies
  • Retirement plan participants
  • Annuities
4 Financially Smart Ways to Take Money Out of Retirement Accounts
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4 Financially Smart Ways to Take Money Out of Retirement Accounts

Discover how planning for required minimum distributions from retirement accounts can help you fund future needs and support loved ones.

Investing

Working closely with you to guide your wealth and investments through the most challenging market cycles.
  • Asset Management
  • Wealth Planning
  • Traditional Investments
  • Alternative Investments
  • Impact Investing
Tax-Smart Ways to Sell Securities
How investors can tap their portfolios in tax-savvy ways.

Tax-Smart Ways to Sell Securities

Realizing profits seems like the best part of investing, but taxes can add up. Our new analytics tool can help investors tap their portfolios in tax-savvy ways.

Family

Creating customized financial strategies for the challenges that today’s families face.
  • Estate Planning Strategies
  • 529 Plans / Education Savings Planning
  • Long Term Care Insurance
  • Special Needs Planning
  • Trust Services
529 Plans: A Powerful Tool to Save for Education
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529 Plans: A Powerful Tool to Save for Education

Though education costs continue to climb, starting to save and invest early can make a difference.

Business Planning

Helping you on key aspects of your business such as ownership, liquidity and developing opportunities.
  • Succession Planning
  • Business Planning
  • Qualified Retirement Plans
Financial Planning for Life After Selling a Business
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Financial Planning for Life After Selling a Business

Selling your business can mean big changes for your life, both personally and financially. Know how to make the most of your windfall.

Philanthropy

Making sure your philanthropic dollars are managed with the same high quality service as the rest of your wealth.
  • Endowments
  • Foundations
  • Donor Advised Funds
  • Impact Investing
Donor Advised Funds: A Smart Way to Manage Your Giving�
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Donor Advised Funds: A Smart Way to Manage Your Giving�

There?s more to charitable giving than you may realize. Here?s one method that may be a tax-efficient way to give and can help maximize your impact.

Financial Wellness

Enhancing Financial Wellness enables your workforce to do their best work. Companies that invest in financial wellness have an opportunity to:
  • Reduce employee stress,
  • Improve retention and engagement, and
  • Set themselves apart by offering comprehensive financial wellness benefits.
The Business Case for a Financially Resilient Workforce
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The Business Case for a Financially Resilient Workforce

In the face of turbulent markets, the word “resilience” may be top of mind. Broadly speaking, resilience is the ability to “bounce back” when encountering life’s inevitable challenges.
Ready to start a conversation? Contact The Popel DiBlasi Group today.
Market Information Delayed 20 Minutes
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

1Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is the trade name of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, a registered broker-dealer in the United States.

For more information, please see the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC Client Relationship Summary.

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2When Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors (collectively, “Morgan Stanley”) provide “investment advice” regarding a retirement or welfare benefit plan account, an individual retirement account or a Coverdell education savings account (“Retirement Account”), Morgan Stanley is a “fiduciary” as those terms are defined under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), and/or the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”), as applicable. When Morgan Stanley provides investment education, takes orders on an unsolicited basis or otherwise does not provide “investment advice”, Morgan Stanley will not be considered a “fiduciary” under ERISA and/or the Code. For more information regarding Morgan Stanley’s role with respect to a Retirement Account, please visit www.morganstanley.com/disclosures/dol. Tax laws are complex and subject to change. Morgan Stanley does not provide tax or legal advice. Individuals are encouraged to consult their tax and legal advisors (a) before establishing a Retirement Account, and (b) regarding any potential tax, ERISA and related consequences of any investments or other transactions made with respect to a Retirement Account. Individuals should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning, charitable giving, philanthropic planning and other legal matters.

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3Morgan Stanley offers a wide array of brokerage and advisory services to its clients, each of which may create a different type of relationship with different obligations to you. Please consult with your Financial Advisor to understand these differences or review our Understanding Your Brokerage and Investment Advisory Relationships brochure available at www.morganstanley.com/wealth-relationshipwithms/pdfs/understandingyourrelationship.pdf.

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4When Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors (collectively, “Morgan Stanley”) provide “investment advice” regarding a retirement or welfare benefit plan account, an individual retirement account or a Coverdell education savings account (“Retirement Account”), Morgan Stanley is a “fiduciary” as those terms are defined under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), and/or the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”), as applicable. When Morgan Stanley provides investment education, takes orders on an unsolicited basis or otherwise does not provide “investment advice”, Morgan Stanley will not be considered a “fiduciary” under ERISA and/or the Code. For more information regarding Morgan Stanley’s role with respect to a Retirement Account, please visit www.morganstanley.com/disclosures/dol. Tax laws are complex and subject to change. Morgan Stanley does not provide tax or legal advice. Individuals are encouraged to consult their tax and legal advisors (a) before establishing a Retirement Account, and (b) regarding any potential tax, ERISA and related consequences of any investments or other transactions made with respect to a Retirement Account. Individuals should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning, charitable giving, philanthropic planning and other legal matters.

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5Structured Investments are complex and not appropriate for all investors. An investment in structured investments involves risks. These risks can include but are not limited to: fluctuations in the price, level or yield of underlying asset(s), interest rates, currency values and credit quality, substantial loss of principal, limits on participation in appreciation of underlying asset(s), limited liquidity, credit risk, and/or conflicts of interest. Many structured investments do not pay interest or guarantee a return above principal at maturity. Investors should read the security’s offering documentation prior to making an investment decision.

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6Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for legal matters.

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Check the background of our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck*.

The information, products and services described here are intended only for individuals residing in states where this Financial Advisor is properly registered as described in this site.

Morgan Stanley reserves the right, to the extent permitted under applicable law, to retain and monitor all electronic communications. Morgan Stanley will not accept purchase or sale orders via any Internet site, social media site and/or its messaging systems. Morgan Stanley does not endorse and is not responsible and assumes no liability for content, products or services posted by third-parties on any Internet site, social media site and/or its messaging systems. All electronic communications are subject to terms available at the following link:
https://www.morganstanley.com/disclaimers/mswm-email.html. Any profiles and associated content are for U.S. residents only.

The securities/instruments, services, investments and investment strategies discussed in this material may not be appropriate for all investors. The appropriateness of a particular investment, investment strategy or service will depend on an investor's individual circumstances and objectives. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC recommends that investors independently evaluate particular investments, strategies and services, and encourages investors to seek the advice of a Financial Advisor or Private Wealth Advisor. This material does not provide individually tailored investment advice. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Individuals should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for legal matters.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”) is not implying an affiliation, sponsorship, endorsement with/of the third party or that any monitoring is being done by Morgan Stanley of any information contained within the website. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information contained on the third-party website or the use of or inability to use such site. Nor do we guarantee their accuracy or completeness.

The views, opinions or advice contained within third party websites or materials are solely those of the author, who is not a Morgan Stanley employee, and do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, or its affiliates. The strategies and/or investments referenced may not be appropriate for all investors as the appropriateness of a particular investment or strategy will depend on an investor's individual circumstances and objectives.

*References to length of service at Morgan Stanley include years at Morgan Stanley and predecessor firms.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and federally registered CFP (with flame design) in the U.S, which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

The use of the CDFA designation does not permit the rendering of legal advice by Morgan Stanley or its Financial Advisors which may only be done by a licensed attorney.  The CDFA designation is not intended to imply that either Morgan Stanley or its Financial Advisors are acting as experts in this field.

Awards Disclosures
CRC 6491812 (04/2024)