Built for this.
Not built for everyone.
An independent fiduciary wealth management firm where every client relationship is personal, every portfolio is managed in-house, and nothing is outsourced to a call center.
We Came for the Water.
We Stayed for the Work.
We are Ben and Kristen Barbour — and Solomons Island is not our landing spot. It's our starting point.
For fifteen years, we have built a practice around successful families, business owners, and professionals navigating some of the most consequential financial decisions of their lives. Over time, we added the infrastructure to match what clients actually needed: a registered investment advisory firm, an independent insurance agency, and a broker-dealer relationship for access to private placements — all under one roof, without the conflicts that come with wirehouse affiliation. No third-party asset managers sitting between us and client portfolios. One point of contact for tax strategy, real estate investing, and long-term wealth planning.
As our clients retired and spread across the country, we built the capability to follow them — serving families virtually, on their terms, without sacrificing the depth of a dedicated advisory relationship.
Today, we work with clients in one of two ways. For some, we serve as the family office — the primary relationship, coordinating across planning, investments, insurance, and tax strategy in one place. For others, the relationship is more focused: a licensed, independent resource brought in alongside a client's existing CPA, attorney, or advisor to solve for something specific — a 1031 exchange, a business exit, a private placement, a concentrated position. We're not here to displace good relationships. We're here to make them better.
2020 confirmed what we'd already been building toward. When virtual became the only option, we were already there. And somewhere along the way, what had been our weekend retreat quietly became home. Our youngest has never known Northern Virginia. She grew up here. By 2025, it was clear: Solomons isn't where we came to get away. It's where we belong.
A New Direction
Ben joins an independent investment advisory practice in Northern Virginia, focused on retirement income planning for professionals transitioning out of the DC corridor. The foundation of everything that followed.
A Second Home on the Bay
Ben and Kristen purchase a property near Calvert Cliffs — a place to slow down, get on the water, and breathe. What feels like a retreat quietly begins to feel like something more.
The Platform Comes Together
After nearly a decade of building the advisory practice, we formalized the full infrastructure — adding Fountainhead Fiduciary as the registered investment advisory entity alongside our existing broker-dealer branch and independent insurance agency. One roof. No hand-offs. No conflicts.
Built for What Came Next
When in-person became impossible, Fountainhead was already positioned to serve clients coast-to-coast. The technology infrastructure built to follow clients as they retired and spread across the country became the firm's operating model — and Solomons quietly became the primary address.
Home, Officially
Fountainhead opens its waterfront office at 14532 Solomons Island Road South. Our youngest has lived here her entire life. The practice that followed clients across the country put down its own roots — here, on the water, for good.
"For years, Solomons was where we came to get away.— Ben & Kristen Barbour · Founders, Fountainhead Wealth Advisors
Then we decided to stay."
One Firm.
Four Things — Done Well.
Most advisors do one or two of these well. We built the infrastructure to do all four — under one roof, with one team, with no hand-offs to outside vendors or referral arrangements that split your interests from ours.
No mutual funds used as substitutes for real management. No third-party TAMP outsourcing. You own what you own — and we own the decisions.
Fiduciary Planning & Advisory
Comprehensive financial planning delivered by a registered fiduciary. Retirement income design, tax-forward withdrawal strategies, estate coordination, and life transition planning — all aligned to your full picture, not a product menu.
Individually Managed Portfolios
Every portfolio is built, monitored, and adjusted in-house. No outsourced model management. No TAMP platforms sitting between you and your money. Direct ownership of individual securities, not fund-of-funds wrappers.
Private & Alternative Investments
Accredited investor access to institutional-caliber private placements: 1031 DSTs, Opportunity Zone funds, private credit, real estate income strategies, and tax-advantaged alternative asset classes.
Offered through Emerson Equity LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC.
Retirement Income & Protection Strategies
Structured income planning for retirees and pre-retirees: annuities, life insurance, and hybrid income solutions selected from the open market — not from a single carrier's shelf. Designed around income longevity and legacy objectives.
The Difference Between
Advice and a Sales Pitch
Most people don't know that the person managing their money at a major brokerage is legally permitted to recommend products that are merely "suitable" — not necessarily the best option available. The fiduciary standard changes that equation entirely. As a registered investment adviser, Fountainhead is legally obligated to act in your interest — not the firm's, not a fund company's, not a platform's.
That independence extends to our investment platform. We don't outsource portfolio management to a third-party asset manager. We don't use mutual funds as substitutes for real decisions. Every allocation is ours — researched, deliberate, and held accountable to you directly.
Fountainhead means the source — the origin point. It's how we think about our work: your wealth didn't appear on its own. It came from somewhere. Our job is to understand that story and build from it.
The People Behind
Every Decision
Ben Barbour
Co-Founder & Lead AdvisorBen brings 15+ years of experience advising high-net-worth individuals, families, business owners, and real estate investors through some of the most complex financial transitions of their lives — retirement, business exit, estate transfer, and wealth concentration events.
His work is grounded in the belief that genuine advice requires genuine independence. He specializes in private investment placement, 1031 exchange strategies, and accelerated depreciation programs — a combination few advisors are licensed and positioned to offer under one roof.
He is completing his Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) designation through the Exit Planning Institute.
Kristen Barbour
Co-Founder & Chief Operating OfficerKristen leads the operational infrastructure of Fountainhead — client experience, process design, vendor relationships, and the day-to-day systems that let the advisory side of the firm function at a high level without the friction that characterizes larger organizations. She is Ben's business partner in every meaningful sense of the word.
Timothy Holt
Associate & ParaplannerTim joined Fountainhead as a Salisbury University finance graduate with a background in competitive athletics and a genuine connection to the Solomons community. He works directly alongside Ben on client preparation, research, and planning support — building toward his full licensing and advisory career from the ground up.
Solomons Professional Alliance
A network of independent professionals across finance, law, real estate, and planning — held together by a single standard and a shared commitment to the people we serve.
Not an offer to buy, nor a solicitation to sell securities. All investing involves risk of loss of some or all principal invested. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Speak to your finance and/or tax professional prior to investing. Securities offered through Emerson Equity LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. Only available in states where Emerson Equity LLC is registered. Emerson Equity LLC is not affiliated with any other entities identified in this communication. Investment advisory services offered only by duly registered individuals through Fountainhead Wealth Advisors. This event is intended for accredited investors and credentialed professionals. © 2026 Fountainhead Wealth Advisors.