Bryan E. Kelly, CFP®
Founding Partner
Bryan has always had an appreciation for history, family and legacy. Coming from a family dating back to the 1700s in Harford County, he innately takes care of his family, friends and neighbors. He believes doing the right thing “just seems like what we are supposed to do.” As cofounder and principal owner of The Kelly Group, Bryan hopes that his clients know and feel that he cares about their outcomes.
Throughout his career, Bryan has earned the credibility and trust that come with education, experience, regular examinations, compliance and, most important, adhering to a strict code of ethics. Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a top-tier independent broker-dealer that until recently was the compliance partner for The Kelly Group, recognized Bryan for professional excellence with numerous honors. In 2013, Cambridge awarded him the Spirit of Cambridge Award, presented annually to three advisors who demonstrate integrity, commitment, flexibility and kindness. From 2000 to 2020, when The Kelly Group became an independent registered investment advisor, Bryan had been a member of the company’s Premier Club, and from 2003 to 2020, he had been a member of the company’s National Leader Network, a group of elite financial advisors sharing insights and practice management ideas. In 2004, Premier Wealth Management, the office of supervisory jurisdiction for the Northeast for Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., named Bryan Advisor of the Year. In 2015, he was selected to serve on the PIMCO National Advisory Council to help provide insight and guidance on client needs and product development for PIMCO, a leading global investment management firm.
Bryan is a Harford County native who began his career as a financial planning associate for a local firm in 1992. He then joined Fidelity Investments, where he excelled as one of the firm’s top financial representatives. In 1997, Bryan cofounded The Kelly Group with his uncle, Bill. Under their stewardship, the firm has grown to more than 15 full-time employees. He has been a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional since 1998.
Bryan is an Omicron Delta Epsilon honors graduate of the University of Maryland Baltimore County with a MS in financial planning from the College for Financial Planning. He was twice honored as UMBC alumnus of the year: in 2007 as Economics Alumnus of the Year, and in 2015 as Social and Behavioral Sciences Alumnus of the Year.
Bryan is devoted to serving his community. He is chairman of the Board of Directors of University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health and is a board member of Harford Bank and UM UCH Foundation. He has served on the Board of Trustees of Harford Community College, as chairman, vice chair and member. In addition, he served on the Board of Directors of the Harford Community College Foundation and the Financial Planning Association of Maryland, and was the co-chair of the UMBC Economics Advisory Council. He is a former president of the Board of Directors of the Maryland Association of Community Colleges and the former chairman of the Advisory Board of the Academy of Finance, Harford County Public Schools. Bryan is a member of the Harford Leadership Academy Alumni Association at Harford Community College. In 2010, he completed the Leadership Maryland Class. Recently, he was nominated as one of Harford’s Most Beautiful People, honoring those who have enriched the lives of their fellow citizens through acts of kindness and concern.
Bryan is a life-long resident of Darlington, Maryland, where he has been heavily involved in the agricultural community. He lives at West Acre Farm with his wife, Katherine, his two children, Georgia and Benjamin, and numerous farm animals.