Ross Marino

Your life and your wealth are connected. That belief has shaped Ross Marino’s work as a financial planner, educator, and author for more than 30 years. Today, as a fee-only financial planner, Ross leads Dovetail Financial and the creator of Human-First Financial Guidance®, Ross helps people make financial decisions that reflect what matters most in their lives. That same philosophy guides the work of Dovetail’s Human-First Advisors™ in each client relationship.

Ross specializes in helping individuals and couples navigate major life transitions, especially the decision to retire. He begins with the person before the numbers, taking time to understand each client’s story, values, and priorities before turning to the financial details. His mission is to help people worry less about what could go wrong and feel more confident about the decisions ahead.

Over the course of his career, Ross has seen how retirement, caregiving, illness, and career change can unsettle more than a financial plan. These moments can reshape identity, priorities, and a person’s sense of stability. He believes guidance should meet both the moment and the person, bringing clarity when life feels uncertain and structure when important decisions start to carry more weight.

Ross is the co-author of Shaping Change: How to Respond When Life Disrupts Your Retirement Plan and has long advocated for bringing emotional intelligence into financial planning. He taught Retirement Planning and Employee Benefits in the CFP® curriculum at UNC Wilmington and is a frequent speaker at national financial conferences and on leading industry podcasts. His work has been recognized by Investment News and WealthManagement.com for leadership in advisor communication and client experience. In 2024, he was named the ThinkAdvisor LUMINARIES Thought Leader of the Year – RIA.

Outside of work, Ross enjoys staying active with his family. You might find them playing pickleball, walking the loop at Wrightsville Beach, working out, or out with Lexi, their overly protective and thoroughly spoiled Blue Merle Pomeranian. He is also an avid science fiction reader, a student of artificial intelligence, and a fan of the YouTube show Moonshots, hosted by Peter Diamandis.

Whether the question is “When can I retire?” or “How do I know if this is the right time?”, Ross brings empathy, experience, and clarity to help people make confident decisions and build a plan that fits their life.