Focus
Larry Marks, Founder & Managing Director, has dedicated his career to supporting clients in Pittsburgh in pursuing their financial goals. Known for his dedication and approachable style, Larry takes pride in building lasting relationships where clients feel supported and valued. For him, financial advising is about more than numbers—it’s about listening to clients’ aspirations, addressing their concerns, and helping create strategies designed to instill confidence. Larry values the close relationships he builds with clients and the trust they place in him with their financial planning needs. Larry is honored to have helped clients in planning for financial independence, including stories of clients enjoying their retirement with much less worry, and even involving him in decisions about retirement homes and lifestyle choices.
Education, Awards, & Certifications
- B.S. in Business Administration, Duquesne University
- Recognized with the Five Star Wealth Manager award, 2012 through 2023 and 2026* (View the 2026 award | View the award emblem).
Outside the Office
A Pittsburgh native through and through, Larry shares a full life with his partner Beth, his three children, nine grandchildren, and a large extended family. Outside of work, Larry’s passions range from family vacations in the Caribbean to spending time at the grandkids’ activities and Broadway shows. An avid sportsman, Larry enjoys golf, hockey, and baseball and has been involved in ice hockey coaching at all levels—from five-year-olds to Division 1 college clubs. In addition, Larry has a soft spot for travel, with Italy and Wine Country among his favorite destinations. His philosophy in both life and work centers on family, trust, and reliability, principles that guide his approach with each client.
CA Insurance License #4260905
*This award was issued on 06/01/2026 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 09/10/2025 through 02/27/2026. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 2133 Pittsburgh-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 201 (9% of candidates) were named 2026 Five Star Wealth Managers. The following prior year statistics use this format: YEAR: # Considered, # Winners, % of candidates, Issued Date, Research Period. 2025: 1,965, 211, 11%, 6/1/25, 9/18/24 – 2/28/25; 2024: 1,854, 231, 13%, 6/1/24, 9/12/23 – 3/29/24; 2023: 1,818, 233, 13%, 6/1/23, 9/12/22 – 3/31/23; 2022: 1779, 252, 14%, 6/1/22, 9/27/21 – 3/25/22; 2021: 1814, 234, 13%, 6/1/21, 9/7/20 – 4/23/21; 2020: 1886, 224, 12%, 6/1/20, 9/16/19 – 4/10/20; 2019: 1667, 251, 15%, 6/1/19, 9/17/18 – 4/12/19; 2018: 1653, 227, 14%, 6/1/18, 9/28/17 – 4/17/18; 2017: 1133, 277, 24%, 6/1/17, 9/27/16 – 4/11/17; 2016: 1064, 423, 40%, 5/1/16, 10/7/15 – 4/19/16; 2015: 1494, 442, 30%, 6/1/15, 10/7/14 – 4/19/15; 2014: 1721, 458, 27%, 6/1/14, 10/7/13 – 4/19/14; 2013: 1777, 545, 31%, 6/1/13, 10/7/12 – 4/19/13; 2012: 1863, 493, 26%, 6/1/12, 10/7/11 – 4/19/12. Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. The award is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility criteria – required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser (RIA) or a registered investment adviser representative; 2. Actively licensed as a RIA or as a principal of a registered investment adviser firm for a minimum of 5 years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total of five settled, pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or FSP’s consumer complaint process. Unfavorable feedback may have been discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints registered through FSP’s consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client’s experience; C. Individually contributed to a financial settlement of a customer complaint; D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F. Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards; 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria – considered: 6. One-year client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. Education and professional designations. FSP does not evaluate quality of services provided to clients. The award is not indicative of the wealth manager’s future performance. Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients’ assets. The inclusion of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth manager by FSP or this publication. Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by FSP in the future. Visit www.fivestarprofessional.com.
