Dawn Mabery Chestnut
CFP®, MSPFP, MPAS®, CFEI®
Mabery Consulting, LLC
Founder, Financial Planner and Investment Advisor
Dawn Mabery Chestnut
CFP®, MSPFP, MPAS®, CFEI®
Mabery Consulting, LLC
Founder, Financial Planner and Investment Advisor
As a fee-only financial planner, my focus is to provide honest, objective, and judgment-free advice for women solo entrepreneurs. - Dawn Mabery Chestnut, CFP®, MSPFP, MPAS®, CFEI®
Fee-Only financial planner located in Washington, DC, serving clients locally and across the country

Dawn Mabery Chestnut is a Washington, DC fee-only financial advisor serving clients locally, the metropolitan area including Montgomery County, Maryland and Prince Georges County, Maryland, greater Northern Virginia, and across the country. Mabery Consulting, LLC provides comprehensive financial planning to guide women, solo entrepreneurs, through the confusing world of money to make informed decisions in reaching their idea of success. As a fee-only, fiduciary, and independent financial advisor, Dawn Mabery Chestnut is never paid a commission of any kind, and has a legal obligation to put your needs first.
Dawn Mabery Chestnut is the Founder and CEO of Mabery Consulting, LLC.
Financial advice can be intimidating and complex, but I’m not your average financial advisor. I strive to make managing money simpler by speaking plainly (no jargon!) and offering genuine help instead of hard sales tactics. I prefer a more informal approach – without the stuffy suit.
When I’m not crunching numbers, you might find me tending to my backyard garden with my ducks waddling around, jogging (though trotting is more accurate), or biking with friends – an activity made even better at night thanks to colorful glow-in-the-dark lights we put on our wheels. My recent fascination is learning to sew clothes. I also have an amazing and supportive husband.
I am a natural planner, bringer of order, and numbers lover, so it’s no surprise that I became a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ with a master’s degree in personal financial planning. I actually enjoy pouring over document details and making sense of the data. To me, it’s like putting together a puzzle. My favorite class in school was accounting – numbers don’t scare me. Beyond that, my work allows me to get to know people – their values, goals, and challenges, beyond their paperwork.
My brief behind the facts and figures journey is this. Growing up in a large family where money was tight inspired me to teach basic financial literacy voluntarily. My adult students wanted advice on retirement or social security (more info than the basic curriculum provided). This lit the spark for me to start my financial planning business! I still teach financial empowerment in underserved communities by contracting with local non-profits. I’ve had my own business for over ten years.
These experiences taught me that many people can find money talk difficult and sensitive. I’m here to provide honest, objective, and judgment-free advice for your money questions (big or small). No question is too embarrassing for me – I’ve made my share of money missteps too and I also just didn’t know a lot about money because it was not taught to me.
As a fiduciary, I’m committed to putting your needs first. With your commitment, follow-through, and patience, I can help guide you through the confusing world of money so that you can make informed decisions in reaching your idea of success.
Thank you for considering me as your advisor. Call me for a free discovery call where you can share with me about your financial needs, and I’ll share with you about my services.
My Credentials
- CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional
- Master of Science, Personal Financial Planning
- Master Planner Advanced Studies™
- Registered Investment Advisor in the District of Columbia, Connecticut, and all states where exempt
- Certificate of Financial Planning from Georgetown University
- Series 65/Uniform Investment Advisor License
- Certificate of Financial Education Instruction
- Bachelor of Arts, Spelman College
Dawn Mabery Chestnut is a Member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors

The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors - highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
NAPFA members live by three important values:
- To be the beacon for independent, objective financial advice for individuals and families.
- To be the champion of financial services delivered in the public interest.
- To be the standard bearer for the emerging profession of financial planning.
Mabery Consulting, LLC provides comprehensive financial planning and investment management to help women small business owners.
My Services:
- Financial Planning
- Investment Management
Are We the Right Fit for Each Other?
I serve the types of business owners described below who hold the following beliefs about money management. Do you share these views?
Type of Small Business
- Self-employed women solo practitioner or you may have a few employees.
- You provide a service.
- You aim to create a more just and equitable society.
Motivation and Commitment
- You want to improve personal and business financial circumstances.
- You want to prepare now to better position for future financial opportunities.
- You want to learn.
- You are ready to take action now.
Passive Investment Style
- You understand that no one can consistently beat the market.
- You practice staying the course during down markets because it is better in the long-term than selling if you have time to wait for a potential market rebound.
- You prefer low-cost diverse allocation of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and/or mutual funds to riskier individual securities.
Nature of Planning Relationship
- Building a relationship over time and addressing overall personal and business financial circumstances yields more impactful financial results than piecemeal transactions.
- Comfort with technology as financial planning services are provided virtually.
- Email support, quarterly virtual check-in meetings, monthly content on financial topics.
- Fee-only, fiduciary advisor who does not sell insurance nor make commissions. My recommendations are based solely on your needs.
Fee-Only, Fiduciary, Independent: Three Important Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Financial Advisor.
Specialties
- Comprehensive Financial Planning
- Investment Management
- Women’s Finance
- Social Justice Investing
- Socially Responsible Investing
- College Planning
- Tax Planning
Ideal Clients
- Solo Entrepreneurs
- Women
- Retirees and Near Retirees
- Growing Families
- Sudden Money Situations
Working Together
- In-Office Meetings
- Virtual Meetings
- Clearly Defined Fees
- No Product Sales
- Complimentary Initial Consultation
Professional Designations & Affiliations
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Dawn Mabery Chestnut is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional - Click for Verification
CFP® professionals are held to strict ethical standards to ensure financial planning recommendations are in your best interest. What’s more, a CFP® professional must acquire several years of experience related to delivering financial planning services to clients and pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Exam before they can use the CFP® designation.
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Dawn Mabery Chestnut is a NAPFA-Registered Financial Advisor
The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors—highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
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Dawn Mabery Chestnut is a Member of the XY Planning Network
The XY Planning Network is the leading organization of fee-only financial advisors who are focused on working with Generation X and Generation Y clients. Our mission is to connect consumers with best-in-class financial advisors who specialize in working with clients just like you.
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Dawn Mabery Chestnut is a Master Planner Advanced Studies℠ Professional (MPAS®)
MPAS® designees have completed a Master of Science degree with a major in personal financial planning or financial analysis. The program consists of 36-43 semester credits and delves into personal financial planning or investment-related content. Graduates are required to demonstrate critical thinking skills and problem-solving techniques. Additionally, individuals must complete assignments, projects, research, and papers and meet all graduation requirements for the Master of Science degree.
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Dawn Mabery Chestnut holds a Master's in Personal Financial Planning (MSPFP)
The Master of Science Degree Program in Personal Financial Planning from the College for Financial Planning offers financial planners an opportunity to expand their knowledge beyond typical credentials. The curriculum is based on a client-centered, problem-solving method using case studies to provide a hands-on approach to the material. Planners may either choose a traditional pathway or a client psychology and communication pathway. Regardless of the path, degree earners have successfully completed 30 semester credits.
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Dawn Mabery Chestnut is a Member of The Financial Planning Association® (FPA®)
FPA® is the largest membership organization for CFP® professionals in the U.S. and supports high standards of professional competence, ethical conduct, and clear, complete disclosure when serving clients.
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Dawn Mabery Chestnut is a Certified Financial Education Instructor℠ (CFEI®)
The CFEI® program helps individuals acquire the expertise, credibility, and self-assurance they need to teach money management lessons effectively. Graduates from the NFEC’s financial literacy certification program demonstrate they are qualified to teach the subject matter with credibility as a financial education instructor.
Those who earn the CFEI® financial literacy certification report that they experience greater enjoyment teaching and achieve better results among the audiences who attend their presentations.
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Dawn Mabery Chestnut is a Member of the Association of African American Financial Advisors (AAAA)
The Association of African American Financial Advisors (AAAA) is a non-profit membership organization for African American financial advisors and affiliated professionals. AAAA works in alliance with academic leaders at HBCUs that support financial planning degree programs, legislative and regulatory bodies, financial services firms and consumer interest organizations. AAAA fosters the value of financial planning and advances the financial planning profession.
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Dawn Mabery Chestnut Serves as the Scholarship Chair for the National Alumnae Association of Spelman College, Washington DC Chapter
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Dawn Mabery Chestnut is a Member of The Black Entrepreneurs Network
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Dawn Mabery Chestnut is Mentioned on Entrepreneur Insider: "The One About How to Grow Your Product or Service Based Business"
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Dawn Mabery Chestnut is a Panelist for CoolKids.org, a Florida-based 501(c)3 non-profit organization providing support to disadvantaged kids on financial literacy education with the goal of creating multigenerational positive impact.
Contact Dawn Mabery Chestnut
Office Locations:
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By Appointment
Washington, DC 20019