TOP 100 MAGAZINE

Maram Alaiwat, CEP®, MA, Med
Financial Advisor & Founder, Maram Financial Services
 

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Maram Alaiwat, CEP®, MA, MEd, approaches financial advising with a perspective shaped as much by purpose as by performance. As an investment adviser representative and the owner of Maram Financial Services, she works closely with clients to align their financial strategies with their personal values, a method that reflects a growing demand for ethical and globally responsible investing. In an industry traditionally centered strictly on quantitative returns, Maram has carved out a distinct niche focused on helping businesses and families thoughtfully integrate their core beliefs into comprehensive wealth management, retirement, and estate planning.

 

With over a decade of industry experience, Maram’s professional path reflects a rare blend of intellectual curiosity, hard work, adaptability, and systemic insight. Her career in education began organically while homeschooling her own children, when local homeschooling families began seeking out her guidance. This initial collaborative effort quickly unlocked a regional demand; to accommodate the rapid influx of meeting requests, she transitioned the groups who reached out to her into a dedicated physical facility. The grassroots initiative scaled with fiery speed, ultimately expanding into a community-based educational network that spanned seven counties, employed 156 teachers, and served over 10,000 families. This remarkable trajectory from a parent-led collective to a sweeping regional infrastructure paved the way for her appointment as a superintendent of alternative schools. Yet, Maram fondly recalls a pivotal time serving a smaller group of about 30 students under house arrest within the Iron Triangle region of California, a neighborhood historically impacted by systemic redlining, post wartime industrial shifts, and subsequent decades of severe economic disinvestment. Witnessing these deep urban and socio-economic challenges firsthand profoundly shaped Maram’s perspective, sparking a deep interest in how financial systems and structural barriers influence both individual upward mobility and community resilience.

 

Driven to directly address these disparities, Maram completed her first graduate degree from Fielding Graduate University, a Master of Arts in collaborative education leadership (MACEL), and made the deliberate transition into the financial services industry.  She entered the advisory field to offer a more value-conscious, structurally informed approach to saving, college planning and wealth planning, establishing her practice in the San Francisco Bay Area but eventually moving to Detroit to be near her elderly father in his final days. Today, she serves clients across the contiguous United States, Alaska, and Hawaii, with offices in Michigan and New York.

 

As a practitioner committed to lifelong learning, Maram’s advanced academic work continually evolved alongside her growing practice. After establishing her footing as an advisor, she completed a second graduate degree from Fielding, a Master of Arts in education and instruction (MEd), focusing her research on the ethics and moral considerations inherent in financial services. This was followed by doctoral studies focused deeply on economic inequality and financial regulatory frameworks, allowing her to critically analyze the systemic gaps that often exist between investor values and portfolio composition. Maram successfully defended her doctoral dissertation in June 2026, and the project is currently in its final proofreading phase. Once completed, she will officially hold the title "Dr. Alaiwat" as a scholar and EdD.

 

Today, Maram holds the Series 6, 63, and 65 licenses alongside her Certified Estate Planner (CEP®) designation, ensuring a highly regulated, comprehensive service framework for her clients. What distinguishes her practice is a rigorous focus on customization. Rather than prescribing a single methodology, she emphasizes education and collaboration, guiding businesses and families to allocate meaningful portions of their portfolios toward investments that support environmental sustainability, social responsibility, or community development based strictly on their beliefs and individual preferences.

 

Maram’s advisory work is continually enriched by her ongoing research and her fellowship with the Marie Fielder Center for Democracy, Leadership, and Education in Santa Barbara, alongside a new relationship with Excelsior University in Albany, NY. Through these academic affiliations, she continues to explore how financial systems and advisory frameworks can evolve to better reflect ethical considerations and broader societal impact. Translating this research into actionable education, Maram is currently developing the School for Ethical Investing (SEI). This initiative is designed to provide structured guidance, screening methodologies, and resources for both advisors and individuals looking to navigate the complexities of values-based portfolios.

 

Maram successfully grew her practice, earned advanced degrees and regulatory credentials, and served as a trustee for various not for profits, including Detroit PBS, while balancing the rigorous demands of raising her family and caring for others. Proudly, she most enjoys her role as a mother to her three sons and mentor to her team of advisors and clients. To learn more about her work or practice, you can visit www.maramfinancialservices.com

 

Maram Alaiwat is a registered representative and investment adviser representative of Equity Services, Inc. Securities and investment advisory services are offered solely by Equity Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC, 421 Troy Schenectady Rd, Latham NY 12110, 518-608-4608. Maram Financial Services and all other entities are independent of Equity Services, Inc. In CO, MO, NH and WI, Equity Services, Inc. operates as Vermont Equity Services, Inc. For advice concerning your own situation, please consult with your appropriate professional advisor. National Life Group® is a trade name of National Life Insurance Company (NLIC), Montpelier VT, and its affiliates. Equity Services, Inc. is a Broker/Dealer and Registered Investment Adviser affiliate of NLIC. Maram Financial and all other entities listed and their agents are independent contractors and are not employees of any National Life Group entity. TC8958191(0626)1

 

 

Maram Alaiwat, CEP®, MA, Med
Owner and Financial Advisor
Maram Financial Services
Email: maram@maramfinancial.com

Website: https://maram.financial

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/maramalaiwat

Facebook: www.facebook.com/maramkalaiwat

Instagram: www.instagram.com/maramalaiwat