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Schedule a CallDeLynn M. Zell
CFP®
Managing Director / Financial Advisor / Member Owner
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Education &
Affiliations &
With 30 years of experience, DeLynn is an influencer in the industry and was co-founder and CEO of Bridgeworth Wealth Management until it joined with Savant in 2023.
DeLynn earned a bachelor of science degree in accounting and finance from Birmingham Southern College and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. She was recognized by Forbes in 2023 and 2024 as one of the Best-in-State Women Wealth Advisors in Alabama. She was recognized by AL.com in 2018 as one of the Women Who Shape the State, and as CEO of the Year in 2020 by the Birmingham Business Journal. DeLynn was selected for the 2020 class of Leadership Alabama.
DeLynn is passionate about mentoring and helping to develop women advisors in a male-dominated field. She advocates for putting women in leadership positions where they can be role models for other women. Her efforts put her prior firm at the forefront of the industry with an above-average number of women advisors and women in leadership and with national recognition for the firm’s culture.
DeLynn provides leadership within the financial planning industry and for key organizations in Birmingham and across Alabama. She was invited to join Schwab’s 20-member national Advisory Council in 2023 and participates in executive peer groups. Locally, DeLynn serves on the board of The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham as chair of their investment committee and as a board member of Leadership Alabama. She is a long-time member of the Board of Trustees at Birmingham Southern College. DeLynn serves on the executive board and finance committee of the Boy Scouts of America, Oasis Counseling Center, and was a prior president of the Financial Planning Association of North Alabama.
A native of Headland, AL, DeLynn is married to Lee Zell, a partner with the law firm Balch & Bingham, and they have one adult son, David Michael. She enjoys spending family time at their home on Lake Eufaula and golfing.
Education &
Designations
- Birmingham Southern College
Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance - CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional
Affiliations &
Community Service
- Schwab Advisory Council – member
- The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham – board member, Investment Committee chair
- Leadership Alabama – board member
- Birmingham Southern College Board of Trustees – member
- Boy Scouts of America – executive board member, Finance Committee member
- Oasis Counseling Center – executive board member, Finance Committee member
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ in the U.S., which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.
2024 Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors: The 2024 Best-in-State Wealth Advisors list published in February 2024. Data as of 9/30/23. America’s Top Women Advisors ranking was developed by SHOOK Research and is based on in-person, virtual and telephone due diligence meetings to evaluate each advisor qualitatively, a major component of a ranking algorithm that includes client impact, industry experience, review of best practices and compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, including assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. SHOOK’s research and rankings provide opinions intended to help investors choose the right financial advisor and are not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK Research receive compensation in exchange for placement on the ranking. Savant did not pay a fee to be included in this ranking.
2023 Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors: The 2023 Best-in-State Wealth Advisors list published in April 2023 is based on an algorithm of qualitative criteria learned through telephone, virtual and in-person due diligence interviews, and quantitative data such as revenue trends and assets under management. The algorithm additionally weighs factors such as service models, compliance records and industry experience, and focuses on those that encompass best practices in their approach to working with clients. All advisors that are considered have a minimum of seven years’ experience. Portfolio performance is not a criterion due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK receive a fee in exchange for rankings. Savant did not pay a fee to be included in this ranking.
2023 Forbes Top Women Best-in-State Wealth Advisors: The 2023 Top Women Best-in-State Wealth Advisors list published in February 2023 is based on an algorithm of qualitative data, learned through surveys and interviews conducted by telephone, in-person and virtually to evaluate best practices, such as service models, investing models and compliance records as well as quantitative data, such as revenue trends and assets under management. All advisors have a minimum of seven years’ experience. Portfolio performance is not a criterion due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK receive a fee in exchange for rankings. Savant did not pay a fee to be included in this ranking.
2018 Women Who Shape the State: The 2018 Women Who Shape the State list was published in November 2018. Nominees were chosen through a nomination process by peers and fellow professionals and selected by a panel of judges.
2020 CEO of the Year: The 2020 CEO of the Year award was presented by the Birmingham Business Journal in December 2020. Finalists were chosen based on contributions to their company, the company’s track record of performance, the CEO’s role in his or her industry, and impact in the community, among other factors.