Richard Malone, 48; Investment Adviser

Richard W. Malone, 48, a stock market adviser to AM radio listeners as well as a senior vice president at Ferris, Baker Watts Inc., died Oct. 2 after he slipped and fell at his home in Falls Church.

Fairfax County police said the death was accidental.

As head of the Malone Financial Group, the Reston branch of regional brokerage firm Ferris, Baker Watts, Mr. Malone led a team of 18 financial advisers who invested $1.25 billion in equity, balanced and fixed-income accounts, said Randy Beeman, a portfolio manager and senior vice president.

Mr. Malone started his financial career at Dean Witter and then spent 12 years with Prudential Securities, Beeman said. Six years ago, Mr. Malone, Beeman and several other colleagues moved their financial group from Prudential to Ferris, which is jointly headquartered in Baltimore and Washington.

Known on air as "Rick," Mr. Malone was the stock market guru on "The Wise Investor Show," which he co-hosted with Beeman on Saturday mornings on WTNT (570 AM) and Sunday mornings on WMAL (630 AM).

Mr. Malone was optimistic about investing in stocks and eagerly pushed certain companies, said Chris Berry, WMAL's president and general manager. He said Mr. Malone built a loyal fan base because listeners knew that he put his money -- as well as his clients' money -- behind the stocks he recommended.

Mr. Malone also encouraged even the smallest investors to do thorough research on stock picks and to know their portfolios well.

"His show was popular with people who enjoyed playing the market," said Ric Edelman, who hosts a financial investment show Saturday mornings on WMAL. "He was known to be honest, reputable and a knowledgeable player."

Beeman said that in speaking with clients over the past few days, "they think that he was one of the few people that they would say they had ultimate trust in."

"The Wise Investor Show" is expected to continue with Beeman.

Mr. Malone was a native of Greenville, S.C., and a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.

He was a fan of the Washington Nationals and the Washington Redskins, having attended Sunday's Redskins game.

His marriage to Dana Malone ended in divorce.

Survivors include his fiancee, Jaime Bowerman of Falls Church; a son from his marriage, Tyson Malone of Reston; his parents, Richard and Alice Malone of Asheville, N.C.; and two sisters, Patrice Pisiniski of Washington and Alison Avagliano of Piedmont, Calif.

Staff researcher Meg Smith contributed to this report.