Christopher W Smiles

Advisor at Merrill — Weston, VT

Updated today

Credentials

Series 63, Series 65

Experience

44 years

Location

Weston, VT

Merrill logo

Merrill

Institution

Total advisors

25,448

Across 3,094 offices

Clients per advisor

70 Very Low

Avg AUM per client

$860,085 Very High

HNW client ratio

29% High

About

Christopher Smiles is a Senior Financial Advisor and the founder of The Smiles Group, a family office-style investment team within Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Since joining the firm in 1984, he has worked extensively with entrepreneurs, executives, and high-net-worth families nationwide. He leads a team dedicated to high-touch, relationship-driven service and works closely with each client’s legal and tax advisors to deliver fully integrated financial strategies. His role includes overseeing client relationships and developing investment allocation models for both individual and corporate clients.

Christopher holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC™) and Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor® (CPFA®) designations and earned a B.A. in Economics from Bates College. His areas of expertise encompass corporate executive services, divorce transition planning, executive compensation, family wealth management strategies, services for endowments, foundations, and non-profits, defined benefit plan services, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, philanthropic planning, and tax minimization.

Residing in Weston, Vermont, Christopher lives with his wife Missy and their three dogs. Outside of his professional work, he enjoys biking, fishing, hiking, skiing, yoga, and participates in community events such as the Nantucket Race Week - Rainbow Parade.

Client services

Based on Merrill

Portfolio management Pension consulting Selection of other advisers Educational seminars or workshops
Performance measurement reports, allocation modeling, ips, research reports and services, see schedule d

Expertise

Wealth management Family Business Business succession planning Retirement income strategy

Occupation focus

Executive

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Fee options

Commissions

SEC-reported: Commissions on certain transactions, including foreign securities and fixed income; mark-ups, markdowns and dealer spreads may apply to some trades.

Location

See office

Weston, VT

Weston VT

Advisors at this office

1

Most active in

Connecticut · Texas · Vermont

Work history

44 years of industry experience

Bank of America, N.A.

2011 - Present • 15 years

Stamford, CT

Merrill

1984 - Present • 42 years

Stamford, CT

Disclosures

Exclamation point means they have disclosures of this type. Check mark means no disclosures of this type were found.

Business activities & affiliations

user avatar

Christopher M

Series 65, Series 63

Chester, VT

Ox Lux Advisory LLC

Christopher Mason is a financial advisor at Ox Lux Advisory LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 designations. Prior to joining Ox Lux Advisory, he worked at Aaron Wealth Advisors and Specialist TeleMed LLC, and he also has experience with Saudi Aramco. Ox Lux Advisory LLC provides advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth individuals, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning and ongoing portfolio management tailored to client goals. The firm integrates modern portfolio theory, quantitative and technical analysis, and employs various trading strategies, conducting regular account reviews and providing detailed reporting.

Options & derivatives strategies Concentrated stock management Passive / index investing
user avatar

Tyson F

CFP®, Series 65, Series 63

Manchester Center, VT

Equinox Financial Advisors, Inc.

Tyson Fielding is a CFP® professional with nine years of experience and is the principal advisor at Equinox Financial Advisors, Inc. in Manchester Center, VT, where he has worked since 2012. Prior to Equinox, he was involved with T&E Fielding Corp. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as treasurer of Main Street Hockey Club, Inc. and is a board member of the Mt. Laurel Foundation. Equinox Financial Advisors, Inc. provides wealth management, investment management, financial planning, and tax preparation services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. The firm manages approximately $110.9 million in discretionary assets across about 312 client relationships, offering customized, primarily long-term portfolios using low-cost mutual funds and ETFs, with flexibility for additional securities and investment restrictions.

Wealth management Active portfolio management Tax-loss harvesting Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k)
user avatar

Hudsen H

CFP®, Series 65

Chester, VT

AFS Wealth Management LLC

Hudsen Hagland is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with four years of industry experience. He currently leads AFS Wealth Management LLC, an independent advisory firm, and has prior experience at SHP Wealth Management, LLC and Fisher Financial Advisors, LLC. He also held a position at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth from 2015 to 2020. AFS Wealth Management LLC is a single-advisor firm managing approximately $30.7 million for about 44 clients. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management and financial consulting tailored to individual client objectives, employing a combination of modern portfolio theory and technical analysis methods.

Wealth management
user avatar

Kevin T

Series 63, Series 66

Manchester Center, VT

HWC Financial

Kevin Theissen is a financial advisor at HWC Financial with 15 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at HWC Financial since 2018, following a seven-year tenure at Skygate Financial Group. In addition to his advisory role, he is a licensed insurance agent. HWC Financial provides discretionary investment management and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients, managing approximately $52 million across about 100 accounts. The firm employs a fundamentally driven, value-oriented investment approach with a multi-year horizon and integrates tax and insurance considerations into its planning.

Wealth management Real estate investing
user avatar

Zachary L

Series 66

Manchester Center, VT

HWC Financial

Zachary Levine is a financial advisor at HWC Financial with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at LPL Financial LLC, Mirras, Jacoby, Levine & Hatgistavrou Inc., Ganer + Ganer PLLC, and Mazars LLP. Outside of advisory work, he is involved with Cope Americas, LLC, an online selling platform. HWC Financial provides discretionary investment management and financial planning to individual and high-net-worth clients, managing approximately $52 million across about 100 accounts. The firm employs a fundamentally driven, value-oriented approach, constructing portfolios across major asset classes with discretion to rebalance or hold positions based on tax, valuation, or client-specific considerations.

Wealth management Real estate investing
user avatar

Shawn H

Series 66

Manchester Center, VT

Bay Colony Advisors

Shawn Harrington is a financial advisor at Bay Colony Advisors with 21 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Bay Colony Advisors since 2016. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a curator for the Manchester Historical Society in Vermont. Bay Colony Advisors serves individual investors, high-net-worth families, trusts, retirement plans, and institutional clients, offering comprehensive financial planning, portfolio management, and family office services. The firm combines fundamental analysis with model portfolios and access to sub-advisers, providing both discretionary and non-discretionary management tailored to client needs.

Private / alternative investments Concentrated stock management Annuities Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
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