Rebecca Maurer

Lynn Phillips Gaines is a CFP® professional with 43 years of industry experience, currently serving at Phillips Wealth Planners LLC. She previously worked at Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. and operated Phillips Financial and Lynn Phillips Inc. Gaines is also involved in business ownership outside the advisory field, including a construction company and partnership in a separate LLC. Phillips Wealth Planners provides discretionary wealth management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services to individuals, families, trusts, estates, and small businesses. The firm employs a primarily long-term investment approach with strategic asset allocation and ongoing portfolio monitoring.

Lauren Black is a CFP® professional with 14 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Phillips Wealth Planners LLC since 2022. Her prior experience includes roles at Raymond James Financial Services Advisors and Phillips Financial. She is involved with the nonprofit Bridges Out of Poverty as Treasurer and holds several board positions in local educational organizations. Phillips Wealth Planners provides discretionary wealth management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services to individuals, families, trusts, estates, and small businesses. The firm employs a primarily long-term investment approach with strategic asset allocation, internal due diligence, and ongoing portfolio monitoring.

Michael Black is a financial advisor at Financial Concepts with Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and over five years of experience. Prior to joining Financial Concepts in 2025, he worked at Patterson Andrews Wealth Management and held various roles in academic institutions, including Samford University and Texas A&M University. Financial Concepts is a team firm serving individuals, charitable organizations, and small businesses with discretionary investment supervisory services, financial planning, and pension consulting. The firm employs a buy-and-hold investment approach focused on growth, growth-and-income, and balanced portfolios, emphasizing equities as an inflation hedge and monitoring accounts at least quarterly.

Sawyer Brown is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor at Financial Concepts with two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Financial Concepts, he held positions at Mississippi State University, Caring Transitions of GTR, East Mississippi Community College, Sleepmade, and Caledonia High School. Financial Concepts provides discretionary investment supervisory services, financial planning, and pension consulting to a diverse client base including individuals, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm employs a buy-and-hold equity investment approach complemented by behavior coaching and utilizes third-party platforms such as SEI for portfolio management.

Jason Spears is a financial advisor at Beam Wealth Advisors, Inc. in Columbus, MS, with 22 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments and Securities America Inc. Outside of his advisory role, Spears is involved in community activities including coaching competitive youth soccer, serving as a den leader for a local Boy Scout pack, and participating on the Columbus Redevelopment Authority board. Beam Wealth Advisors, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and businesses, providing comprehensive financial planning and investment management. The firm employs asset allocation and diversification strategies guided by Modern and Post-Modern Portfolio Theory, and maintains affiliated tax and CPA services to support integrated financial solutions.

Scott Ferguson is a financial advisor with Financial Concepts in Columbus, MS, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 19 years of industry experience. He has worked at Financial Concepts since 2012, with a brief period at National Planning Corporation from 2015 to 2017. Ferguson serves as board president of the United Way of Lowndes County. Financial Concepts provides discretionary investment supervisory services, financial planning, and pension consulting to individuals, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm emphasizes a buy-and-hold equity strategy to address inflation risk and incorporates behavior coaching to discourage market timing, managing portfolios primarily through mutual funds and SEI model allocations.