With over 25 years of experience in investment research, portfolio management, and advisory operations, I founded my RIA to provide expert guidance to financial advisors and investors. As a CFA Charterholder, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®), my goal is to simplify the complexities of investing and help clients make informed decisions about stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, annuities, alternatives, and private investments. For advisors, I offer tailored support for creating model portfolios, conducting investment committee meetings, and developing retirement plan strategies, all aimed at enhancing advisor-client relationships and delivering better outcomes. Over the years, I’ve worked in various roles, from equity research and fixed income trading to serving as the de-facto Chief Investment Officer for a large RIA. My services cover a wide range of needs, including life insurance analysis, capital gains budgeting, structured product and annuity evaluations, options-based strategies for individual stock positions, IPS reviews, enhanced prospect conversions, and the development of customized model portfolios. I pride myself on providing data-driven insights to help advisors improve their practices, better serve their clients, and grow their businesses. In addition to my professional work, I enjoy spending time with my wife and four kids, golfing, traveling, coaching youth sports, and mentoring students. I’m passionate about investing in future generations and advancing the fields of finance and investing. My technical expertise, combined with a personal approach, allows me to work alongside advisors to elevate their client offerings, streamline operations, and achieve lasting success.

Ethan Oetter is a financial advisor at Long River Investment Management LLC with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Twin Springs Investments, LLC and RunTide Capital Management, LLC. In addition to his advisory role, he provides administrative support on a contract basis for Twin Springs Family Office & Charitable Foundation. Long River Investment Management offers discretionary investment management through separately managed accounts for individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, foundations, corporations, and select institutional clients. The firm employs a fundamentally oriented investment process with concentrated equity and globally diversified ETF strategies tailored to client risk tolerance and goals.

James Ethington is a financial advisor at Transcendent Investment Advisors, LLC and holds a Series 65 designation. He has one year of experience in financial advising and a background that includes eighteen years at The Boeing Company and twenty years with the Missouri Air National Guard. Transcendent Investment Advisors is an independent, fee-only registered investment adviser serving a broad range of clients, including individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm employs a quantitative, research-driven investment approach and offers continuous portfolio management alongside project-based consulting, educational services, and seminars.

Kyle Parke is the sole advisor at Parke Investment Management, Inc. in St. Louis, MO, holding a Series 65 credential with 28 years of industry experience. He has led his independent firm since 1993 and has also been associated with Holiday Inn Corp. since 1992. Parke Investment Management serves primarily individual clients through discretionary portfolio management and occasionally provides financial planning at no additional charge. The firm manages a modest asset base for a limited client roster, employing a broad range of investment vehicles and utilizing borrowing and derivatives strategies within separately managed accounts.

Richard Baldwin is the sole advisor at Baldwin Wealth Management, LLC in St. Louis, MO. He holds the CFA® designation and Series 63 license, with 15 years of industry experience. Baldwin has led his independent firm since 2010, focusing on investment management and financial consulting. Baldwin Wealth Management serves individuals, trusts, estates, endowments, foundations, businesses, and participant-directed retirement plans, providing fiduciary investment advice and portfolio management. The firm employs a long-term investment approach based on Modern Portfolio Theory, utilizing diversified asset-class allocations with rules-based tilts and a buy-hold-rebalance strategy.

Christopher Harrell is a financial advisor with CKHFinancial LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 23 years of industry experience. His background includes roles at NEXT Financial Group and LPL Financial, as well as work as an independent insurance agent since 2017. He has also served as an adjunct professor teaching finance courses at Harris-Stowe State University. CKHFinancial LLC is an independent, fee-based registered investment adviser serving individuals, businesses, and charitable organizations. The firm offers personalized financial planning, hourly consultation, and ongoing investment management with a focus on broadly diversified portfolios and regular client reviews.

Steven Reinisch is a financial advisor at MacroVex Capital with 14 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Duncan McHugh Investments and Greiner Joseph Advisory Group LLC. Reinisch has been with MacroVex Capital since 2019. MacroVex Capital provides investment management and investor education to individuals, businesses, charities, trusts, and estates. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, cyclical, charting, and quantitative analysis to create customized strategies, focusing on both discretionary and non-discretionary account management.

Joshua Wheeler is the principal of Wheeler Financial Planning LLC in St. Charles, MO, with 14 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at firms including VP Pro, Futaba, AIC, RC America, and Archway Coatings. Outside of advising, Wheeler owns a Smoothie King store where he assists with payroll and management, and he is involved in marketing for Archway Industrial Coatings and AIC as well as product testing and research for RC America. Wheeler Financial Planning provides advisory services to individual clients by directing them to third-party investment advisers, primarily placing assets in mutual funds and fixed-income securities. The firm operates on a non-discretionary basis, using a passive, buy-and-hold investment approach grounded in modern portfolio theory and conducts ongoing due diligence on selected advisers.

Joseph Darpel III is a CFP® professional with 32 years of industry experience. He is the principal advisor at Smart Steps Wealth Management LLC in St. Louis, MO, having previously worked at Gunpowder Capital Management, Hayden Royal, and Raymond James Financial. He is also president of Jos F Darpel Investment Co., a non-investment-related support company. Smart Steps Wealth Management LLC provides investment advisory and planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, and employer retirement plans. The firm manages discretionary portfolios using a variety of analytical methods and serves both retail and institutional clients, including pension and profit-sharing plans.

John Hawver is an advisor at Mark V Capital with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has previously worked at Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Broadway Technology, and Sun Trading LLC. Mark V Capital Advisors LLC is an independent investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional clients such as family offices and trusts. The firm uses a data-driven investment approach combining quantitative and qualitative analysis, managing assets through separately managed accounts with periodic portfolio reviews.

Eric Amundson is the managing director of Adaptive Wealth Management, LLC in Chesterfield, MO, with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at Concorde Investment Services, LLC since 2012. Outside of advisory work, he serves on the board of the St. Louis Chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and is involved in business consulting through Bridge Profit Solutions, LLC. Adaptive Wealth Management is a state-registered independent investment adviser providing discretionary portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals, businesses, charities, and pension plans. The firm employs an active, market-timing approach using trend-following technical analysis and neural-network-based intermarket indicators to guide daily trading decisions, tailoring investment programs to each client’s financial situation and risk tolerance.

Thipp Ratsaboutseua is a financial advisor at QuantumLeap Wealth Management, LLC with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has been with QuantumLeap Wealth Management since 2014. QuantumLeap Wealth Management provides investment supervisory services and individualized portfolio management to private individuals, including high-net-worth clients. The firm integrates derivatives and borrowing strategies into separately managed accounts and employs a combination of fundamental and technical analysis tailored to client objectives.

Michael Mariani is a financial advisor with Consolidated Wealth Management in Clayton, MO, holding a Series 65 designation and 14 years of industry experience. He has worked at Asset Planners, Inc. since 2016 and Buckingham Asset Management, LLC since 2011. Outside of his advisory work, Mariani and his wife operate a property management LLC that manages a small number of multi-family investment properties for a family member. Consolidated Wealth Management provides individualized financial planning and portfolio management for high-net-worth and other individual clients. The firm’s approach emphasizes fundamental analysis and long-term buy-and-hold strategies, utilizing diversified allocations with low-cost exchange-traded funds and software-driven scenario analysis.

Michael Leara Sr. is a financial advisor with Gateway Advisors, LLC in St. Louis, MO, holding Series 65 and Series 63 credentials and 21 years of industry experience. He has worked with Gateway Advisors since 2005 and previously worked at Williams Financial Group, WFG Advisors, LP, and FSC Securities Corporation. Outside of advisory services, he serves as Executive Director of the Missouri Gaming Commission and is involved in commercial land development consulting and law enforcement equipment sales through his roles at Jupiter, LLC and Defense Logistics, LLC. Gateway Advisors provides discretionary, actively managed portfolio and consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, retirement plans, and institutional accounts. The firm employs a combined technical and fundamental analysis approach and manages portfolios with regular monitoring and reviews, focusing on a range of investment vehicles while avoiding inverse or leveraged ETFs.

Ethan Rush is the sole advisor at Sigma Advisors, LLC in St. Louis, MO, with 10 years of experience in financial advising and a Series 66 designation. He has prior experience at Rush Penn, LLC, and has maintained a legal practice as an attorney since 1988, primarily focusing on estate planning. In addition to his advisory role, he provides legal counsel separately under his own law practice. Sigma Advisors offers financial planning, investment management, and single-family office services to individuals, trusts, estates, foundations, and single-family offices, serving high- and ultra-high-net-worth clients. The firm emphasizes portfolio management using passive, low-turnover ETFs and no-load mutual funds, operates on a non-discretionary basis, and employs a flat annual fee structure.

Curtis Sawyer is the sole advisor at Sawyer Capital Management in Wildwood, MO, with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been affiliated with Sawyer Capital Management since 2007. Since 2010, he has also been associated with Webster University. Sawyer Capital Management provides discretionary investment management and financial planning to individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, small businesses, and sponsors of pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm’s investment approach is based on Modern Portfolio Theory and a passive, asset-class strategy using no-load mutual funds and ETFs, supported by written investment policy statements, Monte Carlo analysis, and periodic rebalancing. It offers a combination of individual wealth management and formal retirement-plan consulting services, including plan-level analysis and participant education.

Stephen Harris is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with 11 years of industry experience. He is the sole proprietor of Vanda Advisers in Saint Louis, MO, and has a background in designing and marketing software for broker-dealers and investment managers. Harris also serves as an unpaid treasurer managing investments for a nonprofit organization. Vanda Advisers is an independent advisory firm that serves individuals, couples, and employers, focusing on employer-sponsored retirement plans, IRA rollovers, and discretionary portfolio management. The firm manages a limited number of client accounts with individualized advice and uses an investment approach based on historical returns, market conditions, and fundamental analysis, primarily investing in mutual funds, ETFs, and bonds.

Garrett Gould is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with eight years of industry experience, currently serving clients through Halyard Financial, LLC in St. Louis, MO. Prior to establishing Halyard Financial, he worked at Equity Advisors of Kentucky. He also owns and operates Halyard Tax, LLC, a tax preparation business unrelated to his investment advisory services. Halyard Financial provides discretionary investment management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and corporate clients. The firm utilizes Modern Portfolio Theory primarily through passive index funds and ETFs, supplemented by fundamental and technical analysis, and offers tailored planning in areas including retirement, estate, and business planning.

I’m a CFA® and CFP® professional who helps young professionals and growing families navigate life’s big financial decisions with clarity and confidence. Many of my clients are in the middle of major transitions—equity compensation, an inheritance, buying a home, or welcoming a child—and want expert guidance without the jargon. I combine deep technical expertise with a straightforward, approachable style so you can make smart moves today and build lasting wealth for tomorrow. My approach is collaborative and grounded in your real-life goals. We’ll create a plan that’s clear, flexible, and tailored to your priorities—whether that’s funding your next big move, investing for long-term growth, or making work optional someday. The result? You spend less time stressing about money and more time enjoying the life you’re building.

Gregory Livingston is the sole advisor at Livingston & Associates, Ltd., an independent wealth management firm based in Wildwood, MO. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 24 years of industry experience. Livingston has managed his firm since 2001. Livingston & Associates serves primarily individual clients, including some high-net-worth households, and a limited number of corporate retirement-plan clients. The firm emphasizes a passive-management approach with portfolio management, financial planning, insurance offerings, and occasional business consulting, and distinguishes itself by providing insurance brokerage services and strategic relationships for legal, accounting, and banking needs.