Independent, business succession planning financial advisors in Akron, OH

The right financial advisor for you depends on how you weigh location, expertise, experience, the clients they typically serve, and how they work with you.

If you're preparing to transfer your business ownership or retire, you need an advisor who understands the complexities of business succession planning. A common mistake is overlooking how municipal income taxes, which differ by city, can affect the financial outcome.

  • Municipal tax navigation. Confirm how they factor in local city taxes to avoid unexpected liabilities during the transition.
  • Ownership transfer strategies. Ask about their approach to structuring buy-sell agreements or gifting to ensure smooth ownership changes.
  • Independent advice. These advisors operate without firm constraints, which can mean more flexible solutions tailored to your unique business.
  • Legacy and continuity focus. Inquire how they balance your personal goals with the long-term health of the business through the succession process.

Here are top matches to get you started. Review each profile to compare experience, credentials, and approach.

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David I

Series 63, Series 66

Akron, OH

PNC Wealth Management

David Ionno is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management in Akron, OH, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has been with PNC Bank since 2010 and has worked at PNC Investments since 2009. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an invitation-only discretionary digital offering that uses algorithmic risk assessment and implements investments via approved model strategies executed with mutual funds and ETFs.

Passive / index investing Active portfolio management Wealth management Executive
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Terrence R

Series 63, Series 66

Akron, OH

RBC Capital Markets

Terrence Regan is a financial advisor with RBC Capital Markets in Akron, OH, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 19 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Morgan Stanley in various capacities from 2013 to 2024. Regan serves on the board of The Cure Starts Now Foundation, where he is chairman of the investment policy committee. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, serves individual investors, institutional clients, and charitable organizations with tailored investment strategies and a range of advisory programs that include discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and brokerage services.

Tax-loss harvesting ESG / Sustainable investing Private / alternative investments Concentrated stock management Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner Retired Financial Professional Approaching retirement HENRY (High Earners, Not Rich Yet)
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Elizabeth S

Series 63, Series 66

Akron, OH

FIFTH THIRD SECURITIES, Inc.

Elizabeth Sharp is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. with 15 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has been with Fifth Third Securities and its affiliates since 2009. Outside of her advisory role, she owns and operates two small businesses in Akron, Ohio, specializing in seasonal baking and residential/commercial cleaning. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. serves individual, high-net-worth, and institutional clients through investment advisory and brokerage channels. The firm offers a range of program types and third-party portfolio managers on its Passageway Managed Account platform, focusing on tailored investment strategies including mutual funds, SMAs, tax-overlay, and direct indexing.

Passive / index investing Tax-loss harvesting ESG / Sustainable investing General retirement planning
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Michael C

Series 66

Akron, OH

Hornor, Townsend & Kent, LLC

Michael Clayton is a financial advisor with Hornor, Townsend & Kent, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and with 18 years of industry experience. He has been with Hornor, Townsend & Kent and Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company since 2014. Outside of his advisory role, Clayton serves as president of ClayBro LLC, which operates a medical office specializing in alternatives to opioid pain management. Hornor, Townsend & Kent serves individuals, trusts, businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans through a network of advisers, offering advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm combines advisory and broker-dealer services, utilizing third-party asset managers to provide both discretionary and non-discretionary investment management.

Business succession planning Wealth management
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Cheryl L

Series 66

Akron, OH

Lyon Capital Strategies

Cheryl Lyon is a financial advisor at Lyon Capital Strategies with 19 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Lyon Capital Strategies since 1995. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved in tax preparation and accounting as a partner in Lyon & Lyon, CPAs, and as the sole proprietor of a business consulting and tax services firm. Lyon Capital Strategies provides investment advice and financial planning to individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plan participants, corporations, and trusts. The firm uses a fundamental analysis approach that incorporates macro-economic factors, valuation metrics, and tactical allocation to build tailored portfolios, managing approximately $5 million in client assets as of January 2024.

General retirement planning Active portfolio management Passive / index investing Tax-loss harvesting
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Ethan S

CFP®, Series 65

Auburn Hills, MI

Plante Moran financial advisors

Ethan Siekkinen is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, currently serving as a financial advisor with Plante Moran Financial Advisors. He has one year of industry experience and has previously worked at J Wilson Wealth Management and operated Rizzo Lawn Care. Plante Moran Financial Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory, financial planning, and estate planning services to a diverse client base including individual households, institutional clients, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm employs a multi-disciplinary investment process and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, manager search, and tax-lot accounting services.

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Private / alternative investments Concentrated stock management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Michael I

Series 63, Series 65

Livingston, NJ

Raymond James Financial

Michael Ipp is a financial advisor with Raymond James Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 42 years of industry experience. He has been with Raymond James Financial Services Advisors since 2010 and serves as an independent contractor for 1792 Wealth Advisors. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors provides financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary planning and uses analytical tools to support client decision-making, while also maintaining specialized programs such as municipal advisory services and SIMPLE IRA Employer Advisory & Consulting Services.

Wealth management Tax strategies for small businesses Business succession planning General estate planning guidance Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Jeffrey M

CFP®, ChFC®, Series 66

Greenville, DE

Investment Management & Planning LLC

Jeffrey Macdonald is a CFP® and ChFC® with 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at Investment Management & Planning LLC and LPL Financial since 2010, following two years at Wells Fargo Clearing. Investment Management & Planning LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm constructs tailored portfolios using mutual funds, ETFs, equities, and fixed-income securities, employing fundamental analysis and continuous supervision, and operates as both a wrap program sponsor and affiliated registered representatives of LPL Financial.

General retirement planning Business succession planning Tax strategies for small businesses Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive Mid-Career Professionals Approaching retirement
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Patrick F

Series 66

New Market, MD

Intentional

Patrick Ferguson is a financial advisor at Intentional with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Commonwealth Financial Network, and LPL Financial. In addition to his advisory role, he is a licensed agent involved in the sales of fixed and traditional insurance products. Intentional provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, businesses, and institutions. The firm offers pension consulting, estate planning support, business exit planning, and due diligence on alternative investments, utilizing a combination of fundamental, technical, and economic analysis within a fiduciary framework.

Business exit / sale strategy Multi-generational wealth transfer Private / alternative investments Founder/Business Owner
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Jerald L

Series 63

San Antonio, TX

Frost Investment Services

Jerald Liesman is a financial advisor at Frost Investment Services with 33 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has worked at Frost Brokerage Services, Inc. and Frost Bank since 1993 and 1987, respectively. Frost Investment Services is a retail-focused, SEC-registered adviser serving individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, and managed account programs that integrate model portfolios from its affiliate with third-party managers, utilizing a research-driven investment process and providing optional tax and ESG overlay services.

Tax-loss harvesting ESG / Sustainable investing Retirement income strategy General estate planning guidance Business succession planning Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Jared F

Series 65

Huntington Beach, CA

Northwest Asset Management

Jared Fruth is a financial advisor at Northwest Asset Management with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Securities America, Inc., KMS Financial Services, Inc., Oppenheimer Funds, and John Paul Mitchell Systems. Northwest Asset Management is a registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.6 billion for nearly 3,000 clients, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charities, and corporations. The firm employs a customized, fiduciary approach using Modern Portfolio Theory and strategic asset allocation, combining fundamental and technical analysis to build diversified portfolios with periodic rebalancing.

Retirement income strategy Wealth management Active portfolio management Founder/Business Owner
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Edwina M

Series 65

Cincinnati, OH

Waverly Advisors, LLC

Edwina Martin is a Series 65 licensed financial advisor with two years of industry experience, currently with Waverly Advisors, LLC. She previously worked at 9258 Wealth Management for five years and was employed at Teradata Corp for eleven years. Martin also serves as assistant director of tax planning at 9258 Tax and Planning, a non-investment related business. Waverly Advisors is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing portfolios for individuals, retirement plans, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm combines traditional equity and fixed-income strategies with alternative and private-market allocations, offering a range of investment management and financial planning services.

Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Options & derivatives strategies Tax-loss harvesting Multi-generational wealth transfer Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Craig M

Series 63, Series 65

Columbia, SC

Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC

Craig Mcdaniel Jr. is a financial advisor with Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC in Columbia, SC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Capital Investment Group, Inc. and The McDaniel Corporation since 2012. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in life insurance sales and serves as an independent agent for annuities and related products. Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and supervisory services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers customized investment management through discretionary mandates, third-party managers, and private-label model portfolios, using a blend of analytical methods with ongoing portfolio monitoring.

Active portfolio management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Annuities Options & derivatives strategies Founder/Business Owner Retired
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David H

Series 65

Irvine, CA

Martin Wealth Management, LLC

David Hart is a financial advisor with Martin Wealth Management, LLC in Irvine, CA. He holds a Series 65 credential and has 15 years of industry experience. Hart previously worked with Safeguard Investment Advisory Group and LifePro Asset Management. He is also a Certified Financial Fiduciary and volunteers as an instructor with the Foundation for Fiduciary Education, providing unbiased fiduciary financial education to the public. Martin Wealth Management offers investment advisory services primarily to individuals and high-net-worth clients by co-advising and directing accounts to a third-party money manager, Matson Money. The firm focuses on client onboarding, documentation, and ongoing review of third-party manager accounts rather than direct asset management.

Medicare planning Annuities
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Sarah C

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Boston, MA

Santander Securities LLC

Sarah Currier Barrella is a CFP® professional with 26 years of experience in financial advisory services. She currently works at Santander Securities LLC and Santander Bank, NA, having previously held positions at TD Bank and Citizens Securities, Inc. Barrella is based in Boston, MA. Santander Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base with approximately $3.14 billion in regulatory assets under management across 10,800 client relationships. The firm offers investment advisory services, portfolio management through wrap-fee programs, and financial planning, operating both as a registered investment adviser and a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting General retirement planning Income planning Founder/Business Owner
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