Top advisors focused on equity compensation tax strategy in Alabama

Dustin Woodham is a financial advisor with Cetera who holds a Series 66 designation and has 18 years of industry experience. He has been with Cetera Investment Advisors LLC, Cetera Investment Services LLC, and Regions Bank since 2014. Cetera Investment Advisers serves a diverse client base including individual, high-net-worth, institutional, and retirement-plan clients through a network of over 6,800 independent advisors. The firm offers a range of portfolio management, financial planning, and fiduciary services, utilizing a combination of advisor-managed accounts, firm-sponsored model portfolios, and third-party managed solutions.

James Harris III is a financial advisor at Stifel in Birmingham, AL, with 29 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has been with Stifel since 2015. His prior experience includes roles at Sterne Agee Leach Inc. and AIG Sunamerica Capital Services, Inc. Stifel serves a broad range of clients, including individuals, institutional clients, and charitable organizations, providing both brokerage and investment advisory services. The firm uses a proprietary investment methodology developed by its Investment Strategy Group to support asset allocation, retirement, and estate planning analyses.

Stephen Dunbar III is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Atlanta, GA, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. He has been with Equitable Advisors since 2010, previously associated with AXA Advisors, LLC during the same period. Outside of advising, he writes a monthly financial column for Kiplinger and is involved as an owner and investor in a family-run baking business. Equitable Advisors serves individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement-plan support, and access to asset management through LPL programs and third-party asset managers. The firm operates a hybrid referral and implementation model that combines advisory and brokerage services tailored to clients’ goals, risk tolerance, and time horizons.

Leslie Layne is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Hoover, AL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. She has seven years of experience at Edward Jones following previous roles at PRUCO Securities and The Prudential Insurance Company of America, as well as ten years at State Farm Insurance and its management corporation. Leslie has served as a panelist in a FINRA dispute resolution arbitration case in Alabama. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs and investment strategies. The firm manages over $1 trillion in assets with a nationwide network of more than 23,700 advisors.

Gavin Taylor is a Series 66 licensed advisor with Primerica Advisors, based in Chipley, FL, and has four years of industry experience. He previously worked at Park Avenue Securities and Guardian Life Insurance Company and spent seven years with the Department of Defense, where he also worked part-time as an engineer. He is a partner in GCK Family Enterprises, LLC. Park Avenue Securities serves a broad retail client base, including individual and high-net-worth investors, charitable organizations, and corporate clients, offering brokerage and advisory services alongside financial planning and retirement consulting. The firm employs a range of proprietary and third-party investment strategies and supports various account-level services such as lending solutions and donor-advised funds.

Lee Chen is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Pasadena, California, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. He has been with UBS since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, Chen serves on the board of directors for the San Gabriel Country Club. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, combining proprietary capital market research with a broad range of financial planning and portfolio management solutions.

James Cannon is a financial advisor at Cannon Wealth Group LLC in Eagle, Idaho, with 14 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has led his independent firm since 2014. Cannon Wealth Group LLC is a fee-based financial planning and investment management firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, and employer retirement plans. The firm offers tailored investment programs, comprehensive planning, and specialized pension consulting, including ERISA advisory and discretionary investment manager services.

Joseph Niehaus is a CFA® charterholder with three years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Jefferies Investment Advisers LLC. He has previously worked at Golden 1 Credit Union, SAFE Credit Union, and Rabobank, NA. Outside of his advisory role, he is a part-time lecturer at California State University, Sacramento, teaching a graduate-level financial markets course. Jefferies Investment Advisers LLC provides fee-based financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, and various organizations, using a customized, collaborative process supported by third-party software and scenario analysis.

Seth Halley is a financial advisor at Goldman Sachs Wealth Services with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at The Ayco Company, L.P./Mercer Allied, Tyson Foods/GDH Consulting, and other firms. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services provides financial planning, investment management, and advisory support to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth households, corporate participants, and institutional clients. The firm utilizes centralized investment resources and offers tailored services such as Executive Wealth and Private Family Office support, operating within a large integrated financial group with a range of affiliated financial entities.

Eldin Foco is a financial advisor at Sterling Advisory Group LLC with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at several firms including CIG Capital Advisors and Cco Investment Services Corp. since 2012. Sterling Advisory Group provides portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting to individuals, families, trusts, foundations, businesses, and employer-sponsored plans. The firm manages client accounts on a tailored basis and also serves institutional clients, offering a range of strategic investment models that emphasize asset allocation, diversification, and Shariah-compliant selection.