Top college savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) financial advisors in Alma, MI

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.

Saving for college often starts when you want to make the most of tax-advantaged accounts like 529 plans or UTMA (Uniform Transfers to Minors Act) accounts. Without careful planning, you might miss out on how these accounts affect financial aid or tax situations.

  • Account type guidance. Confirm which college savings vehicles they recommend and why, especially how they balance tax benefits with your family's financial picture.
  • Pension impact awareness. In areas with strong auto industry ties, ask how your pension might influence college savings strategies.
  • Financial aid considerations. Look for advisors who model how your savings accounts affect eligibility for need-based aid.
  • Withdrawal timing. Ask how they plan distributions to minimize taxes and maximize aid eligibility during college years.

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

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Samuel B

Series 66

Alma, MI

LPL Financial

Samuel Beals is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Apex Marine, Inc., and Baptist Children's Home. Beals is also involved with DLP Financial Partners, LLC, a business entity related to his work with LPL Financial. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolio programs, and institutional platforms, supported by advanced operational tools and a large network of over 22,800 advisors.

Wealth management Retirement income strategy College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Tax-loss harvesting Annuities Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Benjamin B

Series 66

Alma, MI

Edward Jones

Benjamin Bontrager is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Alma, Michigan, holding a Series 66 designation with two years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Lux Wealth Planning, Washington Avenue Advisors, and Rehmann. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients with approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management. The firm offers a range of advisory strategies and affiliated investment products, operating nationwide through a large network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Multi-generational wealth transfer Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Douglas H

Series 63, Series 65

Alma, MI

Equitable Advisors

Douglas Hoard is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 28 years of industry experience. He has been associated with Equitable Advisors and its predecessor, AXA Advisors, LLC, since 1999 and also serves as Vice President of Roslund Prestage & Company, a tax and accounting firm, since 1983. In addition to his advisory work, he is actively involved in nonprofit and charitable organizations, including serving as Treasurer of the Alma St Louis Rotary Club and the Luneack Family Foundation. Equitable Advisors provides financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and asset-management services to a diverse client base that includes individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a variety of advisory models and third-party program sponsors to deliver its services, covering mutual funds, ETFs, separately managed accounts, and select alternative investments.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Concentrated stock management Equity Recipients (RS/RSU, SOP, ESPP) Long-term care insurance Founder/Business Owner Retired Executive Approaching retirement Sandwich Generation
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Kevin N

Series 63, Series 66

Alma, MI

International Assets Investment Management, LLC

Kevin Nichols is a financial advisor with International Assets Investment Management, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 37 years of industry experience. He has worked with Securities America, Inc. since 1995 and has operated Nichols Financial Group since 1986, where he is involved in fixed annuities and life insurance sales. International Assets Investment Management provides advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, and business entities through a national network of independent advisors. The firm focuses on customized, long-term portfolio construction using a variety of investment vehicles and may utilize third-party managers and wrap programs to implement client strategies.

Wealth management Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner
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Jared M

CFP®, Series 66

Alma, MI

OSAIC

Jared Merchant is a CFP® professional with 24 years of industry experience currently associated with OSAIC. He previously worked at Woodbury Financial Services and Questar Asset Management during his career. In addition to his advisory role, he serves as a trustee for Ithaca Public Schools and is a board member of the GraiOtt Integrated Health Network. OSAIC serves a diverse client base that includes individual investors and institutional entities, providing a range of advisory and brokerage services supported by multiple platforms and third-party solutions. The firm employs various portfolio construction tools and offers managed account options tailored to client risk profiles and preferences.

Annuities Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Private / alternative investments Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Hassan A

Series 63, Series 65

Rockville, MD

LPL Financial

Hassan Al Kadhimi is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and two years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. He is also involved with NIHFCU Wealth Advisors, a related business entity. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolio programs, and institutional platforms, supported by a large network of investment adviser representatives.

Wealth management Retirement income strategy College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Tax-loss harvesting Annuities Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Richard B

Series 63, Series 66

Austin, TX

Charles Schwab

Richard Brandi is a financial advisor with Charles Schwab based in Austin, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. He has been with Charles Schwab and Charles Schwab Bank ssb since 2003 and 2005, respectively. Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. serves primarily high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals through its Schwab Wealth Advisory wrap fee program and affiliated managed-account and financial planning services. The firm offers a mix of non-discretionary and discretionary investment guidance, leveraging multi-asset model portfolios and research from its Schwab Center for Financial Research.

Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Multi-state taxation College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
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Thaddeus P

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Grand Rapids, MI

Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC

Thaddeus Phelps is a CFP® professional with 28 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC since 2019 and previously spent 14 years with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. In addition to his advisory work, Phelps owns a tax preparation business and an accounting support service, and he serves in fiduciary roles such as trustee and executor. Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm offers discretionary investment management through a wrap asset management program and emphasizes an individualized approach with asset allocation supported by fundamental, sector, and technical analysis, including risk management strategies such as put options and conservative cash instruments.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Charitable giving & philanthropy General estate planning guidance General tax planning Options & derivatives strategies
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Paul K

CFP®, Series 65

Zimmerman, MN

Longview Financial, Inc.

Paul Kinneberg is a CFP® and Series 65-registered advisor with 24 years of industry experience. He has been the principal and sole advisor at Longview Financial, Inc. since 2000 and also holds a long-term corporate role at CenturyLink. Longview Financial, Inc. provides personalized, fee-only financial planning and investment management primarily for individual clients. The firm uses a strategic asset allocation approach with a core-and-satellite framework, combining passive index and ETF core holdings with active funds when appropriate, and manages client assets on a non-discretionary basis with an emphasis on individualized advice.

General tax planning College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Cash flow / budgeting

Justin S

CFP®, ChFC®, Series 66

Prairie Village, KS

Edward Jones

Justin Scicluna is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Prairie Village, KS, holding the CFP®, ChFC®, and Series 66 designations with 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2013. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients, including a range of household types, pension plans, corporate clients, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers various advisory programs, discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, and affiliated investment products through a nationwide network of over 23,700 financial advisors.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) General estate planning guidance Multi-generational wealth transfer Retirement income strategy General retirement planning Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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