Large-firm financial advisors working with educators, teachers, and academics in Alpharetta, GA

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 work in education or academia, your financial planning needs often include managing irregular income cycles, pensions, and benefits unique to your profession. A common mistake is treating your financial picture like a standard 9-to-5 job, which can lead to missed opportunities in retirement and tax planning. Large-firm advisors typically have access to broader resources and specialized teams that can support complex educator financial situations.

  • Pension and benefits expertise. Confirm how they integrate your pension and benefits into your overall plan, not just your salary.
  • Retirement income planning. Ask how they leverage tax exclusions available to older residents to reduce your tax burden.
  • Academic career transitions. Inquire about their experience handling sabbaticals, grants, or shifts between institutions.
  • Resource access. Large firms often provide access to in-house tax and legal experts; check how they coordinate these services for you.

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

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Ali S

CFP®, Series 63

Alpharetta, GA

Cwpim

Ali Syed is a CFP® with nine years of experience in financial advisory. He is the sole advisor at CWPIM, an independent firm based in Alpharetta, GA. Syed also manages private funds through Daikon Asset Management, LLC and is licensed to sell insurance products. CWPIM provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals and high-net-worth clients, managing approximately $15.4 million across 54 client relationships. The firm employs fundamental analysis and blended asset-allocation strategies tailored to clients’ goals, with accounts custodied at Interactive Brokers and reviewed quarterly.

Wealth management General retirement planning Tax-loss harvesting Cash flow / budgeting General estate planning guidance
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Steven M

Series 63, Series 65

Alpharetta, GA

MPWM Advisory Solutions LLC

Steven Mayer is a financial advisor with MPWM Advisory Solutions LLC in Alpharetta, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 25 years of industry experience. He has been with MPWM Advisory Solutions since 2015 and has worked with LPL Financial since 2010. MPWM Advisory Solutions LLC provides investment advisory and related services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans. The firm employs a long-term, diversified investment approach utilizing fundamental analysis and modern portfolio theory, managing portfolios through both discretionary and non-discretionary strategies.

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Blair E

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Alpharetta, GA

Balefire, LLC

Blair Enfield is a CFP® with 18 years of industry experience, currently advising at Balefire, LLC in Alpharetta, GA. His prior roles include positions at Portsmouth Financial Services, Vaikus Advisory Group, and Mass Mutual Investors Services. He has also been involved with entrepreneurial ventures such as Made Media Network, LLC and Made Holdings, LLC. Balefire, LLC is a multi-team registered investment adviser serving individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, charities, and business entities. The firm employs a core-and-tactical investment strategy and offers discretionary asset management and comprehensive financial planning across a multi-advisor platform managing approximately $2 billion in assets.

Wealth management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Charitable giving & philanthropy Multi-generational wealth transfer Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Stephen D

CFA®

Alpharetta, GA

Circa Capital, LLC

Stephen Davenport is a CFA® charterholder with nine years of industry experience. He is a founding advisor at Circa Capital, LLC and has previously worked at Decatur Capital Management, GenSpring Family Offices, SunTrust Advisory Services, and Columbia Management Advisors. Circa Capital primarily serves individual investors, including high-net-worth clients, as well as institutional clients such as corporate pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm employs a long-term, quality-and-value oriented investment approach with concentrated portfolios and utilizes fundamental analysis, discretionary portfolio management, and project-based consulting.

Concentrated stock management Options & derivatives strategies
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Christopher G

Series 66

Alpharetta, GA

UBS Financial Services

Christopher Guthrie is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services, holding a Series 66 designation and 22 years of industry experience. He has been with UBS Financial Services since 2012. UBS Financial Services Inc. serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through a mix of brokerage and investment advisory offerings, including fee-based financial planning and portfolio management. The firm combines institutional trading capabilities with wealth management services and offers a range of capital markets and research resources to tailor client solutions.

General retirement planning Cash flow / budgeting Equity compensation tax strategy Executive Founder/Business Owner Mid-Career Professionals Approaching retirement
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Arjun S

Series 66

Frisco, TX

TIAA-CREF

Arjun Swarup is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Frisco, TX, holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining TIAA-CREF, he worked at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management and has an academic background from NYU College of Arts and Sciences. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing managed account services within a fiduciary framework, including acting as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

General estate planning guidance Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Educators, Teachers, and Academics Founder/Business Owner Approaching retirement Mid-Career Professionals
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Kevin H

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Birmingham, AL

RFG Advisory, LLC

Kevin Harper is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with 29 years of industry experience. He is currently with RFG Advisory, LLC in Birmingham, AL, where he has worked since 2015, including prior roles at LPL Financial and Ameriprise. Harper is a co-owner of LHP Capital LLC, a commercial real estate business. RFG Advisory provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, and select institutional clients. The firm employs discretionary investment strategies through model portfolios, third-party platforms, and serves as a sub-adviser to multiple ETFs, with additional specialized services for retirement accounts and alternative investments.

Options & derivatives strategies Private / alternative investments Tax-loss harvesting Founder/Business Owner Executive Retired Women Professionals Mid-Career Professionals

Jacob H

Series 63, Series 66

Charlotte, NC

Edward Jones

Jacob Heinz is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Charlotte, NC, with 15 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations. His previous positions include roles at Fidelity Investments and E*TRADE Capital Management. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory solutions, including discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, supported by a nationwide network of thousands of financial advisors and branch offices.

Divorce financial planning Retirement income strategy Wealth management Real estate investing Educators, Teachers, and Academics
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Lindsey E

Series 63, Series 65

Cambridge, MN

EFS Advisors

Lindsey Egan is a financial advisor at EFS Advisors with 11 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at First Republic Securities and First Republic Investment Management from 2016 to 2019. Outside of her financial advisory role, Lindsey is the owner of Women Who Explore, a community offering outdoor adventures and small group travel experiences for women. EFS Advisors provides investment advice and portfolio management to a broad client base, including individuals, business entities, charitable organizations, and qualified retirement plans. The firm employs a client-centric suitability scoring process combined with technology tools to recommend model portfolios and supports clients through discretionary and non-discretionary account management.

Options & derivatives strategies Educators, Teachers, and Academics
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Scott S

Series 63, Series 65

Farmington, CT

Medallion Wealth Advisors, LLC

Scott Stevens is a financial advisor at Medallion Wealth Advisors, LLC with 34 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at firms including Morgan Stanley and American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. Stevens is also the proprietor of Stevens & Associates, LLC, a separate business. Medallion Wealth Advisors serves individuals, families, and retirement plans for educators and nonprofit organizations. The firm provides portfolio management, financial planning, and pension consulting with a long-term investment approach that includes discretionary and non-discretionary account management and may utilize third-party managers when appropriate.

General retirement planning Educators, Teachers, and Academics
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Jeffrey P

Series 66

Dacula, GA

Merrill

Jeffrey Park is a financial advisor at Merrill with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Merrill and affiliated firms since 2011, including roles at JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities. Outside of his advisory work, he is a sole owner and co-owner of family rental properties in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

Tax-loss harvesting Active portfolio management Wealth management
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Scott M

Series 63, Series 65

New York, NY

Morgan Stanley

Scott Mahoney is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in New York, NY, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley since 2009, including roles at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved with Giants Foot Cubed LLC. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a large SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a wide range of advisory programs and financial planning services supported by structured planning tools and broad investment resources.

General estate planning guidance
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Elizabeth B

Series 66

New York, NY

J.P. Morgan Securities

Elizabeth Brown is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in New York, NY, where she has worked since 2012. She has 26 years of industry experience. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to clients such as corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Wesley P

Series 63, Series 66

Fort Worth, TX

Wells Fargo Clearing

Wesley Pool is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at JPMorgan Securities LLC for seven years. Outside of finance, he has been involved with #TagMeBro LLC and Fry Street Public House. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions.

Retired Founder/Business Owner
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Willie M

Series 63, Series 66

Cary, NC

Equitable Advisors

Willie Myles is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2016, previously serving at Axa Advisors and MSI Financial Services. Outside of advising, he is a co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for Alpha Light Fund Inc., a nonprofit focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a range of clients including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement consulting, and asset management through a network of representatives and third-party managers. The firm offers various investment vehicles and ERISA fiduciary services, relying on third-party program sponsors and an affiliation with a publicly traded parent company.

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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