Top college savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) financial advisors in Auburn, AL

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 custodial accounts. Without focused guidance, you might miss how investment choices and timing affect your child's future education costs.

  • Account type nuances. Different college savings accounts have unique tax rules and withdrawal restrictions; ask how they recommend choosing among them.
  • Investment risk over time. Confirm how they adjust your portfolio as your child gets closer to college to balance growth and safety.
  • Coordination with financial aid. Some savings strategies can impact aid eligibility; check if they consider this in their planning.
  • State-specific tax factors. Alabama’s low property taxes can influence your overall cash flow; see how they integrate this into your college savings plan.

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

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Mary R

Series 63, Series 66

Auburn, AL

Cetera

Mary Reynolds Strassner is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 16 years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at First Citizens Bank and First Citizens Investor Services, with her current affiliation at Cetera beginning in 2022. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is a large SEC-registered firm serving individual, employer-sponsored retirement, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a wide range of portfolio management and financial planning services, utilizing a multi-manager platform with various program options and over $256 billion in assets under management.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Thomas C

Series 63, Series 65

Auburn, AL

Kestra Advisory

Thomas Campbell is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has been with Kestra Advisory since 2016 and has operated Campbell Wealth Management LLC since 2009. Campbell serves as a director of the Crippled Childrens Foundation, a community and charitable organization. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement plan consulting to a wide range of institutional and individual clients, offering services including fiduciary consulting, plan design, and employee education. The firm manages nearly $80 billion in assets and serves large institutional investors, including sovereign wealth funds.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Annuities Wealth management Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Shirley H

Series 63, Series 65

Auburn, AL

Valic Financial Advisors

Shirley Haynes is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Auburn, Alabama, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 29 years of industry experience. She has worked at Valic Financial Advisors since 1997 and has been associated with Agia since 2022. Outside of her advisory role, she serves in a non-paid marketing consulting capacity for KC Haynes Holdings, LLC, a family-owned business involved in water treatment chemical and equipment resale. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, wrap programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models to construct client portfolios.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting Retirement income strategy
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Corey F

Series 66, Series 63

Auburn, AL

J.P. Morgan Securities

Corey Fortner is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with five years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. His prior roles include positions with Mass Mutual Investors Services, Mass Mutual Life Insurance Co, The Piedmont Group, Colonial Life, and Neuroworx Diagnostics LLC. J.P. Morgan Securities provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors, combining quantitative asset-allocation modeling with centralized due diligence and an ESG eligibility framework.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Ralston D

Series 63

Auburn, AL

LPL Financial

Ralston Davidson Jr. is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Auburn, Alabama, holding a Series 63 designation and 33 years of industry experience. He has been with LPL Financial since 1998 and also operates as an independent insurance agent. 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 services including financial planning, model portfolio programs, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms, supported by advanced research and operational tools.

Wealth management Retirement income strategy College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Tax-loss harvesting Annuities Retired 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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