Large-firm financial advisors working with educators, teachers, and academics in Auburn, WA

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 needs often include managing irregular income cycles, planning for pensions, and balancing student loan repayment with saving. A common mistake is treating educator finances like typical corporate salaries, which can overlook unique benefits and tax considerations.

  • Pension plan expertise. Confirm how they handle your specific retirement system, including options for lump sums or annuities.
  • Loan and income timing. Ask how they coordinate student loan strategies with fluctuating academic pay schedules.
  • Tax-aware planning. Washington's lack of state income tax doesn't eliminate other taxes; check how they address capital gains and property tax impacts.
  • Large-firm resources. These advisors can leverage extensive research and tools, but ask how that translates into personalized educator-focused advice.

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

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Paul S

Series 63, Series 66

Auburn, WA

Thrivent Investment Management

Paul Sharp is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management in Auburn, WA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and six years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Acorns, J.P. Morgan Securities, and Fidelity Investments. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients through a network of Financial Advisors, offering goal-based analyses and written recommendations on a broad range of planning topics without including implementation. The firm allows clients to combine planning with managed-account programs under a consolidated billing option while keeping these services separate.

Business ownership considerations

Lucas L

CFP®, Series 63, Series 66

Auburn, WA

Edward Jones

Lucas Ladd is a CFP® professional with 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Edward Jones since 2017 and previously held roles at Sunamerica Retirement Markets, Inc. and AIG Capital Services, Inc. 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 programs, including wrap fee strategies and separately managed accounts, and operates under a fiduciary standard.

General retirement planning Retirement income strategy Retirement withdrawal strategies General estate planning guidance Multi-generational wealth transfer Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Jarren M

Series 66

Auburn, WA

Raymond James Financial

Jarren Mc Niesh is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with three years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. He has prior experience with firms including Cetera and Avantax, and he also works as a tax preparer through Tax Professionals ETC. Mc Niesh’s background includes financial consulting, wealth management, and income tax preparation. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a wide client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers non-discretionary planning tailored to client goals and supports its services with analytical tools and technology, including AI and machine learning.

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

Series 63, Series 65

Auburn, WA

Ameriprise

Ann Scott is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Auburn, WA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 27 years of industry experience. She has worked at Ameriprise and its affiliate since 2005. Ameriprise provides retirement-income planning services primarily for individuals nearing or in retirement who meet specific asset thresholds, combining research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver personalized recommendation reports. The firm offers a broad range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions through its institutional platform.

Retirement income strategy Income planning Social Security optimization Retirement withdrawal strategies Approaching retirement
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Junqing S

Series 66

Seattle, WA

J.P. Morgan Securities

Junqing Sun is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in Seattle, WA, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan Securities and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Sun worked at Merrill and Bank of America from 2022 to 2025, as well as Raymond James in 2021. Outside the financial sector, Sun has experience in the seafood industry, having been associated with several seafood companies between 2015 and 2021. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors, utilizing a quantitative asset-allocation process combined with centralized due diligence and an ESG eligibility framework. The firm operates within the broader J.P. Morgan organization and offers a range of investment products, including those related to security-based swaps and futures.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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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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