Top charitable giving & philanthropy financial advisors in Bay City, 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.

If you're planning charitable giving or philanthropy, you might be navigating complex tax benefits and timing decisions that impact your overall financial plan. A common mistake is treating donations as one-time events rather than part of a strategic, ongoing approach.

  • Tax impact awareness. Confirm how the advisor integrates gift timing with your tax situation, including pension income considerations common in Bay City.
  • Gift vehicle options. Ask about different ways to give, such as donor-advised funds or charitable trusts, and which fit your goals.
  • Legacy planning. See if they help align your philanthropy with estate plans to support causes beyond your lifetime.
  • Coordination with other advisors. Effective philanthropy often requires teamwork; check how they collaborate with your tax preparer or estate attorney.

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

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Lynn G

Series 63, Series 65

Bay City, MI

Raymond James & Associates

Lynn Gehoski is a financial advisor with Raymond James & Associates, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 38 years of industry experience. Her prior work includes roles at Wells Fargo Clearing, UBS Financial Services, and Merrill. She is based in Bay City, MI. Raymond James & Associates is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that serves a broad client base, including individuals, institutions, and municipal entities. The firm offers financial planning, non-discretionary investment consulting, and institutional fiduciary services, drawing on multiple portfolio management styles and affiliated research.

General retirement planning Retirement income strategy Business succession planning Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Gregory J

Series 63, Series 65

Bay City, MI

Ameriprise

Gregory Johnson is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with 22 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Ameriprise in 2025, he worked at Hantz Financial for over two decades. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials. Outside of his advisory work, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Highland Woods Association in Bay City, MI. Ameriprise offers retirement-income planning services primarily for clients approaching or in retirement with significant investable assets, combining research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to provide tailored, written recommendation reports. The firm also provides a broad range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions through affiliated entities.

Retirement income strategy Income planning Social Security optimization Retirement withdrawal strategies Approaching retirement
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Mark R

Series 66

Bay City, MI

Recker Financial LLC

Mark Recker is the principal of Recker Financial LLC and holds a Series 66 designation with 15 years of industry experience. Prior to founding his firm in 2018, he worked at Hantz Financial Services from 2010 to 2018. He is also a minority owner of Maurer Meat Processors in Ubly, Michigan, where he assists with financial management. Recker Financial serves individual clients, including high-net-worth households, offering discretionary portfolio management and a range of financial planning services. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based investment approach focused on passive, asset-allocation portfolios using index funds and ETFs, and provides ongoing comprehensive and hourly planning options.

General retirement planning Cash flow / budgeting Debt management College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) General estate planning guidance
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Taylor H

Series 65

Bay City, MI

Vertis Wealth, LLC

Taylor Hemphill is a financial advisor at Vertis Wealth, LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Vertis Wealth and its predecessor firm since 2019. Outside of advisory work, he is an insurance agent, offering health and life insurance products. Vertis Wealth, LLC provides asset management and financial consulting services to individuals, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm uses a long-term, value-oriented investment approach combined with strategic asset allocation, option strategies, and individualized portfolio management.

Options & derivatives strategies
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Nathan B

CFP®, Series 65

Bay City, MI

Brown Financial Planning LLC

Nathan Brown is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with 12 years of industry experience. He is the principal of Brown Comprehensive Financial LLC and currently works at Brown Financial Planning LLC. Brown has worked in the financial services industry since 2003 and has been involved with multiple firms, including Alphanso, Inc. and Origin Financial. Brown Financial Planning is a fee-only advisory firm that primarily serves individual clients, including both high-net-worth and non-HNW households, along with some small business and nonprofit accounts. The firm provides portfolio management on a non-discretionary basis and comprehensive financial planning, utilizing both fundamental and technical investment analysis.

Income planning Equity compensation tax strategy Tax-loss harvesting Cash flow / budgeting
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Sally H

Series 63, Series 65

New York, NY

Seasons of Advice Wealth Management

Sally Hyman is a financial advisor with Seasons of Advice Wealth Management in New York, NY. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 43 years of industry experience, including roles at Ameriprise Financial Services and RBC Capital Markets. Outside of her advisory work, she records and sells vocal CDs and is involved in publishing her father's book on the spiritual meaning of disease and science. Seasons of Advice Wealth Management provides financial planning and discretionary investment management to individuals, high net worth clients, trusts, small business owners, professionals, and families. The firm uses a proprietary planning process that integrates goal tracking, asset allocation, and tax planning, tailoring investment recommendations to each client’s objectives and risk tolerance.

General estate planning guidance Business exit / sale strategy Cash flow / budgeting Founder/Business Owner Executive Values-based investing
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Richard M

Series 63

Fort Walton, FL

Cetera

Richard Martin is a financial advisor at Cetera with 29 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has a background that includes nearly three decades at Avantax Advisory Services and eight years at Avantax Insurance Agency. Outside of his advisory work, he is the owner and sole proprietor of Martin & Pellegrin, CPAs, a tax preparation and accounting firm. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm provides a multi-manager platform offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to various program structures and third-party money managers.

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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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

Edward B

Series 63, Series 65, Series 66

Garden City, NY

Merrill

Edward Blatz serves as a Senior Resident Director and Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch. He specializes in working with high net-worth individuals and families, focusing on estate and wealth management needs. Since joining Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 1985, he has provided personalized financial solutions tailored to his clients' risk tolerance, time horizon, liquidity needs, and investment goals. Edward's expertise encompasses a range of areas including college education planning, divorce transition planning, employee benefits, executive compensation, family wealth management strategies, managing new wealth, individual and corporate investment strategies, and retirement income planning. He collaborates closely with clients' tax advisors and estate planning attorneys to ensure comprehensive management of clients' financial and personal affairs. Edward is recognized as a member of The Blatz-Rooney Group, which was named to the 2024 Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams" list. Edward holds a Bachelor's Degree from Adelphi University and has earned several professional designations including Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). Outside of his professional work, he has interests in golfing, reading, and tennis.

Wealth management General estate planning guidance Family Business Retirement income strategy Divorce financial planning
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Patrick F

Series 66

New Market, MD

Intentional

Patrick Ferguson is a financial advisor at Intentional with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Commonwealth Financial Network, and LPL Financial. In addition to his advisory role, he is a licensed agent involved in the sales of fixed and traditional insurance products. Intentional provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, businesses, and institutions. The firm offers pension consulting, estate planning support, business exit planning, and due diligence on alternative investments, utilizing a combination of fundamental, technical, and economic analysis within a fiduciary framework.

Business exit / sale strategy Multi-generational wealth transfer Private / alternative investments Founder/Business Owner

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