Large-firm, equity compensation tax strategy financial advisors in Baytown, TX

Travis Smith is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Baytown, TX, holding the Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and having 26 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Community Resource Credit Union, CUSO Financial Services, LP, and CUNA Brokerage Services, Inc. Smith is also involved with Dragonfly Paradise Inc., a real estate rental business in New Braunfels, TX. 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 broad range of financial planning and investment management services, utilizing both proprietary and third-party strategies, supported by advanced operational tools.

Thomas Badgett is a financial advisor at Gulf Coast RIA with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has worked at Gulf Coast RIA since 2022. Prior to this, he spent ten years at MoneyBlock and has served as president of Bay Area Asset Management for over two decades. Outside of finance, he is involved in non-investment related sales activities with Gulf Coast Truck & Equipment and Bay Area Firearms, Inc. Gulf Coast RIA is a state-registered investment adviser providing portfolio management to individual investors, high-net-worth clients, and various institutions. The firm employs an asset-allocation driven approach that integrates fundamental and technical analysis with systematic tools and actively managed strategies.

Kyle Pledger is a CFP® professional with nine years of experience in financial planning and wealth management. He is currently with Cetera Planning Partners and has held roles at Avantax Planning Partners and other affiliated firms. In addition to his advisory work, he serves as a financial analyst and associate financial planner at related entities specializing in financial planning and portfolio management. Cetera Planning Partners serves individual and high-net-worth clients, focusing on pre-retirees and retirees. The firm offers investment management, comprehensive financial planning, and retirement-related advice, with additional services including tax planning, bookkeeping, payroll support, and estate planning through a third-party provider.

Melissa Hughes is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with eight years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and J.P. Morgan Securities since 2017. Prior to that, she spent 13 years at Allstate Sapp Insurance. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides institutional consulting services to corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with brokerage and investment management capabilities.

Holly Mc Creight is a CFP® and Series 66 credentialed financial advisor with Edward Jones, where she has worked for nine years. She has eight years of industry experience and previously worked at Matilda Jane Clothing and Barbers Hill ISD. Outside of her advisory role, she co-owns and manages short-term rental properties in Baytown and Rockport, Texas. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients with a wide range of advisory and investment strategies. The firm is notable for its extensive retail advisor and branch network, fiduciary standard, and affiliated financial services including trust management and securities-based lending.

Lee Chen is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Pasadena, California, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. He has been with UBS since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, Chen serves on the board of directors for the San Gabriel Country Club. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, combining proprietary capital market research with a broad range of financial planning and portfolio management solutions.

James Cannon is a financial advisor at Cannon Wealth Group LLC in Eagle, Idaho, with 14 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has led his independent firm since 2014. Cannon Wealth Group LLC is a fee-based financial planning and investment management firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, and employer retirement plans. The firm offers tailored investment programs, comprehensive planning, and specialized pension consulting, including ERISA advisory and discretionary investment manager services.

Joseph Niehaus is a financial advisor at Jefferies Investment Advisers LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds the CFA® designation and Series 63 license. Prior to joining Jefferies in 2023, he worked at Golden 1 Credit Union and SAFE Credit Union. He also serves as a part-time lecturer at California State University, Sacramento, teaching a graduate-level financial markets course. Jefferies Investment Advisers LLC provides fee-based financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, foundations, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities through a customized planning process that includes balance sheet reviews, tax and estate planning, executive compensation, and philanthropic planning.

Seth Halley is a financial advisor with Goldman Sachs Wealth Services in Dallas, TX, holding a Series 66 designation and six years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at The Ayco Company, L.P./Mercer Allied and Tyson Foods/GDH Consulting. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services advises a diverse client base ranging from individual investors to institutional clients, offering financial planning, portfolio management, and specialized services such as Private Family Office and Executive Wealth programs. The firm integrates strategic allocation models, manager selections, and advanced analytics within the broader Goldman Sachs network to tailor solutions for client objectives.

Eldin Foco is a financial advisor at Sterling Advisory Group LLC with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at several firms including CIG Capital Advisors and Cco Investment Services Corp. since 2012. Sterling Advisory Group provides portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting to individuals, families, trusts, foundations, businesses, and employer-sponsored plans. The firm manages client accounts on a tailored basis and also serves institutional clients, offering a range of strategic investment models that emphasize asset allocation, diversification, and Shariah-compliant selection.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.