Large-firm financial advisors working with founders and business owners 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.

Jared Fruth is a financial advisor at Northwest Asset Management with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Securities America, Inc., KMS Financial Services, Inc., Oppenheimer Funds, and John Paul Mitchell Systems. Northwest Asset Management is a registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.6 billion for nearly 3,000 clients, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charities, and corporations. The firm employs a customized, fiduciary approach using Modern Portfolio Theory and strategic asset allocation, combining fundamental and technical analysis to build diversified portfolios with periodic rebalancing.

Edwina Martin is a Series 65 licensed financial advisor with two years of industry experience, currently with Waverly Advisors, LLC. She previously worked at 9258 Wealth Management for five years and was employed at Teradata Corp for eleven years. Martin also serves as assistant director of tax planning at 9258 Tax and Planning, a non-investment related business. Waverly Advisors is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing portfolios for individuals, retirement plans, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm combines traditional equity and fixed-income strategies with alternative and private-market allocations, offering a range of investment management and financial planning services.

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.

Craig Mcdaniel Jr. is a financial advisor with Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC in Columbia, SC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Capital Investment Group, Inc. and The McDaniel Corporation since 2012. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in life insurance sales and serves as an independent agent for annuities and related products. Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and supervisory services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers customized investment management through discretionary mandates, third-party managers, and private-label model portfolios, using a blend of analytical methods with ongoing portfolio monitoring.

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.

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.