Top college savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) financial advisors in Bennington, VT

Shawn Leonard is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network based in Bennington, VT. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 22 years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked at MountainOne Bank’s investment group for 14 years. Leonard also engages in fixed insurance sales as a minor part of his business activities. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their clients. The firm provides a range of advisory programs and operational support, including discretionary model portfolios managed by its Investment Management and Research team.

Ryley Gaudreau is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Bennington, VT, holding a Series 66 designation with 18 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2008. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, including pension plans, corporate clients, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a range of advisory services under a fiduciary standard, with a large nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Jason Jeffers is a financial advisor with Equity Services, Inc. in Colchester, VT, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 28 years of industry experience. His prior firms include National Life Group, LPL Financial, and People's United Advisors. Outside of his advisory role, he is the owner of J&S Wealth Advisors, a consulting business focused on non-financial services. Equity Services, Inc., also known as ESI Financial Advisors, provides financial planning, consulting, and asset management to individuals, corporations, trusts, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm offers multiple advisory platforms using third-party asset managers and model portfolios, combining long-term strategies with options for shorter-term trading and specialized instruments.

Daryl Spirka is a CFP® professional with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving at Williams Financial, LLC since 2015. He has prior experience at Lonergan And Thomas Insurance and has operated his own CPA practice since 2002. Outside of financial services, he owns and operates Passion 4 Sports, a sporting goods business in Wilmington, VT. Williams Financial, LLC provides fee-only financial planning, investment management, and pension consulting services to individuals, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm uses a long-term investment approach combined with tactical asset allocation and multiple analytical methods, offering both integrated wealth management and digital portfolio options.

Brian McKenna is a CFP® professional with 19 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Bennington Financial Planning Group since 2010. He also maintains a role with D.B. McKenna & Co., Inc., a broker-dealer firm, dedicating half of his time to each business. In addition to his advisory work, McKenna is a member of the Bennington Redevelopment Group LLC, which focuses on revitalizing the downtown Bennington community, and he provides tax preparation services. Bennington Financial Planning Group offers portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and government clients. The firm employs a fundamental analysis approach supplemented by technical and cyclical methods, utilizing both long- and short-term trading strategies including covered-call writing, with accounts reviewed regularly and discretionary management available.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.