CFP®-certified, income planning financial advisors in Birmingham, AL

Hamilton Poynor is a financial advisor with Arete Wealth Advisors, LLC in Birmingham, AL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at LPL Financial, LLC and RFG Advisory Group, LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he serves on the boards of St. Luke's Episcopal Church Foundation and Lutheran Services Florida and is involved with the Million Dollar Round Table finance committee and the Make A Wish Foundation of Alabama. Arete Wealth Advisors provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm employs discretionary portfolio management, proprietary model allocations, and third-party sub-advisers, and integrates affiliated financial businesses and product channels in its operations.

Joshua Rich is a financial advisor at Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 credential and has previously worked at firms including Merrill Lynch and Ingram Whatley LLC. Rich serves on the advisory board for the Economics, Finance, and Quantitative Analytics Board at Samford University's Brock School of Business. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning and investment consulting to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers non-discretionary, tailored planning and analytical tools to support client goals and is known for its municipal advisory affiliation and employer advisory services.

Laree Kennedy is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Birmingham, AL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 28 years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Cadence Investment Services/Huntington National Bank, ProEquities, Inc., and Brookline Investments, Inc., among others. She also serves as a FINRA arbitrator. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that offers advisory and brokerage services through a large network of investment adviser representatives. The firm provides financial planning, model portfolios, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms, serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, and trust companies.

Delynn Zell is a CFP® certificant with 37 years of industry experience, currently serving at Savant Wealth Management since 2023. Prior to joining Savant, she spent 11 years with Bridgeworth, LLC and LPL Financial. Savant Wealth Management provides comprehensive wealth management, financial planning, and related services to individuals, families, pension plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a blend of evidence-based, model-driven asset allocation alongside actively managed strategies, supported by integrated accounting, legal, and trust services.

Kenneth Carlson is a CFA® charterholder with 10 years of industry experience, currently serving at Greybox Investments in Birmingham, AL. He has worked at DMC Group, LLC since 2015 and maintains active roles in several family-owned businesses, including Albemarle Corporation, Martin Farm, and Rockhouse, LLC, where he contributes to farm operations outside of trading hours. Greybox Investments provides portfolio and wealth management services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as charitable organizations and other registered investment advisers, using a quantitative multi-factor investment approach combined with fundamental analysis. The firm offers customized single-sleeve models to other RIAs and focuses on forward-looking risk and return estimates while avoiding hedge funds and structured products.

Sarah Currier Barrella is a CFP® professional with 26 years of experience in financial advisory services. She currently works at Santander Securities LLC and Santander Bank, NA, having previously held positions at TD Bank and Citizens Securities, Inc. Barrella is based in Boston, MA. Santander Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base with approximately $3.14 billion in regulatory assets under management across 10,800 client relationships. The firm offers investment advisory services, portfolio management through wrap-fee programs, and financial planning, operating both as a registered investment adviser and a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.

Vandana Devi is a Planning Consultant at Fidelity Investments, where she has been serving since 2025. She began her career at Fidelity Investments in 2023, progressing through roles including Financial Service Representative, Financial Representative, and Relationship Manager before assuming her current position. Prior to joining Fidelity, she worked as a Personal Banker at Fremont Bank from 2020 to 2022. Her professional experience encompasses client relationship management and financial planning, with a focus on empowering clients to make informed decisions and maintain confidence in their financial goals. Vandana holds a California Insurance License, supporting her expertise in insurance-related financial services. Outside of her professional work, Vandana engages in activities such as cooking and baking, outdoor adventures, parenthood, reading, traveling, and writing.

Kayla Wheeler is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Madison, WI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and one year of industry experience. She has worked at Primerica Advisors since 2024 and has prior experience with Spectrum Brands and Lakeside Foods. Outside of advisory work, she is involved in sales of loan products and home-related services through affiliated companies. Primerica Advisors provides discretionary asset management through its Lifetime Investment Program, serving individual and high-net-worth clients with model-delivery strategies and limited discretionary separately managed account options. The firm curates third-party asset managers and delegates trading responsibilities to BNY Mellon Advisors, operating primarily on a tiered wrap-fee basis.

Stavroula Koutsfetsoulis is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with 25 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2011. In addition to her advisory role, she is involved in fiduciary activities as an attorney-in-fact (power of attorney). Ameriprise is a large institutional firm that provides retirement-income planning services primarily to individuals with substantial investable assets. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver written recommendation reports through a centralized consulting team, focusing on tailored retirement income strategies.

Cassandra Sanchez is a financial advisor at Financial & Tax Architects, LLC with seven years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Fisher Investments, TIAA, US Health Advisors, and various other firms. Sanchez also had involvement with Drunken Donkey, reflecting experience outside the financial sector. Financial & Tax Architects provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, focusing on those nearing or in retirement. The firm offers proprietary “Private Wealth Strategies” that use ETFs, individual securities, and trend-aware rebalancing, with accounts reviewed monthly and customizable strategies to meet client needs.

Sarah Currier Barrella is a CFP® professional with 26 years of experience in financial advisory services. She currently works at Santander Securities LLC and Santander Bank, NA, having previously held positions at TD Bank and Citizens Securities, Inc. Barrella is based in Boston, MA. Santander Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base with approximately $3.14 billion in regulatory assets under management across 10,800 client relationships. The firm offers investment advisory services, portfolio management through wrap-fee programs, and financial planning, operating both as a registered investment adviser and a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.

Elanna Gould is a CFP® professional with six years of experience, currently advising at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors in Cleveland, OH. Her background includes roles at PepsiCo and The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Center, as well as academic experience at The Ohio State University. She is also an independent insurance agent for various companies. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a broad client base, including individuals, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through a network of independent professionals. The firm provides a range of portfolio management options, proprietary and third-party strategies, and various custody platforms tailored to client objectives.

Ethan Siekkinen is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, currently serving as a financial advisor with Plante Moran Financial Advisors. He has one year of industry experience and has previously worked at J Wilson Wealth Management and operated Rizzo Lawn Care. Plante Moran Financial Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory, financial planning, and estate planning services to a diverse client base including individual households, institutional clients, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm employs a multi-disciplinary investment process and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, manager search, and tax-lot accounting services.

Jace Hart is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience and currently serves as a financial advisor at Rockwall Wealth Management. His prior experience includes roles at Leo Wealth, LPL Financial, and Fidelity Brokerage Services. Rockwall Wealth Management provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, trusts, plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm emphasizes diversified, low-cost ETF model portfolios with a focus on tax efficiency, liquidity, and systematic macro tilts, offering both traditional and advanced investment strategies tailored to client objectives.

Jeffrey Macdonald is a CFP® and ChFC® with 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at Investment Management & Planning LLC and LPL Financial since 2010, following two years at Wells Fargo Clearing. Investment Management & Planning LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm constructs tailored portfolios using mutual funds, ETFs, equities, and fixed-income securities, employing fundamental analysis and continuous supervision, and operates as both a wrap program sponsor and affiliated registered representatives of LPL Financial.