Large-firm financial advisors working with founders and business owners in Bluefield, WV

Victoria Lester is a financial advisor with Raymond James Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 14 years of industry experience. She has worked at Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. since 2015 and has also been associated with First Community Bank and Bluefield State College. Lester is involved as an associate at First Community Wealth Management, a non-investment-related support company. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning and investment consulting to a wide range of clients, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and institutional investors. The firm focuses on tailored, non-discretionary planning and uses advanced analytical tools to support client goals, while also offering specialized programs such as municipal advisory services and SIMPLE IRA Employer Advisory & Consulting Services.

Gregory Degray is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. He has worked at LPL Financial since 2013, and previously spent five years with Raymond James Financial and Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. In addition to his advisory work, he is a commissioned notary. 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 variety of services including financial planning, model portfolio programs, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms, with advice delivered through a network of investment adviser representatives.

Scott Pittman is a financial advisor at Calton & Associates, Inc. with 16 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Calton & Associates since 2010. Outside of his advisory role, Pittman serves as an independent director and chairman of the Compensation Committee at NUO Therapeutics, Inc., and is the CEO of the Coalfields Health Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit focused on healthcare service development. Calton & Associates serves individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and estates by providing portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm offers a range of investment programs and uses various analytic approaches, combining fee-based and commissionable products through its dual registration as both a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer.

Christopher Benson is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Bluefield, VA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials with 28 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2004. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients with approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management. The firm offers a range of advisory strategies, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee solutions, access to separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard.

Michael Wood III is a financial advisor with D.A. Davidson & Co. He holds a Series 66 designation and has nine years of industry experience, including prior roles at Truist Investment Services and BB&T Securities. Wood serves on the board of the Tazewell High School Hall of Fame, a nonprofit organization that elects members and provides scholarships to graduates. D.A. Davidson & Co. offers investment advisory and brokerage services to a broad client base, including retirement plans, individual investors, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm provides services under fiduciary standards, employing both qualitative and quantitative analysis, and distinguishes itself through municipal advisory activities and affiliated custodial entities.

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.