Top college savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) financial advisors in Cedar Rapids, IA

The right financial advisor for you depends on how you weigh location, expertise, experience, the clients they typically serve, and how they work with you.

Saving for college often starts when you want to make the most of tax-advantaged accounts like 529 plans or UTMA custodial accounts. A common mistake is not aligning the savings plan with your child's timeline and your overall financial goals, which can reduce the benefits.

  • Account type suitability. Confirm which college savings vehicles they recommend and why, ensuring they fit your family's timeline and risk tolerance.
  • Investment strategy alignment. Ask how they adjust investments as your child approaches college age to balance growth and preservation.
  • Financial aid impact. Discuss how different savings accounts might affect your child's eligibility for financial aid.
  • Coordination with other goals. Check how they integrate college savings with your retirement and other financial priorities to avoid conflicts.

Here are top matches to get you started. Review each profile to compare experience, credentials, and approach.

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Justin K

Series 66

Cedar Rapids, IA

BCG Securities, inc.

Justin Kensinger is a financial advisor with BCG Securities, Inc. in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. He has been with BCG Securities since 2013. Kensinger also operates a DBA, Kensinger & Co., LLC. BCG Securities serves institutional retirement plans and individual clients with accounts generally above $25,000, offering portfolio management, financial planning, pension consulting, and related advisory services. The firm emphasizes tailored investment policy development and often implements advice on a non-discretionary basis, with a focus on third-party manager due diligence and a variety of investment analyses.

Wealth management Founder/Business Owner Retired
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Stephen M

Series 63, Series 66

Cedar Rapids, IA

Red Cedar

Stephen Mickelson is a financial advisor at Red Cedar with 34 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has previously worked at Cetera Advisors LLC and Stonefield Investment Advisory. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a soccer referee. Red Cedar Advisory serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and small businesses, providing asset management, financial planning, consulting, and ERISA plan participant advisory services. The firm manages accounts on a discretionary basis using fundamental and technical analysis along with asset-allocation strategies, and employs option- and derivative-based approaches that contribute to active trading and portfolio complexity.

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Founder/Business Owner Retired
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Wendy N

Series 63, Series 66

Cedar Rapids, IA

Carson Wealth

Wendy Nemecek is a financial advisor with Carson Wealth in Cedar Rapids, IA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 33 years of industry experience. She has worked at firms including LPL Financial, Private Advisor Group, and Cetera Advisor Networks. Outside of her advisory role, she maintains a notary service and owns a small office cleaning business. CWM, LLC operates as an SEC-registered enterprise platform managing approximately $50.6 billion through a network of over 650 advisors. The firm offers discretionary asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan services, utilizing an Investment Committee to develop and oversee model portfolios and providing tailored solutions such as custom indexing and access to alternative investments.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting ESG / Sustainable investing Private / alternative investments Options & derivatives strategies
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Michael D

Series 65, Series 66

Cedar Rapids, IA

LPL Financial

Michael Dawson is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, holding Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 17 years of industry experience. Before joining LPL Financial in 2018, he worked at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors and Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. He also operates Selk Dawson Tax Services and Mike Dawson Bookkeeping, providing tax preparation and accounting services. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolio programs, and institutional platforms.

Wealth management Retirement income strategy College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Tax-loss harvesting Annuities Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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William H

CFA®

Cedar Rapids, IA

Grit Family Office, LLC

William Hahesy III is a CFA® charterholder with 10 years of industry experience. He is currently with Grit Family Office, LLC, where he has worked since 2017, and previously held roles at BerganKDV Wealth Management, LLC and Bergan Paulsen. Outside of his advisory work, he has ownership interests in several privately held companies in the manufacturing and overhead door sales industries. Grit Family Office serves high-net-worth individuals and small businesses, providing portfolio management, financial planning, and third-party adviser referrals. The firm follows a Modern Portfolio Theory-based investment approach with an emphasis on asset allocation, risk tolerance, and regular portfolio monitoring across a range of traditional and alternative investments.

Wealth management Private / alternative investments Real estate investing College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
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Hassan A

Series 63, Series 65

Rockville, MD

LPL Financial

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.

Wealth management Retirement income strategy College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Tax-loss harvesting Annuities Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Richard B

Series 63, Series 66

Austin, TX

Charles Schwab

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.

Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Multi-state taxation College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
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Thaddeus P

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Grand Rapids, MI

Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC

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.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Charitable giving & philanthropy General estate planning guidance General tax planning Options & derivatives strategies
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Paul K

CFP®, Series 65

Zimmerman, MN

Longview Financial, Inc.

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.

General tax planning College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Cash flow / budgeting

Justin S

CFP®, ChFC®, Series 66

Prairie Village, KS

Edward Jones

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.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) General estate planning guidance Multi-generational wealth transfer Retirement income strategy General retirement planning Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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