Top general estate planning guidance financial advisors in Cedar Rapids, IA

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Kayla Santos is a financial advisor with Mass Mutual Investors Services in Warwick, RI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 10 years of industry experience. She has worked at Mass Mutual Investors Services since 2017 and previously at MetLife Securities. In addition to her advisory role, Santos is an independent insurance agent, offering life, fixed annuities, disability, long-term care, and health insurance products. Mass Mutual Investors Services, LLC is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that serves individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm provides financial planning, asset management, wrap and money-manager programs, and educational seminars, structuring engagements as annual collaborative relationships focused on goal analysis and written recommendations.

Gordon Brown III is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with 18 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Edward Jones since 2008. 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 programs and investment options, operating under a fiduciary standard.

William Soltow is a financial advisor at Smith & Wyatt with 13 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at CoreCap Advisors, LLC. Outside of advising, he is the founder of Frontier Wealth Management and serves as an independent insurance agent with Goosehead Insurance. Smith & Wyatt serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, and corporations, managing approximately $207 million across 724 clients. The firm provides tailored financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, estate-planning consulting, and specialized educational programs, utilizing mutual funds and ETFs as primary investment vehicles.

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.