Large-firm financial advisors working with mid-career professionals 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 at CWM, LLC with 33 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has worked at firms including Carson Wealth, Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, TN Weber Nieland, Private Advisor Group, LLC, and LPL Financial. Outside of advising, she is a notary and owns a small office cleaning business. CWM, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, families, foundations, endowments, corporations, and institutional clients through a network of over 600 advisors. The firm employs model portfolios managed by an Investment Committee and offers a range of services including portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan solutions, and sub-advisory capabilities.

Michael Dawson is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Cedar Rapids, IA, holding Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 17 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors and Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., and has operated Selk Dawson Tax Services since 2007. In addition to his advisory role, Dawson provides tax preparation and bookkeeping services through Mike Dawson Bookkeeping and Selk Dawson Tax Service. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, financial planning, and brokerage services supported by proprietary and third-party research, with both discretionary and non-discretionary management options.

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.

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.

Sally Hyman is a financial advisor at Seasons of Advice Wealth Management with 42 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Outside of finance, she is a singer who sells her own vocal CDs and is involved in publishing her father's book titled "Congenital Alterable Transmissible Asymmetry: The Spiritual Meaning of Disease and Science." Seasons of Advice Wealth Management provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, high net worth clients, trusts, small business owners, professionals, and families. The firm follows a life-cycle investment approach called the “Seasons of Advice” process and offers discretionary portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, and specialized fixed-income programs through sub-advisors.

Jeffrey Macdonald is a CFP® and ChFC® with 17 years of industry experience. He has been with Investment Management & Planning LLC since 2010 and is also affiliated with LPL Financial LLC. Investment Management & Planning LLC provides fee-based investment advisory and comprehensive financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, offering portfolio management on both discretionary and non-discretionary bases. The firm emphasizes ongoing account supervision and individualized asset allocation, often utilizing LPL-sponsored platforms and model portfolios.

Lee Chen is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Pasadena, California, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. He has been with UBS since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, Chen serves on the board of directors for the San Gabriel Country Club. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, combining proprietary capital market research with a broad range of financial planning and portfolio management solutions.

Thomas Phillipsen is a Series 65 licensed advisor at Annex Wealth Management, LLC with experience beginning in 2024. His prior work includes roles at Associated Bank and JJ Keller & Associates, as well as experience at Ripon College. Annex Wealth Management is an SEC-registered advisory firm managing approximately $8.05 billion for about 9,800 clients, including high-net-worth individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm utilizes a team-oriented investment process based on a core-and-tactical framework and offers comprehensive wealth management, discretionary portfolio management, retirement consulting, and online goals-based 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.

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 and previously at AXA Advisors, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for the nonprofit Alpha Light Fund Inc., focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual, high-net-worth, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients, offering financial planning, broker-dealer services, insurance distribution, and access to third-party asset management programs. The firm operates as both an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, leveraging LPL-sponsored programs and endorsed TAMPs to deliver advisory and brokerage solutions.