Top general estate planning guidance financial advisors in Champaign, IL

Manish Puri is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Champaign, IL, holding a Series 66 designation with three years of industry experience. He previously worked at Puri Sons Inc for ten years, where he served as Secretary, and he is involved as President of A-Plus Investments, a family-owned real estate construction company. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients with a variety of advisory programs and investment solutions, supported by a large nationwide network of advisors and branch offices.

Emily Manganaro is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 15 years of industry experience. She has worked at LPL Financial since 2015 and has prior experience with Old National Bank, First Midwest Bank, and Mass Mutual Investors Services. Outside of her advisory role, she is the owner of an online jewelry sales business called Silverbean Studios and serves as a non-public arbitrator for FINRA. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that offers advisory and brokerage services to individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm supports a broad range of investment strategies and platforms, combining extensive advisory capabilities with non-advisory financial services and oversight of over $819 billion in discretionary assets.

Claude Wilson is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management in Champaign, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and seven years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Cetera Investment Services, JPMorgan Chase Bank, and Edward Jones. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital portfolio solution that uses algorithm-driven risk assessment and third-party managed model strategies primarily involving mutual funds and ETFs.

Lana Berardi is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in Champaign, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 23 years of industry experience. She has worked at J.P. Morgan Securities and JPMorgan Chase Bank since 2003. Outside of her advisory role, she serves as a trustee and director of the Joseph Berardi Scholarship Fund Trust, a nonprofit that provides scholarships to students primarily from Canton High School in Illinois. J.P. Morgan Securities provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors, combining quantitative asset-allocation modeling with centralized due diligence. The firm’s approach includes an ESG eligibility framework and access to a broad range of investment products through its registration as a security-based swap dealer and futures commission merchant.

Blake Hubert is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Champaign, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 32 years of industry experience. He has been with Primerica Advisors and Primerica Financial Services since 1993. In addition to advisory work, he is involved in the sale of loan products, home security, automation, and other home-related services through affiliated companies. Primerica Advisors provides discretionary asset management through its Lifetime Investment Program, which offers model-delivery strategies and discretionary separately managed account options primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm curates third-party asset managers and uses a tiered wrap-fee structure, focusing on retail rather than institutional or pension plan management.

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.