Top private / alternative investments financial advisors in Charleston, SC

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.

If you're considering private or alternative investments, you likely want to diversify beyond traditional stocks and bonds to potentially boost returns or reduce risk. A common mistake is underestimating the complexity and illiquidity (difficulty selling quickly) of these investments, which can affect your cash flow and long-term goals.

  • Risk and liquidity assessment. Confirm how the advisor evaluates the trade-offs between potential gains and the difficulty of selling private assets.
  • Alignment with your goals. Ask how they ensure alternative investments fit your overall financial plan, not just as isolated opportunities.
  • Fee transparency. Private investments often have layered fees; check how clearly the advisor explains all costs involved.
  • Experience with local market. Since Charleston attracts retirees with favorable tax rules, see how the advisor leverages local knowledge in planning.

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

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Erik H

Series 66

Charleston, SC

Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC

Erik Hofstrom is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with 21 years of industry experience. He is currently affiliated with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC and has worked with LPL Financial since 2005. Hofstrom operates his advisory business through Independent Advisor Alliance, focusing on investment advisory services. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans. The firm provides asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, employing discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management methods alongside technology-enabled estate-planning tools.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Retirement income strategy Tax strategies for small businesses Founder/Business Owner Retired
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Charles C

Series 65

Charleston, SC

Wealth Management

Charles Castle is a financial advisor at Wealth Management with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Mainstreet Financial Solutions since 2007, where he provides tax, payroll, and accounting services. Wealth Management advises individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional clients, offering discretionary asset management, fiduciary services, and financial planning. The firm employs broadly diversified, passively managed portfolios with a long-term, buy-and-hold strategy and supports other advisors through its backoffice operations.

Passive / index investing Wealth management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Annuities General tax planning Founder/Business Owner

Daniel P

Series 66

Charleston, SC

Edward Jones

Daniel Perlmutter is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Charleston, SC, holding a Series 66 designation with six years of industry experience. He has worked at Edward Jones since 2019 and previously held roles at Berlins Restaurant Supply, Rising Tide Marketing, and Hamilton Management Services Company. Outside of advising, he is involved in managing several rental properties and assists with real estate transitions through 2M Properties. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs and investment options supported by a nationwide network of more than 23,000 advisors. The firm provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies, tax-efficient services, and operates under a fiduciary standard.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Wealth management General retirement planning Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive Hispanic/Latino/Latinx
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Craig M

Series 66

Charleston, SC

LPL Financial

Craig Mcdonald Jr. is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding a Series 66 designation and 16 years of industry experience. He has been with LPL Financial since 2019 and previously worked at AXA Advisors, LLC and Fort Sumter Tours, Inc. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved as a referring agent in a non-variable insurance business. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms, supporting over 22,800 advisors and managing more than $819 billion in discretionary assets.

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

Series 65

Charleston, SC

Kinwell LLC

James Carlson is a Series 65-registered advisor with Kinwell LLC in Charleston, SC, bringing 11 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Questis Advisor Partners, LLC from 2013 to 2017. Outside of Kinwell, Carlson is an independent trustee for Modern Capital Funds Trust and holds shares in Questis, Inc., a financial wellness software platform. Kinwell LLC provides investment advice and portfolio management to individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as consulting services for pension and employee benefit plans. The firm employs modern portfolio theory and a long-term trading approach, focusing on individualized investment policies and a diverse investable universe that includes alternative assets and third-party managers.

Annuities Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Private / alternative investments Real estate investing
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Edwina M

Series 65

Cincinnati, OH

Waverly Advisors, LLC

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.

Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Options & derivatives strategies Tax-loss harvesting Multi-generational wealth transfer Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Thomas T

Series 66

Independence, OH

Hantz financial Services, Inc.

Thomas Trefzger is a Series 66-credentialed financial advisor with eight years of industry experience. He has worked at Hantz Financial Services, Inc. since 2018 and previously held roles at Sprint and Cleveland State University. Hantz Financial Services, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth households, pension and profit-sharing plans, and business owners. The firm offers financial planning and wealth management primarily through ETF-based model portfolios across five risk levels, supplemented by third-party managers and Direct Indexing, and combines advisory, broker-dealer, mortgage, and insurance activities under one platform.

Active portfolio management Passive / index investing Tax-loss harvesting Business ownership considerations Retirement withdrawal strategies Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Ethan S

CFP®, Series 65

Auburn Hills, MI

Plante Moran financial advisors

Ethan Siekkinen is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, currently serving as a financial advisor with Plante Moran Financial Advisors. He has one year of industry experience and has previously worked at J Wilson Wealth Management and operated Rizzo Lawn Care. Plante Moran Financial Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory, financial planning, and estate planning services to a diverse client base including individual households, institutional clients, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm employs a multi-disciplinary investment process and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, manager search, and tax-lot accounting services.

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Private / alternative investments Concentrated stock management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) 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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Geoffrey T

Series 66

Chicago, IL

Sanctuary Advisors, LLC

Geoffrey Tomes is a financial advisor with Sanctuary Advisors, LLC, holding a Series 66 credential and 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at Noyes Advisors LLC for 11 years and David A Noyes & Company for 26 years. His other business activities include involvement in fixed life and health insurance and fixed annuities. Sanctuary Advisors, LLC serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a network of over 400 independent investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services employing various analytical approaches and maintains distinctive features such as negotiated performance-based fees for large institutional clients and affiliations with specialized asset management firms.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Cash flow / budgeting General retirement planning

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