Seasoned, general estate planning guidance financial advisors in Charlottesville, VA

George Hamar is a financial advisor at Chilton Investment Services, LLC with 21 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with Chilton Investment Services since 2013. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a trustee of private trusts. Chilton Investment Services, LLC provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, family-office support, and advisory services to private fund investors, high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, and institutional clients. The firm employs a long-term investment approach combining bottom-up fundamental research with top-down macro and relative-value analysis across equity and fixed-income strategies, and manages portfolios through various vehicles including separately managed accounts and sub-advised UMA accounts.

Michael Whitney is a CFP® professional with four years of industry experience, currently serving at Solitude Financial Services, Inc. He previously worked at Albany Financial Group and LPL Financial, LLC. Solitude Financial Services provides fee-only, fiduciary investment advice and discretionary portfolio management to individual and high-net-worth clients using a financial life management framework. The firm emphasizes long-term, buy-and-hold investment strategies with model portfolios primarily composed of ETFs, mutual funds, stocks, and bonds, and employs options strategies to manage portfolio risk.

Margaret Connelly is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 65 license with one year of experience in the financial industry. She has worked at Investor FAN, Visible Wealth Planning, and Equita Financial Network, Inc., and previously spent 15 years with the Georgia Retirement System. Prior to entering the financial field, she was a full-time homemaker for three years. Investor FAN is a team-based firm with 14 advisors that provides investment management, financial consulting, and retirement plan advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors. The firm employs a multi-disciplinary investment approach based on Modern Portfolio Theory and incorporates fundamental, technical, cyclical, and macroeconomic analysis in portfolio construction.

Shelly Pellish is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Ameriprise in Charlottesville, VA, with seven years of industry experience. She has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2017, following a 15-year tenure at the Center for Christian Study. Outside of her advisory role, Pellish is the owner of Flying Squirrel, LLC, which she manages alongside her work at Ameriprise. Ameriprise offers retirement-income planning services primarily for individuals approaching or in retirement with substantial investable assets, delivering personalized recommendations that incorporate research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis. The firm also provides a broad range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions through its affiliated companies.

Ellen Doyle is a financial advisor at D.A. Davidson & Co. with 23 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Truist Investment Services, Inc. and BB&T Securities, LLC. Outside of finance, she is a member and bookkeeper of a family ceramic tile and marble installation business. D.A. Davidson & Co. provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including retirement plans, individual investors, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers a range of services such as ERISA retirement plan advisory, comprehensive financial planning, equity research, and a Private Wealth program for clients with net worth above $20 million.

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.

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.

David Cade is a financial advisor with LPL Financial based in Houston, TX. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 42 years of industry experience. Prior to joining LPL Financial in 2025, he worked at Next Financial Group, Inc. for 20 years and Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. for six years. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of financial planning and portfolio management solutions, integrating proprietary research and third-party strategies.

Sarah Currier Barrella is a CFP® professional with 26 years of experience in financial advisory services. She currently works at Santander Securities LLC and Santander Bank, NA, having previously held positions at TD Bank and Citizens Securities, Inc. Barrella is based in Boston, MA. Santander Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base with approximately $3.14 billion in regulatory assets under management across 10,800 client relationships. The firm offers investment advisory services, portfolio management through wrap-fee programs, and financial planning, operating both as a registered investment adviser and a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.

Linda Postorivo is a financial advisor at BC Advisors, LLC with 43 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 63 designation and has worked with MAFG RIA Services, Inc. since 1994 and with Mid-Atlantic Companies since 1981. BC Advisors provides investment advisory and portfolio management services primarily to high-net-worth individuals, family trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, and other institutional clients. The firm emphasizes non-discretionary investment recommendations grounded in fundamental analysis alongside technical and cyclical reviews, employing a variety of strategies including long-term, short-term, trading, options, and alternatives.