Top general estate planning guidance financial advisors in Columbus, OH

Terrie Austin is a CFP® professional with 27 years of industry experience, currently operating as the sole advisor at Milestone Wealth Strategies in Columbus, OH. Her career includes roles at LPL Financial, Stratos Wealth Partners, Fifth Third Securities, Raymond James Financial, PRUCO Securities, Valic Financial Advisors, and UBS Financial Services. She holds several securities licenses, including Series 63, 65, and 66. Milestone Wealth Strategies provides holistic financial planning and discretionary portfolio management to individuals, families, small businesses, and not-for-profit organizations. The firm emphasizes risk control and value-oriented investing while offering a formal specialty in divorce financial planning, alongside educational seminars and employer retirement plan consulting.

Erik Roemer is a CFP® with over 32 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Gerber, LLC since 2000 and previously at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments. Roemer holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and serves as Chief Compliance Officer at Gerber, overseeing client service, financial planning, staff management, and regulatory compliance. Gerber, LLC serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses, focusing on growth-oriented, first-generation entrepreneurs. The firm offers discretionary investment management and comprehensive wealth services, using a long-term, diversified investment approach that includes mutual funds, ETFs, alternative investments, and derivatives, supported by independent managers and an outsourced CIO.

Clinton Bakle is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Nationwide Investment Advisors, LLC in Columbus, OH, and has 14 years of industry experience. He has been with Nationwide Investment Services Corporation since 2011. Outside of his advisory role, he owns a business focused on golf-related videos, guides, and product reviews. Nationwide Investment Advisors provides investment advice and managed-account solutions primarily to retirement plan sponsors and participants, specializing in ERISA 401(k) and public 403(b)/457(b) plans. The firm employs independent fiduciary experts for portfolio construction and serves a large retail participant base through a variety of discretionary and non-discretionary services.

Neal Patel is a financial advisor with Merrill in Columbus, OH, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and having two years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Bank of America, J.P. Morgan Securities, and Coastal Equities, Inc. 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 a range of clients including individuals, high-net-worth investors, and institutional entities.

Jason Demopoulos is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at UBS Financial Services and Bank of America. Outside of his financial career, he has been involved with the Central Ohio Baseball Umpires Association and the Ohio High School Athletic Association. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with brokerage and investment management capabilities, delivering services on a non-discretionary basis.

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.