Top financial advisors working with married couples and partners in Columbus, OH

Terrie Austin is a CFP® with 26 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Milestone Wealth Strategies in Columbus, OH. She has previously worked at Stratos Wealth Partners, LPL Financial, and Fifth Third Securities. In addition to her advisory work, she operates a separate divorce-focused consulting business and holds a certified divorce financial analyst credential. Milestone Wealth Strategies provides holistic financial planning and discretionary portfolio management to individuals, families, small businesses, and not-for-profit organizations. The firm offers a formal specialty in divorce financial planning, as well as employer retirement plan consulting, educational seminars, and the use of third-party sub-advisors to support its investment approach focused on value, safety, quality, and risk control.

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.

Kayla Santos is a financial advisor with Mass Mutual Investors Services and holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses. She has 10 years of industry experience, including roles at MetLife Securities and Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company. In addition to her advisory work, she operates as an independent insurance agent specializing in life, fixed annuities, disability, long-term care, and health insurance. Mass Mutual Investors Services, LLC is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm provides ongoing financial planning, asset management, and educational seminars, utilizing firm-approved tools to develop collaborative, goal-oriented financial plans.

Sandra Conroy is a Wealth Management Advisor and Senior Vice President with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. She has been active in the financial services industry since August 1985, providing clients with wealth management services that address both individual and complex financial needs. Her professional focus includes education planning, executive compensation, family wealth management strategies, personal retirement planning, tax minimization, and retirement income. Sandra’s approach centers on developing personalized strategies tailored to clients’ short- and long-term financial objectives, emphasizing the importance of understanding life priorities beyond markets and returns. Her credentials include the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation, and she holds a High School Diploma/GED from Greenville Central School. Prior to her financial career, Sandra managed Arthur Murray Ballroom Dance Studios in Florida and Arizona and became a franchise owner and operator in Denver. She also trained as a Medic in the U.S. Army Reserves. Outside of her professional work, Sandra is married with two children and three grandchildren. Her personal interests include dancing, golfing, and traveling.

Ben is the founder of Ketwich Capital LLC ("Ket-Cap") which serves the financial and investment needs of professionals and families. Ben is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and a Certified Kingdom Advisor®. Prior to founding Ket-Cap in 2017, Ben spent a decade working on Wall Street at UBS and Neuberger Berman. As an equity analyst in 2008, he had a front-row seat to the housing bubble burst and the collapse of the global economy. This experience taught him the dangers of financial salesmanship (mortgages in this case) and the pitfall wealth can bring when there is no plan or purpose. Ben is passionate about helping others become secure, content, and generous in their wealth. Ben has facilitated financial courses including Financial Peace University, Charting Your Legacy, and the Journey of Generosity (Generous Giving). In his personal time, Ben can be found either outside with his wife and two young children or building something around the house. He is an avid reader of books related to money, history, and theology.

Robert Kaercher Jr. is a financial advisor with Smith & Howard Wealth Management, LLC in Atlanta, GA. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has 16 years of industry experience, all with Smith & Howard since 2010. Smith & Howard Wealth Management is a discretionary investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, retirement plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management primarily through mutual funds and ETFs, retirement plan consulting, and access to separate account managers, managing approximately $727 million for about 217 clients with a six-advisor team.

Peter Bittermann is a financial advisor with Westminster Financial Advisory Corporation, holding a Series 66 designation and 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Westminster Financial since 2011 and has also worked at RBC Capital Markets Corporation since 2008. Westminster Financial Advisory Corporation provides investment supervisory services and general investment advice to individuals, families, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, small businesses, and retirement plans. The firm emphasizes a diversified, multi-asset class investment approach with a buy-and-hold orientation complemented by tactical adjustments and manages portfolios using various securities, mutual funds, ETFs, and option strategies.