Independent financial advisors working with retirees 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.

Craig Mcdaniel Jr. is a financial advisor with Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC in Columbia, SC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Capital Investment Group, Inc. and The McDaniel Corporation since 2012. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in life insurance sales and serves as an independent agent for annuities and related products. Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and supervisory services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers customized investment management through discretionary mandates, third-party managers, and private-label model portfolios, using a blend of analytical methods with ongoing portfolio monitoring.

Wesley Pool is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at JPMorgan Securities LLC for seven years. Outside of finance, he has been involved with #TagMeBro LLC and Fry Street Public House. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions.

Willie Myles is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2016 and previously at AXA Advisors, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for the nonprofit Alpha Light Fund Inc., focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual, high-net-worth, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients, offering financial planning, broker-dealer services, insurance distribution, and access to third-party asset management programs. The firm operates as both an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, leveraging LPL-sponsored programs and endorsed TAMPs to deliver advisory and brokerage solutions.

Hassan Al Kadhimi is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with two years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. He is registered with Series 65 and Series 63 licenses. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves a wide range of clients, including individuals, retirement plans, banks, and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning, advisory programs, retirement consulting, and brokerage services through a national network of investment adviser representatives.

Amanda Scheele is a financial advisor at Raymond James & Associates with 15 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Advisors LLC. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved with Lucky Duck, a venture she has been part of since 2025. Raymond James & Associates, Inc. is a large registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $501 billion in assets. The firm serves a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and municipal entities, offering financial planning, non-discretionary investment consulting, and municipal advisory services.

Jared Fruth is a financial advisor at Northwest Asset Management with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Securities America, Inc., KMS Financial Services, Inc., Oppenheimer Funds, and John Paul Mitchell Systems. Northwest Asset Management is a registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.6 billion for nearly 3,000 clients, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charities, and corporations. The firm employs a customized, fiduciary approach using Modern Portfolio Theory and strategic asset allocation, combining fundamental and technical analysis to build diversified portfolios with periodic rebalancing.

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.

Craig Mcdaniel Jr. is a financial advisor with Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC in Columbia, SC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Capital Investment Group, Inc. and The McDaniel Corporation since 2012. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in life insurance sales and serves as an independent agent for annuities and related products. Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and supervisory services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers customized investment management through discretionary mandates, third-party managers, and private-label model portfolios, using a blend of analytical methods with ongoing portfolio monitoring.

David Hart is a financial advisor with Martin Wealth Management, LLC in Irvine, CA. He holds a Series 65 credential and has 15 years of industry experience. Hart previously worked with Safeguard Investment Advisory Group and LifePro Asset Management. He is also a Certified Financial Fiduciary and volunteers as an instructor with the Foundation for Fiduciary Education, providing unbiased fiduciary financial education to the public. Martin Wealth Management offers investment advisory services primarily to individuals and high-net-worth clients by co-advising and directing accounts to a third-party money manager, Matson Money. The firm focuses on client onboarding, documentation, and ongoing review of third-party manager accounts rather than direct asset management.

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.