Large-firm, early retirement planning financial advisors in Connecticut

Richard Kos is a CFA® charterholder with six years of industry experience and is the principal advisor at Sursum Financial LLC in Madison, CT. He has previously worked at Merrill and Carolina Capital Markets, Inc., and has led Kos Consultants, an educational institutional consulting and marketing firm, since 2007. Sursum Financial is an independent registered investment adviser serving individuals, trusts, estates, business owners, family offices, and institutional and charitable clients. The firm employs a proprietary research-driven approach with a long-term orientation while incorporating shorter-term strategies and third-party manager relationships tailored to client objectives.

Elaine Biersack is a financial advisor with Round Rock Advisors LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and five years of industry experience. She previously worked for Greenwich Investment Management, Inc. for ten years before joining Round Rock Advisors in 2023. Round Rock Advisors serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, trusts, and institutional investors with investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm employs multiple internal teams using fundamental, long-term analysis and offers access to independent sub-advisors and specialized investment strategies, including management of an Australian-registered micro-cap fund.

Ronald Dragotta is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he specializes in retirement benefit consulting and personalized wealth management strategies. With over 27 years of industry experience, he adopts a goals-based approach to help clients pursue their long-term financial objectives by utilizing professional asset managers and investment platforms. Ronald focuses on Merrill's 401(k) Retirement Plan platform and provides services to local communities and organizations. He works closely with a team within his office and leverages the resources of Bank of America and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management to deliver active and dedicated service. His areas of expertise include corporate benefits, divorce transition planning, employee benefits planning, employee financial health, personal retirement planning, and individual and corporate investment strategy. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from Hofstra University and professional designations including Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Benefits Consultant (RBC). Outside of work, Ronald spends time with his wife Linda, an elementary school teacher, and their two daughters, Catherine and Caroline. They enjoy outdoor activities such as running, hiking, and kayaking on the Long Island Sound. Ronald is also involved in volunteering with community organizations.

Clifford Straub is a CFP® and Series 66 credentialed financial advisor with 20 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Lifestyle Financial Strategies, LLC, where he has worked since 2006. Prior to that, he was with WRP Investments Inc for two years. Straub serves as a trustee of the Middletown Rotary Club Scholarship Trust and is on the Board of Directors, including the Executive and Finance Committees, of Middlesex United Way. Lifestyle Financial Strategies provides holistic financial planning and investment advisory services to individuals, families, and not-for-profit organizations. The firm emphasizes disciplined asset allocation and non-discretionary advisory relationships, with a notable client focus on charitable and not-for-profit entities.

Angelo Pietri is a Series 66 credentialed financial advisor with 11 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with OSAIC Institutions, Inc. He has been with infinex Investments, Inc. since 2015. Outside of his advisory work, he assists with a photography business co-founded by his spouse and owns a financial education seminar business. OSAIC Institutions, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, ERISA plans, trusts, estates, and corporate clients through a large network of representatives. The firm offers customized advisory services, financial planning, ERISA plan services, and access to alternative investments, operating with a hybrid adviser and broker-dealer structure.

Aubrey Williams is a financial advisor at Open Path Financial with a Series 65 designation and two years of industry experience. He has a background in defense technology, having worked as an Associate Director of Program Management at Raytheon Technologies from 2021 to 2025 and previously at Lockheed Martin Corporation for 17 years. In addition to his advisory role, he is involved in an affiliated education business focused on public financial education and workshop content. Open Path Financial provides fee-only financial planning and advisory services primarily on an hourly or fixed-project basis, serving individuals, families, businesses, and trusts. The firm emphasizes long-term, diversified investment strategies using low-cost index funds and ETFs and operates without managing assets or charging percentage-based fees.

Jonah Lemieux is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Woburn, MA, holding a Series 66 designation with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Edward Jones, he worked in various roles including positions at UPS, UKG, ClearCompany, and Insurance Consultants of VA. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients, offering a range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies, affiliated mutual funds, and tax-efficient services. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and operates a large network of financial advisors and branch offices across the country.

Hi, I'm Steve. I've loved financial planning ever since I was a kid watching the ticker tape on CNBC as my mom, a homemaker learned about finances herself. I grew up in a very frugal household who taught me about working hard and saving for the future. My mother was a homemaker or "domestic engineer" as she calls it and my father was a federal employee. I was fortunate to be introduced to Rita Abel and become the owner of her small, family owned financial planning firm in 2019. Today we work with approximately 60 families. What makes us unique is our passion to be "accountability partner's" for our clients to ensure they take care of the important financial matters in their lives. We are part financial advisors and party financial therapists for our married couples but most importantly we are organized, proactive and have a passion for financial planning. Looking forward to meeting and if you want to know more, I encourage you to read our google reviews online. Just search "Abel Financial Reviews" in google.

After nearly a decade in corporate finance at Phillips 66, I now help high-income professionals and their families with investment, tax, and retirement planning. Before launching Refined Wealth, I completed the CFP® education program at Rice University and gained hands-on experience at two Houston firms, where I was part of teams that collectively served over 250 families and oversaw more than $650M in client assets. I also earned advanced certifications in tax planning (TPCP®) and retirement income planning (RICP®) to deliver more targeted advice. Now I’m building the firm I’d want for myself, my family, friends, and former colleagues. Most of my clients are: ◻︎ High-income professionals (O&G, medicine, sales, dual-income households) ◻︎ Retirees with complex assets and income sources ◻︎ Families navigating liquidity events (real estate sales, inheritances, business exits) Refined Wealth is an independent, fee-only fiduciary firm built on transparency and alignment. No product sales. No commissions. If this resonates, let’s connect for a complimentary introductory call to see if we’re a fit.

Kevin Matthews is a financial advisor at Wealth More Enterprise, Inc. with four years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at firms including WillowTree and Novozymes. Outside of his advisory role, he is the CEO and owner of Building Bread, an education-focused business where he also serves as an author and speaker. Wealth More Enterprise provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individual clients through a mobile-first platform. The firm combines proprietary risk scoring and algorithmic management with discretionary oversight and offers multiple model portfolios alongside flexible client engagement options.

Jeffrey Park is a financial advisor at Merrill with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Merrill and affiliated firms since 2011, including roles at JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities. Outside of his advisory work, he is a sole owner and co-owner of family rental properties in Lawrenceville, Georgia. 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 individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

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.

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, previously serving at Axa Advisors and MSI Financial Services. Outside of advising, he is a co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for Alpha Light Fund Inc., a nonprofit focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a range of clients including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement consulting, and asset management through a network of representatives and third-party managers. The firm offers various investment vehicles and ERISA fiduciary services, relying on third-party program sponsors and an affiliation with a publicly traded parent company.