Large-firm financial advisors working with clients approaching retirement in Decatur, IL

Phillip Cruikshank is a financial advisor with Cetera and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 36 years of industry experience, including roles at LPL Financial and CUNA Brokerage Services. He is the owner and operator of Cruikshank Wealth Partners, providing brokerage, advisory, and insurance services. In addition, he is an insurance agent selling fixed insurance products. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is a nationwide SEC-registered advisory firm serving individual, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with diverse portfolio management options, including discretionary and non-discretionary accounts, model portfolios, third-party managers, and custom strategies.

James Livasy is a financial advisor at Stifel in Decatur, Illinois, with 43 years of industry experience. He has been with Stifel since 1988 and holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as Board President of CHELP Inc., a home care provider, and as Treasurer and Board Member of Growing Strong, a nonprofit organization. Stifel serves a broad range of clients, including individuals, institutional clients, and charitable organizations, offering brokerage and investment advisory services. The firm’s investment analysis is based on a proprietary methodology developed by its Investment Strategy Group that informs asset allocation and planning strategies.

Richard Nolte is a financial advisor with Ameriprise, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 32 years of industry experience. He has been with Ameriprise and its predecessor firms since 1994. Nolte serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater St. Louis Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America and has held leadership roles in related nonprofit organizations. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large advisory firm serving both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a Premier Retirement Income service focused on retirement-income planning through personalized Recommendation Reports and ongoing advice.

Jeremy Sarna is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Decatur, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and seven years of industry experience. His work history includes two separate periods at Edward Jones totaling seven years, as well as roles at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments and Thrivent Advisor Network dba Palomar Wealth. Prior to his advisory career, he worked at Verizon Wireless for four years. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients across a range of financial needs. The firm manages over $1 trillion in assets and offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies, tax-efficient services, and affiliated mutual funds through a nationwide network of approximately 23,700 financial advisors.

James Minton Sr. is a financial advisor with IPI Wealth Management, Inc. in Decatur, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has been with IPI Wealth Management since 1998 and with its predecessor, Investment Planners, Inc., since 1995. Outside of advising, he is an author and presenter with Westbow Press Publishing, as well as a ministry fundraiser and presenter for Business Men in Christ, and broadcasts boys basketball games on WOKR 107.3 FM. IPI Wealth Management serves a diverse client base including individual investors, charitable and corporate clients, and retirement plans. The firm employs a risk-based, open-architecture investment platform supported by an investment committee and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management along with retirement plan education and advice.

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.

Stavroula Koutsfetsoulis is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with 25 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2011. In addition to her advisory role, she is involved in fiduciary activities as an attorney-in-fact (power of attorney). Ameriprise is a large institutional firm that provides retirement-income planning services primarily to individuals with substantial investable assets. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver written recommendation reports through a centralized consulting team, focusing on tailored retirement income strategies.

Barbara Brewer is a financial advisor at RBC Capital Markets with 20 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been with RBC Capital Markets Corporation since 2008. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, serves individual investors, institutional clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers various advisory programs with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, custody, and brokerage services, tailoring strategies to clients’ Advisory Risk Profiles through a mix of in-house and third-party providers.

Richard Martin is a financial advisor at Cetera with 29 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has a background that includes nearly three decades at Avantax Advisory Services and eight years at Avantax Insurance Agency. Outside of his advisory work, he is the owner and sole proprietor of Martin & Pellegrin, CPAs, a tax preparation and accounting firm. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm provides a multi-manager platform offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to various program structures and third-party money managers.

Lee Chen is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Pasadena, California, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. He has been with UBS since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, Chen serves on the board of directors for the San Gabriel Country Club. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, combining proprietary capital market research with a broad range of financial planning and portfolio management solutions.

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.