Top college savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) financial advisors in Forest City, NC

The right financial advisor for you depends on how you weigh location, expertise, experience, the clients they typically serve, and how they work with you.

Saving for college often starts when you want to make the most of tax-advantaged accounts like 529 plans or UTMA (Uniform Transfers to Minors Act) accounts. Without focused guidance, you might miss how to balance investment risk with your child's age or overlook state-specific tax benefits.

  • Age-based investment strategies. Ask how they adjust your portfolio as your child gets closer to college to protect your savings from market swings.
  • State tax implications. Confirm if they consider North Carolina's flat income tax and how it affects your college savings plan.
  • Account type selection. Different accounts have unique rules and benefits; check how they help you choose between 529s, UTMA, or other options.
  • Coordination with financial aid. Understand how your savings strategy might impact eligibility for need-based aid and what they recommend to optimize it.

Here are top matches to get you started. Review each profile to compare experience, credentials, and approach.

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James S

Series 63, Series 65

Forest City, NC

Primerica Advisors

James Sherrill is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Forest City, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Primerica Advisors and Primerica Financial Services since 1991. Outside of investment advisory, he is involved in sales of loan products and home security and automation services through affiliated Primerica companies. Primerica Advisors sponsors a wrap-fee asset management program serving individual, corporate, and charitable clients. The firm employs model-based investment strategies managed by unaffiliated asset managers and supports trade execution and custody through BNY Mellon Advisors and Pershing.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting Income planning
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Adam C

Series 66

Forest City, NC

LPL Financial

Adam Chaney is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding a Series 66 designation and 13 years of industry experience. He has worked at LPL Financial since 2013. Outside of his advisory role, he is a business owner of Four Oaks Farmstead in Forest City, NC. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolio programs, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms.

Wealth management Retirement income strategy College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Tax-loss harvesting Annuities Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Joseph S

Series 65

Forest City, NC

OneSeven

Joseph Stenard is a financial advisor at OneSeven with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked with MGO One Seven LLC d/b/a Resolute Wealth Management since 2024. His background also includes involvement with the Knights of Columbus and a longstanding role at the University of New York dating back to 2008. OneSeven provides investment advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management and financial planning using diversified portfolios with access to alternatives and private placements, employing a primarily long-term investment approach combined with internal due diligence and third-party platform support.

Private / alternative investments Options & derivatives strategies Real estate investing Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k)
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Tabitha M

Series 63, Series 66

Forest City, NC

Principal Financial Services

Tabitha Marks is a financial advisor at Principal Financial Services with 12 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at Merrill and First Citizens Asset Management. Outside of her advisory role, she owns and operates a family farm, Twin Creeks Farm, where livestock is sold. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charities. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, and access to third-party money managers through both adviser and promoter arrangements.

Retired Founder/Business Owner
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Ivey B

Series 66

Forest City, NC

Raymond James Financial

Ivey Bright is a financial advisor at Raymond James Financial with two years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has prior work experience that includes roles at Prestige School Solutions, LLC, and Barley's Taproom and Pizzeria. Additionally, Bright is associated with Bright Asset Management, LLC in a non-investment capacity. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning and investment consulting to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional clients. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary advisory services supported by analytical tools and maintains unique arrangements such as municipal advisory capabilities and specialized SIMPLE IRA consulting programs.

Wealth management Tax strategies for small businesses Business succession planning General estate planning guidance Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Hassan A

Series 63, Series 65

Rockville, MD

LPL Financial

Hassan Al Kadhimi is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and two years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. He is also involved with NIHFCU Wealth Advisors, a related business entity. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolio programs, and institutional platforms, supported by a large network of investment adviser representatives.

Wealth management Retirement income strategy College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Tax-loss harvesting Annuities Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Richard B

Series 63, Series 66

Austin, TX

Charles Schwab

Richard Brandi is a financial advisor with Charles Schwab based in Austin, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. He has been with Charles Schwab and Charles Schwab Bank ssb since 2003 and 2005, respectively. Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. serves primarily high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals through its Schwab Wealth Advisory wrap fee program and affiliated managed-account and financial planning services. The firm offers a mix of non-discretionary and discretionary investment guidance, leveraging multi-asset model portfolios and research from its Schwab Center for Financial Research.

Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Multi-state taxation College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
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Thaddeus P

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Grand Rapids, MI

Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC

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.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Charitable giving & philanthropy General estate planning guidance General tax planning Options & derivatives strategies
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Paul K

CFP®, Series 65

Zimmerman, MN

Longview Financial, Inc.

Paul Kinneberg is a CFP® and Series 65-registered advisor with 24 years of industry experience. He has been the principal and sole advisor at Longview Financial, Inc. since 2000 and also holds a long-term corporate role at CenturyLink. Longview Financial, Inc. provides personalized, fee-only financial planning and investment management primarily for individual clients. The firm uses a strategic asset allocation approach with a core-and-satellite framework, combining passive index and ETF core holdings with active funds when appropriate, and manages client assets on a non-discretionary basis with an emphasis on individualized advice.

General tax planning College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Cash flow / budgeting

Justin S

CFP®, ChFC®, Series 66

Prairie Village, KS

Edward Jones

Justin Scicluna is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Prairie Village, KS, holding the CFP®, ChFC®, and Series 66 designations with 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2013. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients, including a range of household types, pension plans, corporate clients, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers various advisory programs, discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, and affiliated investment products through a nationwide network of over 23,700 financial advisors.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) General estate planning guidance Multi-generational wealth transfer Retirement income strategy General retirement planning Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive

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