Large-firm, business exit / sale strategy financial advisors in Fort Walton Beach, FL

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.

Selling a business is a major life event that often triggers complex financial decisions, especially around timing and tax implications. Without focused expertise, you might overlook how federal taxes, property taxes, and sales taxes interact with your sale proceeds, leading to unexpected costs.

  • Exit timing strategy. Ask how they help you plan the sale date to optimize tax outcomes and cash flow, not just the sale price.
  • Tax impact beyond income. Confirm they consider property and sales taxes in Florida, since no state income tax doesn’t mean no tax burden.
  • Post-sale investment plan. Look for guidance on managing proceeds to support your lifestyle and future goals, not just reinvesting blindly.
  • Large-firm resources. These advisors can tap into broad teams for legal, tax, and estate planning support, which can be crucial during a business exit.

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

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Richard M

Series 63

Fort Walton, FL

Cetera

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.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Draylen M

Series 66

Ft Walton Beach, FL

Merrill

Draylen Mc Grew is a financial advisor at Merrill with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to Merrill, he held positions at Bank of America and Regions Bank. Outside of his advisory role, he streams video games on Twitch as a hobby that generates additional income. 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 investment strategies for a range of client types including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

Tax-loss harvesting Active portfolio management Wealth management
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Dallis S

Series 65

Fort Walton Beach, FL

D3 Advisors LLC

Dallis Shipe is a financial advisor at D3 Advisors LLC in Fort Walton Beach, FL, holding a Series 65 designation with one year of industry experience. Prior to his advisory role, he worked in real estate with Keller Williams Realty for over a decade and had roles in fitness and contracting industries. D3 Advisors provides investment management, financial planning, wealth management, consulting, and client education to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, small businesses, and charitable organizations. The firm uses an asset-allocation-driven investment approach, typically implemented through the Betterment Advisor Solutions platform, combining automated portfolio management with personalized client services.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Active portfolio management Real estate investing Founder/Business Owner
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Nancy K

Series 63, Series 65

Fort Walton Beach, FL

Wells Fargo Advisors

Nancy Kline is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors in Fort Walton Beach, FL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 38 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Morgan Stanley Private Bank and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Outside of advising, she owns and manages several entities related to real estate investment. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network serves individuals, trusts, and institutional clients by providing investment and fee-based financial planning services using a broad planning menu and proprietary research tools. The firm offers tailored recommendations and integrates advisory services with other financial product sales and referral channels.

Divorce financial planning Planning for children with special needs Business exit / sale strategy Cash flow / budgeting Founder/Business Owner
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Jeffrey J

CFP®, Series 63

Fort Walton Beach, FL

Private Advisor Group, LLC

Jeffrey Johnson is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with one year of industry experience, currently with Private Advisor Group, LLC and LPL Financial. Prior to his advisory career, he has worked at Delta Air Lines for ten years. Private Advisor Group serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plans by offering portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement consulting. The firm employs a fiduciary-based advisory model, utilizing proprietary and third-party investment strategies and technology platforms.

Annuities Founder/Business Owner
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Sally H

Series 63, Series 65

New York, NY

Seasons of Advice Wealth Management

Sally Hyman is a financial advisor with Seasons of Advice Wealth Management in New York, NY. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 43 years of industry experience, including roles at Ameriprise Financial Services and RBC Capital Markets. Outside of her advisory work, she records and sells vocal CDs and is involved in publishing her father's book on the spiritual meaning of disease and science. Seasons of Advice Wealth Management provides financial planning and discretionary investment management to individuals, high net worth clients, trusts, small business owners, professionals, and families. The firm uses a proprietary planning process that integrates goal tracking, asset allocation, and tax planning, tailoring investment recommendations to each client’s objectives and risk tolerance.

General estate planning guidance Business exit / sale strategy Cash flow / budgeting Founder/Business Owner Executive Values-based investing
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Kristin M

Series 66

Mt Pleasant, SC

Guardian Life

Kristin Manna is a financial advisor at Guardian Life with one year of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Consolidated Planning Holdings, Inc. and Charleston County School District. Outside of her advisory role, she is an author and publisher of books including The Basketball Coach's Notebook and works as a math tutor for high school students. Guardian Life’s subsidiary, Park Avenue Securities LLC, offers brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm provides tailored client solutions through a combination of advisor-led discretionary management, model-based strategies, and access to proprietary and third-party platforms.

Business exit / sale strategy Tax-loss harvesting Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Charitable giving & philanthropy Founder/Business Owner Executive Financial Professional Approaching retirement Established Professionals Mid-Career Professionals
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Geoffrey T

Series 66

Chicago, IL

Sanctuary Advisors, LLC

Geoffrey Tomes is a financial advisor with Sanctuary Advisors, LLC, holding a Series 66 credential and 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at Noyes Advisors LLC for 11 years and David A Noyes & Company for 26 years. His other business activities include involvement in fixed life and health insurance and fixed annuities. Sanctuary Advisors, LLC serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a network of over 400 independent investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services employing various analytical approaches and maintains distinctive features such as negotiated performance-based fees for large institutional clients and affiliations with specialized asset management firms.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Cash flow / budgeting General retirement planning
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Amanda Q

Series 66

Richmond, VA

Wells Fargo Advisors

Amanda Quicke is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors in Richmond, VA, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. She has worked within Wells Fargo entities since 2016. Outside of her advisory role, she has ownership interests in an investment-related business, Granite Wealth Management, LLC. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network serves individuals, trusts, and institutional clients by providing a broad range of investment and financial planning services. The firm utilizes proprietary research and planning tools to develop tailored recommendations, offering both brokerage and advisory programs.

Divorce financial planning Planning for children with special needs Business exit / sale strategy Cash flow / budgeting Founder/Business Owner
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Keith E

CFP®

Pittsburgh, PA

Keith L. Eliou, CFP

Keith Eliou is the principal of Keith L. Eliou, CFP, an investment management firm based in Pittsburgh, PA. He holds the CFP® designation and has one year of experience as a financial advisor. In addition to his advisory role, he practices law focusing on elder law and real estate and is involved in insurance, mortgage lending, and real estate brokerage businesses. The firm primarily serves pooled vehicles and institutional accounts, offering portfolio management, retirement plan services, and financial planning. It utilizes an open-architecture investment approach with third-party money managers and employs multiple analytical methods and strategies, conducting annual account reviews.

Social Security optimization Retirement income strategy Cash flow / budgeting Charitable giving tax strategies Business exit / sale strategy Founder/Business Owner
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Jeffrey P

Series 66

Dacula, GA

Merrill

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.

Tax-loss harvesting Active portfolio management Wealth management
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Scott M

Series 63, Series 65

New York, NY

Morgan Stanley

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.

General estate planning guidance
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Elizabeth B

Series 66

New York, NY

J.P. Morgan Securities

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.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Wesley P

Series 63, Series 66

Fort Worth, TX

Wells Fargo Clearing

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.

Retired Founder/Business Owner
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Willie M

Series 63, Series 66

Cary, NC

Equitable Advisors

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.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Concentrated stock management Equity Recipients (RS/RSU, SOP, ESPP) Long-term care insurance Founder/Business Owner Retired Executive Approaching retirement Sandwich Generation
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