Independent, liquidity event planning financial advisors in Georgia

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.

Claxton West is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with nine years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Wells Fargo Clearing since 2017, following roles at the University of Georgia and Aflac. Outside of his advisory work, he has a 35% ownership stake in a trucking and logistics business and serves as a finance committee member at Madison Baptist Church. Wells Fargo Advisors provides investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting to individual, corporate, and institutional clients. The firm operates nationally with over 14,000 advisors and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions, utilizing research from Wells Fargo Investment Institute and third-party data to support its investment approach.

Kelsey Mc Knight is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Commerce, GA, holding a Series 66 designation with three years of industry experience. Kelsey has been with Edward Jones since 2013. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs and investment strategies. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management and operates through a large network of financial advisors and branch offices nationwide.

Thomas Mason is a financial advisor at Corient with nine years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has previously worked at Fisher Investments, AssuredPartners Investment Advisors, and operated as a self-employed advisor. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm uses a goals-based, team investment approach that combines in-house strategies with third-party manager solutions and employs risk management tools and continuous portfolio monitoring.

Charles Steele is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license, with 20 years of experience in the financial industry. He has worked at Kestra Advisory, Kestra Investment Services, and Cambridge Investment Research prior to founding Steele Advisory LLC. Steele is also a licensed insurance agent, spending a limited amount of time on insurance sales and implementation. Steele Financial Studios provides discretionary investment management, comprehensive financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, businesses, and plan sponsors. The firm emphasizes fundamental analysis and a long-term investment approach, incorporating low-cost mutual funds, ETFs, individual securities, and unaffiliated independent managers, with a notable focus on pension and retirement plan consulting.

Sarah Brown is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Monroe, GA, holding a Series 66 designation with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Edward Jones, she worked at Georgia College & State University and the Walton County School District. She also has experience with Peachy Keen. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a range of advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard.

Andrew Grombala is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He focuses on serving corporate executives and high-earning professionals who have complex compensation structures, including equity awards such as RSUs, stock options, ESPP programs, deferred compensation packages, and performance awards. In his role, he helps clients manage concentration risk, reduce tax implications, and align their equity compensation with long-term, goals-based wealth strategies. Since entering the industry in 2017, Andrew has adopted a structured, plan-first approach that incorporates compensation, cash flow, family priorities, retirement planning, and overall risk management. He guides clients through various financial events, including vesting, diversification, liquidity management, and retirement income planning. His expertise extends to executive compensation, family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, managing new wealth, portfolio management services, and tax minimization. Andrew holds FINRA Series 7 and Series 66 registrations and is licensed in Accident & Health, Life, and Variable Insurance. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, where he also competed as a student-athlete in football and lacrosse. He resides in Anderson Township with his wife and two children. Outside of work, Andrew enjoys boating, golfing, football, ice hockey, music, and spending time with his family.

Sherry Neeley is a financial advisor at Authentikos Wealth Advisory LLC with three years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. Prior to joining Authentikos in 2025, she worked at First Command Insurance Services and related entities from 2022 to 2025. Outside of her advisory role, she provides educational consulting as a Special Education Advocate for parents of special needs children. Authentikos Wealth Advisory LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individuals and retirement plans, with offerings that include discretionary portfolio management, written financial plans, and access to model-portfolio solutions implemented on a wrap-fee platform. The firm customizes portfolio allocations based on clients’ goals and risk tolerances using fundamental, cyclical, and technical analysis across a broad range of investments.

Perrin Berry is a Series 65 licensed financial advisor at Apollon Wealth Management, LLC with two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Apollon, Berry held roles at Crisp Event Rentals, Modern Woodmen, and the Secretary of State’s Office. Outside of finance, Berry has experience working with the Lake Murray Boat Club and the University of South Carolina. Apollon Wealth Management is an SEC-registered multi-team advisory firm serving a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, businesses, charitable organizations, retirement plans, and insurance companies. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management services, employing a combination of centrally managed models and locally managed portfolios, with an investment approach that includes ESG strategies, tax-managed overlays, and the use of third-party sub-managers.

Heather Rivas is a CFP® and Series 65-licensed advisor with River Wealth Advisors LLC, where she has worked for four years. She has a total of 11 years of industry experience, including seven years at PSECU prior to joining River Wealth Advisors. River Wealth Advisors offers discretionary and non-discretionary asset management, financial planning, investment consulting, and retirement-plan services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and plan sponsors. The firm uses a fundamentally oriented, customized investment approach and conducts regular portfolio monitoring and formal reviews.

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.