Top advisors focused on retired in Georgia

Jeffrey Park is a financial advisor with Merrill, holding a Series 66 credential and seven years of industry experience. He has worked at Merrill in multiple capacities since 2011, with brief stints at JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities in 2022. Merrill serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and institutional clients, offering managed account programs, discretionary portfolio management, and brokerage services. The firm employs a range of program strategies and manager-constructed portfolios, with oversight from its CIO and platform management, and leverages its affiliation with Bank of America to support trading, lending, and capital markets activities.

Kristin Manna is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors and holds a Series 66 designation. She has one year of industry experience, including roles at Park Avenue Securities, Guardian Life Insurance Company, and Consolidated Planning Holdings, Inc. Prior to entering the financial industry, she worked in education for eight years. Outside of advising, Kristin is an author and publisher of a basketball coaching notebook and works as a math tutor for high school students. Park Avenue Securities serves a broad retail client base with a range of brokerage and advisory services, utilizing proprietary and third-party investment strategies across various account types and investment vehicles.

Claxton West is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Wells Fargo Clearing since 2017. Prior to that, he was employed at the University of Georgia and Aflac. West has a 35% ownership interest in a trucking and logistics business called Big Red and serves as a finance committee member at Madison Baptist Church. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary services. The firm’s advisory process is IPS-driven and incorporates modern portfolio theory, with a notable inclusion of insurance-related products and bank deposit sweep options among its investment offerings.

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 Series 65-licensed financial advisor at Corient with nine years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Fisher Investments and AssuredPartners Investment Advisors. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, trusts, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm uses a team-based investment model to create customized, goals-based asset allocations and integrates risk management through factor models, stress testing, and manager due diligence.

Omar Esparza is a financial advisor with VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. in Saginaw, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 17 years of industry experience. He has been with VOYA Financial Advisors since 2014. VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. provides investment advisory, brokerage, financial planning, and retirement plan services to a diverse client base including individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and plan sponsors. The firm offers a range of advisory programs that combine model portfolios and manager-driven sleeves, supporting both discretionary and non-discretionary investment approaches.

Daniel Esquirell is a CFP® professional with 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC since 2022 and previously worked for Asset Planning Services, Ltd for 15 years. Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC provides wealth management and comprehensive financial planning to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, foundations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and corporations. The firm employs an open-architecture, multi-manager investment approach combining passive and active strategies within a tax-sensitive, disciplined process.

William Hurt is a financial advisor at U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors, LLC with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors since 2021. Prior to that, he was associated with USCA Securities LLC and USCA RIA LLC. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors, LLC provides wealth management and financial planning to individual investors, family offices, institutions, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm manages approximately $7.28 billion in assets and employs a combination of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis, utilizing external managers and various investment vehicles to serve a diverse client base.

Jeffrey Meenes is a CFP® and Series 66-registered advisor with 14 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Meenes Wealth Partners and has been involved with Blueprint Financial Planning, LLC since 2010. Meenes Wealth Partners is an independent firm offering flat-fee, fiduciary wealth management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals and families without a net-worth minimum. The firm emphasizes asset allocation based on Modern Portfolio Theory and employs a primarily non-discretionary approach, using retainer and project-based pricing instead of percentage-of-assets fees.

Scott Pinheiro is a Senior Consultant with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, bringing extensive experience to his role since joining the firm in 2015. He has been involved in the financial services industry since 1979. Scott holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Thomas Edison State University and professional designations including Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), and Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA) from the American College of Financial Services. Scott specializes in working with executives and retirees from major banks and insurance companies, managing client accounts typically ranging from $500,000 to $5,000,000. His expertise encompasses a disciplined financial process tailored to clients’ unique situations, including college education planning, family wealth management, retirement income, tax minimization, and socially responsible investing. As a Senior Portfolio Advisor, he also builds and manages customized investment strategies utilizing Merrill model portfolios and third-party investments. In addition to his professional work, Scott is committed to community involvement through his participation with the local Optimist Club. He resides near Princeton, New Jersey with his wife of 40 years and their Yorkshire terrier. Personal interests include cooking, fishing, golfing, reading, and traveling.