Top college savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) financial advisors in Grand Rapids, MI

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 custodial accounts. Without careful planning, you might miss out on how these accounts interact with financial aid or state tax benefits.

  • Account type trade-offs. Understand the differences between 529s and UTMA accounts, including control and tax implications.
  • Financial aid impact. Ask how your savings strategy affects eligibility for need-based aid.
  • Investment choices. Confirm how the advisor selects investments suited to your child's age and risk tolerance.
  • Coordination with pensions. In Michigan, consider how your family's pension decisions might influence college savings priorities.

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

Want help finding the right advisor?

Answer a few questions to see advisors matched to you.

user avatar

Danielle G

Series 63, Series 65

Grand Rapids, MI

Gradient Securities, LLC

Danielle Gray is a financial advisor at Gradient Securities, LLC with one year of industry experience. She holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked previously at O'Neill Asset Management and Primerica. In addition to her advisory role, she teaches a financial literacy class through Gull Lake Virtual Partnership. Gradient Securities, LLC provides financial planning, consulting, and non-discretionary asset management services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm emphasizes a non-discretionary investment model and often incorporates third-party managers in its approach.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business ownership considerations Business exit / sale strategy General estate planning guidance Founder/Business Owner Executive
user avatar

James H

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Grand Rapids, MI

LPL Financial

James Hamilton Jr. is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with over 33 years of industry experience. He is currently with LPL Financial and has previously worked at Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. and Jgh & Associates. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of financial planning and investment management services through a large network of advisors and supports both discretionary and non-discretionary strategies.

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

Mark T

Series 63, Series 65

Grand Rapids, MI

Primerica Advisors

Mark Tangen is a financial advisor at Primerica Advisors with 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Primerica Advisors since 1999 and Primerica Financial Services since 1998. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved as a member of Horizontal Venture, LLC, a non-investment related business based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Primerica Advisors provides discretionary asset management through its Lifetime Investment Program, serving individual and high-net-worth clients with model-delivery strategies and a limited number of discretionary separately managed accounts. The firm curates third-party asset managers and uses a tiered wrap-fee structure, offering a range of strategic, tactical, tax-aware, and income distribution investment models.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting Income planning
user avatar

Jeffrey H

Series 63, Series 65

Grand Rapids, MI

Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC

Jeffrey Heitzman is a financial advisor with Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC, holding the Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 36 years of industry experience. He has worked with several firms including Cetera Advisors LLC and 20/20 Capital Management, Inc., and has operated his own financial planning firm, Heitzman Advisory, Inc., since 2000. He is also involved with Canvas Financial, a firm consolidation and marketing organization affiliated with Ameritas. Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, and organizations, offering a range of asset management and consulting solutions across multiple program platforms.

Private / alternative investments Wealth management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Retirement income strategy Charitable giving & philanthropy Founder/Business Owner Retired Mid-Career Professionals
user avatar

Shelley S

Series 63, Series 65

Grand Rapids, MI

OSAIC

Shelley Strobel Erhardt is a financial advisor with Osaic Wealth Inc. based in Grand Rapids, MI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 15 years of industry experience. She previously spent 14 years at Stifel Independent Advisors, LLC. Outside of her advisory work, she is president and sole member of Strobel Resources, LLC, a consultative services business. Osaic Wealth, Inc. serves a broad range of retail and institutional clients through a large network of affiliated advisors, offering integrated brokerage and advisory services along with financial planning, retirement consulting, and access to third-party money managers. The firm uses a variety of asset-allocation tools and supports both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management.

Annuities Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Private / alternative investments Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
user avatar

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
user avatar

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.)
user avatar

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
user avatar

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
Warmer team member

Not sure where to start?

We'll help you think it through—whether you ultimately need an advisor or not. Warmer helps you compare advisors clearly, so you can choose with confidence.

Find your advisor

For advisor listings, we rely on sources including public filings and data provided by advisors, and we cannot guarantee that all information is current or accurate. Advisors are independent and may not have reviewed or updated this information. Please review an advisor’s Form ADV and do your own diligence before deciding whether to work with them.

Advisor matching and introductions are provided by FinanceHQ LLC (“FHQ”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Warmer and an SEC-registered investment advisor. We receive compensation from certain participating advisors for introductions or referrals. This creates a conflict of interest because we have an incentive to recommend advisors who compensate us, including those who pay us more. You pay no fee to use our matching service, and advisor fees are not increased because of a referral or introduction. We do not review the ongoing performance of advisors, manage or hold assets, guarantee performance, or provide advice about specific investments.

By using our service, you agree to our Terms of Service and Advisory Agreement, and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. Please review FHQ’s ADV Part 2A and Form CRS. Logos provided by Logo.dev

© 2026 Warmer Holdings Inc. (“Warmer”)