Top financial advisors working with founders and business owners in Lake City, FL

Laura Thompson is a CFP® with 31 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at GWN Securities Inc. since 2016. She previously worked at Legend Advisory, LLC for 13 years. Outside of her advisory role, she is a board member and Director of Finance for Altrusa International of Lake City and has been a yoga instructor at two local studios since 2008. GWN Securities provides investment advisory services to individual and corporate clients through a variety of managed account programs and financial planning options. The firm utilizes both affiliated and unaffiliated sub-advisers and incorporates tactical market-timing and momentum-based strategies alongside model portfolio allocations.

John Kuykendall is the principal advisor at Gulfcoast Financial Services, Inc. in Lake City, FL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 registrations with 32 years of industry experience. He has worked at Gulfcoast Financial Services since 1992 and also leads Gulfcoast Tax Services, Inc. Outside of his advisory role, he is a member of the Rotary Club of Lake City and several Christian professional organizations. Gulfcoast Financial Services primarily serves individual and high-net-worth clients by providing discretionary investment management, financial planning, and asset allocation advice. The firm employs a modern portfolio theory-based approach with ongoing portfolio monitoring and offers access to private investments through third-party sub-advisors.

Richard Cieslik III is a financial advisor with Mass Mutual Investors Services and holds a Series 65 designation. He has 29 years of industry experience, including roles at SagePoint Financial and operating his own firm, Cieslik Financial Group LLC, where he also serves as an insurance representative specializing in life, disability, and long-term care insurance. Mass Mutual Investors Services is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, business owners, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning, asset management, and educational programs tailored to clients’ needs.

James Yonn is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with Primerica Advisors and has eight years of industry experience. He has worked at PFS Investments Inc. since 2017 and Primerica Financial Services since 2016. Prior to his financial services career, he spent ten years with the Florida Department of Corrections. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in the sale of loan products and home-related services through affiliated companies. Primerica Advisors provides discretionary asset management primarily through its Lifetime Investment Program, offering model-delivery strategies and discretionary separately managed accounts to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm curates third-party asset managers and uses a tiered wrap fee structure.

Jessica Harris is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Lake City, FL, holding a Series 66 designation with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Edward Jones, she worked at Belmont Academy and the Columbia County School District for 18 years combined. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory strategies including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee programs, access to separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds. The firm manages over $1 trillion in assets and operates a large nationwide network of advisors and branch offices.

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.

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.

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.

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.