Large-firm financial advisors working with established professionals in Lansing, MI

Timothy Durso is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services based in Lansing, MI, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and 30 years of industry experience. He has been associated with The Centennial Group, Princor Financial Services Corp, and Principal Life Insurance Company since 2013. Outside of advisory work, he is president and 27% owner of a business involved in group health and fixed life insurance offerings marketed under The Centennial Group. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors and institutional clients. The firm offers financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager programs, with investment implementation often conducted on a discretionary basis by these external managers.

Ryan Balks is a financial advisor with Cetera who holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 18 years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at New York Life Insurance Company, NYLIFE Securities LLC, Signator Investors, and Commonwealth Financial Network. He also engages in fixed insurance sales as a secondary activity. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services through a multi-manager platform with over $256 billion in assets under management.

Derek Johnson is a CFP® professional with two years of experience at United Advisors America in Lansing, MI. He has a long history of ownership and management in private businesses, including Phillips-Johnson Properties, LLC since 2001 and Phillips Johnson, Inc. from 1999 to 2023. Additionally, he has operated a personal business from 1990 to 2023. United Advisors America provides investment management services primarily to individuals near retirement as well as pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach using customized asset allocations and model portfolios, primarily investing in mutual funds and ETFs.

Thomas Grant is a Series 66-registered financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities, where he has worked since 2012. He has 21 years of industry experience, including roles at JPMorgan Chase Bank. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting. The firm operates with a non-discretionary investment program, combining large institutional advisory capabilities with broker-dealer and futures commission merchant registrations.

Nicholas Pope is a CFP® with 24 years of industry experience, currently a financial advisor at Washington Avenue Advisors since 2016. He has also been affiliated with The Centennial Group, Princor Financial Services Corp, and Principal Life Insurance Company. Outside of advising, he serves on the boards of the East Lansing Film Festival and the Todd Martin Youth Leadership organization, and owns Blue Owl Coffee, LLC. Washington Avenue Advisors is an SEC-registered firm managing approximately $286 million in client assets. The firm serves individuals, trusts, retirement plans, businesses, and non-profits, employing a multi-disciplinary investment approach that integrates behavioral, fundamental, and quantitative analysis to construct diversified portfolios.

Sally Hyman is a financial advisor at Seasons of Advice Wealth Management with 42 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Outside of finance, she is a singer who sells her own vocal CDs and is involved in publishing her father's book titled "Congenital Alterable Transmissible Asymmetry: The Spiritual Meaning of Disease and Science." Seasons of Advice Wealth Management provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, high net worth clients, trusts, small business owners, professionals, and families. The firm follows a life-cycle investment approach called the “Seasons of Advice” process and offers discretionary portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, and specialized fixed-income programs through sub-advisors.

Jace Hart is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience and currently serves as a financial advisor at Rockwall Wealth Management. His prior experience includes roles at Leo Wealth, LPL Financial, and Fidelity Brokerage Services. Rockwall Wealth Management provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, trusts, plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm emphasizes diversified, low-cost ETF model portfolios with a focus on tax efficiency, liquidity, and systematic macro tilts, offering both traditional and advanced investment strategies tailored to client objectives.

Jeffrey Macdonald is a CFP® and ChFC® with 17 years of industry experience. He has been with Investment Management & Planning LLC since 2010 and is also affiliated with LPL Financial LLC. Investment Management & Planning LLC provides fee-based investment advisory and comprehensive financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, offering portfolio management on both discretionary and non-discretionary bases. The firm emphasizes ongoing account supervision and individualized asset allocation, often utilizing LPL-sponsored platforms and model portfolios.

Charles Pyfer III is a CFP® professional with 19 years of industry experience, currently serving at Wealthspire Advisors since 2024. Prior to this, he spent 15 years at Private Ocean. Wealthspire Advisors provides wealth management, investment advisory, financial planning, and family office support to a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, retirement plans, and nonprofit organizations. The firm employs a relationship-driven, customized investment approach that emphasizes diversified, institutional-style asset allocation and utilizes a range of investment vehicles and third-party platforms for comprehensive portfolio management.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 and previously at AXA Advisors, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for the nonprofit Alpha Light Fund Inc., focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual, high-net-worth, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients, offering financial planning, broker-dealer services, insurance distribution, and access to third-party asset management programs. The firm operates as both an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, leveraging LPL-sponsored programs and endorsed TAMPs to deliver advisory and brokerage solutions.