CFP®-certified, private / alternative investments financial advisors 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.

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.

Thomas Trefzger is a Series 66-credentialed financial advisor with eight years of industry experience. He has worked at Hantz Financial Services, Inc. since 2018 and previously held roles at Sprint and Cleveland State University. Hantz Financial Services, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth households, pension and profit-sharing plans, and business owners. The firm offers financial planning and wealth management primarily through ETF-based model portfolios across five risk levels, supplemented by third-party managers and Direct Indexing, and combines advisory, broker-dealer, mortgage, and insurance activities under one platform.

Ethan Siekkinen is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, currently serving as a financial advisor with Plante Moran Financial Advisors. He has one year of industry experience and has previously worked at J Wilson Wealth Management and operated Rizzo Lawn Care. Plante Moran Financial Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory, financial planning, and estate planning services to a diverse client base including individual households, institutional clients, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm employs a multi-disciplinary investment process and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, manager search, and tax-lot accounting services.

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.

Geoffrey Tomes is a financial advisor with Sanctuary Advisors, LLC, holding a Series 66 credential and 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at Noyes Advisors LLC for 11 years and David A Noyes & Company for 26 years. His other business activities include involvement in fixed life and health insurance and fixed annuities. Sanctuary Advisors, LLC serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a network of over 400 independent investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services employing various analytical approaches and maintains distinctive features such as negotiated performance-based fees for large institutional clients and affiliations with specialized asset management firms.

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.

Elanna Gould is a CFP® professional with six years of experience, currently advising at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors in Cleveland, OH. Her background includes roles at PepsiCo and The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Center, as well as academic experience at The Ohio State University. She is also an independent insurance agent for various companies. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a broad client base, including individuals, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through a network of independent professionals. The firm provides a range of portfolio management options, proprietary and third-party strategies, and various custody platforms tailored to client objectives.

Ethan Siekkinen is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, currently serving as a financial advisor with Plante Moran Financial Advisors. He has one year of industry experience and has previously worked at J Wilson Wealth Management and operated Rizzo Lawn Care. Plante Moran Financial Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory, financial planning, and estate planning services to a diverse client base including individual households, institutional clients, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm employs a multi-disciplinary investment process and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, manager search, and tax-lot accounting services.

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 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at Investment Management & Planning LLC and LPL Financial since 2010, following two years at Wells Fargo Clearing. Investment Management & Planning LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm constructs tailored portfolios using mutual funds, ETFs, equities, and fixed-income securities, employing fundamental analysis and continuous supervision, and operates as both a wrap program sponsor and affiliated registered representatives of LPL Financial.