Large-firm financial advisors working with clients approaching retirement in Lewistown, PA

James Naylor Jr. is a CFP® with 34 years of industry experience, currently with Ameriprise since 2020 and previously with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. from 2005 to 2020. He is based in Lewistown, PA. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in youth basketball as a coach and organizer through Naylor Basketball, LLC, and also publishes sports-related content and podcasts via Naylor Publishing, LLC. Additionally, he serves as a licensed high school basketball official. Ameriprise is a large institutional firm that offers retirement-income planning services targeting individuals with substantial investable assets. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficient strategies to provide tailored, non-discretionary retirement recommendations delivered through a centralized consulting team in partnership with the client’s financial advisor.

Peter Pecora is a financial advisor at CreativeOne Wealth, LLC with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at several firms, including MassMutual of Greater Philadelphia and The Prudential Insurance Company of America. In addition to his advisory role, he is also an insurance agent with Vantage Point Life. CreativeOne Wealth provides fee-based asset management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and sub-advisory services to individuals, corporations, charitable organizations, and other RIAs. The firm uses a combination of proprietary ETF-based models, third-party managers, and option strategies, supporting tailored assessments and regular portfolio rebalancing.

Peter Krum is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management in Lewistown, PA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 27 years of industry experience. He has worked at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Thrivent Investment Management since 2002. Outside of his advisory role, he co-owns and operates a weekend hot dog cart in State College, PA. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients through a network of financial advisors. The firm offers holistic, goal-based planning across a broad range of topics without providing discretionary portfolio management or institutional advisory services.

Nyi Htoon is a CFA® charterholder and the sole advisor at Step Forward Financial in Lewistown, PA, with one year of experience at the firm and a decade of prior experience at Prudential Financial. He manages a family partnership that oversees investments for his and his siblings' families without compensation. Step Forward Financial provides financial planning and investment consultation services focused on advice rather than discretionary management, serving individuals and families with recommendations centered on low-cost index funds and ETFs. The firm’s approach involves a holistic assessment of clients’ financial situations and offers an hourly fee structure without asset-based or performance fees.

Lucas Craig is a financial advisor with MassMutual Investors Services and holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials. He has 11 years of industry experience, working with MassMutual since 2014. Outside of his advisory role, Craig is also a marketing employee at Kish Financial Solutions and serves as an agent there. MassMutual Investors Services, LLC is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser providing financial planning and asset management services to individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm emphasizes collaborative, annual financial planning engagements and offers a range of programs including asset management and educational seminars.

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, previously serving at Axa Advisors and MSI Financial Services. Outside of advising, he is a co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for Alpha Light Fund Inc., a nonprofit focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a range of clients including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement consulting, and asset management through a network of representatives and third-party managers. The firm offers various investment vehicles and ERISA fiduciary services, relying on third-party program sponsors and an affiliation with a publicly traded parent company.

Stavroula Koutsfetsoulis is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with 25 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2011. In addition to her advisory role, she is involved in fiduciary activities as an attorney-in-fact (power of attorney). Ameriprise is a large institutional firm that provides retirement-income planning services primarily to individuals with substantial investable assets. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver written recommendation reports through a centralized consulting team, focusing on tailored retirement income strategies.

Barbara Brewer is a financial advisor at RBC Capital Markets with 20 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been with RBC Capital Markets Corporation since 2008. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, serves individual investors, institutional clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers various advisory programs with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, custody, and brokerage services, tailoring strategies to clients’ Advisory Risk Profiles through a mix of in-house and third-party providers.

Richard Martin is a financial advisor at Cetera with 29 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has a background that includes nearly three decades at Avantax Advisory Services and eight years at Avantax Insurance Agency. Outside of his advisory work, he is the owner and sole proprietor of Martin & Pellegrin, CPAs, a tax preparation and accounting firm. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm provides a multi-manager platform offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to various program structures and third-party money managers.

Lee Chen is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Pasadena, California, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. He has been with UBS since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, Chen serves on the board of directors for the San Gabriel Country Club. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, combining proprietary capital market research with a broad range of financial planning and portfolio management solutions.

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, previously serving at Axa Advisors and MSI Financial Services. Outside of advising, he is a co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for Alpha Light Fund Inc., a nonprofit focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a range of clients including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement consulting, and asset management through a network of representatives and third-party managers. The firm offers various investment vehicles and ERISA fiduciary services, relying on third-party program sponsors and an affiliation with a publicly traded parent company.