Top general retirement planning financial advisors in Madison, WI

Sandeep Brion is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with a Series 65 designation and four years of industry experience. He previously worked at Wealthspire Advisors and Morgan Dempsey Capital Management. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm employs a financial planning–led investment process emphasizing low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supported by a large advisory team and centralized investment infrastructure.

Brennan Gott is a financial advisor with Fidelity who holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has seven years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at LPL Financial and Wells Fargo Bank and Clearing. He is based in Sussex, Wisconsin. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional investors, including registered investment companies and charitable funds. The firm combines fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction to manage discretionary and non-discretionary portfolios and delivers model portfolios through systematic methodologies and long-term asset allocation benchmarks.

Oak Wealth Advisors was founded to provide families with special needs members with experienced and objective financial advice and investment management services that have traditionally been available only to very wealthy families and institutions. I first met Oak Wealth Advisors founder, Mike Walther, when Mike guest lectured about special needs financial planning in one of my classes at the University of Wisconsin. In the decade that has followed, I have taught courses at the University of Wisconsin while deepening my knowledge and experience in financial planning and wealth management. I am a CFP® practitioner. I also obtained the Certified Private Wealth Advisor® designation issued by the Investments & Wealth Institute after completing the course work at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. In addition to my personal experiences living with a sister with special needs, I have increased my technical knowledge of special needs financial planning. I earned the Chartered Special Needs Consultant®(ChSNC®) designation from the American College in 2018, and in 2020, was admitted as a member of the Academy of Special Needs Planners. I served on the Board of Directors of Wispact, Inc., an organization that manages pooled Special Needs Trusts for over 3,000 individuals in Wisconsin. At the appointment of Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, I serve on the Wisconsin Board for Persons with Developmental Disabilities and the state College Savings Board. At Oak Wealth Advisors, in addition to advising clients, I lead the innovation efforts to ensure that new opportunities for client service are implemented seamlessly to support the delivery of the best possible client experience with the firm.

John Handy Jr. is a financial advisor at Farther with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 38 years of industry experience. He has worked at SignalPoint Asset Management since 2013 and joined Farther Finance Advisors in 2024. Outside of finance, he serves as a strategic advisor and board member for CodaWorx, a company focused on tools for managing applications for commissioned art projects, and owns Jay Handy Ink, LLC, which sells his personally created artwork. Farther serves individual investors, trusts, and estates through a technology-driven advisory platform that offers discretionary investment management, retirement plan consulting, and non-discretionary recommendations for private investment funds. The firm’s investment approach uses Modern Portfolio Theory applied through bespoke allocations and proprietary algorithmic model portfolios with automatic rebalancing.

Zachary Pearsall is a financial advisor at Choreo, LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at BDO Wealth Advisors, LLC and Taiber Kosmala & Associates. Choreo provides investment and advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, family offices, endowments, and corporate clients. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes strategic asset allocation and diversified model portfolios managed by a centralized team and overseen by an Investment Committee.

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.

Amanda Scheele is a financial advisor at Raymond James & Associates with 15 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Advisors LLC. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved with Lucky Duck, a venture she has been part of since 2025. Raymond James & Associates, Inc. is a large registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $501 billion in assets. The firm serves a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and municipal entities, offering financial planning, non-discretionary investment consulting, and municipal advisory services.

Lori Fell is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in East Lansing, MI, holding a Series 66 designation and 16 years of industry experience. She has been with Edward Jones since 2009. Outside of her advisory role, she owns a business focused on property management. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, with over $1 trillion in assets under management and a nationwide network of more than 23,000 financial advisors. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment strategies, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee options, tax-efficient services, and affiliated mutual funds.

Kenneth Blaschke is a financial advisor at HeadInvest in Portland, ME, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 16 years of industry experience. He has been with HeadInvest since 2009. HeadInvest serves a diverse range of clients, including individuals, trusts, endowments, and government entities, providing discretionary portfolio management and financial planning. The firm employs a holistic, asset-allocation driven approach, combining fixed-income selection with low-cost ETFs and emphasizing tax efficiency.

Michael Ipp is a financial advisor with Raymond James Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 42 years of industry experience. He has been with Raymond James Financial Services Advisors since 2010 and serves as an independent contractor for 1792 Wealth Advisors. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors provides financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary planning and uses analytical tools to support client decision-making, while also maintaining specialized programs such as municipal advisory services and SIMPLE IRA Employer Advisory & Consulting Services.