Independent, business succession planning financial advisors in Massillon, OH

The right financial advisor for you depends on how you weigh location, expertise, experience, the clients they typically serve, and how they work with you.

If you're preparing to transfer your business ownership, you need an advisor who understands the complexities of timing and valuation. A common mistake is underestimating how municipal income taxes, which differ by city, can affect your succession plan.

  • Tax impact awareness. Confirm they factor in local municipal taxes, not just state or federal, when modeling your succession.
  • Valuation strategy. Ask how they approach business valuation to ensure you receive fair market value in the transition.
  • Transition timing. Inquire about their method for choosing the optimal time to transfer ownership to minimize tax and operational risks.
  • Independent perspective. These advisors operate without firm constraints, which can mean more flexible solutions tailored to your unique business situation.

Here are top matches to get you started. Review each profile to compare experience, credentials, and approach.

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Michelle R

Series 63, Series 66

Massillon, OH

UBS Financial Services

Michelle Rose is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Massillon, OH. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has 26 years of industry experience, including 19 years at UBS and over two decades at Mcdonald Investments Inc. UBS Financial Services Inc. serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through a combination of brokerage and investment advisory offerings. The firm integrates institutional trading capabilities with wealth management services and provides research-driven, tailored financial planning and portfolio management.

General retirement planning Cash flow / budgeting Equity compensation tax strategy Executive Founder/Business Owner Mid-Career Professionals Approaching retirement
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Thomas A

Series 63, Series 66

Massillon, OH

Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC

Thomas Albers is a financial advisor at Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC with 53 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked with Ameritas and related entities since 2006. He is also president and owner of Total Asset Planning, an independent insurance agency he founded in 1985. Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm employs a variety of investment models and platforms, combining proprietary and third-party solutions to build customized portfolios.

Private / alternative investments Wealth management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Retirement income strategy Charitable giving & philanthropy Founder/Business Owner Retired Mid-Career Professionals

Jason B

Series 63

Massillon, OH

Edward Jones

Jason Byers is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Massillon, OH, holding a Series 63 designation and 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 1999. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs and investment options supported by a large network of financial advisors and branch offices nationwide.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Multi-generational wealth transfer Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Steven K

Series 63, Series 66

Alliance, OH

Citizens Securities, Inc.

Steven Kochovski is a financial advisor at Citizens Securities, Inc. with one year of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked previously at PNC Investments LLC and Citizens Bank. He is also the owner of Kochovski Ventures LLC, a non-investment business. Citizens Securities serves a broad retail client base, including individual and high-net-worth investors, offering investment advisory programs, brokerage services, and insurance. The firm provides a digital advisory program alongside managed accounts and operates as a broker-dealer and insurance agency.

Tax-loss harvesting Passive / index investing
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James T

CFP®, Series 63, Series 66

Massillon, OH

Signature Equity Partners, LLC

James Tschantz is a CFP® professional with 38 years of experience in financial advisory roles. He is currently with Signature Equity Partners, LLC and has prior experience at LPL Financial, American Portfolios Advisors, Inc., and Medallion Advisory Services, LLC. He also has a history of involvement in fixed insurance product sales and operates a DBA called Tschantz Wealth Management. Signature Equity Partners provides investment advisory and planning services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and other entities. The firm uses a multi-team structure and delivers advice through a network of independent advisory affiliates, employing platforms such as Vision2020 Wealth Management to offer customized portfolio management and financial planning solutions.

Equity compensation tax strategy Active portfolio management Tax-loss harvesting General estate planning guidance Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Ethan S

CFP®, Series 65

Auburn Hills, MI

Plante Moran financial advisors

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.

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Private / alternative investments Concentrated stock management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Michael I

Series 63, Series 65

Livingston, NJ

Raymond James Financial

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.

Wealth management Tax strategies for small businesses Business succession planning General estate planning guidance Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Jeffrey M

CFP®, ChFC®, Series 66

Greenville, DE

Investment Management & Planning LLC

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.

General retirement planning Business succession planning Tax strategies for small businesses Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive Mid-Career Professionals Approaching retirement
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Patrick F

Series 66

New Market, MD

Intentional

Patrick Ferguson is a financial advisor at Intentional with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Commonwealth Financial Network, and LPL Financial. In addition to his advisory role, he is a licensed agent involved in the sales of fixed and traditional insurance products. Intentional provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, businesses, and institutions. The firm offers pension consulting, estate planning support, business exit planning, and due diligence on alternative investments, utilizing a combination of fundamental, technical, and economic analysis within a fiduciary framework.

Business exit / sale strategy Multi-generational wealth transfer Private / alternative investments Founder/Business Owner
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Jerald L

Series 63

San Antonio, TX

Frost Investment Services

Jerald Liesman is a financial advisor at Frost Investment Services with 33 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has worked at Frost Brokerage Services, Inc. and Frost Bank since 1993 and 1987, respectively. Frost Investment Services is a retail-focused, SEC-registered adviser serving individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, and managed account programs that integrate model portfolios from its affiliate with third-party managers, utilizing a research-driven investment process and providing optional tax and ESG overlay services.

Tax-loss harvesting ESG / Sustainable investing Retirement income strategy General estate planning guidance Business succession planning Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Jared F

Series 65

Huntington Beach, CA

Northwest Asset Management

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.

Retirement income strategy Wealth management Active portfolio management Founder/Business Owner
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Edwina M

Series 65

Cincinnati, OH

Waverly Advisors, LLC

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.

Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Options & derivatives strategies Tax-loss harvesting Multi-generational wealth transfer Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Craig M

Series 63, Series 65

Columbia, SC

Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC

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.

Active portfolio management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Annuities Options & derivatives strategies Founder/Business Owner Retired
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David H

Series 65

Irvine, CA

Martin Wealth Management, LLC

David Hart is a financial advisor with Martin Wealth Management, LLC in Irvine, CA. He holds a Series 65 credential and has 15 years of industry experience. Hart previously worked with Safeguard Investment Advisory Group and LifePro Asset Management. He is also a Certified Financial Fiduciary and volunteers as an instructor with the Foundation for Fiduciary Education, providing unbiased fiduciary financial education to the public. Martin Wealth Management offers investment advisory services primarily to individuals and high-net-worth clients by co-advising and directing accounts to a third-party money manager, Matson Money. The firm focuses on client onboarding, documentation, and ongoing review of third-party manager accounts rather than direct asset management.

Medicare planning Annuities
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Sarah C

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Boston, MA

Santander Securities LLC

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.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting General retirement planning Income planning Founder/Business Owner
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