Large-firm financial advisors working with clients approaching retirement in McAllen, TX

Rosa Ybarra is a CFP® with 13 years of industry experience, currently serving at Endurance Financial Planning, LLC. She manages financial planning and wealth advisory services and also owns Interactive Tax Planning, LLC, where she provides tax return preparation and personal tax advice. Ybarra previously worked with the Hidalgo County Appraisal District and other financial firms. Endurance Financial Planning serves individuals, high-net-worth households, and institutional clients through discretionary wealth management, comprehensive financial planning, and ERISA retirement plan consulting. The firm uses a primarily passive investment strategy focused on index funds and ETFs, tailoring plans to clients’ financial situations and risk tolerances.

Rafael Jimenez Padron is a financial advisor at Idylian Capital with a Series 65 designation and five years of industry experience. He previously worked at the Central Bank of Mexico for four years and operates as an independent consultant specializing in quantitative financial solutions. Idylian Capital is a small registered investment adviser providing discretionary asset and portfolio management for individuals, high-net-worth clients, family offices, LLCs, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm employs a modern portfolio theory-based approach, utilizing long- and short-term strategies tailored to clients’ financial situations and risk tolerances.

Marco Hernandez is a financial advisor at Simplicity Wealth with 32 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked for Money Concepts Capital Corp for 22 years. Hernandez serves on the board of directors for Valley Federal Credit Union and is co-owner of Aquaflora on Evelyn, a business involved in greenhouse operations. Simplicity Wealth serves a diverse client base including individual and high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, and other financial firms. The firm employs a fund-of-funds investment approach using ETFs, mutual funds, and individual securities, offering model portfolios monitored and rebalanced regularly alongside services such as tax optimization and customized investment screening.

Zaira Espinoza is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and eight years of industry experience. She has worked at firms including LPL Financial and Avantax Investment Services. Espinoza is also the Chief Executive Officer of ZEAL Wealth Partners, LLC, where she provides comprehensive financial planning and investment management services, and she owns ZEAL Transitions, LLC, which offers business strategy and transactional consulting. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm serving a diverse 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 nationwide network of independent advisors and operates a multi-manager platform with access to various program structures and third-party money managers.

Eric Meisel is a financial advisor at GWN Securities Inc. with 14 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with GWN Securities since 2016. Outside of advisory work, he is involved in providing life insurance and annuity products to clients and occasionally invests personal capital in a produce distribution business. GWN Securities offers investment advisory and related services to individual and corporate clients through various managed account programs and financial planning services. The firm employs a mix of affiliated and unaffiliated sub-advisers and utilizes market-timing and momentum-based strategies in some of its legacy programs.

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.