Top financial advisors working with clients approaching retirement in Mount Vernon, OH

J. Howard is a financial advisor with AE Wealth Management, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and 23 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at LifePro Asset Management, Kestra Financial Services, Goldberg, Clouse & Edgell, and Merit Advisors, LLC, where he is also an owner involved in financial strategy and insurance sales. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a board member for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ Whole in One Ministry, participating in monthly meetings and fundraiser planning. AE Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, trusts, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers a broad platform of services such as model portfolio solutions, discretionary asset management, financial planning, ERISA plan services, and self-directed brokerage support.

Lance Spearman is a financial advisor with ValMark Advisers, Inc. in Mt. Vernon, Ohio, holding 29 years of industry experience. He has been with Valmark Securities, Inc. since 2005. Outside of his advisory role, he sells group health and life insurance contracts with carriers outside of ValMark’s insurance arrangements. ValMark Advisers serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, plan sponsors, and institutional users through a network of approximately 280 investment advisory representatives. The firm offers diversified, goal-based model portfolios primarily using mutual funds, ETFs, and third-party managers, supported by proprietary platforms and comprehensive advisory and back-office services.

I'm Zach, founder and lead advisor of Mount Vernon Financial, an independent fee-only fiduciary RIA based in Mount Vernon, Ohio, serving clients across the state and beyond. I started this firm because too many people get advice that's built around a product or a sales quota instead of their actual life and I wanted to build something more personal. My desire is that all prospects and clients can see that I start from a place of genuine care. Trust is only built if care, integrity and honesty are evident. As an advisor, I lean on evidence-based investing and tax-efficient planning. I hold the CEP and CFP® designations. Before starting Mount Vernon Financial, I spent years with High-Net-worth clients helping with equity planning through corporate brokerage solutions at Morgan Stanley and advising clients directly at TD Ameritrade. I've seen how both big firms and everyday investors operate, and I built this practice to give you the best of both. Mount Vernon Financial is intentionally set up alongside a local CPA firm, so your tax picture and your financial plan aren't living in two separate silos. Whether you're starting off, nearing retirement, or somewhere in between, I would be honored to have a conversation to see where we can help.

Joshua Lambert is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with 22 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at LPL Financial since 2019, following 14 years at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Lambert is also licensed as a non-variable insurance agent. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing model portfolios, third-party subadvisors, and various investment strategies.

Gregory Coffing is a CFP® professional with 27 years of experience in the financial services industry, all with Edward Jones. He holds a Series 63 license and is based in Mount Vernon, Ohio. Outside of his advisory role, he serves on the board of Kokosing Gap Trail, contributing to the maintenance and development of the local bike trail. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory services including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard.

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 and previously at AXA Advisors, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for the nonprofit Alpha Light Fund Inc., focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual, high-net-worth, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients, offering financial planning, broker-dealer services, insurance distribution, and access to third-party asset management programs. The firm operates as both an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, leveraging LPL-sponsored programs and endorsed TAMPs to deliver advisory and brokerage solutions.

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.