CFP®-certified, retirement income strategy financial advisors 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 the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. for 14 years before joining LPL Financial in 2019. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm provides a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolios, and institutional platforms, supported by various investment strategies and advisor tools.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Elanna Gould is a CFP® professional with six years of experience, currently advising at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors in Cleveland, OH. Her background includes roles at PepsiCo and The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Center, as well as academic experience at The Ohio State University. She is also an independent insurance agent for various companies. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a broad client base, including individuals, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through a network of independent professionals. The firm provides a range of portfolio management options, proprietary and third-party strategies, and various custody platforms tailored to client objectives.

Gordon Brown III is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with 18 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Edward Jones since 2008. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, with approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment options, operating under a fiduciary standard.

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.

Elanna Gould is a CFP® professional with six years of experience, currently advising at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors in Cleveland, OH. Her background includes roles at PepsiCo and The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Center, as well as academic experience at The Ohio State University. She is also an independent insurance agent for various companies. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a broad client base, including individuals, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through a network of independent professionals. The firm provides a range of portfolio management options, proprietary and third-party strategies, and various custody platforms tailored to client objectives.

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.

Jace Hart is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience and currently serves as a financial advisor at Rockwall Wealth Management. His prior experience includes roles at Leo Wealth, LPL Financial, and Fidelity Brokerage Services. Rockwall Wealth Management provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, trusts, plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm emphasizes diversified, low-cost ETF model portfolios with a focus on tax efficiency, liquidity, and systematic macro tilts, offering both traditional and advanced investment strategies tailored to client objectives.

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.