Top advisors focused on college savings (529s, utma, etc.) in North Carolina

Willie Myles is a financial advisor at Equitable Advisors with 16 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2016, previously affiliated with Axa Advisors. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for Alpha Light Fund Inc., a nonprofit organization. Equitable Advisors serves individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, corporations, and charitable organizations by providing financial planning, retirement-plan support, and access to asset management through various third-party programs. The firm operates a hybrid referral and implementation model, offering both advisory and brokerage channels to implement client recommendations.

Kristin Manna is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors and holds a Series 66 designation. She has one year of industry experience, including roles at Park Avenue Securities, Guardian Life Insurance Company, and Consolidated Planning Holdings, Inc. Prior to entering the financial industry, she worked in education for eight years. Outside of advising, Kristin is an author and publisher of a basketball coaching notebook and works as a math tutor for high school students. Park Avenue Securities serves a broad retail client base with a range of brokerage and advisory services, utilizing proprietary and third-party investment strategies across various account types and investment vehicles.

Arjun Aggarwal is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney since 2009 and has worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association since 2015. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer offering a wide range of advisory programs to individuals and institutions, including tailored financial planning services. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and employs a structured planning process using firm-approved tools and economic modeling techniques.

Robert Pike is a CFA® charterholder with 19 years of industry experience. He is affiliated with Sheets Smith Wealth Management in Winston Salem, NC, and has worked at Stratford Advisors, Inc. since 2004. Sheets Smith Wealth Management serves individuals, families, foundations, endowments, and retirement plans, offering investment management and financial planning services. The firm customizes asset allocation and investment strategies based on clients’ risk tolerance and investment horizon, employing a long-term, buy-and-hold approach and utilizing a range of investment vehicles including equities, fixed income, ETFs, and alternative investments.

Trent Leyda is a financial advisor with Spirepoint Private Client, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 21 years of industry experience. He has worked at Morgan Stanley in various capacities from 2009 to 2023 before joining Spirepoint Private Client in 2023. Leyda is also a licensed insurance agent servicing clients on insurance policies. Spirepoint Private Client, LLC serves individuals, families, trusts, institutions, and retirement plans with discretionary investment management, financial planning, and consulting. The firm employs a multi-faceted investment process combining fundamental, technical, and relative-strength analysis with portfolio construction tools, offering both active and passive strategies tailored to client profiles.

Hassan Al Kadhimi is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Rockville, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and one year of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at J.P. Morgan Securities, JP Morgan Chase Bank, and TD Bank. He is also involved with NIHFCU Wealth Advisors, a DBA for his LPL business. LPL Financial provides advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, institutions, and high-net-worth households. The firm offers a variety of delivery options supported by an in-house research team, combining large-scale advisory operations with a broad range of financial products.

Richard Brandi is a financial advisor with Charles Schwab based in Austin, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. He has been with Charles Schwab and Charles Schwab Bank ssb since 2003 and 2005, respectively. Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. serves primarily high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals through its Schwab Wealth Advisory wrap fee program and affiliated managed-account and financial planning services. The firm offers a mix of non-discretionary and discretionary investment guidance, leveraging multi-asset model portfolios and research from its Schwab Center for Financial Research.

Thaddeus Phelps is a CFP® professional with 28 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC since 2019 and previously spent 14 years with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. In addition to his advisory work, Phelps owns a tax preparation business and an accounting support service, and he serves in fiduciary roles such as trustee and executor. Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm offers discretionary investment management through a wrap asset management program and emphasizes an individualized approach with asset allocation supported by fundamental, sector, and technical analysis, including risk management strategies such as put options and conservative cash instruments.

Paul Kinneberg is a CFP® and Series 65-registered advisor with 24 years of industry experience. He has been the principal and sole advisor at Longview Financial, Inc. since 2000 and also holds a long-term corporate role at CenturyLink. Longview Financial, Inc. provides personalized, fee-only financial planning and investment management primarily for individual clients. The firm uses a strategic asset allocation approach with a core-and-satellite framework, combining passive index and ETF core holdings with active funds when appropriate, and manages client assets on a non-discretionary basis with an emphasis on individualized advice.

Justin Scicluna is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Prairie Village, KS, holding the CFP®, ChFC®, and Series 66 designations with 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2013. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients, including a range of household types, pension plans, corporate clients, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers various advisory programs, discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, and affiliated investment products through a nationwide network of over 23,700 financial advisors.