Large-firm advisors focused on business succession planning in North Dakota

Jamey Pesek is a financial advisor at Principal Financial Services with 16 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at Principal Securities Inc. since 2016 and Principal Life Insurance Company since 2015. Outside of advising, he is a partner in TRI-J Partners, LLC, an entity established to manage shared leased office space and related expenses. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and active-duty military personnel. The firm offers financial planning, retirement consulting, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions, with investment implementation typically carried out on a discretionary basis by the third-party managers.

Cynthia Fason is a financial advisor at Osaic with 26 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and previously worked at Securities America Advisors and Securities America Inc for nine years. Outside of her advisory role, she is a partner in a family farm partnership and participates in managing related decisions. Osaic Wealth, Inc. is a large SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA member broker-dealer serving a diverse client base, including individual investors, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, utilizing risk-tolerance assessments and portfolio optimization tools to manage accounts across various investment vehicles.

Brenda Cook is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Minot, ND, holding the Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 25 years of industry experience. She has been with Edward Jones since 2000. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved as a general partner in a family farm partnership in Ruso, ND. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients with a wide range of advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds. The firm manages over $1 trillion in assets and maintains a large national network of advisors and branch offices.

Kim Weaver is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors and holds the ChFC® and Series 63 credentials. She has 42 years of industry experience and has been associated with Guardian Life Insurance Company and Park Avenue Securities since 1999. In addition to her advisory role, she is involved with Financial Architects, Inc., a Guardian general agency. Primerica Advisors operates as part of Park Avenue Securities LLC, serving a broad retail client base through both brokerage and advisory services. The firm offers various investment programs and financial planning solutions supported by proprietary and third-party strategies.

Benjamin Brandt is a CFP® with 18 years of industry experience, currently serving at Capital City Wealth Management, Inc. in Bismarck, ND. He has hosted the Retirement Starts Today Radio podcast since 2015 and is the sole member and content creator for Retire Ready Resources LLC, where he produces books, podcasts, YouTube channels, and online courses related to retirement. Capital City Wealth Management, Inc. serves individual and high-net-worth clients with discretionary investment management and comprehensive financial planning through a wrap fee program. The firm uses diversified, risk-based portfolios tailored by investment policy statements and risk-tolerance questionnaires, employing strategic, tactical, and dynamic allocation approaches with ongoing reviews.

Ethan Siekkinen is a financial advisor with Plante Moran Financial Advisors, holding a Series 65 designation and beginning his advisory career in 2023. Prior to joining the firm, he worked at J Wilson Wealth Management and has experience outside finance with Rizzo Lawn Care. Plante Moran Financial Advisors provides investment advisory, financial planning, and estate planning services to a diverse client base including individual investors, charitable organizations, corporations, and trusts. The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation, manager selection, and uses a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis supported by a proprietary equity market valuation model.

Michael Ipp is a financial advisor with Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. in Livingston, NJ, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 41 years of industry experience. He has been with Raymond James since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, he works as an independent contractor for 1792 Wealth Advisors. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individual investors, high-net-worth and non-HNW clients, pension plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and municipal entities. The firm offers financial planning and non-discretionary investment consulting, emphasizing tailored financial plans developed through detailed client interviews and risk profiling.

Jeffrey Macdonald is a CFP® and ChFC® with 17 years of industry experience. He has been with Investment Management & Planning LLC since 2010 and is also affiliated with LPL Financial LLC. Investment Management & Planning LLC provides fee-based investment advisory and comprehensive financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, offering portfolio management on both discretionary and non-discretionary bases. The firm emphasizes ongoing account supervision and individualized asset allocation, often utilizing LPL-sponsored platforms and model portfolios.

Patrick Ferguson is a financial advisor at Intentional, LLC with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments and Commonwealth Financial Network. In addition to his advisory role, Ferguson is licensed to sell fixed and traditional insurance products. Intentional provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as retirement plan consulting for businesses and institutions. The firm combines fundamental, technical, and economic analysis in its investment approach and offers due diligence and monitoring of alternative and private investments for qualified investors.

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.

Jeffrey Park is a financial advisor with Merrill, holding a Series 66 credential and seven years of industry experience. He has worked at Merrill in multiple capacities since 2011, with brief stints at JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities in 2022. Merrill serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and institutional clients, offering managed account programs, discretionary portfolio management, and brokerage services. The firm employs a range of program strategies and manager-constructed portfolios, with oversight from its CIO and platform management, and leverages its affiliation with Bank of America to support trading, lending, and capital markets activities.

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 with Wells Fargo Clearing in Fort Worth, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 14 years of industry experience. He previously worked at JPMorgan Securities LLC for seven years and has entrepreneurial experience with #TagMeBro LLC. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary services grounded in modern portfolio theory and tailored to plan objectives and risk tolerances. The firm’s advisory process includes a broad range of investment options, including insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep programs.

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.