Large-firm financial advisors working with educators, teachers, and academics 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 been with Principal Securities Inc. since 2016. Outside of advisory work, he is a partner in TRI-J Partners, LLC, an entity that manages shared leased office space and related expenses. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and active-duty U.S. military personnel. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions.

Cynthia Fason is a financial advisor at OSAIC with 27 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Securities America Advisors and Securities America Inc for nine years. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved as a partner in a family farm partnership and manages several LLCs related to office and business expenses. OSAIC serves a diverse client base including individual investors, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations through a large network of affiliated advisers. The firm offers a range of integrated brokerage and advisory services, employing portfolio construction tools such as risk tolerance analysis and automated rebalancing to manage portfolios on both discretionary and non-discretionary bases.

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.

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.

Todd Reamann is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Principal Securities Inc. and Principal Life Insurance Company. He is also involved in outside insurance activities relating to life, fixed annuities, long-term care, disability, health, and medical supplement insurance. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm provides a range of advisory programs, financial planning, retirement consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing model portfolios, third-party subadvisors, and research from LPL Research.

Arjun Swarup is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Frisco, TX, holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining TIAA-CREF, he worked at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management and has an academic background from NYU College of Arts and Sciences. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing managed account services within a fiduciary framework, including acting as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Kevin Harper is a CFP® with 29 years of experience in the financial industry, currently serving at RFG Advisory, LLC since 2015. He has prior experience with Private Client Services and LPL Financial. Outside of advisory work, he is a co-owner of LHP Capital LLC, which manages commercial real estate. RFG Advisory is a multi-team registered investment adviser with approximately 178 advisors managing about $8 billion for over 17,000 clients, including individuals, high-net-worth households, trusts, retirement plans, and institutional accounts. The firm employs a mix of actively managed and passive strategies, direct indexing, and tax-aware approaches, and is notable for its sub-advisory role with the Bluemonte family of ETFs.

Jacob Heinz is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Charlotte, NC, with 15 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations. His previous positions include roles at Fidelity Investments and E*TRADE Capital Management. 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 solutions, including discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, supported by a nationwide network of thousands of financial advisors and branch offices.

Robert Ouimet is a CFP® professional with 22 years of industry experience, currently advising at Lincoln Investment. His prior experience includes roles at Capital Analysts, Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C., and Russell Investments. He also assists clients with evaluating insurance-based products as part of his advisory services. Lincoln Investment serves individuals, charitable organizations, businesses, and employer-sponsored retirement plans, with a particular focus on educators and 403(b)/457(b) participants. The firm offers a range of financial planning and retirement plan advice, utilizing both strategic and dynamic investment approaches and managing approximately $22.9 billion in advisory assets.

Marne De Santis is a financial advisor with Lincoln Investment in Fort Washington, PA, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and bringing 34 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Lincoln Investment in 2019, she worked at Rice Financial Products Company, CV Brokerage, Valdes & Moreno, Bluestone Capital Management, and Dautrich Seiler Financial Services. Lincoln Investment serves individuals, charitable organizations, businesses, and employer-sponsored retirement plans, with a focus on educators and 403(b)/457(b) participants. The firm offers financial planning, retirement plan advice, and a range of managed portfolio programs, employing both strategic and tactical investment approaches overseen by an investment management and research team.

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 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.