Top general retirement planning financial advisors in Newark, NJ

Oscar Abaunza Velazquez is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors in New York, NY, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and having six years of industry experience. He has worked at Wells Fargo Clearing since 2019 and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. since 2018. Outside of his advisory role, he co-owns a medical billing business with his spouse. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network serves individuals, trusts, and institutional clients with investment and fee-based financial planning services. The firm offers a broad planning menu including specialized areas such as business-owner transition and special-needs analysis, delivering tailored recommendations through a combination of research, planning tools, and client meetings.

Frederick Palmerton is the sole advisor at Palmerton Financial Services, LLC, an independent registered investment adviser based in Newark, NJ. He holds a Series 65 designation and has 20 years of industry experience, managing his own firm since 2002. Palmerton Financial Services primarily serves individual clients as well as corporate and nonprofit organizations, offering discretionary supervisory management of customized investment portfolios. The firm employs a long-term, fundamental equity-oriented investment approach focused on a limited list of large, well-covered companies, with low turnover and portfolios tailored to client risk tolerance and objectives.

Samuel Wallace Jr. is a financial advisor at Merrill with 30 years of industry experience. He has been with Merrill since 2009 and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program to Bank of America fiduciary clients. The firm offers model-based and discretionary investment strategies developed by internal and third-party managers, serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Stephen Roth is a CFP® professional with 23 years of industry experience. He has been with Gladstone Wealth Partners since 2015 and previously worked at Private Portfolio Partners, LLC and LPL Financial, LLC. Roth is also involved in benefit consulting and insurance-related activities through firms such as Emerson Reid Company and Crump. Gladstone Wealth Partners provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting to individual and high-net-worth investors, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm operates through a network of independent advisers who implement tailored strategies, utilize third-party managers, and offer ongoing financial planning and consulting services.

Shaquille Blake is an Investment Consultant at Fidelity Investments, a role he has held since 2024. Prior to this, he worked as a Retirement Planner for the Tax Exempt Market at Fidelity from 2022 to 2024, and as an Investment Solutions Representative II at Fidelity from 2021 to 2022. His earlier experience includes serving as a Complex Branch Analyst at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney from 2018 to 2021. Shaquille focuses on guiding clients through personalized retirement and goal-based planning strategies. He aims to understand each client's unique needs and priorities to deliver strategies offered by Fidelity that align with both short- and long-term financial goals. Outside of his professional work, Shaquille has interests in art, fitness, football, hiking, and volunteering.

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.

Amanda Scheele is a financial advisor at Raymond James & Associates with 15 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Advisors LLC. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved with Lucky Duck, a venture she has been part of since 2025. Raymond James & Associates, Inc. is a large registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $501 billion in assets. The firm serves a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and municipal entities, offering financial planning, non-discretionary investment consulting, and municipal advisory services.

Lori Fell is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in East Lansing, MI, holding a Series 66 designation and 16 years of industry experience. She has been with Edward Jones since 2009. Outside of her advisory role, she owns a business focused on property management. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, with over $1 trillion in assets under management and a nationwide network of more than 23,000 financial advisors. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment strategies, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee options, tax-efficient services, and affiliated mutual funds.

Kenneth Blaschke is a financial advisor at HeadInvest in Portland, ME, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 16 years of industry experience. He has been with HeadInvest since 2009. HeadInvest serves a diverse range of clients, including individuals, trusts, endowments, and government entities, providing discretionary portfolio management and financial planning. The firm employs a holistic, asset-allocation driven approach, combining fixed-income selection with low-cost ETFs and emphasizing tax efficiency.

Michael Ipp is a financial advisor with Raymond James Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 42 years of industry experience. He has been with Raymond James Financial Services Advisors since 2010 and serves as an independent contractor for 1792 Wealth Advisors. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors provides financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary planning and uses analytical tools to support client decision-making, while also maintaining specialized programs such as municipal advisory services and SIMPLE IRA Employer Advisory & Consulting Services.