Independent advisors focused on educators, teachers, and academics in Ohio

The right financial advisor for you depends on how you weigh location, expertise, experience, the clients they typically serve, and how they work with you.

You might need an advisor focused on educators, teachers, and academics if your income and benefits come with unique schedules, pensions, or loan forgiveness programs. Without expertise in these areas, advisors can overlook key benefits or mismanage timing, costing you money or security.

  • Pension and benefits knowledge. Confirm they understand your specific pension plan and how it integrates with Social Security and other retirement income.
  • Loan forgiveness insight. Ask how they factor in student loan forgiveness programs when planning your debt and cash flow.
  • Academic income cycles. Check if they account for irregular pay periods, summer breaks, or sabbaticals in budgeting and investment strategies.
  • Independent advice approach. Being independent means they can recommend products without firm constraints, potentially offering more tailored options for your profession.

Here are top matches to get you started. Review each profile to compare experience, credentials, and approach.

Want help finding the right advisor?

Answer a few questions to see advisors matched to you.

user avatar

Edwina M

Series 65

Cincinnati, OH

Waverly Advisors, LLC

Edwina Martin is a financial advisor at Waverly Advisors, LLC with two years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at 9258 Wealth Management for five years and Teradata Corp for eleven years. In addition to her advisory role, she serves as assistant director of tax planning at 9258 Tax and Planning. Waverly Advisors, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise adviser serving individuals, corporations, retirement plans, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and fiduciary services, employing a combination of centralized and customized investment strategies across traditional and alternative asset classes.

Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Tax-loss harvesting Options & derivatives strategies ESG / Sustainable investing Founder/Business Owner Executive
user avatar

Elanna G

CFP®, Series 66

Cleveland, OH

Cambridge Investment Research Advisors

Elanna Gould is a CFP® professional with five years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors. Her prior work includes roles at PepsiCo and The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Center. She also maintains an independent insurance agency representing various insurance companies. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a diverse clientele including individual investors, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, portfolio management, and access to third-party sub-advisers through multiple account platforms.

Retirement income strategy Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Annuities Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
user avatar

Thomas T

Series 66

Independence, OH

Hantz financial Services, Inc.

Thomas Trefzger is a financial advisor at Hantz Financial Services, Inc. with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Hantz Financial Services since 2018. Prior to his advisory role, he was employed at Sprint and also spent time at Cleveland State University. Hantz Financial Services serves a diverse client base including individual investors, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and retirement plan sponsors. The firm employs model-driven ETF strategies along with managed account solutions and offers a broad range of financial planning, wealth management, and fiduciary services supported by affiliated entities such as a trust company and in-house tax and business consulting.

Private / alternative investments Tax-loss harvesting Active portfolio management Passive / index investing Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
user avatar

Zachary S

Series 63, Series 66

Lorain, OH

J.P. Morgan Securities

Zachary Stillman is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with 12 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities since 2018, following prior roles at PNC Bank, PNC Investments, Cetera Advisor Networks, and Vantage Financial Group. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting through a network of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with brokerage and investment management capabilities, delivering recommendations on a non-discretionary basis while clients maintain final decision-making authority.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
user avatar

Ryan V

CFP®, Series 63, Series 66

Richfield, OH

Schwab Wealth Advisory

Ryan Vollweiler is a CFP® professional with 21 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Schwab Wealth Advisory. His prior roles include positions at Charles Schwab and Schwab Retirement Plan Services, as well as a brief tenure at Voya Financial Advisor. Schwab Wealth Advisory provides non-discretionary investment advice and wealth-management services to Schwab brokerage clients who meet eligibility requirements, utilizing Schwab’s asset-allocation models and proprietary research tools. The firm is part of The Charles Schwab Corporation’s integrated product and service ecosystem.

Wealth management Passive / index investing Active portfolio management Tax-loss harvesting Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive Self-Employed
user avatar

Arjun S

Series 66

Frisco, TX

TIAA-CREF

Arjun Swarup is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF in Frisco, TX. He holds a Series 66 designation and has recently entered the industry with experience beginning in 2023, including time at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. Prior to his advisory roles, he completed his studies at NYU College of Arts and Sciences. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing TIAA retirement plan relationships. The firm provides both point-in-time planning services and ongoing portfolio management through various managed account options under a fiduciary standard.

General estate planning guidance Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Educators, Teachers, and Academics Founder/Business Owner Approaching retirement Mid-Career Professionals
user avatar

Kevin H

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Birmingham, AL

RFG Advisory, LLC

Kevin Harper is a CFP® professional with 29 years of industry experience, currently serving at RFG Advisory, LLC since 2015. He has previously worked with Private Client Services and LPL Financial. Outside of his advisory role, he is a co-owner of LHP Capital LLC, where he assists with buying and managing commercial real estate. RFG Advisory is an enterprise registered investment adviser serving individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, ERISA retirement plans, and other institutional clients. The firm combines active and passive investment strategies across various platforms and acts as a sub-adviser to a multi-ETF suite, offering a range of services including portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting.

Annuities Options & derivatives strategies Tax-loss harvesting Executive Founder/Business Owner Educators, Teachers, and Academics Doctor or Medical Professional Women Professionals

Rebecka K

Series 66

Olympia, WA

Edward Jones

Rebecka Kennedy is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Olympia, WA. She holds the Series 66 designation and began her advisory career at Edward Jones in 2024. Prior to joining the firm, she worked in education with North Thurston Public Schools and Corpus Christi Independent School District. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment strategies, with a nationwide network of more than 23,700 financial advisors and $1.01 trillion in assets under management.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) General estate planning guidance Educators, Teachers, and Academics Women Professionals
user avatar

Marne D

Series 63, Series 65, Series 66

Fort Washington, PA

Lincoln Investment

Marne De Santis is a financial advisor at Lincoln Investment with 33 years of industry experience. She has held roles at several firms including Rice Financial Products Company, CV Brokerage, Valdes & Moreno, Bluestone Capital Management, and Dautrich Seiler Financial Services. Her credentials include Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 licenses. Lincoln Investment is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer managing approximately $18.9 billion in assets through a network of nearly 900 advisors. The firm serves individuals, employers, retirement plan participants, charitable organizations, corporations, and other registered investment advisers, offering financial planning, custom and model portfolios, third-party management access, and ERISA retirement plan advice.

Wealth management ESG / Sustainable investing Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Educators, Teachers, and Academics Founder/Business Owner Retired Approaching retirement HENRY (High Earners, Not Rich Yet)
user avatar

Lindsey E

Series 63, Series 65

Cambridge, MN

EFS Advisors

Lindsey Egan is a financial advisor at EFS Advisors with 11 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including First Republic Securities Company and Cambridge Investment Research. Egan is also the sole owner of Women Who Explore, a community offering outdoor adventures and group travel for women. EFS Advisors provides investment advisory and financial consulting services to a diverse client base, including individuals, business entities, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a client-centric suitability scoring system to recommend portfolios and offers continuous supervisory management with quarterly performance reviews conducted by an in-house Advisory Committee.

Options & derivatives strategies Educators, Teachers, and Academics
user avatar

Jared F

Series 65

Huntington Beach, CA

Northwest Asset Management

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.

Retirement income strategy Wealth management Active portfolio management Founder/Business Owner
user avatar

Edwina M

Series 65

Cincinnati, OH

Waverly Advisors, LLC

Edwina Martin is a financial advisor at Waverly Advisors, LLC with two years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at 9258 Wealth Management for five years and Teradata Corp for eleven years. In addition to her advisory role, she serves as assistant director of tax planning at 9258 Tax and Planning. Waverly Advisors, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise adviser serving individuals, corporations, retirement plans, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and fiduciary services, employing a combination of centralized and customized investment strategies across traditional and alternative asset classes.

Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Tax-loss harvesting Options & derivatives strategies ESG / Sustainable investing Founder/Business Owner Executive
user avatar

Craig M

Series 63, Series 65

Columbia, SC

Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC

Craig Mcdaniel Jr. is a financial advisor with Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC in Columbia, SC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Capital Investment Group, Inc. and The McDaniel Corporation since 2012. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in life insurance sales and serves as an independent agent for annuities and related products. Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and supervisory services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers customized investment management through discretionary mandates, third-party managers, and private-label model portfolios, using a blend of analytical methods with ongoing portfolio monitoring.

Active portfolio management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Annuities Options & derivatives strategies Founder/Business Owner Retired
user avatar

David H

Series 65

Corona, CA

Safeguard Investment Advisory Group, LLC

David Hart is a financial advisor with Safeguard Investment Advisory Group, LLC, holding a Series 65 credential and 15 years of industry experience. He has worked with Safeguard since 2020 and previously held roles at LifePro Asset Management, LLC, Martin and Associates Insurance Services, Inc., and Martin Wealth Management, LLC. Hart is also a Certified Financial Fiduciary and volunteers as an instructor with the Foundation for Fiduciary Education (NACFF), providing unbiased fiduciary financial education. Safeguard Investment Advisory Group, LLC serves individual, high-net-worth, institutional, and business clients, offering discretionary portfolio management, access to third-party sub-advisers, and fee-based financial planning. The firm employs a fundamental-analysis investment process with a preferred horizon of two to ten years and manages over $600 million across approximately 1,800 client relationships.

Wealth management Passive / index investing Active portfolio management Retirement income strategy
user avatar

Sarah C

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Boston, MA

Santander Securities LLC

Sarah Currier Barrella is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 26 years of industry experience. She is currently with Santander Securities LLC and Santander Bank, NA, having previously worked at TD Bank and Citizens Securities, Inc. Barrella holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Santander Securities LLC provides investment advisory and related services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, charitable organizations, retirement plans, and institutional clients. The firm offers wrap-fee advisory programs and financial planning services, delivering investment advice through the FMAX managed-account platform with discretionary portfolio management and ongoing suitability reviews.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting General retirement planning Income planning Founder/Business Owner
Warmer team member

Not sure where to start?

We'll help you think it through — whether you ultimately need an advisor or not.

Warmer helps you compare advisors clearly — so you can choose with confidence.

Find your advisor

Warmer provides personalized recommendations and introductions to independent fiduciary advisors. We do not supervise advisors, manage or hold assets, guarantee performance, or provide advice about specific investments.

Each advisor listed on our site is an independent fiduciary responsible for their own advice. Warmer may receive fees from advisors for participation or referrals; these fees are paid by advisors and do not affect the fees clients pay for advisory services.

For advisor listings, we rely on sources including public filings and data provided by advisors, and we cannot guarantee that all information is current or accurate. Please review an advisor's Form ADV and do your own diligence before entering into an advisory relationship.

By using our service, you agree to Warmer's Terms of Service and Advisory Agreement and Privacy Policy. Logos provided by Logo.dev

© 2026 Warmer Holdings Inc. ("Warmer")