Top factor investing / smart beta financial advisors in Pompano Beach, FL

Peter Caruso is a CFP® with 34 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with Wells Fargo Advisors and has held various roles within Wells Fargo firms since 2009. Outside of his work at Wells Fargo, he holds ownership stakes in two wealth management practices in Massachusetts, dedicating limited monthly hours to these activities. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network is a large broker-dealer and registered investment adviser that serves individuals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm offers a broad range of investment and financial planning services, including specialized planning for business-owner transitions, special needs, and divorce, utilizing Wells Fargo’s research and planning tools.

Salvatore Labarbera is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory Services, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing 12 years of industry experience. He has been affiliated with Kestra Investment Services and Kestra Advisory Services since 2016. Labarbera operates under the DBA BlueLake Wealth Advisors for certain registered representative and advisory activities. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base including institutional and individual clients. The firm offers services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, and investment management, serving clients with more than $79 billion in assets under management and catering to large institutional investors including sovereign wealth funds.

James Platania is a CFP® with 43 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at LPL Financial since 2018. He previously worked at Cetera Advisor Networks LLC for five years. Platania is also an adjunct faculty member at The National Judicial College. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, credit unions, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by research from LPL Research and third-party subadvisors.

John Ruark is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience, operating Patuxent Financial Planning, LLC since 1996. He is based in Pompano Beach, FL, and runs a single-advisor practice. Patuxent Financial Planning, LLC is a fee-only, state-registered investment advisor serving individuals, families, and trusts. The firm employs a fundamental, long-term buy/hold/monitor strategy focused on asset allocation, managing accounts on a non-discretionary basis and providing ongoing supervision through formal reviews.

Alex Smith is a Planning Consultant at the Boca Raton Investor Center, where he develops personalized financial strategies tailored to clients' goals and evolving circumstances. He combines financial planning with a relationship-driven approach to provide guidance aimed at clarity, confidence, and direction throughout clients' financial journeys. His focus includes supporting long-term success, family legacy planning, and lasting financial well-being. Alex has held various roles at Fidelity Investments, beginning as a High Net Worth Service Associate in 2022, progressing to Investment Solutions Representative I in 2023, then Relationship Manager from 2024 to 2026, and currently serving as a Planning Consultant. Prior to joining Fidelity, he was a Personal & Business Banker at Wells Fargo in 2022 and a Financial Professional at Equitable Advisors in 2021. Outside of his professional work, Alex enjoys activities such as spending time at the beach, family activities, football, outdoor adventures, and soccer.

Joseph Hage is a financial advisor with Financial Trust Asset Management Chartered in Boca Raton, FL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 40 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Citigroup, Cetera Investment Advisers, and BB&T Investments. He is also part owner of Financial Trust Research Partners, LLC, where he conducts and reviews investment research. Financial Trust Asset Management serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and other advisers, offering discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, OCIO services, and sub-advisory/model licensing. The firm employs a blend of quantitative, fundamental, and technical analysis through proprietary models and indexes, and its setup includes unique features such as affiliated research and distribution arrangements that extend its proprietary strategies to third-party platforms.

Tiffany Stoner is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 16 years of industry experience. She is currently with Avier Wealth Advisors in Bellevue, WA, where she has worked since 2024. Her prior experience includes roles at Badgley Phelps Wealth Managers, Brighton Jones, and Charles Schwab. Avier Wealth Advisors provides financial planning and discretionary investment management to individuals, families, and various business entities. The firm emphasizes broad asset allocation strategies using primarily mutual funds and ETFs, incorporates factor research into equity allocations, and offers integrated planning and portfolio management services, including handling held-away assets.

Ryan Paul is a CFP® certificant with 13 years of industry experience, currently serving at Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC since 2016. He has worked with affiliated entities including Wealth Enhancement Brokerage Services and Wealth Enhancement Group, as well as LPL Financial, LLC. In addition to his advisory role, he is involved in tax preparation and accounting on a limited basis. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services provides financial planning, asset management, retirement-plan consulting, and managed account referrals for individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages over $122 billion in assets and employs a diversified investment process that blends passive and active management with quantitative, momentum, and fundamental analysis overseen by an internal Investment Committee.

Keith Johnson is a financial advisor at Associated Investment Services, Inc. with 12 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Securities America Advisors and Securities America Inc. He has been with Associated Investment Services since 2017. Associated Investment Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individual investors, small corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable institutions. The firm offers model portfolio and separately managed account programs through third-party managers and its affiliate Kellogg Asset Management, delivering advisory services via the Envestnet/NFS platform with a predominantly non-discretionary investment approach.

Pranay Dureja is a financial advisor at Dorsey, Wright & Associates, LLC with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Nasdaq, Merrill, and Bank of America. Outside of finance, he is a co-founder and partner of Studio Suzuki, a small record label promoting and distributing local musical artists. Dorsey, Wright & Associates provides discretionary investment management to individual investors and offers research, model licensing, and advisory services to institutional and professional clients. The firm’s investment approach is based on technical analysis, utilizing Point & Figure charting and relative strength methods across multiple asset classes.