Top financial advisors working with gen x clients 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.

Michelle Vargas, Certified Financial Planner™ is the President of Waymaker Financial Planning, a Fee-Only firm that provides transparent and accessible financial guidance. She enjoys helping clients navigate and plan all aspects of their financial life so that they will worry less about their future and free up more time to spend doing what they love. After earning a degree in Finance from the University of Southwestern Louisiana in 1990, she moved to Florida and started her career with Harcourt Brace Publishing. Her journey into personal finance began when she signed up for her 401K and wanted to learn about additional options to plan for retirement. This eventually led to working as a financial advisor and completing the extensive education requirements for becoming a CFP® in 1998. She believes her experience as a young professional searching for unbiased advice enables her to better serve Gen XY professionals because she remembers what it was like being in their shoes. As a former homeschool parent and the wife of a federal employee, she is passionate about helping women, homeschool families, and federal workers plan wisely for a comfortable financial future. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking in Colorado, barbecuing with family, and working in her garden.

Many blue-collar business owners spend years building successful companies but struggle with inconsistent cash flow, high taxes, and uncertainty about how to turn their business into a secure retirement. Unlike most financial firms that focus primarily on investments, I take a planning-first approach that connects your business strategy with your personal financial goals. As a CFP® professional and fee-only fiduciary advisor with 10+ years of experience, I help business owners integrate cash flow planning, tax strategies, risk management, retirement planning, and investments into one coordinated plan. Having experienced the challenges of business ownership firsthand and growing up in a family business, I understand that your business is often your largest asset. My goal is to provide the guidance and strategy business owners need to protect what they've built and create financial freedom beyond their business.

I believe that everyone should have access to a professional advisor who understands their needs and can help them achieve the lifestyle they desire. As a financial advisor, I am dedicated to learning about your personal goals and using them to build a retirement plan tailored to your unique situation. NexJenn Financial Services was founded in response to the demand for financial planning from my tax clients. Often squeezed between spending for their kids’ education, caring for an elderly relative and saving for their own retirement, many were anxious about their financial future. I have enjoyed helping my clients find a balance and focus on building a strong financial future. I am a CPA® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER Professional®, as well as a Retirement Income Certified Professional®. Additionally, I am a member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors and the XY Planning Network. In my spare time, my husband and I volunteer at a homeless shelter. I also love to bike and travel and am an aspiring photographer. I have been married for 30 years and together with my awesome husband, we’ve raised three awesome kids.

I'm a fiduciary & CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER living in Indianapolis, Indiana but serving clients nationwide. For years I've helped individuals and families plan for retirement and other imporant financial decisions. In college, I studied economics with a concentration in finance. After college, I worked for large wealth management firm in Indiana and then a boutique financial advising office specializing in retirement planning. That firm was later acquired and after a few years working for the acquiring firm I left to start WealthGuides. As an advisor I've worked with clients age 22 to 92. While I've worked with a wide range of people, I've always found my passion was with working with people to create a plan for retirement. As an advisor I provide guidance to my clients on taxes, their investment portfolios, estate planning, & charitable giving amongst others areas. I show people where they can save on taxes and I give clarity and strategies for how my clients can maximize the potential for what they can spend on themselves and give to others. On the personal side I'm a runner, a reader, a cat dad, and a traveler. I also enjoy sipping on a nice glass of wine or whiskey.

I am a seasoned technology professional and an entrepreneur based in Silicon Valley. I have experience starting and running a software company that was venture-funded and subsequently acquired by a public company. During my high-tech career, I got intrigued by money matters such as savings, investments, insurance, taxes in order to achieve my family's financial goals. Out of curiosity, I spent time reading and researching various aspects of personal finance. I realized that there are a growing number of financial options available with increasing complexity in these choices. My passion towards financial planning ultimately resulted in pursuing formal education in financial planning, subsequently completing the CFP Board requirements to be a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Professional. I launched Encover Personal Finance in 2018, primarily to help technology professionals achieve their financial life goals based on my own experience. I believe in serving clients honestly and transparently in a conflict-free manner. https://www.encoverpersonalfinance.com/about