Large-firm financial advisors working with clients approaching retirement in Rapid City, SD

Kassidy Wiedmeier is a financial advisor with Raymond James Financial Services, holding a Series 66 designation and seven years of industry experience. Prior to joining Raymond James, she worked at Grable Investment Services and the Kadoka Area School District. Outside of her advisory role, she is a partner at Ferguson Ranch, where she manages cattle operations. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors provides financial planning and investment consulting to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and institutional entities. The firm employs tailored, non-discretionary strategies using analytical tools and supports both advisory programs and public finance services.

Joel Black is a financial advisor at Rock Creek Advisors LLC with 8 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at Rock Creek Advisors since 2017. Additionally, he serves as Executive Vice President, CFO, and COO of First Trust Company, LLC, a state-chartered corporate fiduciary where he administers trusts and manages regulatory relations. Rock Creek Advisors provides discretionary investment management primarily to trust and agency accounts administered by First Trust Company, LLC, and also offers separately managed accounts to individual clients. The firm focuses on mixed-asset model portfolios emphasizing capital appreciation, income, and capital preservation, utilizing a range of investment strategies within a trust-centric operating structure.

Michael Martin is a CFP® professional with 25 years of experience, currently affiliated with Cetera in Rapid City, SD. He has previously worked with U.S. Bancorp Investments and serves as owner and financial advisor at Point Wealth Advisors. Martin is also a board member of AdvisorNet Financial. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered adviser that supports a nationwide network of independent advisors, serving individual, employer-sponsored, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a wide range of portfolio management and financial planning services across multiple program structures and custodial relationships.

Paul Freidel is a financial advisor at Astute Financial, LLC in Rapid City, SD, holding a Series 65 designation with six years of industry experience. He is also the managing member of Freidel & Associates, LLC and co-owner of KFG, LLC. His firm, Astute Financial, LLC, manages approximately $81.6 million for around 43 clients, providing discretionary portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals, small businesses, and irrevocable trusts. The firm employs a blend of passive and active investment strategies based on Modern Portfolio Theory and offers ongoing financial planning through a subscription service.

Michael Paikos Jr. is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Rapid City, SD, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Invest Financial Corporation for nine years and Cetera Wealth Services, LLC for one year. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a wide range of advisory and brokerage services, utilizing various portfolio strategies and technology tools, and oversees more than $819 billion in discretionary assets across over 22,800 advisors.

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, previously serving at Axa Advisors and MSI Financial Services. Outside of advising, he is a co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for Alpha Light Fund Inc., a nonprofit focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a range of clients including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement consulting, and asset management through a network of representatives and third-party managers. The firm offers various investment vehicles and ERISA fiduciary services, relying on third-party program sponsors and an affiliation with a publicly traded parent company.

Stavroula Koutsfetsoulis is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with 25 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2011. In addition to her advisory role, she is involved in fiduciary activities as an attorney-in-fact (power of attorney). Ameriprise is a large institutional firm that provides retirement-income planning services primarily to individuals with substantial investable assets. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver written recommendation reports through a centralized consulting team, focusing on tailored retirement income strategies.

Barbara Brewer is a financial advisor at RBC Capital Markets with 20 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been with RBC Capital Markets Corporation since 2008. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, serves individual investors, institutional clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers various advisory programs with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, custody, and brokerage services, tailoring strategies to clients’ Advisory Risk Profiles through a mix of in-house and third-party providers.

Richard Martin is a financial advisor at Cetera with 29 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has a background that includes nearly three decades at Avantax Advisory Services and eight years at Avantax Insurance Agency. Outside of his advisory work, he is the owner and sole proprietor of Martin & Pellegrin, CPAs, a tax preparation and accounting firm. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm provides a multi-manager platform offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to various program structures and third-party money managers.

Lee Chen is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Pasadena, California, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. He has been with UBS since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, Chen serves on the board of directors for the San Gabriel Country Club. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, combining proprietary capital market research with a broad range of financial planning and portfolio management solutions.

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, previously serving at Axa Advisors and MSI Financial Services. Outside of advising, he is a co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for Alpha Light Fund Inc., a nonprofit focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a range of clients including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement consulting, and asset management through a network of representatives and third-party managers. The firm offers various investment vehicles and ERISA fiduciary services, relying on third-party program sponsors and an affiliation with a publicly traded parent company.