Top college savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) financial advisors in Rockford, IL

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.

Saving for college often starts when you want to lock in lower tuition costs or prepare for upcoming education expenses. Without a clear plan, you might miss out on tax advantages or flexible account options that fit your family's needs.

  • Account type guidance. Confirm which savings vehicles they recommend, like 529 plans or UTMA accounts, and why one suits your goals better.
  • Tax impact awareness. Even though Illinois has no tax on retirement income, property taxes can affect your overall budget; ask how they factor this in.
  • Contribution strategy. Look for advisors who help balance your savings rate with other financial priorities, avoiding overcommitment.
  • College cost forecasting. Ensure they consider tuition inflation and potential scholarships to create realistic savings targets.

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

Jeremy M

Series 66

Rockford, IL

Cambridge Investment Research Advisors

Jeremy Mashburn is a financial advisor with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors in Rockford, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 15 years of industry experience. He has been with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors and Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. since 2012. Prior to his advisory career, he worked at Federal Express for 25 years. He is also involved in providing tax preparation and planning through his business, Mashburn Tax Advisors. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors is a large SEC-registered firm serving a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and trusts. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, and retirement plan advisory services through a network of independent financial professionals, utilizing multiple investment platforms and a range of discretionary and non-discretionary implementation options.

Wealth management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Retirement income strategy Annuities Self-Employed
user avatar

Michael D

Series 63, Series 66

Rockford, IL

Edward Jones

Michael Donnelly is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Rockford, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with 27 years of industry experience, all spent at Edward Jones. Outside of his advisory role, he is a silent partner in an educational business focused on civics and citizenship. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients with a broad range of advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds. The firm manages over $1 trillion in assets and operates a nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Multi-generational wealth transfer Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
user avatar

Tamie L

Series 66

Rockford, IL

Ameriprise

Tamie La Torre is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with 20 years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. Her career includes multiple tenures with Ameriprise spanning over a decade, as well as a brief role at Burch Dental. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large, diversified firm serving individual and institutional clients, notable for its Ameriprise Premier Retirement Income service that provides tailored retirement income planning and tax-aware withdrawal strategies.

Retirement income strategy Income planning Social Security optimization Retirement withdrawal strategies Approaching retirement
user avatar

Michael F

Series 63, Series 65

Rockford, IL

OSAIC

Michael Foreman is a financial advisor at OSAIC with 36 years of industry experience. He held a position at Lincoln Financial Advisors Corporation for 30 years before joining OSAIC in 2025. Foreman holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and is active in his community as the immediate past president of the Rockford Rotary Club and as a boys volleyball coach at Gifted Academy at Thurgood Marshall School. OSAIC serves a diverse client base including individual, high-net-worth, institutional, and charitable organizations through a large network of affiliated advisers. The firm offers integrated brokerage and advisory services, employing asset-allocation tools and third-party platforms to manage a variety of investment portfolios.

Annuities Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Private / alternative investments Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
user avatar

Matthew Y

Series 63, Series 65

Rockford, IL

LPL Financial

Matthew Young is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Rockford, Illinois, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has been with LPL Financial since 2004 and previously worked at Equitable Advisors from 2001 to 2004. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a statistician for his son's high school football team and officiates high school and middle school football games. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that provides a range of advisory and brokerage services to individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers various financial planning and asset management solutions, supporting advisors with research and technology tools while overseeing substantial discretionary assets across a broad network of representatives.

Wealth management Retirement income strategy College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Tax-loss harvesting Annuities Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
user avatar

Hassan A

Series 63, Series 65

Rockville, MD

LPL Financial

Hassan Al Kadhimi is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and two years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. He is also involved with NIHFCU Wealth Advisors, a related business entity. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolio programs, and institutional platforms, supported by a large network of investment adviser representatives.

Wealth management Retirement income strategy College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Tax-loss harvesting Annuities Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
user avatar

Richard B

Series 63, Series 66

Austin, TX

Charles Schwab

Richard Brandi is a financial advisor with Charles Schwab based in Austin, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. He has been with Charles Schwab and Charles Schwab Bank ssb since 2003 and 2005, respectively. Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. serves primarily high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals through its Schwab Wealth Advisory wrap fee program and affiliated managed-account and financial planning services. The firm offers a mix of non-discretionary and discretionary investment guidance, leveraging multi-asset model portfolios and research from its Schwab Center for Financial Research.

Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Multi-state taxation College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
user avatar

Thaddeus P

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Grand Rapids, MI

Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC

Thaddeus Phelps is a CFP® professional with 28 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC since 2019 and previously spent 14 years with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. In addition to his advisory work, Phelps owns a tax preparation business and an accounting support service, and he serves in fiduciary roles such as trustee and executor. Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm offers discretionary investment management through a wrap asset management program and emphasizes an individualized approach with asset allocation supported by fundamental, sector, and technical analysis, including risk management strategies such as put options and conservative cash instruments.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Charitable giving & philanthropy General estate planning guidance General tax planning Options & derivatives strategies
user avatar

Paul K

CFP®, Series 65

Zimmerman, MN

Longview Financial, Inc.

Paul Kinneberg is a CFP® and Series 65-registered advisor with 24 years of industry experience. He has been the principal and sole advisor at Longview Financial, Inc. since 2000 and also holds a long-term corporate role at CenturyLink. Longview Financial, Inc. provides personalized, fee-only financial planning and investment management primarily for individual clients. The firm uses a strategic asset allocation approach with a core-and-satellite framework, combining passive index and ETF core holdings with active funds when appropriate, and manages client assets on a non-discretionary basis with an emphasis on individualized advice.

General tax planning College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Cash flow / budgeting

Justin S

CFP®, ChFC®, Series 66

Prairie Village, KS

Edward Jones

Justin Scicluna is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Prairie Village, KS, holding the CFP®, ChFC®, and Series 66 designations with 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2013. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients, including a range of household types, pension plans, corporate clients, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers various advisory programs, discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, and affiliated investment products through a nationwide network of over 23,700 financial advisors.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) General estate planning guidance Multi-generational wealth transfer Retirement income strategy General retirement planning Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive

Popular in Rockford, IL

Find advisors by type

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

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. Advisors are independent and may not have reviewed or updated this information. Please review an advisor’s Form ADV and do your own diligence before deciding whether to work with them.

Advisor matching and introductions are provided by FinanceHQ LLC (“FHQ”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Warmer and an SEC-registered investment advisor. We receive compensation from certain participating advisors for introductions or referrals. This creates a conflict of interest because we have an incentive to recommend advisors who compensate us, including those who pay us more. You pay no fee to use our matching service, and advisor fees are not increased because of a referral or introduction. We do not review the ongoing performance of advisors, manage or hold assets, guarantee performance, or provide advice about specific investments.

By using our service, you agree to our Terms of Service and Advisory Agreement, and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. Please review FHQ’s ADV Part 2A and Form CRS. Logos provided by Logo.dev

© 2026 Warmer Holdings Inc. (“Warmer”)