CFP®-certified, factor investing / smart beta financial advisors in South Carolina

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.

Kristin Manna is a financial advisor at Guardian Life with one year of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Consolidated Planning Holdings, Inc. and Charleston County School District. Outside of her advisory role, she is an author and publisher of books including The Basketball Coach's Notebook and works as a math tutor for high school students. Guardian Life’s subsidiary, Park Avenue Securities LLC, offers brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm provides tailored client solutions through a combination of advisor-led discretionary management, model-based strategies, and access to proprietary and third-party platforms.

James Turner is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. In this role, he collaborates one-on-one with clients to develop personalized financial strategies aimed at helping them pursue their long-term goals. He leverages insights from Merrill and solutions from Bank of America to create flexible wealth management plans tailored to individual financial situations and changing market conditions. James holds a Bachelor's Degree from Presbyterian College and carries the Professional Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. He is committed to the Merrill tradition of community involvement and actively volunteers with local organizations. Outside of his professional responsibilities, James enjoys golfing, playing tennis, and spending time with his family.

Matthew Sandberg is a financial advisor at Thrivent Investment Management with 15 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Thrivent Investment Management since 2011. Outside of his advisory role, he operates a small charter boat service offering trips along the intracoastal waterway. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients. The firm offers holistic, goal-based planning without discretionary trading authority, combining planning with managed accounts through a consolidated billing option called “WealthPlan.”

Jesse Dare is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Columbia, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having four years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi and Havarti Risk Services. Outside of financial advising, he works as an independent healthcare strategy adviser and actuarial consultant through Dare Enterprises LLC and Pasco Advisers. Primerica Advisors provides discretionary asset management primarily through its Lifetime Investment Program, which offers model-delivery strategies and a limited number of discretionary separately managed account options to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm curates third-party asset managers and uses a tiered wrap fee structure for its services.

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® professional with 13 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC, where he has worked since 2016. His prior experience includes roles at Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo Clearing. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in tax preparation and accounting on a limited basis. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services manages over $122 billion in assets and provides financial planning, asset management, and retirement-plan consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm employs a diversified, risk-class based investment approach utilizing both passive and active managers, supported 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.

Sarah Currier Barrella is a CFP® professional with 26 years of experience in financial advisory services. She currently works at Santander Securities LLC and Santander Bank, NA, having previously held positions at TD Bank and Citizens Securities, Inc. Barrella is based in Boston, MA. Santander Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base with approximately $3.14 billion in regulatory assets under management across 10,800 client relationships. The firm offers investment advisory services, portfolio management through wrap-fee programs, and financial planning, operating both as a registered investment adviser and a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.

Elanna Gould is a CFP® professional with six years of experience, currently advising at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors in Cleveland, OH. Her background includes roles at PepsiCo and The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Center, as well as academic experience at The Ohio State University. She is also an independent insurance agent for various companies. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a broad client base, including individuals, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through a network of independent professionals. The firm provides a range of portfolio management options, proprietary and third-party strategies, and various custody platforms tailored to client objectives.

Ethan Siekkinen is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, currently serving as a financial advisor with Plante Moran Financial Advisors. He has one year of industry experience and has previously worked at J Wilson Wealth Management and operated Rizzo Lawn Care. Plante Moran Financial Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory, financial planning, and estate planning services to a diverse client base including individual households, institutional clients, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm employs a multi-disciplinary investment process and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, manager search, and tax-lot accounting services.

Jace Hart is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience and currently serves as a financial advisor at Rockwall Wealth Management. His prior experience includes roles at Leo Wealth, LPL Financial, and Fidelity Brokerage Services. Rockwall Wealth Management provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, trusts, plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm emphasizes diversified, low-cost ETF model portfolios with a focus on tax efficiency, liquidity, and systematic macro tilts, offering both traditional and advanced investment strategies tailored to client objectives.

Jeffrey Macdonald is a CFP® and ChFC® with 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at Investment Management & Planning LLC and LPL Financial since 2010, following two years at Wells Fargo Clearing. Investment Management & Planning LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm constructs tailored portfolios using mutual funds, ETFs, equities, and fixed-income securities, employing fundamental analysis and continuous supervision, and operates as both a wrap program sponsor and affiliated registered representatives of LPL Financial.