Top advisors focused on trust structures (grat, idgt, revocable) 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 with Primerica Advisors and holds a Series 66 designation. She has one year of industry experience, including roles at Park Avenue Securities, Guardian Life Insurance Company, and Consolidated Planning Holdings, Inc. Prior to entering the financial industry, she worked in education for eight years. Outside of advising, Kristin is an author and publisher of a basketball coaching notebook and works as a math tutor for high school students. Park Avenue Securities serves a broad retail client base with a range of brokerage and advisory services, utilizing proprietary and third-party investment strategies across various account types and investment vehicles.

Anthony Watts serves as a Senior Financial Advisor within Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. In his role, he provides financial guidance and investment strategies to clients, leveraging his expertise as a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). He holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Charleston. This educational background supports his professional qualifications and role in advising clients on wealth management.

Matthew Sandberg is a financial advisor at Thrivent Investment Management with 14 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Thrivent Investment Management since 2011. Outside of his advisory work, he operates a boat charter business, taking clients on trips along the intracoastal waterway. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients, offering comprehensive, goal-based financial planning without discretionary trading authority. The firm combines planning with managed-account programs under a consolidated billing option called “WealthPlan,” while maintaining a separation between these services.

Michael Hunt is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and 25 years of industry experience. He has worked at several firms including Prudential Insurance Company of America, Principal Securities Inc, and Hunt Financial Solutions. Outside of advising, he is involved in tax preparation and planning through his co-ownership of multiple tax service entities. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their clients. The firm provides a range of advisory programs, operational support, and investment management services, including discretionary model portfolios and customized solutions, while enabling advisors to offer tailored advice under Commonwealth’s supervision.

Justin Kohler is a CFP® with 12 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at The Fiduciary Group. His prior roles include positions at Sharp Wealth Advisory, Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Sharp Financial Services, and AXA Advisors. Outside of his advisory work, he assists with the operations of a marketing and media company owned by his wife. The Fiduciary Group serves high-net-worth individuals and families, providing discretionary investment management for trusts, estates, nonprofits, and retirement plans. The firm employs a structured investment approach with multiple strategy profiles and integrates with the Focus Financial Partners platform to offer clients access to a broad range of financial solutions.

Matthew Benefiel is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Since joining in 2017, he has worked with families, individuals, and businesses to develop customized wealth management strategies. His areas of expertise include portfolio design, manager selection, investment due diligence, and performance evaluation. Matthew employs a disciplined process to build tailored portfolios and regularly evaluates investments to meet clients' evolving needs and changing market conditions. He also utilizes Merrill Personal Wealth Analysis® to create personalized financial plans that help clients set clear objectives and monitor their progress. Matthew holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Actuarial Science from Biola University and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification as well as the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. His client focus areas include family wealth management strategies, services for defined benefit plans, and sports and entertainment sectors. Outside of his professional role, Matthew lives in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife, Heather, and their daughter, Ruby. He enjoys activities such as golf, baseball, basketball, rock climbing, and yoga. Additionally, he spends time doing CrossFit and coaching basketball.

Clark Gay is a CFP® professional with 24 years of industry experience. He is currently with Visionary Wealth Advisors, LLC and has previously worked at Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. and Tmfs Advisors, Llc. Visionary Wealth Advisors serves individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, and business entities through a multi-advisor team structure managing several billion dollars for a few thousand clients. The firm offers financial planning, consulting, and investment management using a blend of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis within an asset-allocation framework based on Modern Portfolio Theory.

Christian Habitz is a financial advisor at The Invictus Collective, LLC with 24 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including JP Morgan Chase Bank NA and JPMorgan Securities LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as manager and investor in entities involved with synthetic graphite manufacturing and coordinates related tax administration. The Invictus Collective serves high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, and institutional investors, providing financial planning, consulting, and wealth management through both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management. The firm employs a diversified investment approach grounded in modern portfolio theory, utilizing independent managers, ETFs, mutual funds, private investments, structured notes, and options, with particular expertise in structured notes and manager due diligence supported by third-party analytics and an internal Investment Committee.

Ryan Boland is the Vice President Private Wealth Management Advisor at Fidelity Investments, a role he has held since 2021. In this capacity, he works as part of a team to assist individuals and families in pursuing their financial goals through thoughtful and customized planning strategies. His approach involves building deep and enduring relationships with clients to understand their priorities and utilize the resources and specialists available at Fidelity Investments. Prior to his current position, Ryan held various roles within Fidelity Charitable, including Vice President of National Corporate & Executive Giving from 2019 to 2021, Vice President and Charitable Planning Consultant from 2017 to 2019, and Director and Vice President of the Complex Assets Group from 2011 to 2017. Before joining Fidelity, he practiced as an attorney specializing in Trust & Estates and Real Estate at Taylor, Ganson & Perrin, LLP from 2001 to 2011. Outside of his professional work, Ryan has interests in art, golf, painting, and tennis.