Independent, general retirement planning financial advisors in Schenectady, NY

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.

You might seek a general retirement planning advisor when you're preparing to transition from work to retirement and need a clear roadmap for income, expenses, and taxes. Without focused guidance, it's easy to overlook how estate tax cliffs can unexpectedly increase your tax burden just above exemption limits.

  • Income sequencing. Ask how they plan withdrawals to balance your cash flow needs with tax efficiency over time.
  • Tax impact awareness. Confirm they consider state and federal tax thresholds, including estate tax cliffs, in your retirement strategy.
  • Investment alignment. Look for advisors who align your portfolio with your retirement timeline and risk tolerance, not just market trends.
  • Independent perspective. Being independent means they can offer advice without firm product constraints, focusing on what fits your retirement goals best.

Here are top matches to get you started. Review each profile to compare experience, credentials, and approach.

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Joshua M

Series 65, Series 66

Schenectady, NY

Nightgale Wealth Management LLC

Joshua Moraski is a financial advisor at Nightgale Wealth Management LLC in Schenectady, NY, holding Series 65 and Series 66 designations with one year of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked as an independent insurance agent for RIA Insurance Solutions, a division of Financial Independence Group (FIG). Nightingale Wealth Management LLC provides discretionary asset management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm customizes investment programs based on clients’ goals, time horizons, and risk tolerances, utilizing fundamental and technical analysis along with Modern Portfolio Theory.

General retirement planning Income planning Tax strategies for small businesses Retirement withdrawal strategies Options & derivatives strategies Founder/Business Owner
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William V

Series 63, Series 65

Schenectady, NY

Mass Mutual Investors Services

William Vanevera is a financial advisor with Mass Mutual Investors Services and holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials. He has 48 years of industry experience and has been with Mass Mutual Investors Services and MassMutual Life Insurance Company since 2001. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in individual and group life and health insurance sales. MassMutual Investors Services, LLC is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and educational seminars, focusing on collaborative, annual planning relationships that use firm-approved analytic tools.

Divorce financial planning General estate planning guidance Multi-generational wealth transfer Cash flow / budgeting Founder/Business Owner Attorney Executive Married/Couples/Partners Divorced
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Michael P

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Schenectady, NY

LPL Financial

Michael Powers is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with 31 years of industry experience. He has been with LPL Financial since 2006, following prior roles at Banc of America Investment Services, Inc. and Quick & Reilly, Inc. Outside of his advisory work, Powers also serves as a rideshare driver in upstate New York. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that provides a broad range of advisory and brokerage services to individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers financial planning, model portfolio programs, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms, supporting a large network of advisors through both discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies.

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

Series 63

Latham, NY

Cetera

Joseph Daddario is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding a Series 63 designation and over 30 years of industry experience. His career includes extensive tenure at Avantax Advisory Services and related entities from 1995 to 2025, and he has operated his own firm, JC Daddario LLC, since 2017. Outside of financial advising, he is involved in tax preparation and accounting services. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is a large SEC-registered firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients nationwide. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and retirement services through a multi-manager platform, supporting both discretionary and non-discretionary accounts.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Hermes D

CFP®, Series 66

Schenectady, NY

Happiness in Retirement

Hermes Del Sette III is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 15 years of industry experience. He has been self-employed since 2012 and concurrently operates Del Sette Capital Management, LLC. In addition to his advisory roles, he works as an insurance agent. Happiness in Retirement is a five-person team serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and estates with wealth management, discretionary portfolio management, and financial planning. The firm manages approximately $192.5 million using a long-term investment approach focused on diversified, low-cost mutual funds and ETFs, complemented by fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis.

General retirement planning Retirement income strategy Tax-loss harvesting Retired Approaching retirement Established Professionals
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Sarah C

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Boston, MA

Santander Securities LLC

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.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting General retirement planning Income planning Founder/Business Owner
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Amanda S

Series 66

Ft. Wayne, IN

Raymond James & Associates

Amanda Scheele is a financial advisor with Raymond James & Associates, holding a Series 66 designation and 16 years of industry experience. She has worked at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC and Wells Fargo Clearing before joining Raymond James. Amanda is also involved with Lucky Duck since 2025. Raymond James & Associates is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $501 billion in assets. The firm serves a wide range of clients, including individuals, institutional and pension plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning and non-discretionary investment consulting supported by a broad platform of portfolio management styles and affiliated research.

General retirement planning Retirement income strategy Business succession planning Founder/Business Owner Executive

Lori F

Series 66

East Lansing, MI

Edward Jones

Lori Fell is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in East Lansing, MI, holding a Series 66 designation and 16 years of industry experience. She has been with Edward Jones since 2009. Outside of her advisory role, she owns a business focused on property management. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, with over $1 trillion in assets under management and a nationwide network of more than 23,000 financial advisors. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment strategies, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee options, tax-efficient services, and affiliated mutual funds.

General retirement planning Multi-generational wealth transfer Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Kenneth B

Series 63, Series 65

Portland, ME

Headinvest

Kenneth Blaschke is a financial advisor at HeadInvest in Portland, ME, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 16 years of industry experience. He has been with HeadInvest since 2009. HeadInvest serves a diverse range of clients, including individuals, trusts, endowments, and government entities, providing discretionary portfolio management and financial planning. The firm employs a holistic, asset-allocation driven approach, combining fixed-income selection with low-cost ETFs and emphasizing tax efficiency.

Wealth management General retirement planning Tax strategies for small businesses Founder/Business Owner Retired
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Michael I

Series 63, Series 65

Livingston, NJ

Raymond James Financial

Michael Ipp is a financial advisor with Raymond James Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 42 years of industry experience. He has been with Raymond James Financial Services Advisors since 2010 and serves as an independent contractor for 1792 Wealth Advisors. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors provides financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary planning and uses analytical tools to support client decision-making, while also maintaining specialized programs such as municipal advisory services and SIMPLE IRA Employer Advisory & Consulting Services.

Wealth management Tax strategies for small businesses Business succession planning General estate planning guidance Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Jared F

Series 65

Huntington Beach, CA

Northwest Asset Management

Jared Fruth is a financial advisor at Northwest Asset Management with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Securities America, Inc., KMS Financial Services, Inc., Oppenheimer Funds, and John Paul Mitchell Systems. Northwest Asset Management is a registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.6 billion for nearly 3,000 clients, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charities, and corporations. The firm employs a customized, fiduciary approach using Modern Portfolio Theory and strategic asset allocation, combining fundamental and technical analysis to build diversified portfolios with periodic rebalancing.

Retirement income strategy Wealth management Active portfolio management Founder/Business Owner
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Edwina M

Series 65

Cincinnati, OH

Waverly Advisors, LLC

Edwina Martin is a Series 65 licensed financial advisor with two years of industry experience, currently with Waverly Advisors, LLC. She previously worked at 9258 Wealth Management for five years and was employed at Teradata Corp for eleven years. Martin also serves as assistant director of tax planning at 9258 Tax and Planning, a non-investment related business. Waverly Advisors is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing portfolios for individuals, retirement plans, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm combines traditional equity and fixed-income strategies with alternative and private-market allocations, offering a range of investment management and financial planning services.

Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Options & derivatives strategies Tax-loss harvesting Multi-generational wealth transfer Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Craig M

Series 63, Series 65

Columbia, SC

Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC

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.

Active portfolio management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Annuities Options & derivatives strategies Founder/Business Owner Retired
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David H

Series 65

Irvine, CA

Martin Wealth Management, LLC

David Hart is a financial advisor with Martin Wealth Management, LLC in Irvine, CA. He holds a Series 65 credential and has 15 years of industry experience. Hart previously worked with Safeguard Investment Advisory Group and LifePro Asset Management. He is also a Certified Financial Fiduciary and volunteers as an instructor with the Foundation for Fiduciary Education, providing unbiased fiduciary financial education to the public. Martin Wealth Management offers investment advisory services primarily to individuals and high-net-worth clients by co-advising and directing accounts to a third-party money manager, Matson Money. The firm focuses on client onboarding, documentation, and ongoing review of third-party manager accounts rather than direct asset management.

Medicare planning Annuities
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Sarah C

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Boston, MA

Santander Securities LLC

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.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting General retirement planning Income planning Founder/Business Owner
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