Independent 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.

When you're planning your estate in Schenectady, NY, it's crucial to consider the estate tax cliff—a sudden jump in taxes that can hit hard just above exemption limits. An advisor unfamiliar with this can leave you facing unexpected tax bills that reduce what you pass on.

  • Estate tax cliff awareness. Confirm how the advisor plans to keep your estate below or manage the impact of this tax threshold.
  • Independent advice approach. Independent advisors here can offer guidance without firm product constraints, but ask how they tailor strategies to your unique estate size.
  • Experience with local laws. Estate tax rules vary by state; ensure the advisor understands New York's specific regulations and exemptions.
  • Coordination with legal professionals. Estate planning often involves wills and trusts; check how the advisor collaborates with your attorney to align financial and legal plans.

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 the principal advisor at Nightgale Wealth Management LLC, an independent firm based in Schenectady, NY. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and began his advisory career in 2025 after prior experience as an independent insurance agent with RIA Insurance Solutions, a division of Financial Independence Group. Outside of advisory work, he has experience in homemaking and extended travel. Nightingale Wealth Management 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 and risk tolerances, utilizing fundamental and technical analysis as well as Modern Portfolio Theory, and may employ options, derivatives, and margin strategies in separately managed accounts.

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® professional with 31 years of industry experience, currently serving at LPL Financial since 2006. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Outside of his advisory work, Powers has worked as a rideshare driver in upstate New York. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, financial institutions, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement consulting services, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by proprietary and third-party research.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
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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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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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