Top financial advisors working with clients approaching retirement in South Dakota

Darwyn Sprik is a financial advisor at Eagle Strategies (New York Life) with 17 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at Eagle Strategies since 2016. Sprik is also the owner of Sprik Financial Group, LLC, through which he brokers non-registered insurance products. In addition, he serves on the board of the Fearless Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on connecting donors to charitable causes. Eagle Strategies provides financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services to a wide range of individual and institutional clients. The firm emphasizes tailored recommendations and offers various program types, including fee-based advice and retirement plan consulting, with most assets managed on a non-discretionary basis.

Deidre Budahl is a financial advisor at Cetera Planning Partners with 10 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 credential and has worked with Casey Peterson & Associates, LTD for over 20 years. Budahl is also a partner and accountant at a regional CPA firm, serves as a board member for Monument Health - Rapid City Hospital, and is the board chair for the South Dakota Board of Accountancy. Cetera Planning Partners serves individual and high-net-worth clients, focusing on pre-retirees and retirees by providing investment management, financial planning, Social Security optimization, and retirement-related advice. The firm integrates comprehensive offerings such as tax planning, bookkeeping, and estate planning services within a larger Cetera network.

Alex Parker is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with four years of industry experience. He previously worked at First Bank & Trust for six years and had a brief tenure at Learfield Sports - Jackrabbit Sports Properties. Outside of advising, he is a co-owner of Parkwin LLC, which holds a vacation property. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients with a wide range of advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and operates a large network of financial advisors and branch offices nationwide.

Kris Pearson is a financial advisor with NewEdge Advisors who holds a Series 66 designation and has 21 years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at Investment Centers of America, LPL Financial, and GWM Advisors. He is based in Aberdeen, South Dakota. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a network of independent advisers. The firm provides comprehensive portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services, utilizing multiple program structures that combine in-house manager selection with third-party model portfolios and advisor discretion.

Douglas Hortness is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 12 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at firms including GWFS Equities, Selectquote, and Intervest International Equities Corp. He has also been affiliated with the University of South Dakota and Fringe Benefit Design. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to certain retail brokerage account holders. The firm offers integrated services tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, emphasizing long-term portfolio returns and client savings rates through point-in-time financial plans and optional managed account solutions.

Willie Myles is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2016, previously serving at Axa Advisors and MSI Financial Services. Outside of advising, he is a co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for Alpha Light Fund Inc., a nonprofit focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a range of clients including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement consulting, and asset management through a network of representatives and third-party managers. The firm offers various investment vehicles and ERISA fiduciary services, relying on third-party program sponsors and an affiliation with a publicly traded parent company.

Stavroula Koutsfetsoulis is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with 25 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2011. In addition to her advisory role, she is involved in fiduciary activities as an attorney-in-fact (power of attorney). Ameriprise is a large institutional firm that provides retirement-income planning services primarily to individuals with substantial investable assets. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver written recommendation reports through a centralized consulting team, focusing on tailored retirement income strategies.

Barbara Brewer is a financial advisor at RBC Capital Markets with 20 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been with RBC Capital Markets Corporation since 2008. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, serves individual investors, institutional clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers various advisory programs with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, custody, and brokerage services, tailoring strategies to clients’ Advisory Risk Profiles through a mix of in-house and third-party providers.

Richard Martin is a financial advisor at Cetera with 29 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has a background that includes nearly three decades at Avantax Advisory Services and eight years at Avantax Insurance Agency. Outside of his advisory work, he is the owner and sole proprietor of Martin & Pellegrin, CPAs, a tax preparation and accounting firm. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm provides a multi-manager platform offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to various program structures and third-party money managers.

Lee Chen is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Pasadena, California, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. He has been with UBS since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, Chen serves on the board of directors for the San Gabriel Country Club. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, combining proprietary capital market research with a broad range of financial planning and portfolio management solutions.