Large-firm, general estate planning guidance financial advisors 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.

Scott Mahoney is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in New York, NY, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley since 2009, including roles at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved with Giants Foot Cubed LLC. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a large SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a wide range of advisory programs and financial planning services supported by structured planning tools and broad investment resources.

Kayla Santos is a financial advisor with Mass Mutual Investors Services in Warwick, RI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 10 years of industry experience. She has worked at Mass Mutual Investors Services since 2017 and previously at MetLife Securities. In addition to her advisory role, Santos is an independent insurance agent, offering life, fixed annuities, disability, long-term care, and health insurance products. Mass Mutual Investors Services, LLC is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that serves individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm provides financial planning, asset management, wrap and money-manager programs, and educational seminars, structuring engagements as annual collaborative relationships focused on goal analysis and written recommendations.

Gordon Brown III is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with 18 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Edward Jones since 2008. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, with approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment options, operating under a fiduciary standard.

William Soltow is a financial advisor at Smith & Wyatt with 13 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at CoreCap Advisors, LLC. Outside of advising, he is the founder of Frontier Wealth Management and serves as an independent insurance agent with Goosehead Insurance. Smith & Wyatt serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, and corporations, managing approximately $207 million across 724 clients. The firm provides tailored financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, estate-planning consulting, and specialized educational programs, utilizing mutual funds and ETFs as primary investment vehicles.

Thaddeus Phelps is a CFP® professional with 28 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC since 2019 and previously spent 14 years with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. In addition to his advisory work, Phelps owns a tax preparation business and an accounting support service, and he serves in fiduciary roles such as trustee and executor. Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm offers discretionary investment management through a wrap asset management program and emphasizes an individualized approach with asset allocation supported by fundamental, sector, and technical analysis, including risk management strategies such as put options and conservative cash instruments.

Jeffrey Park is a financial advisor at Merrill with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Merrill and affiliated firms since 2011, including roles at JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities. Outside of his advisory work, he is a sole owner and co-owner of family rental properties in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

Scott Mahoney is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in New York, NY, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley since 2009, including roles at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved with Giants Foot Cubed LLC. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a large SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a wide range of advisory programs and financial planning services supported by structured planning tools and broad investment resources.

Elizabeth Brown is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in New York, NY, where she has worked since 2012. She has 26 years of industry experience. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to clients such as corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

Wesley Pool is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at JPMorgan Securities LLC for seven years. Outside of finance, he has been involved with #TagMeBro LLC and Fry Street Public House. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers both brokerage and advisory 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.