Top financial advisors working with mid-career professionals 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.

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.

Sally Hyman is a financial advisor with Seasons of Advice Wealth Management in New York, NY. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 43 years of industry experience, including roles at Ameriprise Financial Services and RBC Capital Markets. Outside of her advisory work, she records and sells vocal CDs and is involved in publishing her father's book on the spiritual meaning of disease and science. Seasons of Advice Wealth Management provides financial planning and discretionary investment management to individuals, high net worth clients, trusts, small business owners, professionals, and families. The firm uses a proprietary planning process that integrates goal tracking, asset allocation, and tax planning, tailoring investment recommendations to each client’s objectives and risk tolerance.

Jeffrey Macdonald is a CFP® and ChFC® with 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at Investment Management & Planning LLC and LPL Financial since 2010, following two years at Wells Fargo Clearing. Investment Management & Planning LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm constructs tailored portfolios using mutual funds, ETFs, equities, and fixed-income securities, employing fundamental analysis and continuous supervision, and operates as both a wrap program sponsor and affiliated registered representatives of LPL Financial.

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.

Thomas Phillipsen is a Series 65 licensed advisor at Annex Wealth Management, LLC with experience beginning in 2024. His prior work includes roles at Associated Bank and JJ Keller & Associates, as well as experience at Ripon College. Annex Wealth Management is an SEC-registered advisory firm managing approximately $8.05 billion for about 9,800 clients, including high-net-worth individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm utilizes a team-oriented investment process based on a core-and-tactical framework and offers comprehensive wealth management, discretionary portfolio management, retirement consulting, and online goals-based services.