Top college savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) financial advisors in Springfield, IL

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.

Saving for college often starts when you want to make the most of tax-advantaged accounts like 529 plans or UTMA (Uniform Transfers to Minors Act) accounts. A common mistake is not aligning your savings strategy with your child's timeline and your overall financial picture, which can lead to missed growth opportunities or unexpected tax consequences.

  • Account type guidance. Confirm which college savings vehicles they recommend and why, ensuring they fit your family's goals and timeline.
  • Investment approach. Ask how they adjust investment risk as your child nears college age to balance growth and preservation.
  • Coordination with financial aid. Check if they consider how savings impact financial aid eligibility and strategies to minimize negative effects.
  • Tax implications. Even though Illinois has no tax on retirement income, property taxes can be high; ask how they factor state tax considerations into your college savings plan.

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

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Brent L

Series 66

Springfield, IL

Cetera

Brent Leach is a financial advisor at Cetera with 11 years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. He has worked at firms including Avantax Advisory Services and 1st Global Capital Corp. In addition to his advisory role, he serves as an equity partner and managing partner of the tax practice at Eck, Schafer & Punke, LLP, a public accounting firm, and acts as treasurer for the Dana-Thomas House Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving a historic Frank Lloyd Wright property. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that supports a network of over 10,000 independent advisors serving individual, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with access to various portfolio management strategies and third-party managers, encompassing discretionary and non-discretionary investment programs.

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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Christopher P

CFP®, PFS™, Series 66

Springfield, IL

OSAIC Institutions, INC.

Christopher Parks is a CFP® and PFS™ with 21 years of industry experience. He is currently affiliated with OSAIC Institutions, INC. and has held roles at Infinex Investments, Illinois National Bank, Sws Financial Services, Avantax Advisory Services, and Equitable Advisors. Parks serves as Vice President of the Chatham Police Pension Fund and provides financial guidance to St. Joseph's Church in Chatham, IL. OSAIC Institutions, INC. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, ERISA retirement plans, trusts, estates, and corporate clients through a network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers customized advisory services, financial planning, and access to alternative investments, operating with a hybrid adviser and broker-dealer model.

Annuities Tax-loss harvesting Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Harlin N

Series 66

Springfield, IL

Private Advisor Group, LLC

Harlin Noel is a financial advisor with Private Advisor Group, LLC, holding a Series 66 credential and bringing 24 years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at LPL Financial LLC, Level Four Advisory Services, Ameriprise, and Morgan Stanley. Private Advisor Group serves individuals, trusts, charities, businesses, and retirement plans, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and access to various managed account solutions. The firm employs a fiduciary-based advisory model that incorporates both discretionary management and client-assisted selection of managers and model portfolios.

Annuities Founder/Business Owner
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Timothy H

Series 63, Series 66

Springfield, IL

Edward Jones

Timothy Healy is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Springfield, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2000. Outside of his advisory work, Healy serves as a council member on the Blessed Sacrament Parish Finance Council. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a range of advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Multi-generational wealth transfer Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Daniel S

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Springfield, IL

LPL Financial

Daniel Stewart is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with 28 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with LPL Financial in Springfield, IL since 2018. His prior roles include positions at Cetera Advisor Networks and Equitable Advisors. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that serves individuals, retirement plans, banks, trust companies, and institutions through a wide network of representatives. The firm offers diverse financial planning and investment management solutions, utilizing various portfolio strategies and technology tools, and oversees over $819 billion in discretionary assets.

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

Series 63, Series 65

Rockville, MD

LPL Financial

Hassan Al Kadhimi is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and two years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. He is also involved with NIHFCU Wealth Advisors, a related business entity. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolio programs, and institutional platforms, supported by a large network of investment adviser representatives.

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

Series 63, Series 66

Austin, TX

Charles Schwab

Richard Brandi is a financial advisor with Charles Schwab based in Austin, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. He has been with Charles Schwab and Charles Schwab Bank ssb since 2003 and 2005, respectively. Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. serves primarily high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals through its Schwab Wealth Advisory wrap fee program and affiliated managed-account and financial planning services. The firm offers a mix of non-discretionary and discretionary investment guidance, leveraging multi-asset model portfolios and research from its Schwab Center for Financial Research.

Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Multi-state taxation College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
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Thaddeus P

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Grand Rapids, MI

Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC

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.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Charitable giving & philanthropy General estate planning guidance General tax planning Options & derivatives strategies
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Paul K

CFP®, Series 65

Zimmerman, MN

Longview Financial, Inc.

Paul Kinneberg is a CFP® and Series 65-registered advisor with 24 years of industry experience. He has been the principal and sole advisor at Longview Financial, Inc. since 2000 and also holds a long-term corporate role at CenturyLink. Longview Financial, Inc. provides personalized, fee-only financial planning and investment management primarily for individual clients. The firm uses a strategic asset allocation approach with a core-and-satellite framework, combining passive index and ETF core holdings with active funds when appropriate, and manages client assets on a non-discretionary basis with an emphasis on individualized advice.

General tax planning College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Cash flow / budgeting

Justin S

CFP®, ChFC®, Series 66

Prairie Village, KS

Edward Jones

Justin Scicluna is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Prairie Village, KS, holding the CFP®, ChFC®, and Series 66 designations with 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2013. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients, including a range of household types, pension plans, corporate clients, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers various advisory programs, discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, and affiliated investment products through a nationwide network of over 23,700 financial advisors.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) General estate planning guidance Multi-generational wealth transfer Retirement income strategy General retirement planning Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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