Large-firm, passive / index investing financial advisors in State College, PA

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.

If you want to keep your investment costs low and avoid frequent trading, a passive or index investing approach can help you stay on track. The biggest mistake is picking an advisor who treats passive investing like a one-size-fits-all solution without considering your unique goals and risk tolerance.

  • Firm resources. Large firms often have extensive research and technology to support index strategies; ask how they leverage these for your benefit.
  • Portfolio customization. Confirm how they tailor index funds or ETFs to fit your specific financial situation rather than just offering generic options.
  • Cost transparency. Passive investing is about low fees; check how clearly they explain all costs involved, including fund expenses and advisory fees.
  • Long-term discipline. Ask how they help you stay invested through market ups and downs without chasing trends or timing trades.

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

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Donald C

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

State College, PA

Mercer Global Advisors Inc.

Donald Calcagni is a CFP® professional with 21 years of industry experience, currently serving at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. since 2015. He is a member of the Advisory Council for CAIS Capital LLC, providing guidance on product design and development, and chairs the Finance Committee for the Lock Haven University Foundation, advising on its finances and investment portfolio. Mercer Global Advisors offers investment advisory and planning services to individuals, families, business owners, and nonprofit organizations, employing a globally diversified, risk-appropriate investment approach grounded in Modern Portfolio Theory. The firm provides a range of portfolio management and planning services, supported by various implementation options and a public content program including podcasts and market commentary.

Private / alternative investments Options & derivatives strategies ESG / Sustainable investing Concentrated stock management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive Retired Women Professionals Established Professionals
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Matthew G

CFP®, ChFC®, Series 63, Series 66

State College, PA

Edward Jones

Matthew Gaul is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in State College, PA, holding CFP® and ChFC® designations with 21 years of industry experience. He previously worked at MML Investors Services Inc and MassMutual from 2008 to 2016 before joining Edward Jones in 2016. Outside of his advisory role, Gaul is involved in local fitness businesses, co-owning Crossfit Lionheart and owning Blue/White Strength, both gyms in State College. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory services, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, supported by a large network of financial advisors and branch offices nationwide.

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

CFA®, Series 63, Series 65

State College, PA

Fratti Investment Management

Alexander Fratti is a CFA charterholder and principal of Fratti Investment Management in State College, PA, with four years of industry experience. He has held roles at firms including RKL, Boyer & Ritter, Alvarez & Marsal, VRC, and Wells Fargo Clearing. In addition to his advisory work, he provides management consulting services to private businesses through a separate consulting activity. Fratti Investment Management offers discretionary investment supervisory services to private accounts such as individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, banks, and small businesses. The firm employs a bottom-up, fundamentals-driven investment approach focused on U.S. exchange-listed equities, emphasizing a contrarian, concentrated core strategy with an emphasis on small- and micro-cap securities.

Active portfolio management
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Douglas G

Series 63, Series 65

State College, PA

SPC

Douglas Garban is a financial advisor with SPC in State College, PA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 25 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Bank of America and Merrill, and he has been with Sigma Planning Corporation and related entities since 2018. Garban is also a licensed insurance agent. SPC provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm supports a large advisory network and delivers tailored, discretionary advice through various account programs.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Retirement income strategy Income planning General estate planning guidance Tax-loss harvesting Founder/Business Owner Retired Executive
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Lisa W

State College, PA

World Capital Advisors, LLC

Lisa Weaver is the sole advisor at World Capital Advisors, LLC, an independent firm based in State College, PA. She holds 14 years of industry experience and has been affiliated with Fleck & Associates since 2001. In addition to her advisory role, she is co-owner of Lifestyle Retirement Company, which provides third-party administration services to qualified employer retirement benefit plans. World Capital Advisors offers investment advice, asset management, and fee-based financial planning to individuals, trusts, estates, retirement accounts, qualified pension and profit plans, and business entities. The firm utilizes third-party managers and advisory programs, conducting annual reviews and employing a combination of fundamental, technical, and charting analyses.

Business succession planning General estate planning guidance
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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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Thomas T

Series 66

Independence, OH

Hantz financial Services, Inc.

Thomas Trefzger is a Series 66-credentialed financial advisor with eight years of industry experience. He has worked at Hantz Financial Services, Inc. since 2018 and previously held roles at Sprint and Cleveland State University. Hantz Financial Services, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth households, pension and profit-sharing plans, and business owners. The firm offers financial planning and wealth management primarily through ETF-based model portfolios across five risk levels, supplemented by third-party managers and Direct Indexing, and combines advisory, broker-dealer, mortgage, and insurance activities under one platform.

Active portfolio management Passive / index investing Tax-loss harvesting Business ownership considerations Retirement withdrawal strategies Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Matthew M

CFA®, Series 65

Burlington, VT

One Day In July LLC

Matthew Mc Bride is a CFA® charterholder and Series 65 licensee with three years of industry experience. He has worked at One Day In July LLC since 2023 and previously held positions at the University of Vermont and Saint Michael's College. Outside of financial advising, he is involved in a self storage business focusing on facility valuation and market research. One Day In July LLC provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and pension plans. The firm employs an asset-allocation approach centered on passive, low-cost ETFs, supplemented by periodic rebalancing and limited short-term trades, and offers an optional environmental investing strategy.

ESG / Sustainable investing Passive / index investing Real estate investing
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Timothy E

Series 66

New York, NY

First Manhattan Co. LLC

Timothy Egan is a financial advisor at First Manhattan Co. LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Morgan Stanley and Citigroup. First Manhattan Co. LLC provides investment management and financial planning primarily for high-net-worth individuals, as well as trusts, pension plans, charitable organizations, private investment vehicles, and institutional clients. The firm focuses on long-term, research-driven, value-oriented management of equity and fixed-income portfolios, combining active management with passive fund investments and integrated wealth planning.

Wealth management Concentrated stock management Executive Founder/Business Owner Retired
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Ryan V

CFP®, Series 63, Series 66

Richfield, OH

Schwab Wealth Advisory

Ryan Vollweiler is a CFP® professional with 22 years of industry experience. He is currently with Schwab Wealth Advisory Inc., having worked there since 2021, and has been affiliated with Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. since 2017. His prior experience includes roles at VOYA Financial Advisors, Cetera Advisors LLC, Equitable Advisors, and Valic Financial Advisors. Schwab Wealth Advisory, Inc. provides non-discretionary fiduciary investment advice and financial planning primarily to clients enrolled in the Schwab Wealth Advisory program and certain Charles Schwab & Co.-referred clients. The firm uses proprietary asset-allocation models and internal research tools to tailor recommendations to client goals and risk tolerance, while trades are executed only with client authorization.

Retirement income strategy Equity compensation tax strategy Tax-loss harvesting Retired
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Jeffrey P

Series 66

Dacula, GA

Merrill

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.

Tax-loss harvesting Active portfolio management Wealth management
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Scott M

Series 63, Series 65

New York, NY

Morgan Stanley

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.

General estate planning guidance
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Elizabeth B

Series 66

New York, NY

J.P. Morgan Securities

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.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Wesley P

Series 63, Series 66

Fort Worth, TX

Wells Fargo Clearing

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.

Retired Founder/Business Owner
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Willie M

Series 63, Series 66

Cary, NC

Equitable Advisors

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.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Concentrated stock management Equity Recipients (RS/RSU, SOP, ESPP) Long-term care insurance Founder/Business Owner Retired Executive Approaching retirement Sandwich Generation

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