Top financial advisors working with self-employed clients in Syracuse, NY

Leslie Smith is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding a Series 63 designation and 34 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Cetera in 2025, Leslie worked at Avalon, Avantax Advisory Services, and Cadaret, Grant & Co. Outside of advising, Leslie is involved with Avalon Position, a company providing printing, cybersecurity, and document management services to the legal and medical fields. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutions. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with various portfolio management and financial planning services, supported by a nationwide network of over 10,000 advisors.

Geoffrey Irving is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Syracuse, NY, holding a Series 66 designation and seven years of industry experience. Prior to joining Equitable Advisors in 2019, he was associated with AXA Advisors and AXA Equitable. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as Partner and President of Operations at American Made Games Inc., a company that fabricates wooden lawn games. Equitable Advisors serves a broad client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and various asset-management programs through a network of Investment Adviser Representatives, utilizing both proprietary and third-party investment models.

Mac Cadaret Jr. is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with 28 years of industry experience. Prior to joining LPL Financial in 2025, he worked at Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc. for 28 years. He holds the Series 63 designation. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser offering a range of advisory and brokerage services to individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm provides financial planning, model portfolio programs, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms, supporting advisors with research and technology tools.

Donald Karlik is a financial advisor with Mass Mutual Investors Services and holds a Series 63 designation. He has 16 years of industry experience, including prior roles at MetLife Securities Inc. and Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company. Outside of advising, he is an insurance agent with Family First Life. Mass Mutual Investors Services is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers with financial planning and asset management services.

Gary Sunada is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Syracuse, NY. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has 19 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Eagle Strategies in 2025, he has been associated with NYLIFE Securities since 2007 and New York Life since 2006. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in insurance brokering with outside carriers for non-registered insurance products. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individual investors and institutional clients by providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm offers multiple program types emphasizing tailored recommendations and manages the majority of its assets on a non-discretionary basis.

Kristin Manna is a financial advisor at Guardian Life with one year of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Consolidated Planning Holdings, Inc. and Charleston County School District. Outside of her advisory role, she is an author and publisher of books including The Basketball Coach's Notebook and works as a math tutor for high school students. Guardian Life’s subsidiary, Park Avenue Securities LLC, offers brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm provides tailored client solutions through a combination of advisor-led discretionary management, model-based strategies, and access to proprietary and third-party platforms.

Geoffrey Tomes is a financial advisor with Sanctuary Advisors, LLC, holding a Series 66 credential and 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at Noyes Advisors LLC for 11 years and David A Noyes & Company for 26 years. His other business activities include involvement in fixed life and health insurance and fixed annuities. Sanctuary Advisors, LLC serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a network of over 400 independent investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services employing various analytical approaches and maintains distinctive features such as negotiated performance-based fees for large institutional clients and affiliations with specialized asset management firms.

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.

Jonathan Levatino is a financial advisor at LPL Enterprise with Series 66 credentials and four years of industry experience. He has previously worked at The Prudential Insurance Company of America and Pruco Securities LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he maintains part-time employment as a rideshare driver for Uber and DoorDash. LPL Enterprise serves individual and high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, banks, and corporate and charitable entities through a network of investment adviser representatives. The firm’s investment approach is model-driven, utilizing portfolios developed by internal and third-party strategists, and it offers a range of services including financial planning, access to third-party asset managers, and participation in wrap programs.

Rachel Gentz is a financial advisor at Verity Asset Management with six years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at firms including Menna Wealth Planning Group and The Leaders Group DBA Simplicity Investments. In addition to her advisory roles, she is president and owner of Rachel A Menna Advisors Inc. Verity Asset Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser that provides discretionary portfolio management, retirement-plan advisory, and financial planning to individual, corporate, institutional clients, and other advisers. The firm uses a model-driven investment process emphasizing tactical asset allocation across diverse asset classes and offers both internally managed and third-party models under fiduciary standards.