CFP®-certified, charitable giving & philanthropy financial advisors in The Villages, FL

Darren Mc Quary is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor at AE Wealth Management, LLC with two years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Baum Financial Services and Scott Barnwell State Farm. He is also active as an insurance agent and tax preparer at Baum Financial Services. AE Wealth Management provides fee-based portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base, including individual households, corporations, trusts, and ERISA plan sponsors. The firm utilizes discretionary model portfolios and combines fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis methods, serving over 127,000 clients with a platform-focused approach.

Clay Palmer serves as the Senior Resident Director of The Villages Branch Office and as a senior advisor for The Palmer Group at Merrill Lynch. He works with affluent families, individuals, and business owners in Central Florida, focusing on financial strategies and wealth management services. His approach emphasizes understanding clients' needs to build comprehensive investment plans that integrate various aspects of their financial lives. Clay graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Central Florida. Before joining Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2008 as a Financial Advisor, he held engineering and project management roles at Progress Energy, FL. His expertise includes portfolio construction, client reviews, and retirement analysis. Clay holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS), and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designations. Clay and his wife Jennifer reside in Lady Lake with their children. He engages in various personal interests including adventure sports, boating, fishing, football, golfing, reading, swimming, traveling, and spending time with his family.

Alejandra Torres is currently a Planning Consultant at Fidelity Investments, where she collaborates with clients and Financial Consultants to develop and maintain customized financial plans tailored to clients' short- and long-term goals. She emphasizes understanding clients' priorities and works closely to identify strategies aligned with their objectives. Alejandra focuses on building and maintaining strong relationships through ongoing plan reviews and consistent communication. Her professional experience includes roles as a Relationship Manager and Financial Services Representative at Fidelity Investments, as well as a Personal Banker at Wells Fargo Bank. These positions have provided her with a foundation in financial services and client relationship management. Outside of her professional work, Alejandra enjoys food, tennis, and traveling.

Cesar Armas Crespo is a financial advisor with Charles Schwab, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and five years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Booking.com and Conduent. Outside of his advisory work, he manages GYMVERZE LLC, a business specializing in designing and printing custom logos on sports clothing. Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. serves a large client base primarily composed of 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 combination of non-discretionary investment advice and access to discretionary separately managed accounts, supported by a centralized operational structure and a multi-asset investment approach.

Jacob Wells is a financial advisor at Zenith Advisory Group, LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked in the NFL/XFL from 2022 to 2025. Zenith Advisory Group provides advisory services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services. The firm’s investment approach is based on modern portfolio theory and focuses on client goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance, with regular portfolio reviews and use of sub-advisors as needed.

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.

Richard Martin is a financial advisor at Cetera with 29 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has a background that includes nearly three decades at Avantax Advisory Services and eight years at Avantax Insurance Agency. Outside of his advisory work, he is the owner and sole proprietor of Martin & Pellegrin, CPAs, a tax preparation and accounting firm. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm provides a multi-manager platform offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to various program structures and third-party money managers.

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.

Edward Blatz serves as a Senior Resident Director and Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch. He specializes in working with high net-worth individuals and families, focusing on estate and wealth management needs. Since joining Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 1985, he has provided personalized financial solutions tailored to his clients' risk tolerance, time horizon, liquidity needs, and investment goals. Edward's expertise encompasses a range of areas including college education planning, divorce transition planning, employee benefits, executive compensation, family wealth management strategies, managing new wealth, individual and corporate investment strategies, and retirement income planning. He collaborates closely with clients' tax advisors and estate planning attorneys to ensure comprehensive management of clients' financial and personal affairs. Edward is recognized as a member of The Blatz-Rooney Group, which was named to the 2024 Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams" list. Edward holds a Bachelor's Degree from Adelphi University and has earned several professional designations including Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). Outside of his professional work, he has interests in golfing, reading, and tennis.

Patrick Ferguson is a financial advisor at Intentional with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Commonwealth Financial Network, and LPL Financial. In addition to his advisory role, he is a licensed agent involved in the sales of fixed and traditional insurance products. Intentional provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, businesses, and institutions. The firm offers pension consulting, estate planning support, business exit planning, and due diligence on alternative investments, utilizing a combination of fundamental, technical, and economic analysis within a fiduciary framework.

Sarah Currier Barrella is a CFP® professional with 26 years of experience in financial advisory services. She currently works at Santander Securities LLC and Santander Bank, NA, having previously held positions at TD Bank and Citizens Securities, Inc. Barrella is based in Boston, MA. Santander Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base with approximately $3.14 billion in regulatory assets under management across 10,800 client relationships. The firm offers investment advisory services, portfolio management through wrap-fee programs, and financial planning, operating both as a registered investment adviser and a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.

Elanna Gould is a CFP® professional with six years of experience, currently advising at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors in Cleveland, OH. Her background includes roles at PepsiCo and The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Center, as well as academic experience at The Ohio State University. She is also an independent insurance agent for various companies. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a broad client base, including individuals, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through a network of independent professionals. The firm provides a range of portfolio management options, proprietary and third-party strategies, and various custody platforms tailored to client objectives.

Ethan Siekkinen is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, currently serving as a financial advisor with Plante Moran Financial Advisors. He has one year of industry experience and has previously worked at J Wilson Wealth Management and operated Rizzo Lawn Care. Plante Moran Financial Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory, financial planning, and estate planning services to a diverse client base including individual households, institutional clients, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm employs a multi-disciplinary investment process and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, manager search, and tax-lot accounting services.

Jace Hart is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience and currently serves as a financial advisor at Rockwall Wealth Management. His prior experience includes roles at Leo Wealth, LPL Financial, and Fidelity Brokerage Services. Rockwall Wealth Management provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, trusts, plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm emphasizes diversified, low-cost ETF model portfolios with a focus on tax efficiency, liquidity, and systematic macro tilts, offering both traditional and advanced investment strategies tailored to client objectives.

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.