Large-firm, passive / index investing 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.