Top financial advisors working with clients approaching retirement in Thomasville, GA

Emily Foster is a financial advisor at Valic Financial Advisors in Thomasville, GA, holding a Series 66 designation with less than one year of industry experience. Her prior work includes roles in political offices and residential services. She is also appointed as an agent to sell non-securities insurance products for AGIA. Valic Financial Advisors serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models for portfolio construction.

Patricia Powell is a financial advisor at Wellington Shields & Co., LLC with 29 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 63 designation and has been with Wellington Shields since 2014. Wellington Shields & Co. provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management and brokerage services to individuals, corporations, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, and other institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $470.9 million across about 514 client relationships through a team of 15 advisors, employing a variety of investment methods and offering both advisory accounts and commission-based brokerage services.

Jay Nix is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 18 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with GWFS Equities, Inc. since 2015. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage account holders. The firm offers integrated services connected to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, focusing on long-term portfolio returns and client savings rates.

Ryan Bell is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. Prior to joining LPL Financial in 2021, he was involved with multiple tax and insurance-related firms, including Bell & Clements Tax Solutions, LLC and Waddell & Reed, Inc. He is also a partner in a tax preparation and accounting business, Bell & Clements Tax Solutions, LLC. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage services, employing both discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by research and model portfolios.

Ralph Waller is a financial advisor at OSAIC with 27 years of industry experience. He has held roles at Woodbury Financial Services from 2000 to 2024 and has operated under his own name since 1989. Additionally, Mr. Waller is president of Waller Wealth Management, where he provides insurance services including property and casualty, long-term care, and life insurance. OSAIC serves a diverse client base including individual investors, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, offering a range of advisory and brokerage services supported by multiple platforms and third-party managers.

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 and previously at AXA Advisors, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for the nonprofit Alpha Light Fund Inc., focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual, high-net-worth, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients, offering financial planning, broker-dealer services, insurance distribution, and access to third-party asset management programs. The firm operates as both an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, leveraging LPL-sponsored programs and endorsed TAMPs to deliver advisory and brokerage solutions.

Stavroula Koutsfetsoulis is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with 25 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2011. In addition to her advisory role, she is involved in fiduciary activities as an attorney-in-fact (power of attorney). Ameriprise is a large institutional firm that provides retirement-income planning services primarily to individuals with substantial investable assets. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver written recommendation reports through a centralized consulting team, focusing on tailored retirement income strategies.

Barbara Brewer is a financial advisor at RBC Capital Markets with 20 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been with RBC Capital Markets Corporation since 2008. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, serves individual investors, institutional clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers various advisory programs with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, custody, and brokerage services, tailoring strategies to clients’ Advisory Risk Profiles through a mix of in-house and third-party providers.

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.

Lee Chen is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Pasadena, California, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. He has been with UBS since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, Chen serves on the board of directors for the San Gabriel Country Club. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, combining proprietary capital market research with a broad range of financial planning and portfolio management solutions.