Seasoned, debt management financial advisors in Trenton, NJ

Santo Costa is a financial advisor at Merrill with four years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked at DME Capital and Tink Construction LLC, as well as having a background unrelated to finance at Burn the Floor. Merrill, along with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm offers various model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Ralph Puzio is a financial advisor at Mercer Financial Group, Inc. in Trenton, NJ, with 42 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has worked with U.S. Discount Brokerage, Inc. and Jefferson Pilot Securities Corporation for over two decades. His other business activities include tax preparation, insurance and annuity sales, and financial planning. Mercer Financial Group, Inc. is a single-advisor independent firm serving individual clients with portfolio management and related advisory services, typically on a primarily non-discretionary basis. The firm manages approximately $11.5 million in assets across 12 client accounts and is noted for its combination of advisory, brokerage, accounting, and insurance relationships.

Hardy Hodges III is a Series 66-registered financial advisor with Fidelity in Trenton, NJ, bringing 18 years of industry experience. His career includes 15 years at Merrill, along with roles at Bank of America and Fidelity Investments. Outside of finance, he operates small businesses selling flavored green teas and engages in affiliate marketing. He works with Strategic Advisers LLC, a Fidelity Investments company that provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients. The firm employs a combination of fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction across various investment vehicles.

Edward Adams is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has worked with Cetera since 2006 and has been involved in multiple related business activities, including serving as an adjunct professor at Rider University since 1988 and managing his own CPA practice focused on tax and audit services. He also holds board roles in organizations such as Paedeia, Inc., a medical development company, and the Trenton Cycling Revolution. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients through a multi-manager platform offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to both affiliated and unaffiliated third-party managers.

Gilbert Varnes Jr. is a financial advisor with Gcvsvc1 LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 24 years of industry experience. He worked at U.S. Allianz Securities, Inc. from 1999 to 2006 and Multi Financial Securities Corporation from 2006 to present. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in tax services, credit repair, and serves as a notary public. Gcvsvc1 LLC is an independent firm serving clients with personalized financial solutions.

Timothy Coyne is the sole advisor at Coyne Capital Management, LLC in Westlake, Ohio, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Coyne Capital Management since 2010. Coyne Capital Management provides discretionary investment management and standalone financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations, typically serving clients with at least $500,000 in investable assets. The firm emphasizes asset-class diversification, utilizes both fundamental and technical analysis, and offers tailored Investment Policy Statements to align with clients’ goals and risk tolerance.

Jorden Bastien is a financial advisor at LifeSteps Financial with 14 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with LifeSteps Financial, formerly Foothill Financial Advisors, since 2012. LifeSteps Financial is a team-based registered investment adviser with seven advisors managing approximately $443 million in client assets. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, businesses, and retirement plan participants, offering investment advisory and financial planning services alongside bill payment and reconciliation and a short-term cash management program for high-net-worth clients.

Don Larson is the principal advisor at Larson Wealth Management, LLC in Mesa, Arizona, holding a CFP® designation along with Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and bringing 20 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Steele Larson Advisors, LLLP for seven years before founding Larson Wealth Management in 2011. Outside of advisory services, he owns and manages a bookkeeping and tax preparation business and serves as secretary and treasurer for AEM International (US) Ltd. Larson Wealth Management provides investment supervisory and consulting services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, family offices, corporate and Taft-Hartley employee benefit plans, and charitable organizations. The firm employs customized strategic asset allocations across various equity and fixed income securities, emphasizing mutual funds and ETFs, and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management with regular reviews.

Marilynne Shadow is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Canton, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and nine years of industry experience. She previously worked at Morgan Stanley, E*TRADE Securities, Fidelity Brokerage Services, and Charles Schwab. Outside of her advisory role, she is the sole proprietor of The Barking Crab, an art and culture business based in Centennial, Colorado. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and participants, as well as Empower Premier IRA and retail brokerage clients. The firm integrates its services with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms and emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing in its planning approach.

Kari Wolfson is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with 13 years of industry experience. She has worked at Adviser Investments, LLC from 2011 to 2024 before joining RWA Wealth Partners in 2024. RWA Wealth Partners serves a broad client base including individuals, families, trusts, charitable organizations, business entities, and retirement plans. The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation using an open-architecture platform and integrates fundamental and quantitative methods in its investment strategies, alongside offering financial planning, tax services, and retirement plan advisory.

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.

David Cade is a financial advisor with LPL Financial based in Houston, TX. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 42 years of industry experience. Prior to joining LPL Financial in 2025, he worked at Next Financial Group, Inc. for 20 years and Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. for six years. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of financial planning and portfolio management solutions, integrating proprietary research and third-party strategies.

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.

Linda Postorivo is a financial advisor at BC Advisors, LLC with 43 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 63 designation and has worked with MAFG RIA Services, Inc. since 1994 and with Mid-Atlantic Companies since 1981. BC Advisors provides investment advisory and portfolio management services primarily to high-net-worth individuals, family trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, and other institutional clients. The firm emphasizes non-discretionary investment recommendations grounded in fundamental analysis alongside technical and cyclical reviews, employing a variety of strategies including long-term, short-term, trading, options, and alternatives.