Top equity Recipients (RS/RSU, SOP, ESPP) 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 in Trenton, NJ, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 24 years of industry experience. He has been associated with Mutli Financial Securities Corporation since 2006. Outside of advisory work, he is involved in tax services, credit repair, and acts as a notary public. GCVSVC1 LLC operates as an independent firm with a sole advisor, providing personalized financial services.

Daniel Memo is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He has been in the financial services industry since 1998 and began his career with Smith Barney. Daniel focuses on serving high net worth individuals and business retirement planning. He holds FINRA Series 7, 66, 3, and 31 registrations. Daniel earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from John Carroll University. He also holds professional designations including Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). His areas of expertise include college education planning, corporate benefits, equity compensation services, retirement income, and small business strategies. Daniel is active in the Poland community where he resides with his wife, Erin, and their four sons. He participates in organizations such as the Poland Community Baseball Association, Poland Flag Football, and St. Vincent De Paul. He has served as a board member of the Rich Center for Autism and is affiliated with Magic of Michael. Outside of work, Daniel enjoys baseball, basketball, football, golfing, swimming, table tennis, traveling, and spending time with his family.

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.

Ken Mason is an Executive Planning Consultant at Fidelity Investments, a role he has held since 2025. In this capacity, he works closely with clients to develop wealth strategies that incorporate their workplace benefits, aiming to support them in pursuing their financial goals. Ken emphasizes building trust through a consultative approach, ensuring clients receive personalized and understandable financial plans. He is committed to helping clients achieve peace of mind by focusing on what matters most to them. Specific details about his education, credentials, or personal interests were not provided.

David Snapp is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Thomasville, NC, with 10 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation and the Series 66 license and has been with Edward Jones since 2015. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, including households across the wealth spectrum, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporate clients, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management and offers a range of advisory strategies alongside affiliated mutual funds and specialized investment services.

Michael Elliott is a CFA® charterholder with two years of experience in the financial industry. He currently works at Harbour Capital Advisors, LLC, where he has been since 2024. Prior to this, he held roles at CFRA Research, Avascent, Raymond James & Co., and Marriott & Co Investment Banking. Harbour Capital Advisors serves ultra-high-net-worth families and charitable organizations, managing approximately $701 million for around 55 clients. The firm uses customized investment policy statements, mean-variance optimization, and a core-satellite investment approach that includes both liquid public securities and alternative investments, alongside wealth-transfer and family-governance services.