Independent advisors focused on career changers in Texas

Jeffrey Park is a financial advisor with Merrill, holding a Series 66 credential and seven years of industry experience. He has worked at Merrill in multiple capacities since 2011, with brief stints at JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities in 2022. Merrill serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and institutional clients, offering managed account programs, discretionary portfolio management, and brokerage services. The firm employs a range of program strategies and manager-constructed portfolios, with oversight from its CIO and platform management, and leverages its affiliation with Bank of America to support trading, lending, and capital markets activities.

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 with Wells Fargo Clearing in Fort Worth, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 14 years of industry experience. He previously worked at JPMorgan Securities LLC for seven years and has entrepreneurial experience with #TagMeBro LLC. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary services grounded in modern portfolio theory and tailored to plan objectives and risk tolerances. The firm’s advisory process includes a broad range of investment options, including insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep programs.

Willie Myles is a financial advisor at Equitable Advisors with 16 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2016, previously affiliated with Axa Advisors. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for Alpha Light Fund Inc., a nonprofit organization. Equitable Advisors serves individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, corporations, and charitable organizations by providing financial planning, retirement-plan support, and access to asset management through various third-party programs. The firm operates a hybrid referral and implementation model, offering both advisory and brokerage channels to implement client recommendations.

Samuel Smith is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, specializing in assisting clients through career transitions and the unique financial considerations they entail. He works closely with professionals who have recently changed jobs, providing tailored financial strategies that address new compensation packages, retirement account management, and employer benefits optimization. His approach emphasizes creating personalized financial roadmaps aligned with clients' evolving career goals and long-term aspirations. Samuel's areas of expertise include college education planning, family wealth management strategies, legacy and philanthropic planning, liquidity management, retirement income, and portfolio management services. He holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP) designation and is a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). Samuel earned his bachelor's degree from Indiana State University and is a member of the Estate Planning Council of Indianapolis. Outside of his professional work, Samuel enjoys baseball, basketball, football, spending time with his family, and watching movies. He is a proud father of two boys and a husband, committed to helping clients achieve their financial goals through disciplined, client-focused service.

Jesse Zora is a CFP® with 14 years of industry experience and has been with Zora Financial since 2014. He serves on the board of directors for Seabed, Inc., a closely held family farm in Marion Junction, AL. Zora Financial serves individual households—including both high-net-worth and non-HNW clients—and sponsors of employer retirement plans. The firm employs a long-term, buy-and-hold investment approach grounded in Modern Portfolio Theory, supplemented by fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, and offers a range of planning and advisory services.

Laura I. Rotter, CFA, CFP is the founder of True Abundance Advisors, a fee-only financial life planning firm. Laura runs a unique firm built on the belief that true abundance comes when we create meaning with our money. Her meetings are a safe space for her clients to explore what they value and what gives them a sense of meaning and purpose. Together, they develop and implement a plan that broadens the concept of “investing” beyond financial assets to another scarce resource: time. Laura had a successful career on Wall Street, managing money for institutional investors, including Citicorp and Para Advisors. Her definition of abundance shifted, and she realized that she was using her life to make money, rather than using her money to make a life. She is drawn to work with others navigating a big life transition, and who are seeking purpose in their lives.

Avery Krasnow is an Investment Consultant at Fidelity Investments, a role held since 2025. In this capacity, Avery partners with clients to develop personalized investment strategies that align with their financial goals, utilizing Fidelity's planning tools to provide clarity and confidence in financial decision-making. Avery's experience in the financial services industry includes previous positions at Fidelity Investments as a Relationship Manager from 2024 to 2025 and as a Financial Representative from 2023 to 2024. This progression reflects Avery's growing expertise in client relationship management and financial planning. Outside of professional responsibilities, Avery has personal interests in cooking and baking, exploring food as a foodie, spending time with pets, practicing Pilates, and engaging in puzzles.

Lelamarie Kelly is a financial advisor at Life UnLocked Partners LLC with a Series 65 credential and one year of industry experience. She has held roles at Leyland Cypress LLC, Carbon Law Group, and RGP Legal, and has operated her own legal practice, LSK Legal, since 2010. Kelly is also principal and general counsel at Tennenbaum & Kelly, Inc., overseeing legal matters related to privately held investments, and serves as CFO and general counsel for businesses in email security and skincare sectors. Life UnLocked Partners provides financial planning, investment monitoring, and recommendations to individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm’s investment approach centers on a value and dividend strategy aimed at income replacement around career transitions, followed by a shift toward longer-term appreciation vehicles, including venture capital, hedge funds, and private equity.

Jared Fruth is a financial advisor at Northwest Asset Management with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Securities America, Inc., KMS Financial Services, Inc., Oppenheimer Funds, and John Paul Mitchell Systems. Northwest Asset Management is a registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.6 billion for nearly 3,000 clients, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charities, and corporations. The firm employs a customized, fiduciary approach using Modern Portfolio Theory and strategic asset allocation, combining fundamental and technical analysis to build diversified portfolios with periodic rebalancing.

Edwina Martin is a financial advisor at Waverly Advisors, LLC with two years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at 9258 Wealth Management for five years and Teradata Corp for eleven years. In addition to her advisory role, she serves as assistant director of tax planning at 9258 Tax and Planning. Waverly Advisors, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise adviser serving individuals, corporations, retirement plans, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and fiduciary services, employing a combination of centralized and customized investment strategies across traditional and alternative asset classes.

Craig Mcdaniel Jr. is a financial advisor with Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC in Columbia, SC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Capital Investment Group, Inc. and The McDaniel Corporation since 2012. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in life insurance sales and serves as an independent agent for annuities and related products. Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and supervisory services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers customized investment management through discretionary mandates, third-party managers, and private-label model portfolios, using a blend of analytical methods with ongoing portfolio monitoring.

David Hart is a financial advisor with Safeguard Investment Advisory Group, LLC, holding a Series 65 credential and 15 years of industry experience. He has worked with Safeguard since 2020 and previously held roles at LifePro Asset Management, LLC, Martin and Associates Insurance Services, Inc., and Martin Wealth Management, LLC. Hart is also a Certified Financial Fiduciary and volunteers as an instructor with the Foundation for Fiduciary Education (NACFF), providing unbiased fiduciary financial education. Safeguard Investment Advisory Group, LLC serves individual, high-net-worth, institutional, and business clients, offering discretionary portfolio management, access to third-party sub-advisers, and fee-based financial planning. The firm employs a fundamental-analysis investment process with a preferred horizon of two to ten years and manages over $600 million across approximately 1,800 client relationships.

Sarah Currier Barrella is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 26 years of industry experience. She is currently with Santander Securities LLC and Santander Bank, NA, having previously worked at TD Bank and Citizens Securities, Inc. Barrella holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Santander Securities LLC provides investment advisory and related services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, charitable organizations, retirement plans, and institutional clients. The firm offers wrap-fee advisory programs and financial planning services, delivering investment advice through the FMAX managed-account platform with discretionary portfolio management and ongoing suitability reviews.