Independent financial advisors working with university employees

The right financial advisor for you depends on how you weigh location, expertise, experience, the clients they typically serve, and how they work with you.

If you work at a university, you might face unique challenges like managing retirement plans tied to your institution or navigating benefits that differ from the private sector. Without an advisor familiar with university employee benefits, you risk missing out on options that could improve your financial security.

  • Retirement plan nuances. Confirm how they handle university-specific plans like 403(b)s or pension options, not just standard 401(k)s.
  • Benefit integration. Ask how they incorporate your health, tuition, or other university benefits into your overall financial plan.
  • Independent advice. These advisors operate without firm constraints, which can mean more flexibility in recommending solutions tailored to your university employment.
  • Experience with academic careers. Check if they understand the typical career path and income progression of university employees to better align your financial goals.

Here are top matches to get you started. Review each profile to compare experience, credentials, and approach.

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Fionn A

Series 65

Las Vegas, NV

Adaptive Wealth Engineering

Fionn Allen is a financial advisor at Adaptive Wealth Engineering based in Las Vegas, NV, holding a Series 65 credential. Allen has experience at Summit Portfolio Management and has worked in various roles outside the financial industry, including positions in education and hospitality. Adaptive Wealth Engineering provides discretionary portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals, retirement plans, and businesses. The firm utilizes an evidence-based investing framework with a focus on global diversification and factor-aware equities, maintaining a relatively small client base to support concentrated advisor-client relationships.

Passive / index investing University Employee Approaching retirement
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Mark T

Series 63

Mooresville, NC

C2 Investment Group

Mark Teichman is a financial advisor at C2 Investment Group with 20 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has worked with C2 Investment Group since 1998. He is a co-owner of C2, LLC, which operates Tracker, a portfolio accounting and reporting application. C2 Investment Group provides non-discretionary investment consultation to institutional clients, such as municipalities and public funds, focusing on government bond index tracking using US Treasury and Agency securities. The firm offers index-tracking optimization tools to assist clients with portfolio rebalancing and does not provide discretionary portfolio management.

Passive / index investing University Employee Government Employee
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James B

CFP®, CFA®, Series 66

Portland, ME

Penobscot Financial Advisors

James Bradley is a CFP® and CFA® with 28 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Penobscot Financial Advisors since 2011 and previously held roles at Mid Atlantic Financial Management, Inc. and Mid Atlantic Capital Corporation. Outside of finance, he is a flight instructor and pilot at Maine Coastal Flight Center and serves as Treasurer and volunteer board member for Hospice Volunteers of Hancock County. Penobscot Financial Advisors is a team-based firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm employs a multi-disciplinary investment approach with a long-term orientation and offers both comprehensive wealth management and standalone financial-planning services.

General retirement planning Cash flow / budgeting University Employee
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Andrea R

Series 63, Series 65

Ann Arbor, MI

Darden Wealth Group

Andrea Russo is a financial advisor at Darden Wealth Group in Ann Arbor, MI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 20 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Darden Wealth Group in 2026, Russo worked at Altrius Capital Management over multiple periods totaling approximately 12 years, and briefly at Kroon & Mitchell in 2023. Darden Wealth Group serves private individuals, university faculty, business owners, foundations, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations, offering comprehensive wealth management, financial planning, retirement and pension consulting, and business-owner advisory. The firm’s investment approach combines fundamental analysis with multi-year horizons and tactical allocations, utilizing individual securities alongside ETFs and mutual funds.

Retirement income strategy Business exit / sale strategy Charitable giving & philanthropy Cash flow / budgeting Founder/Business Owner University Employee
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Jon Michael C

Series 65

DeLand, FL

Hanson Financial Group

Jon Michael Carrick is a financial advisor at Hanson Financial Group with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Hanson Financial Group since 2023. Carrick also has a long-term academic role at Stetson University, where he has been employed since 2011. Outside of advising, he serves as Director of Alta Peaks, Inc., an investment holding company that was previously active in selling market research reports. Hanson Financial Group primarily serves pooled investment vehicles and institutional or business clients through discretionary investment supervisory and portfolio management services. The firm employs a tactical allocation approach across various asset classes and does not use a percentage-of-assets fee model.

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Real estate investing University Employee
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Jared F

Series 65

Huntington Beach, CA

Northwest Asset Management

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.

Retirement income strategy Wealth management Active portfolio management Founder/Business Owner
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Edwina M

Series 65

Cincinnati, OH

Waverly Advisors, LLC

Edwina Martin is a Series 65 licensed financial advisor with two years of industry experience, currently with Waverly Advisors, LLC. She previously worked at 9258 Wealth Management for five years and was employed at Teradata Corp for eleven years. Martin also serves as assistant director of tax planning at 9258 Tax and Planning, a non-investment related business. Waverly Advisors is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing portfolios for individuals, retirement plans, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm combines traditional equity and fixed-income strategies with alternative and private-market allocations, offering a range of investment management and financial planning services.

Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Options & derivatives strategies Tax-loss harvesting Multi-generational wealth transfer Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Craig M

Series 63, Series 65

Columbia, SC

Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC

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.

Active portfolio management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Annuities Options & derivatives strategies Founder/Business Owner Retired
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David H

Series 65

Irvine, CA

Martin Wealth Management, LLC

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.

Medicare planning Annuities
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Sarah C

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Boston, MA

Santander Securities LLC

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.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting General retirement planning Income planning Founder/Business Owner
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