Top college savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) financial advisors in Valdosta, GA

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.

Saving for college often starts when you want to make the most of tax-advantaged accounts like 529 plans or UTMA (Uniform Transfers to Minors Act) accounts. A common mistake is not aligning the savings plan with your child's timeline and your overall financial goals, which can reduce the benefits.

  • Account type guidance. Confirm how they help choose between 529s, UTMA, or other savings vehicles based on your family's needs.
  • Investment strategy. Ask how they adjust investments as your child approaches college age to balance growth and risk.
  • Financial aid impact. Understand how savings accounts might affect your child's eligibility for financial aid and how the advisor plans accordingly.
  • Tax considerations. Inquire about strategies to maximize tax advantages specific to your state and situation.

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

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George C

Series 63, Series 65

Valdosta, GA

Primerica Advisors

George Cleland is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and six years of industry experience. He has worked at Primerica Advisors since 2020 and has prior experience in the healthcare sector with Northeast Georgia Health System and South Georgia Medical Center. Outside of advisory work, he is involved in the sale of loan products and home security and automation services through affiliated companies. Primerica Advisors provides discretionary asset management through its Lifetime Investment Program, offering model-based strategies and separately managed accounts primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm curates third-party asset managers and uses a tiered wrap-fee structure for its investment services.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting Income planning
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Labryn D

Series 66

Valdosta, GA

Newedge Advisors

Labryn Depta is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with NewEdge Advisors, based in Valdosta, GA. He has two years of industry experience with prior roles at LPL Financial and NewEdge Advisors. Outside of advisory work, Depta is involved with Prudent Man, LLC, providing tax preparation and accounting services. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a network of independent investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a broad range of portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services and employs multiple program structures combining in-house manager selection with third-party models and advisor discretion.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Deborah S

Series 63, Series 65

Valdosta, GA

Valic Financial Advisors

Deborah Smith is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Valdosta, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and with 29 years of industry experience. She has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 1999 and has also worked with Agia since 2022. Outside of her advisory role, she is a licensed insurance agent providing life and disability insurance to employees of Housing Authority groups. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, wrap programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models with various overlay options.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting Retirement income strategy
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Jeremy D

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Valdosta, GA

Cetera

Jeremy Davis is a CFP® professional with 21 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Cetera. His prior roles include leadership positions at Horse Cove Partners LLC and The Kerrigan Davis Group LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in community activities such as hosting the Pathways Podcast and serving as a Deacon at First Baptist Church Valdosta. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that supports a large network of independent advisors serving individual, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services with a multi-manager platform that includes access to affiliated and unaffiliated investment managers.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Christopher B

Series 66

Valdosta, GA

Edward Jones

Christopher Burns is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Valdosta, GA, with seven years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Edward Jones since 2019. Prior to his advisory career, he worked for Patten Seed Company for 13 years. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory services, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee strategies, access to separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Multi-generational wealth transfer Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Hassan A

Series 63, Series 65

Rockville, MD

LPL Financial

Hassan Al Kadhimi is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and two years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. He is also involved with NIHFCU Wealth Advisors, a related business entity. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolio programs, and institutional platforms, supported by a large network of investment adviser representatives.

Wealth management Retirement income strategy College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Tax-loss harvesting Annuities Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Richard B

Series 63, Series 66

Austin, TX

Charles Schwab

Richard Brandi is a financial advisor with Charles Schwab based in Austin, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. He has been with Charles Schwab and Charles Schwab Bank ssb since 2003 and 2005, respectively. Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. serves primarily high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals through its Schwab Wealth Advisory wrap fee program and affiliated managed-account and financial planning services. The firm offers a mix of non-discretionary and discretionary investment guidance, leveraging multi-asset model portfolios and research from its Schwab Center for Financial Research.

Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Multi-state taxation College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
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Thaddeus P

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Grand Rapids, MI

Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC

Thaddeus Phelps is a CFP® professional with 28 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC since 2019 and previously spent 14 years with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. In addition to his advisory work, Phelps owns a tax preparation business and an accounting support service, and he serves in fiduciary roles such as trustee and executor. Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm offers discretionary investment management through a wrap asset management program and emphasizes an individualized approach with asset allocation supported by fundamental, sector, and technical analysis, including risk management strategies such as put options and conservative cash instruments.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Charitable giving & philanthropy General estate planning guidance General tax planning Options & derivatives strategies
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Paul K

CFP®, Series 65

Zimmerman, MN

Longview Financial, Inc.

Paul Kinneberg is a CFP® and Series 65-registered advisor with 24 years of industry experience. He has been the principal and sole advisor at Longview Financial, Inc. since 2000 and also holds a long-term corporate role at CenturyLink. Longview Financial, Inc. provides personalized, fee-only financial planning and investment management primarily for individual clients. The firm uses a strategic asset allocation approach with a core-and-satellite framework, combining passive index and ETF core holdings with active funds when appropriate, and manages client assets on a non-discretionary basis with an emphasis on individualized advice.

General tax planning College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Cash flow / budgeting

Justin S

CFP®, ChFC®, Series 66

Prairie Village, KS

Edward Jones

Justin Scicluna is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Prairie Village, KS, holding the CFP®, ChFC®, and Series 66 designations with 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2013. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients, including a range of household types, pension plans, corporate clients, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers various advisory programs, discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, and affiliated investment products through a nationwide network of over 23,700 financial advisors.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) General estate planning guidance Multi-generational wealth transfer Retirement income strategy General retirement planning Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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