Large-firm financial advisors working with clients approaching retirement in Waynesville, NC

Sebastien Gruaz is a CFP® and Series 66 licensed advisor with Valic Financial Advisors and three years of industry experience. Prior to joining Valic Financial Advisors in 2023, he worked at United Surgical Partners International and held positions at MD Anderson Cancer Center and Houston Methodist. He is also appointed as an agent to sell non-securities insurance products for AGIA. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients, as well as employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services through a large network of advisors, utilizing discretionary unified managed accounts and a range of model-based investment solutions.

Edmon Enfield III is a financial advisor at RBC Capital Markets with 23 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at both RBC Capital Markets and City National Bank since 2013 and 2018, respectively. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, LLC, serves individual investors, institutional clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory programs that provide portfolio management, financial planning, custody, and brokerage services tailored to each client’s risk profile through in-house and third-party investment managers.

David Roper is a CFP®-credentialed financial advisor with over 32 years of industry experience. He has been with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors since 2011 and has a longstanding career that includes roles at Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. and Choice Financial Advisors. He is also an independent insurance agent for various insurance companies. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors is a large SEC-registered firm serving a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and trusts. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, and retirement plan advisory services through a network of independent professionals, utilizing a variety of portfolio management strategies and platform arrangements.

Mathew Underwood is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Waynesville, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Edward Jones for 12 years before joining Wells Fargo in 2020. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions supported by research from Wells Fargo Investment Institute and third-party providers.

Eric Laorr is a financial advisor at Stifel with 11 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Stifel since 2019. Prior to that, he was employed at George K. Baum & Company from 2015 to 2019. Stifel serves a broad range of clients, including individuals and institutional entities, offering brokerage and investment advisory services supported by a proprietary investment analysis methodology developed by its Investment Strategy Group.

Willie Myles is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2016, previously serving at Axa Advisors and MSI Financial Services. Outside of advising, he is a co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for Alpha Light Fund Inc., a nonprofit focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a range of clients including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement consulting, and asset management through a network of representatives and third-party managers. The firm offers various investment vehicles and ERISA fiduciary services, relying on third-party program sponsors and an affiliation with a publicly traded parent company.

Stavroula Koutsfetsoulis is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with 25 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2011. In addition to her advisory role, she is involved in fiduciary activities as an attorney-in-fact (power of attorney). Ameriprise is a large institutional firm that provides retirement-income planning services primarily to individuals with substantial investable assets. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver written recommendation reports through a centralized consulting team, focusing on tailored retirement income strategies.

Barbara Brewer is a financial advisor at RBC Capital Markets with 20 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been with RBC Capital Markets Corporation since 2008. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, serves individual investors, institutional clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers various advisory programs with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, custody, and brokerage services, tailoring strategies to clients’ Advisory Risk Profiles through a mix of in-house and third-party providers.

Richard Martin is a financial advisor at Cetera with 29 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has a background that includes nearly three decades at Avantax Advisory Services and eight years at Avantax Insurance Agency. Outside of his advisory work, he is the owner and sole proprietor of Martin & Pellegrin, CPAs, a tax preparation and accounting firm. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm provides a multi-manager platform offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to various program structures and third-party money managers.

Lee Chen is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Pasadena, California, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. He has been with UBS since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, Chen serves on the board of directors for the San Gabriel Country Club. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, combining proprietary capital market research with a broad range of financial planning and portfolio management solutions.

Jeffrey Park is a financial advisor at Merrill with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Merrill and affiliated firms since 2011, including roles at JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities. Outside of his advisory work, he is a sole owner and co-owner of family rental properties in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

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 at Wells Fargo Clearing with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at JPMorgan Securities LLC for seven years. Outside of finance, he has been involved with #TagMeBro LLC and Fry Street Public House. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions.

Willie Myles is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2016, previously serving at Axa Advisors and MSI Financial Services. Outside of advising, he is a co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for Alpha Light Fund Inc., a nonprofit focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a range of clients including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement consulting, and asset management through a network of representatives and third-party managers. The firm offers various investment vehicles and ERISA fiduciary services, relying on third-party program sponsors and an affiliation with a publicly traded parent company.