Top business succession planning financial advisors in Wilmington, NC

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're preparing to transfer your business ownership or planning for retirement, you need an advisor who understands the complexities of business succession planning. A common mistake is underestimating the tax and legal implications, which can jeopardize your business's future and your financial security.

  • Exit strategy alignment. Confirm how they tailor succession plans to your personal retirement goals and business timeline.
  • Tax impact awareness. Ask how they navigate state and federal tax considerations to minimize your liabilities during the transition.
  • Stakeholder coordination. Ensure they facilitate communication among family members, partners, and legal professionals to avoid conflicts.
  • Valuation expertise. Inquire about their approach to accurately valuing your business for sale or transfer purposes.

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

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Teresa H

CFP®, Series 63

Wilmington, NC

Cambridge Investment Research Advisors

Teresa Holzwarth is a CFP® professional with 32 years of industry experience. She is currently with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors and Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., where she has worked since 2019. Her prior experience includes 13 years at Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation. Outside of her advisory role, she serves as vice president of Rogers and Holzwarth Associates, an independent insurance agency. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors is an SEC-registered adviser serving a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and trusts. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, and retirement plan advisory through a network of independent Financial Professionals using a range of portfolio management strategies and platform arrangements.

Wealth management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Retirement income strategy Annuities Self-Employed
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David H

Series 63, Series 65

Wilmington, NC

Nich Capital Partners, Inc.

David Halling is a financial advisor at NICH Capital Partners, Inc. in Wilmington, NC, with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Alaska Trust Company. Outside of his advisory role, he co-founded and manages an eCommerce business, Mackie Scientific LLC, and serves as Vice President of Sales for Quinte Financial Technologies. NICH Capital Partners provides discretionary asset management primarily for high-net-worth individuals, managing approximately $148 million in assets across 69 client relationships. The firm offers tailored portfolio management using a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, with individualized portfolios and regular monitoring.

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Concentrated stock management
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Douglas S

CFA®, Series 63, Series 65

Wilmington, NC

RiverFront Investment Group, LLC

Douglas Sandler is a CFA® charterholder with 33 years of industry experience. He is currently with RiverFront Investment Group, LLC, where he has worked since 2015. His prior experience includes roles at ALPS Distributors, Inc. and Wells Fargo Clearing. Outside of his advisory work, Sandler serves on the board of an early venture fund and volunteers as a free ski coach. RiverFront Investment Group provides investment management services to individual investors, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm employs a Price Matters® valuation framework combined with tactical asset allocation and security selection across global fixed income and equities, implementing strategies through various model delivery platforms and customized portfolio solutions.

Options & derivatives strategies Tax-loss harvesting Passive / index investing Active portfolio management
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Gary G

Series 63, Series 65

Wilmington, NC

OSAIC Institutions, INC.

Gary Gardner Jr. is a financial advisor with Osaic Institutions, Inc. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has 23 years of industry experience. His prior work includes positions at Infinex Investments, Inc., Harvest Capital Advisors, LLC, Banc of America Investment Services, Inc., and Quick & Reilly, Inc. He is a member of Port City Young Professionals, a regional networking group. Osaic Institutions, Inc. serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and corporate clients through a network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers customized advisory services, financial planning, and access to alternative investments, operating with a hybrid adviser/broker-dealer structure and a lending marketplace.

Annuities Tax-loss harvesting Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Joe P

Series 63, Series 65

Wilmington, NC

The Strategic Financial Alliance, Inc.

Joe Pearce is a financial advisor with The Strategic Financial Alliance, Inc. in Wilmington, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 27 years of industry experience. He has been with The Strategic Financial Alliance since 2005. The Strategic Financial Alliance serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and other entities by offering portfolio management, financial planning, consulting, and access to third-party managers through various portfolio programs. The firm uses a combination of in-house management and co-advisory arrangements, with a significant portion of assets managed on a non-discretionary basis.

Wealth management Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Ethan S

CFP®, Series 65

Auburn Hills, MI

Plante Moran financial advisors

Ethan Siekkinen is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, currently serving as a financial advisor with Plante Moran Financial Advisors. He has one year of industry experience and has previously worked at J Wilson Wealth Management and operated Rizzo Lawn Care. Plante Moran Financial Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory, financial planning, and estate planning services to a diverse client base including individual households, institutional clients, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm employs a multi-disciplinary investment process and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, manager search, and tax-lot accounting services.

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Private / alternative investments Concentrated stock management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Michael I

Series 63, Series 65

Livingston, NJ

Raymond James Financial

Michael Ipp is a financial advisor with Raymond James Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 42 years of industry experience. He has been with Raymond James Financial Services Advisors since 2010 and serves as an independent contractor for 1792 Wealth Advisors. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors provides financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary planning and uses analytical tools to support client decision-making, while also maintaining specialized programs such as municipal advisory services and SIMPLE IRA Employer Advisory & Consulting Services.

Wealth management Tax strategies for small businesses Business succession planning General estate planning guidance Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Jeffrey M

CFP®, ChFC®, Series 66

Greenville, DE

Investment Management & Planning LLC

Jeffrey Macdonald is a CFP® and ChFC® with 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at Investment Management & Planning LLC and LPL Financial since 2010, following two years at Wells Fargo Clearing. Investment Management & Planning LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm constructs tailored portfolios using mutual funds, ETFs, equities, and fixed-income securities, employing fundamental analysis and continuous supervision, and operates as both a wrap program sponsor and affiliated registered representatives of LPL Financial.

General retirement planning Business succession planning Tax strategies for small businesses Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive Mid-Career Professionals Approaching retirement
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Patrick F

Series 66

New Market, MD

Intentional

Patrick Ferguson is a financial advisor at Intentional with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Commonwealth Financial Network, and LPL Financial. In addition to his advisory role, he is a licensed agent involved in the sales of fixed and traditional insurance products. Intentional provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, businesses, and institutions. The firm offers pension consulting, estate planning support, business exit planning, and due diligence on alternative investments, utilizing a combination of fundamental, technical, and economic analysis within a fiduciary framework.

Business exit / sale strategy Multi-generational wealth transfer Private / alternative investments Founder/Business Owner
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Jerald L

Series 63

San Antonio, TX

Frost Investment Services

Jerald Liesman is a financial advisor at Frost Investment Services with 33 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has worked at Frost Brokerage Services, Inc. and Frost Bank since 1993 and 1987, respectively. Frost Investment Services is a retail-focused, SEC-registered adviser serving individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, and managed account programs that integrate model portfolios from its affiliate with third-party managers, utilizing a research-driven investment process and providing optional tax and ESG overlay services.

Tax-loss harvesting ESG / Sustainable investing Retirement income strategy General estate planning guidance Business succession planning Founder/Business Owner Executive
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