Large-firm, charitable giving & philanthropy financial advisors in Wilmington, NC

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sally Hyman is a financial advisor with Seasons of Advice Wealth Management in New York, NY. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 43 years of industry experience, including roles at Ameriprise Financial Services and RBC Capital Markets. Outside of her advisory work, she records and sells vocal CDs and is involved in publishing her father's book on the spiritual meaning of disease and science. Seasons of Advice Wealth Management provides financial planning and discretionary investment management to individuals, high net worth clients, trusts, small business owners, professionals, and families. The firm uses a proprietary planning process that integrates goal tracking, asset allocation, and tax planning, tailoring investment recommendations to each client’s objectives and risk tolerance.

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.

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.

Edward Blatz serves as a Senior Resident Director and Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch. He specializes in working with high net-worth individuals and families, focusing on estate and wealth management needs. Since joining Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 1985, he has provided personalized financial solutions tailored to his clients' risk tolerance, time horizon, liquidity needs, and investment goals. Edward's expertise encompasses a range of areas including college education planning, divorce transition planning, employee benefits, executive compensation, family wealth management strategies, managing new wealth, individual and corporate investment strategies, and retirement income planning. He collaborates closely with clients' tax advisors and estate planning attorneys to ensure comprehensive management of clients' financial and personal affairs. Edward is recognized as a member of The Blatz-Rooney Group, which was named to the 2024 Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams" list. Edward holds a Bachelor's Degree from Adelphi University and has earned several professional designations including Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). Outside of his professional work, he has interests in golfing, reading, and tennis.

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.

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.