CFP®-certified, general retirement planning 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.

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.

Amanda Scheele is a financial advisor with Raymond James & Associates in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, holding a Series 66 designation and 16 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Raymond James in 2024, she worked at Wells Fargo Clearing from 2016 to 2024 and is involved with Lucky Duck since 2025. Raymond James & Associates is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base that includes individuals, institutions, and municipal entities. The firm offers financial planning and non-discretionary consulting services, drawing on various portfolio management styles and affiliated research.

Lori Fell is a Series 66 credentialed financial advisor with Edward Jones in East Lansing, MI, where she has worked since 2009, accumulating 17 years of industry experience. Outside of her advisory role, she is the owner of LAF Properties LLC, a business she maintains in East Lansing. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment solutions, including managed account strategies and affiliated mutual funds, and operates under a fiduciary standard.

Kenneth Blaschke is a financial advisor at HeadInvest in Portland, ME, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 16 years of industry experience. He has been with HeadInvest since 2009. HeadInvest serves a diverse range of clients, including individuals, trusts, endowments, and government entities, providing discretionary portfolio management and financial planning. The firm employs a holistic, asset-allocation driven approach, combining fixed-income selection with low-cost ETFs and emphasizing tax efficiency.

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.

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.

Elanna Gould is a CFP® professional with six years of experience, currently advising at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors in Cleveland, OH. Her background includes roles at PepsiCo and The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Center, as well as academic experience at The Ohio State University. She is also an independent insurance agent for various companies. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a broad client base, including individuals, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through a network of independent professionals. The firm provides a range of portfolio management options, proprietary and third-party strategies, and various custody platforms tailored to client objectives.

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.

Jace Hart is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience and currently serves as a financial advisor at Rockwall Wealth Management. His prior experience includes roles at Leo Wealth, LPL Financial, and Fidelity Brokerage Services. Rockwall Wealth Management provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, trusts, plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm emphasizes diversified, low-cost ETF model portfolios with a focus on tax efficiency, liquidity, and systematic macro tilts, offering both traditional and advanced investment strategies tailored to client objectives.

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.