Large-firm, 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.

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.