Traverse City, MI East State Street Office

Team
Updated today
STIFEL logo

STIFEL

Institution

Firm-wide stats for STIFEL

Total advisors

3,358

Across 472 offices

Clients per advisor

69 Very Low

Avg AUM per client

$773,556 Very High

HNW client ratio

32% High

About

Stifel serves a broad range of clients—individuals (including high net worth and non-HNW clients), institutional clients such as pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and state and municipal entities—and provides both brokerage and investment advisory services, including fee-based financial planning, wrap programs, and recommendations of third‑party advisers. The firm’s fee‑based plans are typically episodic, delivered by Financial Advisors or the Wealth Planning Department, and do not automatically include implementation or ongoing monitoring unless a client engages Stifel for execution.

The firm’s investment analysis and allocation guidance are built on a proprietary methodology developed by its Investment Strategy Group (Stifel IS), which uses forward‑looking capital market assumptions and probabilistic modeling to produce asset allocation, retirement, insurance, and estate planning analyses. Plans and model allocations are intended as a basis for client decisions rather than guarantees; clients generally retain discretion over implementation and may be asked to supply outside account information that Stifel does not independently verify.

Compared with many large institutional peers, Stifel’s brochure emphasizes several activities and affiliations that are less common: the firm provides services to private funds and pooled vehicles and has been involved in municipal placement and related municipal‑market activity (including regulatory matters addressed in recent SEC and FINRA settlements). It also operates alongside affiliated trust companies and banks that offer pledged‑asset/credit line facilities that can use advisory assets as collateral, and notes that some of its management persons are licensed to practice law (without providing legal services to advisory clients). The firm’s disclosures also describe substantial recent regulatory enforcement, including an SEC order related to electronic communications that resulted in undertakings and a monetary penalty.

Based on STIFEL

Expertise

General retirement planning Income planning

Based on STIFEL

Location

202 East State Street, Suite 300

Traverse City MI 49684

Advisors at this office

8

Advisors at this office

user avatar

Jonathan R

Series 63, Series 66

Traverse City, MI

STIFEL

Jonathan Ricks Jr. is a financial advisor with STIFEL in Traverse City, MI, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 19 years of industry experience. He has been with STIFEL since 2009. Stifel serves a diverse client base, including individuals, institutional clients, and charitable organizations, offering brokerage and investment advisory services supported by a proprietary investment methodology developed by its Investment Strategy Group.

General retirement planning Income planning
user avatar

Robert F

Series 66

Traverse City, MI

STIFEL

Robert Fenton is a financial advisor at Stifel with 15 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at Stifel Nicolaus & Co Inc since 2018, following eight years at Raymond James & Associates. Outside of his advisory role, he has been involved with RJF Sports since 2006. Stifel serves a broad range of clients, including individuals, institutional clients, and charitable organizations, offering brokerage and investment advisory services that incorporate proprietary investment analysis and asset allocation methodologies.

General retirement planning Income planning
user avatar

Buz Z

Series 63, Series 65

Traverse City, MI

STIFEL

Buz Zamarron is a financial advisor at Stifel with 39 years of industry experience. He has been with Stifel since 2009 and holds the Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a Successor Trustee of a family trust and is involved with the Exchange Club of Traverse City. Stifel serves a wide range of clients, including individuals, institutional clients, and charitable organizations, offering brokerage and investment advisory services. Its investment recommendations are based on a proprietary methodology developed by the firm's Investment Strategy Group, providing guidance for asset allocation, retirement, insurance, and estate planning.

General retirement planning Income planning
user avatar

Kevin D

Series 66

Traverse City, MI

STIFEL

Kevin Dunklow is a financial advisor with Stifel, holding a Series 66 designation and eight years of industry experience. Prior to joining Stifel in 2021, he worked at Edward Jones from 2017 to 2021 and served with the Traverse City Police Department for 13 years. He is a board member of Charlie Golf One, a nonprofit focused on affordable housing and programs for veterans in the Traverse City community. Stifel serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutional investors, and charitable organizations, offering brokerage and investment advisory services. The firm employs a proprietary investment methodology developed by its Investment Strategy Group to support asset allocation, retirement, insurance, and estate planning analyses.

General retirement planning Income planning
user avatar

Steven Y

Series 63, Series 65

Traverse City, MI

STIFEL

Steven Yenshaw is a financial advisor at Stifel with 36 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Stifel since 2009. Stifel serves a broad range of clients, including individuals, institutional clients, charitable organizations, and municipal entities, offering brokerage and investment advisory services supported by proprietary investment analysis and allocation methodologies developed by its Investment Strategy Group.

General retirement planning Income planning
user avatar

Barbara S

Series 66

Traverse City, MI

STIFEL

Barbara Shellman is a financial advisor at Stifel with seven years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Raymond James in various capacities from 2013 to 2023. Outside of her advisory role, she chairs the marketing committee for SCORE Traverse City, a volunteer organization supporting local business owners, and serves on the arts and culture committee for Impact 100 Traverse City, a nonprofit collective giving group. Stifel serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutional clients, and charitable organizations, offering brokerage and investment advisory services. The firm’s investment approach is based on proprietary analysis and probabilistic modeling developed by its Investment Strategy Group.

General retirement planning Income planning
user avatar

Terry F

Series 66

Traverse City, MI

STIFEL

Terry Froeber is a financial advisor at Stifel with 16 years of industry experience and holds the Series 66 designation. He has worked at Stifel since 2019 and previously spent 11 years at First Empire Securities, Inc. Stifel serves a diverse client base that includes individuals, institutional clients, and charitable organizations, offering both brokerage and investment advisory services. The firm uses a proprietary investment methodology developed by its Investment Strategy Group to provide asset allocation and planning analyses, serving as a basis for client decision-making.

General retirement planning Income planning
user avatar

Deborah A

Series 63, Series 65

Traverse City, MI

STIFEL

Deborah Alice is a financial advisor at Stifel with 27 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked previously at Merrill, Wells Fargo Clearing, and Raymond James Financial Services. Outside of her advisory role, she is the owner of Affinity Appliance Services, LLC. Stifel serves a broad range of clients, including individuals, institutional investors, and charitable organizations, offering brokerage and investment advisory services. The firm’s investment approach incorporates proprietary methodologies developed by its Investment Strategy Group to support asset allocation and financial planning.

General retirement planning Income planning
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