Christopher Smiles

Advisor at Merrill

Updated today

Location

Weston, VT

Credentials

Series 63, Series 65

Industry experience

44 years

About

Christopher Smiles is a Senior Financial Advisor and founder of The Smiles Group, a family office-style investment team within Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Since joining the firm in 1984, he has over 40 years of experience assisting clients with complex financial decisions. He leads a team focused on providing high-touch, relationship-driven service, working closely with each client’s legal and tax advisors to develop and implement fully integrated investment strategies. His expertise includes creating customized solutions for entrepreneurs, executives, and high-net-worth families nationwide, with areas of focus such as corporate executive services, executive compensation, family wealth management, retirement planning, philanthropic planning, and tax minimization.

Mr. Smiles holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC™), Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor® (CPFA®), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Benefits Consultant (RBC) designations. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Bates College. He resides in Weston, Vermont with his wife and their three dogs. Outside of his professional work, he enjoys biking, fishing, hiking, skiing, and yoga. Christopher is also involved in community events including Nantucket Race Week’s Rainbow Parade.

Client services

Based on Merrill

Portfolio management Pension consulting Selection of other advisers Educational seminars or workshops
Performance measurement reports, allocation modeling, ips, research reports and services, see schedule d

Expertise

Wealth management Family Business Retirement income strategy Charitable giving & philanthropy

Occupation focus

Executive

Demographic focus

Based on Merrill

Mid-Career Professionals HENRY (High Earners, Not Rich Yet)

Not sure if this advisor is right for you?

Answer a few questions to see advisors matched to you.

Fee options

Percentage

$0 - $2,000,000: 1.10% (for Managed Strategy with MFSA under $2 million) $2,000,000+: 1.00% (for Managed Strategy with MFSA at and above $2 million)

Other

Account minimum: $2,000,000 minimum to qualify for Premium Access Strategy per SEC data and Merrill brochure context; no other firm-wide minimum clearly stated

Location

Weston, VT

Most active in

Connecticut · Texas · Vermont

Work history

Bank of America, N.A.

2011 - Present (15 years)

Merrill

1984 - Present (42 years)

Disclosures

Exclamation point means they have disclosures of this type. Check mark means no disclosures of this type were found.

Business activities & affiliations

user avatar

Christopher M

Series 63, Series 65

Chester, VT

Ox Lux Advisory LLC

Christopher Mason is associated with OX Lux Advisory LLC and holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations. The firm provides advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth individuals, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning and ongoing portfolio management. OX Lux uses modern portfolio theory, quantitative and technical analysis, and employs various strategies including trading, margin, and options, with a focus on tailored client plans and regular account monitoring.

Options & derivatives strategies Concentrated stock management Passive / index investing
user avatar

Tyson F

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Manchester Center, VT

Equinox Financial Advisors, Inc.

Tyson Fielding is a CFP® professional with eight years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Equinox Financial Advisors, Inc. He has worked at Equinox since 2012 and is also involved with T&E Fielding Corp. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as Treasurer of Main Street Hockey Club, Inc. and is a board member of the Mt. Laurel Foundation. Equinox Financial Advisors provides wealth management, investment management, financial planning, and in-house tax preparation services to individuals, trusts, estates, businesses, nonprofits, and charitable organizations. The firm builds customized, primarily long-term portfolios using low-cost, diversified mutual funds and ETFs, supplemented by individual securities when appropriate, and manages approximately $95.5 million for over 300 clients.

Wealth management Active portfolio management Tax-loss harvesting Real estate investing
user avatar

Hudsen H

CFP®, Series 65

Chester, VT

AFS Wealth Management LLC

Hudsen Hagland is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with four years of industry experience. He currently leads AFS Wealth Management LLC, an independent advisory firm, and has prior experience at SHP Wealth Management, LLC and Fisher Financial Advisors, LLC. He also held a position at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth from 2015 to 2020. AFS Wealth Management LLC is a single-advisor firm managing approximately $30.7 million for about 44 clients. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management and financial consulting tailored to individual client objectives, employing a combination of modern portfolio theory and technical analysis methods.

Wealth management Passive / index investing Real estate investing
user avatar

Kevin T

Series 63, Series 66

Manchester Center, VT

HWC Financial

Kevin Theissen is a financial advisor at HWC Financial with 15 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at HWC Financial since 2018, following a seven-year tenure at Skygate Financial Group. In addition to his advisory role, he is a licensed insurance agent. HWC Financial provides discretionary investment management and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients, managing approximately $52 million across about 100 accounts. The firm employs a fundamentally driven, value-oriented investment approach with a multi-year horizon and integrates tax and insurance considerations into its planning.

Wealth management Real estate investing
user avatar

Zachary L

Series 66

Manchester Center, VT

HWC Financial

Zachary Levine is a financial advisor at HWC Financial with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at LPL Financial LLC, Mirras, Jacoby, Levine & Hatgistavrou Inc., Ganer + Ganer PLLC, and Mazars LLP. Outside of advisory work, he is involved with Cope Americas, LLC, an online selling platform. HWC Financial provides discretionary investment management and financial planning to individual and high-net-worth clients, managing approximately $52 million across about 100 accounts. The firm employs a fundamentally driven, value-oriented approach, constructing portfolios across major asset classes with discretion to rebalance or hold positions based on tax, valuation, or client-specific considerations.

Wealth management Real estate investing
user avatar

Shawn H

Series 66

Manchester Center, VT

Bay Colony Advisors

Shawn Harrington is a financial advisor at Bay Colony Advisors with 20 years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. He joined Bay Colony Advisors in 2016 after a brief tenure at Hagin Investment Management. Outside of his advisory role, Harrington serves as a curator for the Manchester Historical Society in Vermont. Bay Colony Advisors serves individuals, high-net-worth families, and institutional retirement plans with portfolio management, financial planning, retirement-plan consulting, and family-office services. The firm employs a long-term, fundamentally driven investment approach using diversified mutual funds and ETFs alongside individual equities, fixed income, and alternative investments.

Private / alternative investments Concentrated stock management Annuities Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
Warmer team member

Not sure where to start?

We'll help you think it through — whether you ultimately need an advisor or not.

Warmer helps you compare advisors clearly — so you can choose with confidence.

Find your advisor
Discover

Compare top advisor firms by metric, firm size, and location.

Warmer provides personalized recommendations and introductions to independent fiduciary advisors. We do not supervise advisors, manage or hold assets, guarantee performance, or provide advice about specific investments.

Each advisor listed on our site is an independent fiduciary responsible for their own advice. Warmer may receive fees from advisors for participation or referrals; these fees are paid by advisors and do not affect the fees clients pay for advisory services.

For advisor listings, we rely on sources including public filings and data provided by advisors, and we cannot guarantee that all information is current or accurate. Please review an advisor's Form ADV and do your own diligence before entering into an advisory relationship.

By using our service, you agree to Warmer's Terms of Service and Advisory Agreement and Privacy Policy. Logos provided by Logo.dev

© 2026 Warmer Holdings Inc. ("Warmer")