Raymond James welcomes Utah financial advisor team managing nearly $500 million
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Raymond James recently welcomed financial advisors Jim Phillips and Aaron Phillips to Raymond James Financial Services (RJFS) – the firm’s independent advisor channel – according to Casey McGee, Western assistant division director for RJFS.
At Cottonwood Capital Management in Salt Lake City, Utah, the advisors’ team includes registered client service associates Jordan Fletcher and Nicole Klekas, who serve as chief marketing officer and chief operation officer for the practice respectively. Together they provide financial services and strategies to a range of clients, specializing in business owners, corporate executives, nonprofit organizations, corporations and institutions. Previously, Jim and Aaron were affiliated with Morgan Stanley where they managed nearly $500 million in client assets.
“Helping people is the number one thing we do every day, and Raymond James enables us to fulfill that promise to our clients through outstanding service, innovative financial products and helping us preserve our clients’ wealth,” said Jim.
As founder of the practice, Jim brings more than 30 years of advisory experience and was affiliated with Morgan Stanley and its predecessor firms since 2003. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business management from the University of Wyoming Laramie. Jim and his team were also named a Forbes 2023-2025 Best-In-State Wealth Management Team for Utah.
Aaron, co-founder of the practice, has nearly a decade of experience in financial services. He worked as an analyst for the US Department of Treasury in Washington D.C. before joining his father at Morgan Stanley in 2015. In addition to his bachelor’s degree in finance from Brigham Young University, Aaron holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification as well as the Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist™ designation from the College for Financial Planning.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Jim and Aaron to Raymond James, with their extensive industry experience and unwavering commitment to clients, they are an excellent addition to our presence in the region. It’s a testament to the firm’s offering of robust capabilities combined with a people-focused culture that we continue to attract such high quality teams,” said McGee.
About Raymond James Financial Services
Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. (RJFS), member FINRA/SIPC, is a financial services firm supporting independent financial advisors nationwide. Since 1974, RJFS provides a wide range of investment and wealth planning-related services through its affiliate, Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC. Both firms are wholly owned subsidiaries of Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE-RJF), one of the nation’s premier diversified financial services companies with financial advisors throughout the United States, Canada and overseas. Total client assets are approximately $1.53 trillion as of Apr. 30, 2025. Additional information is available at raymondjames.com.
Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services are offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. Cottonwood Capital Management is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services.
The 2025 Forbes ranking of America's Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative criteria, mostly gained through telephone and in-person due diligence interviews, and quantitative data. This ranking is based upon the period from 3/31/2023 to 3/31/2024 and was released on 01/09/2025. Advisor teams that are considered must have one advisor with a minimum of seven years of experience, have been in existence as a team for at least one year, have at least 5 team members, and have been nominated by their firm. The algorithm weights factors like revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience and those that encompass best practices in their practices and approach to working with clients. Portfolio performance is not a criteria due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Out of approximately 11,674 team nominations, 5,331 advisor teams received the award based on thresholds. This ranking is not indicative of an advisor's future performance, is not an endorsement, and may not be representative of individual clients' experience. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors or RIA firms pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Compensation provided for using the rating. Raymond James is not affiliated with Forbes or Shook Research, LLC. Please see https://www.forbes.com/lists/wealth-management-teams-best-in-state for more info.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, Certified Financial Planner®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization's initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.
Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist™, CRPS™, and the CRPS™ logo are certification marks or registered certification marks of The College for Financial Planning Institutes Corp. in the United States.