DFX Intelligence

RIA Intelligence

Registered investment advisers, the advisors registered through them, the capital they report, the private vehicles they run and the people who own them, as a graph with a filing date behind every number. RAUM is what the adviser filed, a move is two registration dates, and a class is a rule you can read.

Registered advisor

Philip John Ferrara

Merit Financial AdvisorsBD affiliatedDurham, Nc IA-onlyIAPD 4235993

Certified Financial Planner

Feed of 09/14/2026

Also filed as Philip John Ferrara

At current firm

1 y

since Jul 14, 2025

In the industry

25 y

since Dec 20, 2000 (earliest exam, job or registration)

Prior registered firms

IAPD previous registrations

State registrations

current, as an IAR

Firms today

current registrations

Exams

S65, S66, S63

IA exams only

Book size

not public

not estimated here

Signals

dated events on this person

Registration history

IAPD current and previous registrations

Merit Financial Advisors BD affiliated current
since Jul 14, 2025 · Durham, Nc
Scholar Financial Advising, LLC no RAUM
Apr 29, 2025 to Jul 8, 2025 · Durham, Nc
Northwestern Mutual Investment Services,LLC no RAUM
Nov 6, 2023 to Apr 2, 2024 · Durham, Nc
Larson Financial Group, LLC BD affiliated
Aug 16, 2017 to May 30, 2023 · Durham, Nc
LPL Financial LLC BD affiliated
Jun 6, 2016 to Jan 28, 2017 · Raleigh, Nc
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated wirehouse
Dec 16, 2014 to Apr 22, 2016 · Chapel Hill, Nc

Moves

a registration end followed by a registration begin elsewhere

Scholar Financial Advising, LLC to Merit Financial Advisors
left Jul 8, 2025, registered Jul 14, 2025 (6 days) · Other
Northwestern Mutual Investment Services,LLC to Scholar Financial Advising, LLC
left Apr 2, 2024, registered Apr 29, 2025 (392 days) · Other
Larson Financial Group, LLC to Northwestern Mutual Investment Services,LLC
left May 30, 2023, registered Nov 6, 2023 (160 days) · Other
LPL Financial LLC to Larson Financial Group, LLC
left Jan 28, 2017, registered Aug 16, 2017 (200 days) · Other
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated to LPL Financial LLC
left Apr 22, 2016, registered Jun 6, 2016 (45 days) · Other

Signals

Philip John Ferrara left Scholar Financial Advising, Llc for Merit Financial Advisors (registered 2025-07-14)
Jul 8, 2025 · Advisor changed firm · fact
Philip John Ferrara left Northwestern Mutual Investment Services,Llc for Scholar Financial Advising, Llc (registered 2025-04-29)
Apr 2, 2024 · Advisor changed firm · fact
Philip John Ferrara left Larson Financial Group, Llc for Northwestern Mutual Investment Services,Llc (registered 2023-11-06)
May 30, 2023 · Advisor changed firm · fact

Transition signals

Mobility scoring is not published yet. The observable conditions this page will draw on once the historical validation is done: tenure, the firm’s own departures and ownership changes, new state registrations, a new adviser entity with this person on Schedule A, and colleagues’ moves. Until precision and lead time are measured on known moves, no label is printed. Read the methodology.

Provenance

Source: IAPD individual compilation feedreportedadviserinfo.sec.gov
Firm class: Broker-dealer affiliated wealth managerderived
Years in industry: 25derivedfrom the earliest dated exam, employment or registration
Not published: disclosure flags, outside business text, branch street address