Proudly recognized as one of the Top Defined Contribution (DC) Advisor Teams by the National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA). This is an affiliate organization of the American Retirement Association created by and for retirement plan advisors.
S.C. Asset Advisors of Janney Montgomery Scott LLC have been together since 2003 when Simms Oliphant and Chris Smith re-united with Julie Hall to form a team organized with the goal of providing consistent straightforward investment strategy advice along with exceptional service to their clients. James Owens joined the team in 2017 and in 2022 they added William Mock. As a group they have over 100 years of combined investment experience.
Simms began his career in the securities industry as the youngest broker in the country at Smith Barney in 1979. Simms was among the first advisors at Smith Barney to receive the Portfolio Manager (PM) designation. Now with Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, his primary focus is retirement planning for individuals and advising Qualified Plan Sponsors, Participants and Middle Market Institutions. He is also a Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM (CRPC®)
Simms graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1978 with a BS in Finance. He married the former Donna Barrett in 1983; they have three children and “Abner” the beagle. Simms enjoys golf, hunting and spending time at Litchfield Beach. He is an advisor to the William Gilmore Simms Society.
James began his career at the small mutual fund firm, First Investors, in 1988 before moving to AG Edwards & Sons in 1990. Since 1990, his practice has expanded to include financial planning and asset management for individuals, families, and privately owned businesses with an eye toward their retirement years as well as to the next generation of their family. In 2017, James joined long time office colleagues Simms Oliphant and Chris Smith in partnership at Janney Montgomery Scott.
James graduated from Clemson University in 1987. He enjoys fishing, reading, college football, and spending time with friends and family.
Julie began her career in the investment industry in 1998 at Prudential Securities and joined Simms Oliphant in 2000 at IJL Wachovia. She currently serves as the Senior Registered Private Client Assistant to the S.C. Asset Advisors. Julie strives to provide personalized service to individual clients as well as to assist companies and their participants with their Qualified Employee Plan services. She graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1995.
Julie and her husband Matthew live in Columbia, SC with their son Seabrook. They enjoy playing with their dog, fishing, and the many outdoor activities that South Carolina has to offer.
William began working with S.C. Asset Advisors of Janney Montgomery Scott during the Summer of 2022 as an intern. He is currently a Senior enrolled in the University of South Carolina's Darla Moore School of Business, majoring in Finance with a minor in Economics. William is currently preparing for his Series 7 licensing exam and is expected to graduate in May of 2023.
William expressed his interests in finance in early 2013 when he began investing in Bitcoin. He delved deeper into Cryptocurrency and Blockchain technology in 2015 when he purchased his first Bitcoin miner. In his free time, William enjoys rock climbing, golfing with friends, and spending time on the water at Lake Norman.
Linda began her career in the investment industry in 1986 at Prudential Securities in Charleston, SC and transferred to Columbia, SC in 1988. Her previous roles in the industry have been in operations leadership and client service. She has been with Janney Montgomery Scott, LLC since 2014 and joined the S.C. Asset Advisors team in 2022 as a Private Client Assistant.
Linda and her husband Don live in Chapin, SC with their dog, Caymus. They enjoy boating on Lake Murray, traveling to the mountains of NC, and attending food and wine events with friends.
We collaborate with other Janney specialists, as needed, who have in-depth experience in specific disciplines. Together, we can assess your unique situation, analyze difference strategies, and develop a plan fit for your unique needs and goals.
Debra S. Roey joined Janney Montgomery Scott LLC in November 2006, as Janney Retirement Plan Services (JRPS) Manager. JRPS was founded in 1982 to provide Janney’s Corporate Retirement Plan Clients with support in plan design analysis, proposal procurement and review, investment fiduciary services, technical expertise, and problem resolution.
Debra has over 30 years of experience in the Retirement Plan arena. Prior to joining Janney, she served as Regional Director with Union Central Life Retirement and Investment Services. During her tenure, she received numerous sales awards including qualification for the company’s highest society membership. She also served on several corporate committees involved with Strategic Planning and Product Development.
Debra earned a B.A. in Business Administration from Rutgers University.
Guy LeBas is Janney’s Chief Fixed Income Strategist, as well as Head of Fixed Income for Janney Capital Management. As Strategist, he is responsible for providing direction to the Firm’s clients on the macroeconomic, interest rate, and bond market investing climate.
Guy authors bond market periodicals, which provide relative value recommendations across the fixed income spectrum. With Janney Capital Management, Guy is responsible for overseeing the Firm’s discretionarily managed bond portfolios, which take a client-tailored approach to generating consistent income across interest rate environments.
Guy joined Janney in 2006. Prior to joining Janney, Guy served as Interest Rate Risk Manager for U.S. Trust’s bank asset and liability portfolios, a role in which he oversaw risk and return on $20 billion of bank assets and derivatives.
Guy is also a frequent guest on CNBC, Bloomberg TV and Fox Business News, as well as a regular speaker at financial industry conferences. He received his education from Swarthmore College, holds an M.S. in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University, and is a CFA Charterholder.
Mark Luschini is the Chief Investment Strategist for Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, leading the Investment Strategy Group. In that capacity Mark is responsible for establishing the Firm’s broad outlook relating to conditions in the capital markets and the economy and to develop investment strategies that align with the best interest, goals, and objectives of individual and institutional clients. He also establishes the Firm’s asset allocation models used for portfolio construction and financial planning.
As Chief Investment Strategist, Mark serves as the Janney's investment spokesperson, offering national market commentary and developing asset allocation models and investment strategies. He chairs the investment committee and actively interfaces with both current and prospective clients.
Additionally, Mark directs Janney Capital Management, the Firm’s discretionary investment management division. Under his leadership, Janney Capital Management has delivered competitive investment results across multiple strategies. The total assets under management has grown to more than $4 billion, with nearly $3 billion in traditional equity and fixed income assets, and over $1 billion in various strategic and tactical asset allocation strategies utilizing exchange-traded solutions and mutual funds. Mark served on the Board of Managers for Janney, and currently serves as a Trustee for the Firm’s Pension & Profit Sharing Plan. He is a member of the Janney Wealth Management Department’s Mutual Fund and Alternative Investment Committees.
In Janney Capital Management, Mark chairs the Investment Committee which sets asset class and sector policy and directly participates in managing the equity, fixed income, and asset allocation strategies under its advisory. Mark has spent more than 30 years in the investment industry. He utilizes that experience to speak on topics related to macroeconomics and investment management at seminars and conferences.
His comments and written articles have been circulated in numerous publications ranging from the Wall Street Journal and Barron’s to the New York Times, USA Today, Financial Times, and Money magazine. He has appeared in various media outlets including CNBC, Bloomberg Television, Fox Business News, and CNN.
He has a BA and MBA from Gannon University and holds the Chartered Market Technician (CMT) designation from the Market Technicians Association