Goodyear Advisor Tapped for National Council to Shape Wealth Management

GOODYEAR, AZ – January 12, 2026 – In a move that highlights the growing influence of local expertise on the national stage, Kyle Addington, President and Director of Financial Planning at Goodyear-based American Wealth Advisers, PLLC, has been appointed to the inaugural President’s Advisory Council (PAC) for Independent Financial Group, LLC (IFG). The appointment places a prominent Arizona advisor at the heart of strategic decision-making for one of the nation's leading independent wealth management providers.

IFG, a privately held firm headquartered in San Diego, launched the council to create a direct channel between its senior leadership and the financial professionals who use its platform. The initiative aims to integrate real-time, practical insights from advisors into the firm's core strategy, impacting everything from technology and investment solutions to operational support for its network of over 600 advisors across the country.

A Voice at the Table: The Rise of Advisor-Led Strategy

The formation of the President's Advisory Council represents a significant trend in the financial services industry, where wealth management platforms are increasingly recognizing the value of collaborative governance. By establishing a formal body of trusted advisors, firms like IFG aim to ensure their strategic initiatives are not developed in a vacuum but are directly informed by the day-to-day realities of serving clients.

"As we launch our inaugural IFG President's Advisory Council, we are thrilled that Kyle accepted our invitation to join this prestigious group of financial advisors," said Kevin Keefe, President and COO of IFG. "Through open dialogue, collaboration, and advocacy, the Council will help ensure IFG's initiatives reflect what our advisors are telling us they need to serve their clients with distinction in an evolving wealth management industry."

Industry analysis shows that such councils are becoming a key competitive differentiator, serving as both a recruitment and retention tool. They demonstrate a firm's commitment to a partnership model over a purely transactional one. The PAC's mission is to act as a trusted sounding board, providing insights that help refine new programs and accelerate their implementation. Critically, IFG's CEO, Scott Heising, noted the selection process was designed to include a cross-section of advisors, ensuring that a broad range of perspectives, not just those of top producers, would shape the firm's future.

Addington joins a select group of twelve other highly respected professionals on the inaugural council, including Chairperson Bryan Wertzer and Vice-Chair Chris Vizzi. These members will act as liaisons, bringing ideas from the broader advisor community to leadership and communicating firm-level decisions back to their peers, creating a robust, two-way feedback loop.

From Goodyear to National Influence: Profiling Kyle Addington

For American Wealth Advisers (AWA) and its clients, Addington's appointment is a significant validation of the firm's expertise and client-centric philosophy. With over 28 years of experience as a fee-based fiduciary advisor, Addington has built a reputation for specializing in holistic financial planning, wealth accumulation, and retirement income strategies, primarily for individuals and families nearing or in retirement.

"I am honored to be included in this Advisory Council," Addington stated. "IFG is an important partner to my practice, providing back-office support, and other critical resources that allow us to spend more time taking care of our clients. It's an honor to represent not only my own unique perspective, but that of my advisor peers."

Founded in 1997, American Wealth Advisers is a fixture in the Goodyear community. While centrally located near the PebbleCreek Retirement Community, the firm's reach is national, serving clients across all 50 states. Addington, a Certified Financial Fiduciary® (CF2®), leads a team that includes Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) and Certified Financial Planners (CFPs®), offering a comprehensive suite of services from tactical asset management to complex estate and tax planning. His deep community involvement, including co-chairing the local Toys for Tots Foundation and serving as a former City Commissioner for Litchfield Park, further roots his professional life in public service.

This appointment elevates a local Arizona firm to a position of national influence, ensuring that the needs and challenges of its specific client demographic—retirees and pre-retirees—are represented at the highest levels of its partner firm.

Inside IFG: An Independent Powerhouse Built on Collaboration

Independent Financial Group is a formidable player in the wealth management space. Though privately held and focused on organic growth rather than mergers and acquisitions, the firm has achieved remarkable success. It is an eight-time winner of the Inc. 5000 list of "Fastest Growing Private Companies in the U.S." and was ranked by Financial Advisor Magazine in 2025 as the 15th largest national independent broker-dealer and the second-largest based on gross revenue among privately held competitors. This scale makes the input from its new advisory council particularly impactful.

Founded in 2003, IFG's core strategy has always been advisor-centric, a philosophy that has attracted over 600 financial professionals to its platform. The launch of the PAC is a formalization of this long-standing commitment. Scott Heising, CEO of IFG, congratulated Addington on his inclusion, thanking him for "committing his valuable time to this important initiative."

In a highly competitive landscape marked by consolidation among major broker-dealers, IFG's strategy of empowering its advisors is key to its continued growth and ability to attract what it calls "advisors of the highest caliber." The PAC is the next evolution of that strategy, embedding the advisor's voice directly into the firm's DNA.

The Tangible Impact for Clients

While the appointment is a prestigious honor for Addington, its most significant implications may be for the clients of American Wealth Advisers. His position on the PAC provides a direct line of influence over the tools, resources, and investment products that IFG develops and offers. This could translate into more sophisticated financial planning software, broader access to specialized or alternative investment solutions, and more streamlined operational support that frees up AWA's advisors to focus more on personalized client service.

Addington's mission on the council is clear: to "ensure we have access to the technology, investment solutions, and operational excellence needed to serve our clients and help them build multi-generational wealth." By bringing his extensive experience with retirement planning to the table, he can advocate for solutions precisely tailored to the needs of his firm's core clientele. For clients in Goodyear and across the country, this appointment means their financial partner not only has a seat at the table but is actively helping to set it for the future of the wealth management industry.