Meet Our Advisory Team
Connect with one of our trusted Financial Advisors in the Charleston area. We are here to be a partner with you on your financial journey and help you make well-informed, important life decisions related to your wealth. Please contact our Charleston, SC advisory team if we can be of service.
Connect with Us
Erica Smith, CFP®
Financial Planner
Erica Smith is a Financial Planner at Beacon Pointe Advisors and is responsible for facilitating and ensuring that day-to-day operations run smoothly. Erica is passionate about developing comprehensive financial plans for clients to meet their financial goals based on their unique values, timelines, and histories. Prior to Beacon Pointe, Erica was an Associate Financial Planner at Charleston Investment Advisors, which joined Beacon Pointe Advisors in 2024, supporting clients with college funding, retirement, savings, and an overall long-term approach to financial well-being. Erica earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with an emphasis on Marketing and Management from the University of South Carolina and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP®) designation. She previously worked with the College Transition Connection (CTC), a non-profit organization founded to assist colleges and universities in creating programs for young adults with intellectual disabilities to attend college, and collaborated on the book LIFE Learning Is For Everyone, highlighting the story of how and why CTC was established in South Carolina. Outside of the office, Erica enjoys traveling, antiquing, and interior design projects. She also enjoys fostering dogs for a local rescue and spending time with her Great Dane, Garth.
Stephanie Mackara, JD
Partner, Managing Director
Stephanie Mackara is a Partner and Managing Director at Beacon Pointe Advisors with decades of wealth management experience, empowering family-oriented and purpose-driven leaders to build generational wealth. Stephanie’s diverse academic background helps her connect to individuals, families, and business owners to create big-picture wealth strategies and help them gain confidence as they work together to create a secure financial legacy that meets their unique goals. Stephanie founded Charleston Investment Advisors in 2014, which joined forces with Beacon Pointe Advisors in 2024, Stephanie holds degrees in Psychology from West Chester University and a Juris Doctorate from Widener Law School. Stephanie’s personal finance experience in raising her son, along with lessons learned from her clients, inspired her to write a book in 2020, Money Minded Families. Her goal was to combine academic research from finance and psychology to inspire and help parents learn how to leverage teachable moments to instill financial literacy and well-being in their children, leading them on a path of financial freedom and independence. Stephanie was also selected to be a TedX Charleston presenter in 2024 on the topic Rethinking Money: A pathway towards financial wellness. Stephanie is a member of the Beacon Pointe Women’s Advisory Institute and is a board member of Bridges of Hope. She also frequently volunteers to teach financial literacy in schools, as a Reading Partners volunteer where she resides in Daniel Island, SC. Outside of the office, Stephanie enjoys cooking, gardening, exercising, and traveling with her husband Bernie, son Jacob, and dog, Cooper, as well as spending time at the baseball and football fields with family and friends.
