AdvisorCheck - Find and Connect with Top Financial Advisors on Your Terms
Why AdvisorCheck
JR

James Rafoth

BEARD INVESTMENT SERVICES
Canfield, OH 44406
Some features on this profile are disabled
CRD#: 2243194
JR

Professional summary


James Rafoth, who also goes by Jim Rafoth, is a registered financial advisor currently at BEARD INVESTMENT SERVICES, INC. located in Canfield, Ohio and VALMARK ADVISERS, INC. located in Canfield, Ohio.

James is registered as an IAR (Investment Advisor Representative) and RR (Registered Representative) and started their career in finance in 1992. James has worked at 6 firms and has passed the Series 66, Series 63, Series 99TO, SIE, Series 7, Series 24 and Series 28 exams.

Question & Answer


Are you a "fiduciary"?
Yes

Aliases


Jim Rafoth

Other business activities


Outside business activity is any business or activity undertaken by an advisor that is outside the scope of their relationship with their firm (e.g., consulting services, real estate, freelance work, teaching, etc.). Investors should stay informed about these activities to ensure no conflicts of interest.
The advisor shows no other business activity.

Blog Corner


CRS (Client Relationship Summary) - RIA


Click below to view James Rafoth's CRS (Customer Relationship Summary).
CRS (Customer Relationship Summary)

Certified licenses


Advisors may have various certifications and credentials from different organizations. AdvisorCheck highlights these seven certifications - AIF®, CFP®, ChFC®, CFA, CLU®, CIMA®, CPWA®
None

Experience


Current

February 24, 2003 - Present

BEARD INVESTMENT SERVICES, INC.

Office #1: 3701 Boardman - Canfield Rd. Suite 1, Canfield, OH 44406
RIA
CRD#: 106249
Canfield, OH
Current

February 1, 2017 - Present

VALMARK ADVISERS, INC.

Office #1: 3701 Boardman-canfield Rd Suite 1, Canfield, OH 44406
RIA
CRD#: 108050
Canfield, OH
Current

January 31, 2017 - Present

VALMARK SECURITIES, INC.

Office #1: 3701 Boardman-canfield Rd Suite 1, Canfield, OH 44406
BD
CRD#: 31243
Canfield, OH
Past

September 20, 2001 - February 9, 2017

BEARD FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.

BD
CRD#: 113913
YOUNGSTOWN, OH
Past

November 4, 1996 - May 1, 2002

WALNUT STREET SECURITIES, INC.

BD
CRD#: 15840
EL SEGUNDO, CA
Past

June 12, 1992 - November 4, 1996

FSC SECURITIES CORPORATION

BD
CRD#: 7461
ATLANTA, GA

Primary Firm SEC Registration


This SEC-registered firm can serve clients nationwide. Some states may require the firm to submit a notice filing if the firm has more than 5 clients or a physical office there. You can view these state-level filings under the section titled "State Registrations and Notice Filings".
VA
VALMARK ADVISERS, INC.
VALMARK ADVISERS INC | VALMARK ADVISERS, INC.

CRD#: 108050 / SEC#: 801-55564

RIA
Registered Investment Advisory firm - (5/29/1998 Approved)
Wyoming
Registered Investment Advisory firm - (8/11/2017 Terminated)

State Registrations and Notice Filings


Listed states reflect where the advisor is authorized to serve clients under state regulations.

IAR
means the advisor is registered as an Investment Advisor Representative in this state and is authorized to provide investment advice to clients there.
RR
indicates the advisor is registered as a Registered Representative in this state, allowing them to offer securities such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds through a broker-dealer.

Visual representation of state registrations

RR
Arizona
(6/13/2019)
RR
Florida
(1/31/2017)
IAR
Florida
(7/28/2023)
RR
Georgia
(1/31/2017)
RR
Hawaii
(10/16/2019)
RR
Illinois
(1/31/2017)
RR
Indiana
(5/18/2023)
RR
Kentucky
(1/31/2017)
RR
Maryland
(1/8/2018)
RR
Michigan
(1/31/2017)
IAR
Michigan
(11/17/2022)
IAR
Missouri
(7/31/2024)
RR
New Jersey
(1/31/2017)
RR
New York
(1/31/2017)
IAR
New York
(10/6/2023)
RR
North Carolina
(1/31/2017)
IAR
Ohio
(2/24/2003)
RR
Ohio
(1/31/2017)
RR
Pennsylvania
(1/31/2017)
IAR
Pennsylvania
(6/28/2017)
RR
South Carolina
(1/31/2017)
RR
Tennessee
(1/18/2021)
RR
Texas
(1/31/2017)
IAR
Texas
(11/7/2022)
RR
Virginia
(1/31/2017)
RR
Washington
(8/11/2022)
IAR
Washington
(12/7/2022)
RR
Wisconsin
(1/31/2017)

Exams


State Security Law Exam
RR
IAR
Series 66
Date: 6/28/2017
Uniform Combined State Law Examination
State Security Law Exam
General Industry/Product Exam
RR
Series 99TO
Date: 1/2/2023
Operations Professional Examination
General Industry/Product Exam
General Industry/Product Exam
Principal/Supervisory Exam
Principal/Supervisory Exam
RR
Series 28
Date: 5/1/2001
Introducing Broker/Dealer Financial Operations Principal Examination
SRO Registrations
RR
FINRA

Current Firm


VA
VALMARK ADVISERS, INC.
VALMARK ADVISERS INC | VALMARK ADVISERS, INC.

CRD#: 108050 / SEC#: 801-55564

RIA
Registered Investment Advisory firm - (5/29/1998 Approved)
Wyoming
Registered Investment Advisory firm - (8/11/2017 Terminated)
Upgrade to AdvisorCheck Premium
Get A Biweekly Pulse, AutomaticallyReceive biweekly alerts automatically. Stay informed and proactive.
Catch Firm-Level Red Flags SoonerCatch leadership changes and disclosures early, before issues escalate.
See Trends. Not Just SnapshotsMonitor firm stability metrics like AUM and advisor ratios over time.

Contact information


Main Address
130 Springside Drive Suite 300, Akron, OH 44333
Mailing Address
Phone number
(800) 765-5201
Established
Firm type
Fiscal year end
# of Employees
275

SEC notice filing (52 States and Territories)


Blank US states mapAlaskaHawaiiAlabamaArkansasArizonaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIowaIdahoIllinoisIndianaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMassachusettsMarylandMaineMichiganMinnesotaMissouriMississippiMontanaNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaNebraskaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNevadaNew YorkOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVirginiaVermontWisconsinWest VirginiaWyoming

Documents


Customer Relationship Summary (CRS / SEC)Latest Form ADV

Part 2 Brochures

VALMARK ADVISERS WEALTH MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS ADV PART 2A APPENDIX 1-WRAP FEE PROGRAM BROCHURE (6/16/2025)

Regulatory assets under management


Total Number of Accounts19,096
AUM (Assets Under Management)$ 8,379,181,235

Red Flags


Disclosures can be potential red flags, including customer disputes, regulatory fines, employer terminations, bankruptcies, judgments, liens, or certain criminal activities.

Check for any disclosures as part of your thorough research when choosing an advisor.

Company Information


VALMARK ADVISERS, INC.

CRD#: 108050Canfield, OH 44406

TRUST BUT VERIFY

Monitor James Rafoth

Get automatic monthly alerts on:
Job or Firm Moves
Licensing Changes
Client Complaints
New Red Flags
Contact Information Updates

Similar Advisors


FR
Fernando RiveraAdvisorCheck Check Mark
WELLS FARGO CLEARING SERVICES, LLC
IAR
RR
East Brunswick, NJ
Richard Paul Sabo
Richard SaboAdvisorCheck Check Mark
J. W. COLE ADVISORS, INC.
IAR
RR
GIBSONIA, PA
footer-logo

AdvisorCheck does not offer investment advice and should not replace discussions with professional accounting, tax, legal or financial advisors.© 2026 AdvisorCheck, an AIMR Analytics company. All rights reserved.