Christina O Connell

Benjamin Doernberg is a financial advisor at First Step Financial in Boston, MA, holding a Series 65 designation with one year of industry experience. Prior to founding First Step Financial, he worked with Never Again Action and Escape the Room Boston. First Step Financial provides financial planning and advisory services to individual and high-net-worth clients through one-off plans, ad-hoc hourly engagements, and an ongoing subscription option, focusing on modern portfolio theory and broad index mutual funds and ETFs. The firm does not custody or trade client accounts and uses a pricing model based on subscription and hourly fees rather than asset-based charges.

Adam Apt is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 65 license, with 18 years of industry experience. He has been the principal of Peabody River Asset Management, LLC since 2007. Additionally, he serves as Vice President of Investment Analytics at LTSAVE, Inc., where he designs and oversees an automated investment advice system for defined contribution retirement plans. Peabody River Asset Management is a fee-only registered investment adviser providing portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, families, and institutional clients, including charitable organizations. The firm employs a top-down, four-stage portfolio construction process with a focus on ETFs, bonds, and a mostly buy-and-hold approach, supplementing fundamental analysis with quantitative risk models.

Robert Lang is the sole advisor at Aztec Capital LLC in Arlington, MA, holding a Series 65 credential with 12 years of industry experience. He has been involved with TheStreet.com and RealMoneyPro.com since 2012 and operates Explosiveoptions.net, an educational service for option traders that includes a chat room and spread trading service. Aztec Capital serves individual clients, small businesses, institutions, and charitable organizations through discretionary portfolio management and tailored investment strategies. The firm’s approach focuses on equity options and related derivatives, employing techniques such as premium selling, calls and puts buying, and hedging, with frequent use of technical analysis and active account monitoring.

Newton Spurr is a financial advisor with Ms Financial Services, LLC in Reading, Massachusetts, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. He has been a partner at Spurr & Spurr, LLP, a tax preparation and accounting firm, since 1997. Outside of advising, he manages the accounting practice as a general partner. Ms Financial Services, LLC provides discretionary investment management and consulting to individuals, high-net-worth individuals, trusts, and estates. The firm focuses on fundamental analysis and long-term strategies, constructing diversified portfolios while also advising on retirement accounts and acting as a fiduciary.

Steve Ng is the sole advisor at Woodland Investment Consulting LLC in Boston, MA. He holds the CFA® designation and Series 63 license and has 17 years of industry experience. He has been employed with MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. since 2005 and has served as an instructor at the Boston Security Analysts Society since 1992. Woodland Investment Consulting provides discretionary portfolio management and integrated financial planning primarily for individual investors and pension plans, including defined-contribution plans. The firm follows a value-oriented, relatively low-risk investment approach with broad diversification and a focus on income and capital preservation.

Penelope Tzougros is a financial advisor with Wealthy Choices (R) LLC, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 63 license, with 39 years of industry experience. She has worked with Wealthy Choices since 2005, alongside roles at LPL Financial and Bay Financial Advisors. In addition to advisory work, she is an author of books related to financial education. Wealthy Choices provides personalized, fee-based financial planning and investment advice to individuals, families, and small businesses, focusing on areas such as cash-flow management, insurance review, retirement and estate planning, and education funding. The firm uses a discovery-driven planning process supported by fundamental and technical analysis, with compensation structured through hourly, project, and retainer fees, while clients retain control over implementation.