Elsa Cranford

Santiago Vidales Hildebrandt is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management based in Houston, Texas. He works with high-net-worth individuals, families, family offices, and institutional clients in the US and internationally, focusing on creating personalized wealth management strategies that align with clients’ goals and priorities. Santiago collaborates closely with clients to provide a holistic, goals-based approach by leveraging Merrill’s investment resources and the banking services and lending solutions of Bank of America. Santiago’s areas of expertise include corporate executive services, family wealth management, institutional consulting, international wealth management, legacy planning, philanthropic planning, managing new wealth, small business strategies, and tax minimization. With a background in corporate and investment banking, he applies a multidisciplinary approach encompassing investments, credit and lending, trust and estate planning, and business succession planning to help clients advance their financial objectives. He holds a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation and earned a bachelor's degree from The University of Georgia, along with a non-accredited certificate from Oxford University. Santiago is involved in the community through organizations such as the Houston Food Bank and Houston Habitat for Humanity. Outside of work, he enjoys activities including camping, cooking, hiking, interior decorating, pickleball, soccer, spending time with his family, tennis, traveling, and woodworking.

Justin Allen is a Financial Advisor with SageSpring Wealth Partners, where he helps individuals, families, and business owners make confident financial decisions through comprehensive planning and investment management. Justin believes financial advice should be understandable. Rather than relying on jargon or complicated strategies, he takes the time to educate clients on how their financial lives fit together—from investing and retirement planning to taxes, insurance, estate planning, and income distribution. His goal is for every client to understand not only what they're doing, but why they're doing it. As an independent, fee-based advisor, Justin works as a fiduciary, building investment portfolios and financial plans tailored to each client's unique goals. He believes that good financial planning extends well beyond investment performance. Coordinating taxes, retirement income, risk management, healthcare decisions, estate planning, and behavioral coaching are all critical pieces of helping clients achieve long-term financial success. Justin serves clients throughout Texas and across the country. He has a particular passion for helping retirees, pre-retirees, professionals, and business owners navigate life's biggest financial decisions with clarity and confidence. Outside of the office, Justin enjoys spending time with his wife, Abbie, golfing, hunting, fishing, and exploring the outdoors.

Michael Russell is the principal of Russell Advisory Group, Inc., an independent registered investment adviser based in New Braunfels, TX. He holds the Series 66 designation and has nine years of industry experience. In addition to his advisory role, Russell is president of Dynavision, Inc., a contact lens export business, and provides private music education in singing, piano, and saxophone, including teaching music courses as an adjunct faculty member at Dallas College. Russell Advisory Group, Inc. serves individuals, families, private business owners, trusts, and corporate clients by offering financial advisory and business consulting services, including discretionary portfolio management. The firm employs an investment approach centered on individual security selection supported by fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis and utilizes investment policy statements to align allocations with clients’ risk tolerances and time horizons.

I have a passion and talent for translating concepts of personal finance and investing into everyday common English that even my children understand. I have been fortunate to live out that passion for the last 12 years, but now I'm looking to combine it with a personal, concierge level of service. I just began my my own practice at the beginning of 2020, By limiting the number of clients I serve, I can deliver world-class financial advice and still have time remaining to spend with my wife, three children, mother, and three pets. I hold both the CFP® and AIF® designations along with a bachelor's degree in journalism.

Edwin Peet is the principal advisor at ETF Strategies, LLC, an independent firm based in Bulverde, Texas. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 15 years of industry experience. In addition to his advisory role, he owns and operates Custom Income Solutions, LLC, an investment service and insurance business. ETF Strategies serves individual and high-net-worth clients by providing discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services, including retirement distribution and 401(k) advisory. The firm uses a range of investment vehicles and analytical methods, maintains written Investment Policy Statements for clients, and typically operates on a discretionary basis.

John Nau is the sole advisor at The Legacy Collaborative, Inc., an independent firm based in San Antonio, TX. He holds a Series 63 designation and has 41 years of industry experience. His career includes over a decade with World Equity Group and nearly three decades with The Legacy Collaborative. Outside of advisory services, he serves as co-trustee of a special needs trust and is involved in several life insurance and annuity-related business activities, including leadership roles in insurance producer groups. The Legacy Collaborative provides financial planning and portfolio management primarily to high-net-worth individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm specializes in estate planning, business succession, retirement, and charitable planning while assisting clients in selecting professional portfolio managers rather than managing most accounts on a discretionary basis.