James Watson

Alexander King is a financial advisor at Macedon Financial Management, LLC with eight years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has worked previously at Raymond James Financial Services, Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, and other firms. Macedon Financial Management provides portfolio management and pension consulting services to institutional and individual clients, including retirement plans and high-net-worth individuals. The firm employs a variety of analytic methods and typically offers discretionary management focused on mutual funds, ETFs, fixed income, and select securities.

Timothy Clifford is a CFP® professional with 23 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Core Wealth Consultants, LLC, an independent firm based in Winter Garden, FL. His prior experience includes a role at Brendanwood Financial Brokerage LLC and work as an independent licensed insurance agent, a business activity that occupies about 10% of his time. Core Wealth Consultants provides discretionary portfolio management and advisory services to individuals and high-net-worth clients, utilizing a planning framework called PlanAssist and integrating multiple financial planning and reporting tools. The firm employs active portfolio management with quarterly reviews and maintains collaborative relationships with tax professionals.

As a second-generation American, I feel a strong drive to repay my parents for the sacrifices they made to give my brother and I the opportunities they never had. Seeing how hard my parents worked to provide for our family, I became fascinated with all things personal finance at an early age. I named my firm “Paradox” because, despite the fact that financial health is one of the most important things in life, financial education is almost entirely neglected! My passion and curiosity led me to pursue and receive a Bachelor’s in Finance from the University of Florida. From there, I embarked on a nearly decade-long journey as a traditional financial advisor. Along with an amazing team of individuals at Merrill, I worked hard to act in my client’s best interest every step of the way, yet I knew I couldn’t offer my most advanced solutions. The traditional fee-only assets-under-management model of financial advising just didn’t allow for the in-depth, no-stone-left-unturned approach I was looking for. All of that changed when I discovered the model of the advice-only financial advisor, which puts financial planning front and center for a flat fee. My goal is to educate and empower you to achieve your goals, not to manage as many of your assets as possible. This way, you can rest assured that I am incentivized to do what I believe will work best for you, not what will earn me the most fees. We’ll go over everything that contributes to your unique financial picture (that includes things like early retirement strategies, real estate, and familial obligations, to name a few). Along the way, I’ll teach you as much as you want to learn so that you can make informed decisions for yourself moving forward. Financial planning has been my life’s passion, and I’m so grateful to serve my clients. As a fiduciary and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, I am committed to creating holistic, sophisticated plans for my clients so they can become financially independent.

Douglas Henke is a financial advisor at Pine to Palm Financial, LLC in Clermont, FL, with 27 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at several firms including Brookstone Capital Management and CFD Investments, Inc. In addition to his advisory role, Henke operates as an independent insurance agent, focusing on annuity and life insurance sales and service. Pine to Palm Financial, LLC provides discretionary asset management and financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and business owners. The firm employs a combination of fundamental and technical analysis, cyclical analysis, and modern portfolio theory, with discretionary authority to manage portfolios and conduct quarterly reviews.

Christopher Ballard is a CFP® with 22 years of industry experience and is the principal advisor at Ballard Wealth Management LLC. He has been involved with Ballard Wealth Management since 2023 and also operates All Financial Advisory, LLC dba Ballard Financial Group, where he is owner and CEO and manages health and life insurance sales. Prior to focusing on his current firm, he was associated with AE Wealth Management for over a decade. Ballard Wealth Management LLC provides discretionary asset management and financial planning primarily for individual clients, managing approximately $81 million across 281 client relationships. The firm employs third-party sub-advisors for portfolio implementation and integrates a licensed digital platform for estate-planning support, combining fundamental, technical, charting, and cyclical analysis in its investment approach.

Michael Ciaston is the principal of Ciaston Financial Group LLC and holds a Series 65 license. He has been in the financial industry since 2021, with prior experience at Marcum LLP, MG Stover, and Alter Domus. In addition to his advisory role, he provides tax preparation and bookkeeping services. Ciaston Financial Group LLC is a newly formed investment manager offering discretionary asset management and complimentary financial planning for managed accounts. The firm implements investment programs using a combination of fundamental, technical, charting, and cyclical analysis, with occasional use of options and pooled investment vehicles.