Joseph Christopher Hodgins

Benjamin Smith, CFP®, is the founder and owner of Briarwood Financial, a comprehensive financial services firm providing wealth management, tax preparation, accounting, and business consulting for individuals and business owners nationwide. Benjamin enjoys working directly with clients to help them navigate the complexities that wealth inevitably brings. His approach combines financial planning, tax strategy, and business advisory services—ensuring that every piece of a client’s financial picture works together efficiently and intentionally. Before launching Briarwood, Benjamin served as a Financial Advisor at Cetera Investment Services, an independent broker-dealer. There, he specialized in developing customized investment portfolios guided by long-term strategic planning. His drive to offer clients more holistic, tax-integrated advice led him to expand his practice beyond traditional advising and establish Briarwood Financial as a full-service firm. Benjamin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a concentration in Economics from Seattle Pacific University and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional. Earlier in his career, he gained valuable experience in sales, operations, and management within the telecommunications industry—skills that helped shape his practical, results-oriented approach to leadership and client service. At the heart of his philosophy are integrity, honesty, and competence. He believes true financial planning is built on trust, clarity, and a genuine commitment to helping clients make informed, confident decisions that align with their values and long-term goals.

Troy Sapp is a CFP® professional with 15 years of experience in financial planning and wealth management. He has been with Commencement Financial Planning LLC since 2010 and is based in Lakewood, WA. Commencement Financial Planning LLC provides fee-only comprehensive financial planning and wealth management services primarily to individuals and families. The firm emphasizes a collaborative, consultative process and manages client accounts on a non-discretionary basis, focusing on low-cost passive mutual funds and ETFs, periodic rebalancing, and tax-loss harvesting.

Jacy Hixon is the president and chief compliance officer of Crossroads Advisor Network LLC and has 20 years of experience in the financial industry. He is also president and co-owner of Advisor Systems Inc., a technology company serving financial advisers. Prior to his current roles, he has been self-employed as a business consultant since 2015. Crossroads Advisor Network LLC provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and pension consulting services for pooled vehicles, institutional retirement accounts, businesses, trusts, and individual clients. The firm’s investment approach incorporates technical, cyclical, and fundamental analysis and may include options strategies, margin, and derivatives in separately managed accounts.

Laurence Elvins is the sole advisor at Tacoma Investment Group in Tacoma, WA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 31 years of industry experience. He has led Tacoma Investment Group since its founding in 1995. Tacoma Investment Group provides discretionary portfolio management for individuals, trusts, retirement accounts, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm emphasizes fundamental and qualitative analysis, asset allocation, and long-term investment strategies tailored to client-specific considerations, and it uniquely serves both individual and institutional clients as an independent solo advisor.

Alexander Morrow is a CFP® with eight years of experience in the financial industry. He is the sole advisor at Faire Capital Group, an independent firm based in Gig Harbor, WA. His prior work includes roles at KPMG, Cpwm, LLC, and Wright Investment Properties. Faire Capital Group provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, churches, and corporations. The firm constructs customized portfolios utilizing ETFs, mutual funds, and individual securities, employing fundamental analysis, modern portfolio theory, and cyclical analysis.

Rafe Johnson is a financial advisor at Anchor Financial in Tacoma, WA, with one year of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has prior experience at Bankers Life Securities, Bankers Life & Casualty, and the Medicare Exchange. Anchor Financial serves primarily individual clients with a small, concentrated practice managing about $5.7 million in assets. The firm offers discretionary asset management focused on mutual funds and ETFs, retirement plan services, and uses a mix of fundamental, technical, and charting analysis to tailor investment strategies to client objectives.