Marshall Alan Dearden

John Bell is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 21 years of industry experience. He is currently the sole advisor at Free State Financial Planning, LLC, having previously worked at Charles Schwab and Ameritrade, Inc. Beyond his advisory work, he serves as a FINRA arbitrator and acts as the financial secretary and council member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, where he manages donation tracking and budgeting. Free State Financial Planning LLC provides fee-only financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and businesses. The firm’s guidance is based on Modern Portfolio Theory, emphasizing passive investments through low-cost ETFs and no-load mutual funds, and focuses on delivering educational resources without discretionary investment management.

Michael Hoffman is a CFP® with 18 years of industry experience, currently serving as Co-Managing Director of Forty W Advisors. He previously worked at Verdence Capital Advisors and held roles at Hightower Securities and Hightower Advisors. Forty W Advisors delivers comprehensive wealth management across three critical areas: financial administration, proactive tax-aware planning, and investment management with institutional access. Together, these services help align your personal wealth, family priorities, and business strategy into one coordinated plan, with the goal of reducing complexity and maximizing post-tax wealth.

Ben Arie is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Independent Financial Group, LLC, based in North Bethesda, MD. He has four years of industry experience and previously worked at Plotkin Financial Advisors and APEX Home Loans. Outside of advising, he is involved in selling life insurance and annuities. Independent Financial Group, LLC is a dual-registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, charities, corporations, and plan sponsors. The firm offers a variety of advisory programs through its AccessPoint platform and third-party asset managers, providing both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management.

Simeon’s role is to help clients create a coordinated financial strategy that aligns their investments, taxes, retirement income, and long-term goals into one cohesive plan. A big part of his approach is helping clients simplify complexity and make confident decisions during periods of uncertainty.

Jessica Horner is a CFP® currently with Tender Wealth in Silver Spring, MD. She has prior experience at Chevy Chase Trust and JMH Financial LLC, with a total of several years in the financial services industry. Before her advisory career, she worked for Howard County - Central Fleet for eight years. Tender Wealth is an independent firm providing financial planning and consulting to individuals and high-net-worth clients, emphasizing financial education through public workshops and an after-school program that combines youth sports with basic financial literacy. The firm offers written plans and recommendations without portfolio management or custody and incorporates ESG considerations in its advice.

Alexander Levy is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 63 license, currently serving as the sole advisor at Noordzee Capital LLC with one year of industry experience. He has held management roles at Jetway Intel LLC, a news media and market intelligence firm focused on the airline and aerospace industries, and at Noordzee Consulting LLC, which provides research and consulting services. Noordzee Capital offers advisory services mainly to institutional clients, employer retirement plans, family offices, and high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, including a significant non-U.S. client base. The firm’s investment approach centers on fundamental analysis supported by economic and technical tools, providing portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and sector-specific research.