Michael Ray Gula

Many blue-collar business owners spend years building successful companies but struggle with inconsistent cash flow, high taxes, and uncertainty about how to turn their business into a secure retirement. Unlike most financial firms that focus primarily on investments, I take a planning-first approach that connects your business strategy with your personal financial goals. As a CFP® professional and fee-only fiduciary advisor with 10+ years of experience, I help business owners integrate cash flow planning, tax strategies, risk management, retirement planning, and investments into one coordinated plan. Having experienced the challenges of business ownership firsthand and growing up in a family business, I understand that your business is often your largest asset. My goal is to provide the guidance and strategy business owners need to protect what they've built and create financial freedom beyond their business.

John Bubello is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with 20 years of industry experience. He is the principal at Compass Retirement, LLC, an independent firm he has led since 2011. Prior to founding Compass Retirement, he worked at Everlist, LLC from 2014 to 2017. Outside of his advisory role, he manages an income-producing real estate entity as a part-time activity. Compass Retirement, LLC serves individuals and high-net-worth clients with customized financial planning and discretionary portfolio management, as well as consulting services for retirement plan sponsors. The firm employs a diversified, asset-class allocation approach guided by Modern Portfolio Theory and focuses on retirement-plan clients, advising approximately $167 million in retirement-plan assets.

Dennis O'Connor is the sole advisor at Brae Head, Inc. in Essex, CT, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials with 21 years of industry experience. He has been with Brae Head, Inc. since 1997. Brae Head, Inc. provides fee-only, discretionary portfolio management and basic financial planning to individuals, families, trusts, businesses, and retirement plans, including charitable organizations. The firm uses a disciplined, systematic investment process based on Modern Portfolio Theory and actively manages diversified equity and fixed-income portfolios, serving a relatively small client base with approximately $82 million in assets under management.

Richard Nichols is a financial advisor at Dewitt Capital Management LLC with 30 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with Dewitt Capital Management since 1995. Dewitt Capital Management provides personalized financial planning and investment management services to individuals, trusts, and estates. The firm operates on a fee-only basis, managing accounts on a discretionary basis using a variety of investment strategies and emphasizes comprehensive reviews of clients’ broader financial affairs.

Frank Flores Jr. is a CFP® professional with 43 years of industry experience and is the principal advisor at Sound Planning and Investments, LLC, an independent firm he founded in 2017. He previously worked at National Planning Corporation for 17 years and spent a year at LPL Financial. Flores also holds life, long-term care, and fixed annuities insurance licenses. Sound Planning and Investments, LLC provides non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and consulting services primarily to individual and small business clients. The firm manages approximately $99 million in assets and employs a long-term, asset-allocation focused approach across multiple asset classes, with client approval required before executing trades.

Thomas Alexa is the principal advisor at Alexa Wealth Management, LLC, an independent firm based in Deep River, CT. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 28 years of industry experience. Prior to founding his firm in 2019, he worked at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors and Ohanesian/Lecours, Inc. He is also a licensed independent insurance agent. Alexa Wealth Management serves primarily individual clients with discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm applies a blend of modern portfolio theory, fundamental analysis, and technical approaches, managing accounts typically on a discretionary basis while focusing on tailored advice aligned with client objectives and risk tolerance.