Michael Richards Carter

I am an independent 'Fee-Only' financial planner and advisor. I am a fiduciary focused on giving objective, holistic, and comprehensive financial advice. I also work with individuals helping to navigate whatever stage of life you are in, from building wealth all the way to preserving what you’ve already worked hard to build. My background is in finance and financial planning. After receiving my Bachelor of Science degree from Sacramento State's Financial Planning program, I continued to advance my financial planning and advisory experience and knowledge by obtaining various credentials, including the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® marks, also known as the CFP® marks. This noteworthy designation is generally considered to be the 'Gold Standard' in financial planning. With my prior firm, I was responsible for creating many of the most complex financial plans. Additionally, I was on the firm's Investment Committee, playing a role in the direction of the various portfolio allocations and recommendations that were used for clients. I also provide outsourced financial planning services for other advisors through Foundation Financial Planning. In doing this work, I continue to improve and hone my planning skills by gaining valuable insight into how financial plans are done with a firm that specializes in doing plans for all sorts of advisors. I currently reside in Rocklin CA, with my wife and young growing family. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, exploring the outdoors, BBQing, and tinkering with things around the house.

Elizabeth Daffner is a financial advisor with Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and 17 years of industry experience. She has worked at Ameritas Advisory Services since 2021 and has held roles with related Ameritas entities as well as Capstone Financial Group and Diligence Wealth Management, LLC. Outside of her advisory work, she is a member of the National Reined Cow Horse Association. Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individual investors, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients through a network of Investment Adviser Representatives. The firm offers a variety of managed account programs and fee-based management of variable annuity and universal life subaccounts, with portfolio support from its Investment Committee and third-party partners.

Mark Dyer is a financial advisor at Mechfi in Sacramento, CA, with nine years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Merrill, Bank of America Corp, Edward Jones, J.P. Morgan Securities, Comerica Securities, Motif, and Lumity, Inc. Outside of his advisory role, he is a 25% owner of Mary's Mobile Kitchen, a restaurant business, for which he creates marketing materials. Mechfi provides fee-based advisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm’s investment process follows Modern Portfolio Theory and uses diversified portfolios of ETFs, mutual funds, REITs, individual equities, and fixed income, with ongoing monitoring and client education through newsletters and seminars.

Ryan Demartini is the sole advisor at JC Financial Services, an independent firm based in Loomis, CA. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 10 years of industry experience. In addition to his advisory role, Demartini provides bookkeeping and tax preparation services through his separate business, JC Bookkeeping. JC Financial Services serves individual investors and small businesses with financial planning, investment management, and retirement plan services. The firm focuses on passive portfolio construction using index mutual funds and ETFs, incorporates third-party managers when appropriate, and offers ongoing planning with periodic reviews. Its affiliation with an in-house bookkeeping and tax practice supports integrated client services and employer retirement plan education.

Matthew Pederson is the sole advisor at MP3 Finance LLC, an independent firm based in Cameron Park, CA. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has one year of industry experience. Prior to founding MP3 Finance LLC, he worked at Life Time Fitness and Sutter Health. Outside of financial advising, Pederson operates a personal training business and runs an educational YouTube channel. MP3 Finance LLC offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, coaching, and SEP IRA services for individuals across various life stages. The firm employs a combination of fundamental and technical analysis with a focus on long-term holdings in stocks, bonds, and ETFs, incorporating options strategies and limited use of digital asset ETFs and margin for suitable clients.

Kathleen Faulkner is the principal of Faulkner Financial Planning, LLC, an independent advisory firm, with 27 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has operated her firm since 2012. In addition to her advisory work, she owns Divorce Advisory Services, LLC, which provides financial analysis and mediation related to divorce, and serves on the board of directors for Summitview Child Treatment Center. Faulkner Financial Planning primarily serves individual and household clients, as well as high-net-worth and corporate clients, offering comprehensive financial planning. The firm employs a non-discretionary approach by creating individualized plans and selecting third-party asset managers to implement and adjust portfolios, while maintaining ongoing investment oversight and client reviews.