T.J. Van Gerven

Benjamin Doernberg is a financial advisor at First Step Financial in Boston, MA, holding a Series 65 designation with one year of industry experience. Prior to founding First Step Financial, he worked with Never Again Action and Escape the Room Boston. First Step Financial provides financial planning and advisory services to individual and high-net-worth clients through one-off plans, ad-hoc hourly engagements, and an ongoing subscription option, focusing on modern portfolio theory and broad index mutual funds and ETFs. The firm does not custody or trade client accounts and uses a pricing model based on subscription and hourly fees rather than asset-based charges.

Adam Apt is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 65 license, with 18 years of industry experience. He has been the principal of Peabody River Asset Management, LLC since 2007. Additionally, he serves as Vice President of Investment Analytics at LTSAVE, Inc., where he designs and oversees an automated investment advice system for defined contribution retirement plans. Peabody River Asset Management is a fee-only registered investment adviser providing portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, families, and institutional clients, including charitable organizations. The firm employs a top-down, four-stage portfolio construction process with a focus on ETFs, bonds, and a mostly buy-and-hold approach, supplementing fundamental analysis with quantitative risk models.

Charles Levin is the sole advisor at Levin Financial Planning in Wayland, MA, holding a Series 65 license with 20 years of industry experience. He has led his independent firm since 2004, providing fee-only, hourly financial planning and investment advice. Levin Financial Planning serves individuals, families, small businesses, and retirement or profit-sharing plans using a fundamental, long-term buy-and-hold investment approach primarily with low-cost index funds and ETFs. The firm is notable for advising pension or profit-sharing plan clients despite being a solo, hourly-planning practice and is currently winding down operations and not accepting new clients.

Robert Lang is the sole advisor at Aztec Capital LLC in Arlington, MA, holding a Series 65 credential with 12 years of industry experience. He has been involved with TheStreet.com and RealMoneyPro.com since 2012 and operates Explosiveoptions.net, an educational service for option traders that includes a chat room and spread trading service. Aztec Capital serves individual clients, small businesses, institutions, and charitable organizations through discretionary portfolio management and tailored investment strategies. The firm’s approach focuses on equity options and related derivatives, employing techniques such as premium selling, calls and puts buying, and hedging, with frequent use of technical analysis and active account monitoring.

Newton Spurr is a financial advisor with Ms Financial Services, LLC in Reading, Massachusetts, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. He has been a partner at Spurr & Spurr, LLP, a tax preparation and accounting firm, since 1997. Outside of advising, he manages the accounting practice as a general partner. Ms Financial Services, LLC provides discretionary investment management and consulting to individuals, high-net-worth individuals, trusts, and estates. The firm focuses on fundamental analysis and long-term strategies, constructing diversified portfolios while also advising on retirement accounts and acting as a fiduciary.

Adam Hark is the president of Wellesley Hills Capital in Newton, MA, with five years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked with firms including PCF Capital Markets LLC and Preston Todd Advisors, Inc. He also maintains roles in related Wellesley Hills entities. Wellesley Hills Capital provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management and consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and estates. The firm’s investment approach incorporates fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, emphasizing low-cost exchange-traded funds alongside individual stocks, bonds, and options, with services offered both on a discretionary basis and through hourly consulting engagements.