Thomas Stephen Michener

Aaron Kirsch is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and founding partner of GreenUp Wealth Management. He works primarily with individuals and couples who are approaching or living in retirement, helping them design financial plans that support both long-term security and a fulfilling retirement lifestyle. Aaron began his career in financial services in 2001 at a major Wall Street firm and has since worked with clients across a wide range of life stages, both at large institutions and through his own independent wealth management firm. This experience informs his comprehensive approach to financial planning, which integrates retirement income planning, investment management, tax-aware strategies, risk management, and estate planning considerations. He is the co-author of The Rewarding Retirement Workbook, a resource designed to help people think beyond the mechanics of retirement and focus on how they want to live during this stage of life. Aaron’s work emphasizes aligning financial decisions with personal values, priorities, and legacy goals. Aaron holds himself to fiduciary standards and takes a client-centered approach to planning, helping individuals and families navigate financial decisions with clarity and confidence as they transition into and through retirement.

Grant Blindbury is a Partner and key member of the management team at FMB. He leads many of the Strategic Planning initiatives at the firm, both in design and execution. His leadership responsibilities include establishing the firm's vision, continually advancing client experience and creating opportunities and space for professional development. He’s also a member of the executive and investment committees. Grant began his career in the Investment Advisory industry in 2001 with Fields Financial Associates. As Fields Financial Associates grew, Grant eventually became a Partner in 2008, and the firm’s name was changed to FMB Wealth Management. Grant earned his bachelor’s degree in Business & Economics at the University of California at Los Angeles in 2001. He is also an active member and past president of the Board of Directors for the Conejo Valley Estate Planning Council.

Charles Carty is the sole advisor at Carty Financial, Inc., an independent firm based in Thousand Oaks, CA. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has 27 years of industry experience. He has led Carty Financial since 2007. Carty Financial provides personalized, fee-only investment management and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, small businesses, charitable organizations, and pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm operates primarily on a non-discretionary basis and emphasizes client approval for transactions, using a mix of individual equities, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds, and selective covered-call options.

Bruce Bassin is the sole advisor at Bassin, Bruce, an independent firm based in Thousand Oaks, CA. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 28 years of industry experience. Prior to founding his sole proprietorship in 1998, he worked at Southeast Investments, N.C. Inc. from 2016 to 2018. In addition to his advisory role, he is a licensed insurance agent selling life and fixed insurance products. The firm provides financial planning, third-party manager recommendations, and retirement plan consulting to pension and profit-sharing plan sponsors, plan participants, corporations, and high-net-worth individuals. It develops written financial plans using economic and quantitative analysis but does not offer discretionary portfolio management or hold client assets.

Matthew Benson is a CFP® professional with 13 years of industry experience. He is the principal of Opes MVB Capital, LLC, an independent advisory firm where he has worked since 2022. His prior experience includes roles at Merrill, JP Morgan Securities, Morgan Stanley, and US Trust/Merrill Lynch. In addition to advisory services, he is licensed to sell insurance and is involved in real estate investment and development on a part-time basis. Opes MVB Capital primarily serves high-net-worth individuals and select business clients, offering wealth advisory and portfolio allocation services. The firm combines management of a private commercial lending fund with primarily non-discretionary portfolio management, utilizing cyclical, fundamental, and technical analysis to guide investment strategies.

You deserve to feel financially empowered. The problem can be that you feel overwhelmed, overlooked or underserved in your financial lives. Terri understands. It’s why she has taken all her experience over a quarter-century of bull and bear markets managing billions of dollars for hundreds of people to create Zuma Wealth. Zuma Wealth is a firm by women for women. We’ve busted the myth that women aren’t interested in money and wealth topics. Many women thirst for knowledge and continuously seek out opportunities to grow and learn in many areas. Terri understands! Terri’s clients recognize the value of a trustworthy partner and seek her out because she offers support, understanding and an attentive ear. Importantly, she provides tailored advice and guidance so clients achieve their unique aspirations, never the one-size-fits-all that defines the industry. A renowned expert, Terri is a regular guest on CNBC and Bloomberg, and a sought-after industry speaker. She has been interviewed and quoted in hundreds of publications and lauded for making complex concepts simple. Her real world expertise is rooted in a suite of top financial credentials: the CFA charter, the CFP® certification, an MBA in Finance from Columbia University and an AB in Economics with Honors from the University of Michigan. Terri started investing when her father introduced her to the concept of compound interest and she learned she could make money in her sleep.