WHY JERRY CHOSE TO BE A FINANCIAL PLANNER: His lack of financial literacy was not by choice. It was because personal finance was not taught in school or in his community. As a first-generation wealth builder, Jerry's money journey has been shaped by a profound understanding of both cultural and financial expectations. His experiences have uniquely positioned him to empathize with the challenges faced by first-generation families, inspiring a distinctive approach to financial guidance. His moment of profound solitude occurred during his transition from the Marine Corps back to civilian life. In uniform, Jerry felt in control, with camaraderie, financial stability, and a consistent salary. However, the day he left, all that stability vanished giving way to a cascade of emotions - depression, anxiety, and fear. Jerry, who had grown up facing financial hardships, relying on food stamps, and public aid, knew it was time to stop merely talking about wanting to build wealth and start acting. The realization struck deep: He needed to make a difference not just for himself, but for others facing similar issues. Motivated by a desire to help his family and friends, Jerry decided to be the guide he wished he'd had. He obtained his license, college degree, and joined a firm not only to enhance his life but the lives of other 1st-time wealth builders. After a few years of helping high net worth individuals grow their assets, Jerry felt the firm wasn't built to help families like his. In 2024, Jerry took the leap and launched Confianza Wealth Management as a guide for aspiring wealth builders. Jerry is on a mission to empower 1st-time wealth building families. Jerry wants to bridge the financial planning accessibility gap by helping these millennial families take control of their financial futures.

Scott Weber is a financial advisor with WealthLynk, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. He previously worked at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Tollminder before joining WealthLynk. In addition to his advisory role, he is an independent insurance agent. WealthLynk provides ongoing portfolio management and financial planning to individual, high-net-worth, and charitable organization clients. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary investment recommendations based on long-term strategies and multiple analytical methods, conducting at least quarterly account reviews and implementing trades only with client consent.

Rick Alvarado is a CFP® professional with 35 years of industry experience. He has been with Wealth One Advisors since 2000 and has also worked with LPL Financial (formerly Linsco/Private Ledger Corp.) since 1993. His practice includes providing financial planning services and occasional work related to fixed annuities. Wealth One Advisors offers financial planning and consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth households, and certain pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm does not manage client assets or accept custody, instead focusing on written financial plans and hourly consulting, using both fundamental and technical analysis to support long-term asset allocation and other strategies.

Darren Schuringa is a CFA® charterholder and the sole advisor at Yorkville Capital Management LLC, where he has worked since 2006. He has 20 years of industry experience. Yorkville Capital Management provides discretionary portfolio management and investment supervisory services to high-net-worth individuals and various institutional and household accounts. The firm employs proprietary risk models and asset-allocation algorithms, tactical hedging, and short selling as part of its risk-management strategy.

Amy Sharp is the principal advisor at Amy T. Sharp, CFP, LLC, an independent firm based in Oceanside, CA. She holds the CFP® designation and has 30 years of industry experience. Prior to founding her firm in 2016, she worked at Investacorp Advisory Services and Investacorp Inc. Outside of financial advising, she co-owns a family business that produces sugar-free confections. Amy T. Sharp, CFP, LLC provides comprehensive financial planning and discretionary portfolio management for individuals, businesses, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $57.8 million in client assets and emphasizes broadly diversified portfolios with ongoing monitoring and formal reviews tailored to clients’ risk tolerance and time horizon.

Ahmet Turken is a financial advisor at Turken Investments LLC with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked in finance roles at Becton Dickinson, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and DEI Holdings. In addition to his advisory work, he serves as Senior Finance Manager at Becton Dickinson, focusing on financial planning and budgeting for the Biosciences division. Turken Investments provides investment management and financial planning services to individuals including executives, professionals, entrepreneurs, retirees, and small business owners, with a client base that may include U.S. clients with family or business interests abroad. The firm emphasizes client-specific investment policies, asset-class allocation, and diversification, operating on a non-discretionary basis and offering both asset-based management fees and hourly billing for certain planning projects.

John Goodrich is a CFP® and ChFC® with 25 years of experience in financial advising. He has been the principal of Goodrich Financial Group, LLC in Escondido, CA since 2006. Outside of advising, he owns a single-family townhouse rental property in San Diego. Goodrich Financial Group provides discretionary investment supervisory services to individuals, high-net-worth individuals, and select corporate clients. The firm employs a blend of asset allocation and multiple analytical methods, using both long- and short-term strategies and active instruments such as options and margin transactions.

Jake Pezzi is a financial advisor at Pezzi Wealth Management LLC in San Marcos, CA, holding a Series 66 designation with two years of industry experience. He previously worked at LPL Enterprise, Prudential Financial Planning Services, and Pruco Securities, LLC. Outside of advisory services, he is a licensed insurance agent. Pezzi Wealth Management LLC provides discretionary investment management and comprehensive financial planning to individual and high-net-worth clients, focusing on portfolios built with exchange-traded funds and low-cost mutual funds. The firm employs a fundamental analysis-based investment process with a long-term orientation, incorporates independent managers without receiving direct compensation, and offers retirement and other planning services.

Christopher Ward is the sole advisor at Ward Capital Management LLC in Escondido, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 26 years of industry experience. He has led Ward Capital Management since 2014. Ward Capital Management provides discretionary and non-discretionary asset management and financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, retirement plans, and institutional clients such as pension plans, charities, and small businesses. The firm employs a concentrated stock model combined with corporate and municipal bonds, and offers specialized retirement plan services including ERISA Section 3(21) fiduciary advice and benchmarking through third-party administrators.

Merrit Strunk is a financial advisor at Momentum Financial and Insurance Services LLC with six years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Momentum Financial and Insurance Services LLC since 2017, with prior experience at Foundations Investment Advisors and Asset Marketing Systems. In addition to advisory work, she is involved in insurance sales and tax mitigation strategy. Momentum Financial and Insurance Services LLC provides discretionary asset management and financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, foundations, and business entities. The firm combines advisory services with licensed insurance and tax mitigation activities and offers educational seminars and workshops, managing approximately $39.6 million for about 87 clients.

Born and raised in Saigon, I moved to the U.S. alone at 16. Shortly after, my family’s business collapsed, and I became financially independent when I was still a teenager. That experience lit a fire in me—a desire to understand how money works, and how to use it to protect and empower the people we love. As I went deeper into the world of finance, spent over a decade working with leading private wealth management firms in California, I realized wealth isn't just about income or investments. It's about peace. It's about having choices. And it's about living a life that reflects who you are—not just what you’ve earned. Too often, we’re taught to chase someone else’s version of success. I’ve seen people climb hard, high, and fast—only to realize they were on the wrong mountain. That’s why I started Anora Wealth: to help people like you pause, get clear on your “why,” and build a financial life rooted in intention, not pressure. Today, I work with first-generation wealth builders, content creators, and women in transition to align their money with what matters most—so they can stop surviving, and start designing a life of clarity, calm, and confidence. Outside of work, I love learning new things, listening to podcasts, crafting, and spending time in nature. I stay active through boxing, cycling, hiking, tennis, and yoga. I’m fluent in Vietnamese, currently learning Mandarin, and know a bit of French.

Tommy Wadsworth is a financial advisor at Safe Harbor Assets in Fallbrook, CA, holding a Series 65 designation with three years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Jack Wadsworth Consulting and Voice by the Sea Inc. Safe Harbor Assets is an independent advisory firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, and business entities with discretionary and non-discretionary asset management, financial planning, and consulting. The firm employs a variety of analytical methods to tailor investment programs to client goals and risk tolerance, managing approximately $1.7 million in discretionary assets for a small client roster.

Shane Kochon is a financial advisor at Harvestwise Wealth Planning with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Ameriprise Financial Services from 2013 to 2024. Outside of advisory work, he serves as Treasurer on a nonprofit board and holds a real estate license. Harvestwise Wealth Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and business clients. The firm manages approximately $38.3 million in discretionary assets and employs a tailored investment approach using fundamental, technical, quantitative, and values-based analysis.

Darren Devries is a financial advisor with Tweet Management Services, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and 10 years of industry experience. He has worked at DeVries Asset Management since 2026 and has been associated with Tweet Management Services and FleetRidge Financial, Inc. for over a decade. Outside of advisory work, he owns and operates a tax preparation service through FleetRidge Financial, Inc. Tweet Management Services is a small registered investment adviser serving individuals, families, businesses, charities, and small pension plans. The firm provides comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management, employing a non-discretionary approach that requires client authorization before transactions.

James Reyes is a financial advisor with Allen James Financial LLC in San Marcos, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 17 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at First Advisors National, LLC, JCG Investments, LLC, and Crossroads Capital Management, Inc. He also owns and operates Allen James Financial & Insurance Services, where he brokers fixed indexed insurance contracts. Allen James Financial LLC provides portfolio management and investment advisory services to individuals and high-net-worth clients, focusing on technical analysis and a long-term trading orientation. The firm generally recommends insurance products, ETFs, hedge funds, and private placements and operates on a non-discretionary basis using TD Ameritrade Institutional as custodian.

Lucille Shaw is the sole advisor at Finances for Life, LLC, an independent firm based in Carlsbad, CA. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has 23 years of industry experience. In addition to her advisory role, Shaw is president of FFL Insurance Agency, LLC, where she is involved in life, health, long-term care, and disability insurance sales. Finances for Life, LLC provides investment management and comprehensive financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, trusts, and business entities. The firm emphasizes client-specific investment strategies, primarily manages accounts on a non-discretionary basis, and integrates advisory services with an affiliated insurance agency.

I’m on a mission to inspire women to be more intentional with their financial choices and provide a place where they can learn and share – without judgment. I’ve been through divorce and death of loved ones, I’ve worked with hundreds of clients with unique financial situations. One thing hasn’t changed throughout my career – my commitment to providing personalized services to my clients to inspire their financial journeys. You’re a busy professional woman in the middle to later stages of your career (or maybe you’ve already retired!). You have a lot going on, but you want to make sure you’re making smart financial moves. Whether you’re the family CFO or not, you want to be treated with respect. You won’t be afraid to ask questions and learn what you don’t know. You’d like to find someone you can bounce ideas off of, to get help making financial decisions, or to delegate to an expert. Finances don’t have to be a drag. You probably are already in the habit of saving. You may be making a lot of money, but haven’t been intentional about what you’re doing with it. Throughout my career, I’ve been inspired by so many women who are doing amazing things in their professional lives. However, the traditional financial advice industry does not serve us well. ➡️Our plans need to account for income shortfalls due to the gender pay gap – leading to a lifetime of reduced savings opportunities. ➡️We may need to plan around periods of income plateaus due to caregiving responsibilities for children or parents – it’s important to be intentional about career choices. ➡️Women live longer than men and are often entering or experiencing retirement solo – this impacts all aspects of retirement income, taxes, and leaving a legacy.

Michael Cortina is the principal of Cortina Capital, LLC, an independent advisory firm in Fallbrook, CA. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and has 10 years of industry experience, including four years at UCSD before founding his firm in 2016. Cortina Capital, LLC provides discretionary portfolio management services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm focuses on equities, fixed income, and ETFs, utilizing a combination of charting, fundamental, and technical analysis alongside options strategies such as selling cash-secured puts and writing covered calls.

James Heczko is the sole advisor at Opus Investment Advisors, LLC in Oceanside, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 17 years of industry experience. He has been with Opus since 2002. Outside of advising, he owns and operates a small avocado farm and is involved with a startup focused on developing a new consumer appliance. Opus serves institutional clients and ultra-high-net-worth family offices, specializing in pension consulting, manager evaluations, and asset allocation advice. The firm works solely on a consulting basis without managing assets or exercising investment discretion and emphasizes alternative and illiquid investments through a fee structure based on retainers and project fees.

Christopher Edwards is a financial advisor at Pax Horizon Wealth Management, LLC, holding a Series 65 credential with one year of industry experience. Prior to founding Pax Horizon, he has worked at Viasat, Inc. since 2016, where he serves as an External Manufacturing Manager responsible for people management and operational coordination within the Global Planning department. Pax Horizon Wealth Management is a fee-only registered investment adviser providing investment management and financial planning services to individual clients. The firm emphasizes asset allocation and Modern Portfolio Theory, constructing diversified portfolios with a preference for passive/index funds and offers both discretionary portfolio supervision and various financial-planning engagement options.