Girish Gupte is a financial advisor at Magnus Financials LLC with a Series 65 designation and one year of industry experience. He has prior business experience spanning various ventures including insurance and real estate companies that he has been involved with since 2008. Magnus Financials LLC serves individual investors and small businesses by providing financial planning, non-discretionary portfolio advisory, and targeted consulting such as small-business valuations. The firm’s investment approach focuses on strategic asset allocation informed by top-down and fundamental analysis, with advice delivered on a non-discretionary basis and tailored to client preferences.

Kartik Patel is a financial advisor at Simplify Investments with eight years of industry experience and holds a Series 65 designation. He is also the president of Data Express Inc., an information technology consulting firm where he provides IT consulting and business strategy analysis, including work with a client in the financial sector. Simplify Investments offers portfolio management services to private individuals, families, and small businesses, focusing on fundamental, value-oriented analysis using a concentrated portfolio of stocks, ETFs, and bonds. The firm serves a notable number of non-U.S. clients and emphasizes addressing currency risk and overseas investment considerations.

Jitin Singhal is a CFA® charterholder with 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at EJ Financial Corp. since 2004 and held roles at Farmer Mac from 2005 to 2019 and Sallie Mae since 2025, where he is Sr. Director of Portfolio Analytics and Strategy. EJ Financial Corporation provides investment advice and finance and technology consulting to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm combines quantitative and economic analysis to guide investment decisions and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary management, alongside educational seminars and financial consultations for private companies and government entities.

As a member of the financial independence community, I understand the value of quality fee only advice catering to the complex and "nontraditional" route we are taking to life. I have built a "lifestyle" practice, where I can serve clients, maintain my balanced lifestyle with two girls, pursue my hobbies and travel. I primarily work with clients on an ongoing retainer basis, charged with a monthly billing arrangement. For legacy (separated) clients or family of clients, I offer hourly based planning. I also prepare tax returns and manage assets, both of which I charge a separate fee for. After graduating from University of Maryland, College Park, I worked in public accounting doing tax preparation and consulting for high net worth individuals, estates and trusts. I changed careers into financial planning in 2013, working mainly with clients pursuing a traditional retirement path, including attorneys, physicians, executives and families with wealth. After working for a large planning firm in the DC area, I launched my firm in 2018. I am a CFP® and CPA. Given my background, I specialize in tax planning, retirement planning and frugality!

John Rathnam is the sole advisor at Rathnam Capital, LLC, an independent firm based in Bluemont, VA. He holds the CFA® designation and Series 65 license, with 21 years of industry experience. Rathnam has led Rathnam Capital since its founding in 2010. Rathnam Capital serves individual and high-net-worth clients, managing approximately $81 million across about three dozen households. The firm provides discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting, utilizing customized asset allocation strategies and third-party sub-advisers to address a range of investment needs.

Eric Norberg is the principal of EAN Equity Financial Services LLC, an independent firm based in Leesburg, VA. He holds the CFP® and ChFC® designations and has 11 years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked at PKS Investment Advisors LLC for one year. In addition to his advisory work, Norberg provides CPA tax preparation and small life insurance sales through his firm. EAN Equity Financial Services offers personalized financial planning and investment management to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm employs a combination of strategic and tactical asset allocation using both active and passive investment vehicles and fundamental security analysis, and maintains a tax-preparation practice alongside its advisory services.

David Pickei is the sole advisor at Reye Partners Asset Management LLC in Leesburg, VA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 24 years of industry experience. He has been with Reye Partners since 2005. Reye Partners Asset Management provides discretionary, separately managed investment management and portfolio consulting services primarily for individual clients and trusts. The firm serves both high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth clients, emphasizing portfolio composition, due diligence, diversification, and capital preservation through a manager-of-managers approach.

Eric Smeby is the principal advisor at EsmeB Inc, holding a Series 65 designation with 16 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Waterfall Wealth LLC, FTToken Inc, Dash.Fi, and Capital One. He leads multiple ventures related to digital financial platforms. EsmeB Incorporated provides automated investment management and self-directed financial planning tools via its WaterfallWealth.ai platform. The firm serves individual investors and companies seeking rules-based portfolio solutions, delivering services exclusively online using a quantitative, algorithm-driven investment process.

Kevin Bernard is the principal of Pivot Capital Management, LLC, an independent advisory firm. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and has 10 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to founding Pivot Capital Management, he worked with several firms including Avantax Insurance Agency and Solomon Edwards. Outside of his advisory role, Bernard is also a licensed CPA and leads an accounting and consulting firm, in addition to managing a bookkeeping and tax preparation business and serving as a real estate referral agent. Pivot Capital Management provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm employs a tailored approach incorporating technical and fundamental analysis, modern portfolio theory, and various asset classes, including equities, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, options, structured products, publicly traded REITs, and digital assets.

Bryan Lohr is a financial advisor at Present Value Financial Services LLC with seven years of industry experience and a Series 65 credential. He has been with Present Value Financial Services since 2018 following a period of semi-retirement from 2015 to 2018. Present Value Financial Services serves individual and family clients with financial planning, investment management, tax preparation, and financial education. The firm employs a fiduciary standard, using bottom-up fundamental analysis combined with capital market techniques to construct diversified, tax-aware portfolios and offers fee structures that do not rely on assets under management.

Robert Allen is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with 22 years of industry experience. He has been the principal at Allen Investment Management since 2014. Allen Investment Management serves individual investors, foundations, charitable organizations, businesses, and pension/profit-sharing plans by providing discretionary investment supervisory services combined with integrated financial planning. The firm emphasizes a value-oriented, long-term investment approach supplemented by active sector rotation or limited short-term trades and manages roughly $27.1 million in discretionary client assets across approximately 41 client relationships.

Tihomir Yankov is a financial advisor at Tobi, Inc. with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has a legal background, having worked at Buckley LLP and Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe prior to joining Tobi. Yankov is also a licensed attorney, though he does not offer legal services to his clients. Tobi, Inc. provides an algorithmic subscription platform featuring animated educational videos and account-aggregation dashboards designed to improve investment literacy and assist with retirement, custodial accounts, and debt management. The firm combines model allocations based on modern portfolio theory with discretionary portfolio management and a wrap fee program, serving individual users without account minimums.

Jonathan Maula is a financial advisor at Castle Hill Capital with 11 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Castle Hill Capital since 2016, following a year at Smay Investments Ltd. Castle Hill Capital LLC is an independent, state-registered investment adviser providing discretionary portfolio management and personalized financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and small businesses. The firm also works with employer plan sponsors on participant-directed retirement plan design, monitoring, and education, using a combination of fundamental and technical analysis along with active and passive investment strategies.

Mark Helm is the sole advisor at Helm Financial Advisors, LLC, an independent firm based in Purcellville, VA. He holds CFP® and Series 65 designations and has 22 years of industry experience, having founded Helm Financial Advisors in 2003. Helm Financial Advisors is a fee-only advisory firm serving individuals and families with comprehensive financial planning and investment advisory services. The firm emphasizes non-discretionary, tax-aware investment strategies and integrates tax preparation and planning into its ongoing client engagements.

Bradley Piesco is the managing principal of Magpie Consulting LLC, an independent advisory firm based in Leesburg, VA. He holds the CFP® and ChFC® designations and has 16 years of industry experience. Piesco has led Magpie Consulting since 2007. Magpie Consulting LLC provides fee-only asset management and financial planning services to individual clients, including high-net-worth and private investors. The firm uses a disciplined financial planning process and constructs diversified portfolios mainly with exchange-traded funds, offering both discretionary and nondiscretionary management options.

Melanie Brophy is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 12 years of experience in the financial services industry. She has worked at Next Play Financial Solutions, LLC since 2018 and previously spent five years with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Next Play Financial is an independent, fee-only advisory firm serving individual and high-net-worth clients with investment management and comprehensive financial planning. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes passive strategies using diversified index funds and ETFs, supplemented by fundamental analysis and select third-party managers.

Rahul Aggarwal is the sole advisor at Aris Alpha LLC, holding a Series 65 designation with one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Accenture Federal Service and several other firms. Aris Alpha LLC provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals and high-net-worth clients, employing fundamental analysis and a long-term trading approach. The firm offers a broad range of investment options and manages accounts on a discretionary basis, tailoring strategies to each client’s risk tolerance and objectives.

Jessie Rancourt is a financial advisor at Opportunity Cost Investors LLC with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Harris Miller Miller & Miller and UFA, Inc. Rancourt also serves at the Federal Aviation Administration and owns Opportunity Cost Media, a company that produces finance-related content on YouTube. Opportunity Cost Investors LLC provides discretionary investment management to retail clients, focusing on value-oriented, fundamental research. The firm emphasizes concentrated portfolios of high-quality companies trading at perceived deep discounts, targeting long-term capital growth.

Phillip Bour is a CFP® professional with 21 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Bour Group, an independent financial planning firm based in South Riding, VA. Bour retired from active practice in 2011 but continues to provide financial planning services through his firm. Bour Group serves individuals and couples across various life stages, offering comprehensive financial planning advice without managing client assets. The firm emphasizes long-term, buy-and-hold investment strategies focused on asset allocation and diversification, and provides clients with written plans and limited implementation support.

John Seraphin is a CFP® and Series 66 designated advisor with seven years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Phin Wealth Planning, LLC, an independent firm based in Middleburg, VA. His prior roles include positions at Steigerwald, Gordon & Koch Wealth Advisors, Eagle Strategies (NY Life), and several other firms. Phin Wealth Planning provides financial planning and investment management to individuals, high-net-worth individuals, families, and nonprofit organizations. The firm offers fixed upfront and recurring fee planning engagements across Core and Advanced tiers, with discretionary portfolio management that combines passive and active strategies tailored to client objectives.