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.

Sean Defrehn is a financial advisor at DeFrehn Consulting with 9 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Triad Advisors, Inc. and OSAIC. Outside of financial advising, he teaches hunter safety classes for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. DeFrehn Consulting is an independent firm serving clients from Adamstown, MD.

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.

Jonathan Peyton is a CFP® professional with 21 years of industry experience. He is the principal advisor at Different Investments, LLC, formerly known as Horizon Ridge Wealth Management, where he has worked since 2016. His prior roles include positions at LPL Financial, USAA Financial Planning Services, Fidelity, and Ameriprise. Outside of advising, he has founded several non-investment-related businesses, including a publishing firm that produces educational content such as books and podcasts. Different Investments, LLC (doing business as C‑Suite Planning) provides discretionary investment management and comprehensive financial planning services for individuals, including executives and entrepreneurs, as well as trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business clients. The firm employs a variety of analytical techniques to tailor portfolios and offers specialized planning services such as divorce consulting, exit planning, and special-needs planning.

Christopher Williams is a financial advisor at Capital Fiduciary Advisors in Ashburn, VA, holding a Series 66 designation with 17 years of industry experience. He has worked at Capital Fiduciary Advisors since 2011, including a period at Andersen from 2016 to 2021. Capital Fiduciary Advisors provides wealth advisory and portfolio management services to high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, and institutional clients such as pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm offers personal financial planning and uses a formal due-diligence process to select third-party investment managers, supporting clients with institutional-style reporting and educational seminars.

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.

Diane Case is the principal of Shenandoah Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 20 years of industry experience. She has operated as a sole proprietor since 1993 and worked at Gradient Advisors, LLC from 2015 to 2016. In addition to her financial advisory work, she is a licensed insurance agent and dedicates approximately 25% of her time to that practice. Shenandoah Financial provides financial planning and consulting services to individuals and small businesses, referring clients to third-party money managers for investment management. The firm assists clients with tailored financial plans, monitors third-party manager performance, and handles related administrative tasks.

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.

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.