Benjamin Smith, CFP®, is the founder and owner of Briarwood Financial, a comprehensive financial services firm providing wealth management, tax preparation, accounting, and business consulting for individuals and business owners nationwide. Benjamin enjoys working directly with clients to help them navigate the complexities that wealth inevitably brings. His approach combines financial planning, tax strategy, and business advisory services—ensuring that every piece of a client’s financial picture works together efficiently and intentionally. Before launching Briarwood, Benjamin served as a Financial Advisor at Cetera Investment Services, an independent broker-dealer. There, he specialized in developing customized investment portfolios guided by long-term strategic planning. His drive to offer clients more holistic, tax-integrated advice led him to expand his practice beyond traditional advising and establish Briarwood Financial as a full-service firm. Benjamin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a concentration in Economics from Seattle Pacific University and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional. Earlier in his career, he gained valuable experience in sales, operations, and management within the telecommunications industry—skills that helped shape his practical, results-oriented approach to leadership and client service. At the heart of his philosophy are integrity, honesty, and competence. He believes true financial planning is built on trust, clarity, and a genuine commitment to helping clients make informed, confident decisions that align with their values and long-term goals.

Janet Pack is a financial advisor with Advisors Asset Management, Inc. in Tacoma, WA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 14 years of industry experience. She has worked with the firm since 2017 and also owns Senior Care Alliance, where she sells insurance products, dedicating approximately 70% of her time to this business. Advisors Asset Management, Inc. provides advisory services mainly to individual clients, focusing on financial planning and consulting while referring clients to third-party money managers. The firm does not manage portfolios directly but facilitates account setup and service, offering financial planning on an hourly basis and assisting with insurance product arrangements.

Jesse Dungan is a financial advisor at Fangorn Wealth Management with Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining the firm, he spent 10 years at Amazon Corporate LLC. Outside of advising, he works as a compensated soccer referee in Kent, WA. Fangorn Wealth Management serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, small businesses, and charitable foundations with financial planning and portfolio management. The firm utilizes diversified, tax-aware investment strategies and applies Modern Portfolio Theory, scenario analysis, and stress testing to manage risk, while also providing estate and charitable-planning guidance and educational seminars.

Troy Sapp is a CFP® professional with 15 years of experience in financial planning and wealth management. He has been with Commencement Financial Planning LLC since 2010 and is based in Lakewood, WA. Commencement Financial Planning LLC provides fee-only comprehensive financial planning and wealth management services primarily to individuals and families. The firm emphasizes a collaborative, consultative process and manages client accounts on a non-discretionary basis, focusing on low-cost passive mutual funds and ETFs, periodic rebalancing, and tax-loss harvesting.

Julie Wurst is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience. She has operated her independent advisory firm, Julie A. Wurst, CFP, LLC, in Tacoma, WA, since 2017. Her firm provides advisory services to individual clients, including high-net-worth individuals, as well as small businesses and trusts. The firm employs a globally diversified, low-cost investment approach primarily using index mutual funds and ETFs, and offers customized financial planning and consulting through various communication methods.

Gregory Merrill is the sole advisor at Strategic Asset Management in Tacoma, WA, holding a Series 65 designation with 31 years of industry experience. He has been with Strategic Asset Management since 1995. Strategic Asset Management serves individual investors across various account types, offering discretionary portfolio management and investment advice. The firm employs a combination of fundamental and technical analysis to guide investment decisions and incorporates private limited partnerships for accredited clients, along with operational practices aimed at fairness in trade execution.

Jacy Hixon is the president and chief compliance officer of Crossroads Advisor Network LLC and has 20 years of experience in the financial industry. He is also president and co-owner of Advisor Systems Inc., a technology company serving financial advisers. Prior to his current roles, he has been self-employed as a business consultant since 2015. Crossroads Advisor Network LLC provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and pension consulting services for pooled vehicles, institutional retirement accounts, businesses, trusts, and individual clients. The firm’s investment approach incorporates technical, cyclical, and fundamental analysis and may include options strategies, margin, and derivatives in separately managed accounts.

Laurence Elvins is the sole advisor at Tacoma Investment Group in Tacoma, WA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 31 years of industry experience. He has led Tacoma Investment Group since its founding in 1995. Tacoma Investment Group provides discretionary portfolio management for individuals, trusts, retirement accounts, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm emphasizes fundamental and qualitative analysis, asset allocation, and long-term investment strategies tailored to client-specific considerations, and it uniquely serves both individual and institutional clients as an independent solo advisor.

Elaine Chan is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) with 20 years of industry experience. She has been the sole advisor at FIOH Global Asset Management and Strategies, LLC since 2011. FIOH Global Asset Management and Strategies is an independent registered investment adviser serving individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, financial and retirement planning, benefit plan consultation, and divorce settlement consulting, using tailored strategies with stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs.

Brian Skaggs is a CFP® professional with 23 years of industry experience. He founded and has operated Skaggs Financial Planning, LLC since 2002 in Burien, WA. Skaggs Financial Planning, LLC serves individual and high-net-worth clients with portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning, including hourly and pro bono advisory work. The firm follows a market-efficient investment approach based on Modern Portfolio Theory, emphasizing asset allocation and typically using no-load, institutional mutual funds and ETFs.

Derek Main is a financial advisor with First Main Capital in Tacoma, WA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 15 years of industry experience. He has worked at firms including Vanderbilt Securities, Mass Mutual Investors Services, and TIAA-CREF. Derek is the owner and sole advisor at First Main Capital, managing a small roster of clients including family members. First Main Capital is an independent registered investment adviser that provides financial planning and discretionary portfolio management primarily for individual and family clients. The firm emphasizes ETF-based portfolios with an academic, factor-oriented equity approach and diversified fixed-income and alternative allocations intended to reduce volatility.

Viral Shah is the sole advisor at An Irrational Mind, LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and bringing 15 years of industry experience. He has been with Prudent Financial Planning, LLC since 2010 and works full-time as an internal medicine physician and hospitalist at Multicare Health System in Tacoma, WA. An Irrational Mind, LLC provides fee-only financial planning and investment advice to individuals, families, organizations, corporations, trusts, and estates. The firm emphasizes passive, buy-and-hold indexing and asset-allocation strategies using low-cost index mutual funds and ETFs, and offers short educational seminars. It does not manage client portfolios directly or take custody of assets, typically billing on an hourly or project basis.

Pravin Davrey is the principal of Emerald Pacific Investment Advisors LLC in Tacoma, WA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 16 years of industry experience. He has worked with Farmers Insurance Company since 2025 and has been involved with Emerald Pacific Investment Advisors since 2021 and Emerald Pacific Capital LLC since 2016. Outside of investment advisory, he is the managing principal and mortgage broker at Emerald Pacific Capital, a consumer loan company that originates mortgage and commercial loans. Emerald Pacific Investment Advisors provides non-discretionary, customized investment advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, partnerships, and corporations. The firm typically constructs diversified portfolios using stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, and REITs, employing both fundamental and technical analysis, and manages portfolios with client approval.

I help women achieve financial independence (FI), so they can live life on their own terms. I am you. My journey into personal finance started unexpectedly almost 30 years ago when my mother developed cancer and was eventually left disabled. I hired a financial advisor to help my parents with their finances. He sold them expensive load funds (5.75%) that enriched him while hampering their returns. After a year and a half, I caught on, fired him and began overseeing our family’s finances myself. As an investor and financial planner, I’ve noticed that while women have made tremendous strides educationally and professionally, this has not always translated into greater financial security and personal freedom. Why? Based on my experience, a big part of that is the cultural stories that we’ve inherited regarding our roles and responsibilities to others at the expense of ourselves. But, only when we take ownership of our stories can we take ownership of our lives and make the most of our resources, including money. As with any resource, money has its own energy. I can teach you to master it, so it becomes the wind on your back to help you realize your Life’s mission and vision. Our society equates money with wealth. While there is overlap, in my opinion, they are different. Money is the means to live life on our own terms. But, wealth is the recognition that a life well-lived means taking care of ourselves and then our family and our community.

Shubham Acharya is the sole advisor at Ninja Wealth Advisors, LLC, an independent registered investment adviser based in Federal Way, WA. He holds a Series 65 designation and has one year of industry experience. In addition to his advisory role, Acharya works as a Systems Analyst for the U.S. Government. Ninja Wealth Advisors provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm uses a combination of analytical methods to build long-term portfolios tailored to client goals and risk tolerance, maintaining a small client roster and a unique approach to trade execution and service delivery.

Alexander Morrow is a CFP® and Series 65 credentialed advisor with eight years of industry experience. He has worked at KPMG, LLP and Cpwm, LLC before founding Faire Capital Group, where he has served as the sole advisor since 2022. Morrow is also involved in managing private investment partnerships through APAM, LLC and Faire Capital Partners, LLC. Faire Capital Group is an independent registered investment adviser serving individual clients with portfolio management and financial planning services. The firm sponsors and manages private partnerships, providing clients access to pooled investment vehicles that are less common among independent advisers.

Rafe Johnson is a financial advisor at Anchor Financial in Tacoma, WA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. He has one year of industry experience, including work with the Medicare Exchange and Bankers Life Securities. Outside of financial advising, he is involved with the Medicare Exchange, which relates to his affiliation with insurance products. Anchor Financial serves primarily individual clients with a small, concentrated practice focused on discretionary asset management of mutual funds and ETFs. The firm also offers retirement plan services and referrals to third-party managers, tailoring investment strategies based on client goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance.

Donald Foy is a financial advisor at Columbia River Advisors with 22 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Columbia River Advisors since 2010. Outside of his advisory role, he owns Summit Tax Services and is the sole member of a personal LLC holding interests in Columbia River and other entities. Columbia River Advisors manages investment portfolios and provides financial planning and retirement consulting primarily for individual clients, including high-net-worth households, as well as pension/profit-sharing plans and certain pooled investment vehicles. The firm uses internally developed model portfolios supplemented by third-party managers and serves clients primarily through discretionary portfolio management.

Nils Wickman is a CFP® with 18 years of industry experience and currently serves at Ares Financial Consulting LLC. He has worked at Ares since 2017 and has prior experience with Ameritas Investment Corp. Outside of his advisory role, Wickman teaches a financial literacy class for Tacoma Public Schools and serves as Planned Giving Director at Urban Grace Church. He is also an advisory committee member of the 253 Youth Ultimate Program. Ares Financial Consulting serves individuals, families, small businesses, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning and discretionary portfolio management using a long-term, diversified investment approach typically involving mutual funds and ETFs, alongside value-based pricing and business-focused services.

Jun Chea is a CFP® and Series 66-registered financial advisor with three years of industry experience. He has worked at Rainier Family Wealth, Inc. since 2024 and previously held roles at Financial Insights, Inc. and Key Bank NA, where he spent 29 years. Rainier Family Wealth, Inc. is a fee-only registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth households, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning, using a combination of passive and active strategies grounded in Modern Portfolio Theory.