Tomasz Cymer is a CFP® and CFA® with 19 years of experience in financial advising. He is the principal of Opulen Financial Group, LLC, an independent advisory firm he has led since 2014, and has operated as a sole proprietor since 2009. In addition to his advisory work, Cymer holds a licensed insurance agent role, spending part of his time on life, disability, and long-term care insurance sales. He is also involved in educational seminars and teaching through a separate corporate entity. Opulen Financial Group serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, and corporations with portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, and retirement plan services. The firm emphasizes documented investment policies, fundamental analysis, and combines direct management with third-party platform oversight, while offering ERISA 3(21) fiduciary services and participant education.

Taro Taguchi is a financial advisor at MZ Capital, LLC with 9 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with MZ Capital Management since 2015. MZ Capital Management provides discretionary asset management and financial planning to individuals, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm emphasizes a passive, asset-class allocation approach using institutional funds within a buy‑hold‑and‑rebalance framework, managing accounts primarily on a discretionary basis with individualized investment policy statements.

John Ohly is a financial advisor with Bontempo Ohly Capital Management, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Bontempo Ohly since 2004. Bontempo Ohly Capital Management provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, and consultation services to individuals, high-net-worth families, trusts, estates, and retirement plans. The firm uses strict quantitative modeling and customized portfolios based on client risk tolerance, time horizon, and goals, operating with discretionary trading authority and conducting ongoing portfolio reviews.

Joshua Stillman is a financial advisor at Capitol Financial Consultants, Inc. with 11 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has been with Capitol Financial Consultants since 2014. In addition to his advisory role, Stillman serves as an adjunct professor at George Mason University, teaching a financial planning and wealth management capstone course. Capitol Financial Consultants provides financial planning, investment advice, and supervisory services to individuals, high net worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm employs a primarily buy-and-hold investment approach with tactical adjustments and offers additional services such as tax preparation, bookkeeping, and bill-paying.

Farzana Sultana is a financial advisor at Crescent Meridian Capital LLC with over 23 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 credential and previously worked at Ameriprise Financial Services from 2010 to 2026. Outside of advisory work, she is involved in business ownership of JaMaxwell Logistics and serves on the boards of the Bangladeshi American Network for Democracy and the Holy Cross S&C Dhaka Alumni. Crescent Meridian Capital offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management and financial planning services to individuals, families, and small businesses. The firm focuses on long-term growth, capital preservation, and risk management through diversified portfolios utilizing ETFs, mutual funds, equities, and fixed income, with an emphasis on direct management and tax-aware strategies.

Ormand Bontempo is a financial advisor with Bontempo Ohly Capital Management, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Bontempo Ohly Capital Management since 2004. Bontempo Ohly Capital Management provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, and consultation services to individuals, high-net-worth families, trusts, estates, and retirement plans. The firm uses strict quantitative modeling for security analysis and manages customized portfolios based on client risk tolerance, time horizon, and goals.

Michael Shea is a CFA® charterholder with 18 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has been with 8th Street Investments, LLC since 2008. 8th Street Investments, LLC provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, and consulting to individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm employs fundamental analysis and strategic asset allocation across individual equities, fixed income, mutual funds, and ETFs, managing most assets on a discretionary basis with customized portfolio construction.

Brian Scanlon is a financial advisor at Capstone, LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Archstone Capital, LLC and Height Analytics, LLC, among others. In addition to his advisory role, Scanlon serves as Director of Institutional Sales at Capstone, focusing on policy research and access to related events. Capstone serves institutional investors such as mutual funds, hedge funds, private equity firms, and long-only managers by providing policy analysis, regulatory due diligence, and written research products. The firm emphasizes vetted, impersonal research and advisory services without managing client assets, delivering comprehensive reports and deep-dive due diligence for clients globally.

Mark Weber is a financial advisor at DecisionMap Wealth Management, LLC with 22 years of industry experience. He holds the CFP®, CFA®, and Series 66 designations and previously worked at Goldman Sachs Personal Financial Management and United Capital Financial Advisors. Weber is also a licensed insurance agent selling fixed insurance products. DecisionMap Wealth Management provides financial planning, consulting, and investment management services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm employs a core-satellite investment approach that combines passive and active strategies, incorporating fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis tailored to each client's objectives and risk tolerance.

Daniel Irvine is a financial advisor at 3Summit Investment Management, LLC with nine years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at 3Summit Investment Management since 2016, including three years with 3Summit Funds, LLC, and prior to that, seven years at Wells Capital Management. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for PHILLIPS Programs and is a member of the Board of Trustees for SpringForward, both in Washington, DC. 3Summit serves individuals, charitable organizations, companies, other advisers, and retirement plan sponsors, offering portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan advisory, and sub-advisory services. The firm integrates formal accounting and bookkeeping practices into its advisory business and employs diversified portfolio strategies based on multiple analytical approaches, managing accounts on both a discretionary and non-discretionary basis.

Emily Burke is a financial advisor at Birch Street Financial Advisors in Vienna, VA, holding a Series 65 designation with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Birch Street Financial Advisors, she worked at FS-ISAC and has a background that includes roles in consulting and nonprofit organizations. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved with Pura Vida Enterprises and Ballston Crossfit. Birch Street Financial Advisors provides investment management and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, and high-net-worth clients. The firm focuses on passive portfolio construction using index mutual funds and ETFs and manages client portfolios primarily through third-party sub-advisers and turnkey asset management platforms.

David Morgante is a CFP® and Series 66 licensed financial advisor with 23 years of experience. He has worked at Variant Private Wealth LLC since 2017 and previously spent 13 years at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Outside of his advisory role, Morgante owns and operates an income tax preparation business. Variant Private Wealth provides fee-based financial planning and individualized investment management to a range of clients, including individuals, families, trusts, and organizations. The firm combines fundamental and technical analysis to tailor investment strategies based on client-specific financial plans.

Christopher Lane is a financial advisor at McGinn Penninger Investment Management Inc. with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at the University of Maryland and Bullis School. McGinn Penninger Investment Management provides discretionary portfolio management primarily for high-net-worth individuals and institutional clients, focusing on a long-term, large-cap value equity strategy with fundamental analysis and contrarian purchases. The firm also serves as sub-adviser to the Union Street Partners Value Fund and offers tailored portfolio management across individual accounts and the fund.

Ed Leads a team revolutionizing financial planning for federal employees. Valor Wealth Partners is a veteran-owned business with an office in Washington, D.C. and serving clients virtually in 19 states. With over 25 years of experience providing financial planning guidance, Ed has helped hundreds of families navigate complex and emotional dilemmas. He combines decades of experience with personalized strategies to help clients meet their needs. By simplifying his comprehensive analysis into down-to-earth terms, he is able to help clients understand their situation and take positive actions. Helping people with their financial goals is a deeply personal mission for Ed. Early struggles with money led him to pursue a meaningful career guiding people through the financial planning process. As a Certified Financial Planner, Ed follows the CFP Board’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct. The complex knowledge required to obtain and maintain this professional designation helps Ed develop extensive financial plans that hardworking people deserve. Ed’s devotion to the community is evident in the numerous charitable associations where he volunteers his time. He’s currently a captain for a team of cyclists in the annual Pan-Mass Challenge and is a two-time marathoner for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. He attributes his core values of integrity and attention to detail to his service with the U.S. Marines. We invite you to see our passion and knowledge on how your federal benefits can be maximized at our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/FinancialPlanning4Feds

Dale Mason is a financial advisor with MG Capital Partners, LLC, holding a Series 65 license and six years of industry experience. He has worked at MG Capital Partners and Kaufman Accounting since 2020 and owns his own CPA business, Dale Mason, CPA & Co., where he provides international tax consulting services. MG Capital Partners, LLC offers ongoing portfolio management and standalone financial planning primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a non-discretionary advisory model, utilizes modern portfolio theory, and manages approximately $83.3 million in non-discretionary assets.

Scott James is a CFP® with 39 years of experience in the financial industry. He is president of The Scott S. James Company and has been with the firm since its founding in 1996. Prior to that, he has also led the Scott James Group, Inc. since 2001. The Scott S. James Company manages approximately $139 million for about 139 clients, including high-net-worth individuals, small businesses, charities, trusts, and estates. The firm offers tailored financial planning, portfolio management, and trustee services using fundamental and technical analysis alongside modern portfolio theory, with account reviews conducted at least annually.

Davis Gardner is a CFP® professional at Omega Wealth Management LLC with six years of industry experience. He has worked at Omega Wealth Management since 2018, following prior roles at Northwestern Mutual and Virginia Tech Services. Omega Wealth Management serves individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as trusts, estates, and business entities, managing approximately $310 million for around 121 clients through a team of four advisors. The firm offers goals-based, tax-aware investment management combined with life and wealth planning, using both discretionary and non-discretionary account arrangements, and emphasizes client education through seminars and webinars.

Jeffrey Lippman is a CFP® and ChFC® with 19 years of experience in financial advising. He has been with Capitol Financial Consultants, Inc. since 2011, where he serves as a financial advisor focusing on comprehensive financial planning, asset allocation, and investment advice. Outside of his primary role, he is involved in the referral of group insurance products. Capitol Financial Consultants provides financial planning and investment supervisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm employs in-house asset allocation models and a buy-and-hold investment strategy, utilizing fundamental analysis and manager interviews to guide portfolio management.

Elizabeth Remick is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional with 25 years of industry experience. She has been with Ithaka Financial Planning, LLC since 2010. Ithaka Financial Planning provides integrated financial planning and portfolio management for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and personal trusts and estates. The firm’s approach emphasizes customized portfolios based on Modern Portfolio Theory, using primarily open-end index funds and ETFs, with ongoing monitoring and rebalancing.

Jennifer Hutton is a financial advisor at 4J Wealth Management, LLC in McLean, VA, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 66 license with 23 years of industry experience. She worked previously at McLaughlin Ryder Investments, Inc. for six years before joining 4J Wealth Management in 2018. 4J Wealth Management serves individual investors and retirement plans, providing financial planning and investment management services through both discretionary and non-discretionary arrangements. The firm employs a fiduciary approach that includes multi-style portfolio construction, regular client education seminars, and integrates third-party estate-planning software with human review.