Laura Mertz is a CFP® professional with eight years of industry experience. She has worked at Aspiriant Wealth Management from 2015 to 2025 before joining Blankinship & Foster, LLC in 2025. Blankinship & Foster, LLC provides customized wealth management services to individuals, families, trusts, small businesses, charitable organizations, and pension plans. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes asset allocation based on macroeconomic analysis and client-specific Investment Policy Statements, with portfolios typically managed on a discretionary basis.

Teresa Kakadelas is a CFP® professional with 19 years of industry experience, currently serving at Blankinship & Foster, LLC since 2006. She is based in Solana Beach, CA, and is part of an eight-advisor team at the firm. Blankinship & Foster, LLC provides customized wealth management services to individuals, families, trusts, estates, small businesses, charitable organizations, and pension/profit-sharing plans. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes asset allocation informed by macroeconomic analysis and client-specific Investment Policy Statements, with a focus on discretionary portfolio management and client education.

Jay Hovis is a financial advisor at Financial Focus LLC in Carlsbad, CA, holding CFP® and Series 66 designations with 10 years of industry experience. He has worked at OSAIC, Securities America, and Sagepoint Financial, and has operated as a sole proprietor since 2015. In addition to advisory work, he is involved in insurance sales. Financial Focus LLC serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plans with discretionary asset management, comprehensive financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm manages accounts using model portfolios and offers a wrap fee program that combines management and transaction costs into a single advisory arrangement.

Shay Tahar is a financial advisor at American Money Management, LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 credential and has worked in various roles including positions at Trader Joe’s and Cali Camp prior to his current advisory role. American Money Management, LLC provides discretionary portfolio management and advisory services to individuals, pension plans, trusts, corporations, and other entities. The firm employs an investment committee to implement tailored asset-allocation strategies and incorporates fundamental, cyclical, economic, and technical analysis, as well as alternative investments, in its approach.

Michelle Mai is a Series 65-licensed advisor with Signature Resources Capital Management, LLC, based in San Diego, CA. She has 13 years of industry experience and has worked at Signature Resources since 2016. Michelle is also the owner of College Planning Source, a college planning service she has operated since 2005, and an independent insurance agent since 2008. Signature Resources Capital Management provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting to individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as plan sponsors and participants. The firm offers customizable model portfolios with a global target risk approach and serves as a sub-advisor to third-party platforms.

Alex Klingensmith is a CFP® with 14 years of experience in the financial industry. He has worked at Intelligence Driven Advisers, LLC since 2018 and previously spent seven years at Labrum Wealth Management, LLC. Klingensmith is also involved with Invictus Real Estate Partners, LLC, a real estate management firm where he serves as managing member of a real estate fund. Intelligence Driven Advisers, LLC is a multi-team advisory firm managing approximately $882 million for individual and institutional clients, including retirement plans, trusts, estates, and Native American sovereign entities. The firm provides financial planning, discretionary investment management through model strategies and custom accounts, retirement plan solutions, consulting, and held-away account management, emphasizing risk management and fundamental analysis in portfolio construction.

Matthew Marchand is a financial advisor at Pacific Point Wealth Management in Carlsbad, CA. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with Pacific Point Wealth Management since 2025. Prior to his advisory role, he worked at Martian Property Group and held various positions in the hospitality and retail industries. Pacific Point Wealth Management provides discretionary asset management and comprehensive portfolio services for individuals, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm employs a combination of fundamental and technical analysis with both long-term and active trading strategies, including the use of leverage and derivatives.

Stacey Buchholtz is a financial advisor at Anchor Bay Capital, Inc. with four years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked previously at Prudential Insurance Company of America and James Morrison Insurance Services. Outside of her advisory role, she has operated a health insurance business, QCE Insurance Solutions, focusing on employee benefits and plan enrollment. Anchor Bay Capital, Inc. provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan services to individuals, businesses, and pension/profit-sharing plans. The firm manages approximately $216 million in discretionary assets and employs fundamental analysis and independent research to create diversified portfolios tailored to client risk profiles.

Hunter Daniel is a CFP®, CFA®, and holds a Series 65 license with eight years of industry experience. He is currently with Intelligence Driven Advisers, LLC and has previously worked at Morton Wealth, Dowling & Yahnke, LLC, and Goldman Sachs. Intelligence Driven Advisers, LLC is an SEC-registered multi-team advisory firm managing approximately $882 million for individual and institutional clients, including retirement plans, trusts, estates, and Native American sovereign entities. The firm emphasizes risk management and fundamental analysis through model portfolios primarily invested in low-cost institutional mutual funds and ETFs, while also offering financial planning, discretionary investment management, and retirement plan solutions.

Paul Karshner is a financial advisor with Financial Enhancement Group in Oceanside, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 10 years of industry experience. He has been self-employed since 2016 and is involved with ULTRA Estate Planning, assisting Southern California clients with the signing of estate documents. In addition, he provides insurance products including term life, universal life, and fixed annuities. Financial Enhancement Group offers discretionary asset management and financial planning services to individuals, families, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm employs a combination of fundamental and technical analysis, proprietary research, tactical overlays, and AI tools to manage portfolios across a variety of asset classes and specialized strategies.

Nicholas Kile is a financial advisor at Financial Sense Advisors, Inc. based in San Diego, CA, with two years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Outback Steakhouse for nine years before joining the financial industry. Financial Sense Advisors, Inc. is a registered investment adviser managing approximately $836 million for about 588 clients. The firm serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and other entities, offering discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting through a team of advisors employing both fundamental and technical analysis.

Stefan Prvanov is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with 21 years of industry experience. He has been with Blankinship & Foster, LLC since 2002. Blankinship & Foster, LLC provides customized wealth management services to individuals, families, trusts, estates, small businesses, charitable organizations, and pension/profit-sharing plans. The firm integrates financial planning and investment management, focusing on asset allocation guided by macroeconomic analysis and client-specific Investment Policy Statements.

Frederick Brooks is a CFP®, CFA®, and Series 66-licensed advisor with 21 years of industry experience. He has been with Blankinship & Foster, LLC since 2004. Blankinship & Foster, LLC provides customized wealth management services to individuals, families, trusts, estates, small businesses, charitable organizations, and pension/profit-sharing plans. The firm emphasizes asset allocation informed by macroeconomic analysis and client-specific Investment Policy Statements, implementing portfolios on a discretionary basis using a variety of investment vehicles.

Andrew Mescon is a financial advisor at Ballast Rock Private Wealth with 13 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Ballast Rock since 2022, following nine years at Integrity Financial Corp. Ballast Rock Private Wealth offers tailored portfolio management and investment policy statements for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and retirement plans. The firm employs a combination of fundamental analysis, modern portfolio theory, and quantitative methods to build long-term portfolios, providing financial planning and consulting services as part of its offering.

Howard Barker is a financial advisor at Invicta Financial Group with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Northrop Grumman for ten years before joining BDT & Associates, Inc. in 2018. Outside of advisory work, he is a licensed insurance agent, president of Cogent Insights Advertising, LLC, and serves as co-trustee of a trust. Invicta Financial Group advises individuals, high-net-worth clients, and business entities primarily through financial planning and implementation services, directing clients to third-party investment advisers for portfolio management while providing customized Written Financial Action Plans and regular review meetings.

Madeline Reber is a financial advisor with Intelligence Driven Advisers, LLC, holding a Series 65 license and entering her first year of industry experience. She previously worked at American Assets Capital Advisers, LLC for eight years and has academic experience at the University of San Diego. Intelligence Driven Advisers, LLC is an SEC-registered multi-team advisory firm managing approximately $882 million for individual and institutional clients, including retirement plans and Native American sovereign entities. The firm offers services such as financial planning, discretionary investment management through model portfolios and custom accounts, and retirement plan consulting, with an investment process centered on low-cost institutional funds, risk management, and fundamental analysis.

James Curran is a financial advisor at Pacific Point Wealth Management with nine years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at firms including Edward Jones and Wells Fargo. Curran is also associated with Six Wands Collective. Pacific Point Wealth Management provides discretionary asset management and comprehensive portfolio services for individuals, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm employs a combination of fundamental and technical analysis with a mix of long-term and active trading strategies, including the use of leverage and derivatives in client accounts.

Maria Wells is a CFA® charterholder with three years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Blankinship & Foster, LLC. She has been with Blankinship & Foster since 2014. Blankinship & Foster, LLC provides customized wealth management services to individuals, families, trusts, estates, small businesses, charitable organizations, and pension/profit-sharing plans. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes asset allocation based on macroeconomic analysis and client-specific Investment Policy Statements, typically implementing portfolios on a discretionary basis.

Billie Cook is a CFP® professional with 13 years of experience in financial advisory roles. She is currently with Financial Focus LLC, a team-based firm in Carlsbad, CA, and has held positions at multiple firms including Securities America, Inc. and Sagepoint Financial Group. Outside of her advisory work, she serves on the Rules/Handicap committee board at Crossings at Carlsbad Golf Club. Financial Focus LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm manages discretionary asset portfolios through the AssetMark platform, offers comprehensive financial plans, and sponsors a wrap fee program that combines management and transaction coverage within a single advisory arrangement.

Jody Knutsen is a financial advisor at Invicta Financial Group in San Diego, CA, holding a Series 66 designation with 10 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Invicta in 2026, Knutsen spent a decade at First Command Insurance Services and related First Command entities. He has served in the U.S. Army and California National Guard since 2004. Knutsen is also the owner of Knutsen Financial Services LLC, a business entity used to manage his business-related activities and income separately for tax purposes. Invicta Financial Group provides financial planning and advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and business entities, focusing on written financial action plans tailored to client goals. The firm refers clients to select third-party money managers for portfolio management and primarily operates under a non-discretionary advisory structure.