Jason Zephir is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 21 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Charles Schwab Bank SSB, Charles Schwab & Co., Ameriprise Financial Services, Merrill, and Bank of America. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily for employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, utilizing an integrated model tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms. The firm emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and savings rates while serving a large participant base relative to its advisor headcount.

Jennifer Ryan is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 18 years of industry experience. She currently works at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC and has previously been affiliated with The Colony Group, Connectus Wealth, The Simmons Partnership LLC, Morgan Stanley, and Citigroup Global Markets. Focus Partners Wealth, LLC serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients, offering a range of wealth management and advisory services. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach using a blend of active and passive strategies and provides access to both third-party and affiliated private funds.

Laura Snyder is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 25 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC and Raymond James & Associates. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base, including individuals, families, trusts, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, and municipal clients, offering a range of brokerage, financial planning, and advisory services.

Paul Sortino is a financial advisor with Equity Services, Inc. (ESI Financial Advisors) based in Timonium, MD. He holds the CFP® designation and securities licenses Series 63 and Series 65, with 18 years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at Worthington Financial Partners since 2010 and Equity Services, Inc. since 2007. Outside of advising, Sortino serves as a general board member and co-chair for the Maryland chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Equity Services, Inc. provides financial planning, consulting, and asset management services to individuals, corporations, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm operates with multiple advisory platforms, frequently using third-party asset managers and model portfolios, and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary programs.

Russell Jensen is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 31 years of industry experience. He has been with PNC Investments since 2009. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital portfolio solution that uses algorithm-driven risk assessment and third-party managed investment models.

Crhistian Vasquez is a financial advisor at AE Wealth Management, LLC with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, and Ilgenfritz Financial Group. Outside of his advisory role, he is the owner of Golf Lovers, LLC, a business focused on research and development. AE Wealth Management provides fee-based portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting to a broad range of clients, including individuals, corporations, trusts, and ERISA plan sponsors. The firm utilizes discretionary model portfolios and supports third-party RIAs, managing approximately $49.8 billion for over 127,000 clients across more than 440 advisors.

Jeffrey Weiner is a financial advisor with Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc., holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 30 years of industry experience. He has been with Benjamin F. Edwards since 2013. His other activities include serving as co-trustee for family trusts and a trustee for a grandchildren’s trust. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving a diverse client base that includes individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers fee-based wrap programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and investment management through a range of actively and passively managed portfolios and model strategies.

Kyle Shenk is a financial advisor with Independent Financial Partners and holds a Series 66 designation. He has five years of industry experience and has previously worked with Realta Investment Advisors, Inc. and Realta Equities, Inc. Shenk's background also includes roles at Springified Co., Hampden-Sydney, Incapital, and Safari Club International. Independent Financial Partners provides investment advisory, financial planning, trust, and retirement-plan services through a nationwide network of independent advisors. The firm supports a decentralized advisory model, allowing advisors to set their own investment strategies, and offers specialized retirement-plan advisory and pension consulting services.

Carly Neidecker is a financial advisor at Kestra Advisory with six years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at T. Rowe Price, Brown Advisory, and Wells Fargo Advisors. In addition to her advisory role, she is involved with JLB Wealth Management Group, providing financial planning and investment advising services. Kestra Advisory Services offers investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to institutional and individual clients, including plan sponsors. The firm provides a range of services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, investment advice, and employee education, managing approximately $79.8 billion in assets under management.

Caroline Michaels is a financial advisor at Guardian Life with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Park Avenue Securities, Financial Growth Partners, and Brewbike. Outside of finance, she is involved with Sharons Shaved Ice, a business she has maintained since 2020. Guardian Life’s subsidiary, Park Avenue Wealth Management, serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients with brokerage services, financial planning, and investment advisory programs that include proprietary and third-party models.

Brendan Mcpeake is a financial advisor at Equity Services, Inc. with Series 65 and Series 63 licenses. He has worked in the financial services industry for two years, including prior experience at Worthington Financial Partners and a background in community recreation with Baltimore County Parks and Recreation. Equity Services, Inc., operating as ESI Financial Advisors, provides financial planning, consulting, and asset management services to a broad client base including individuals, corporations, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm offers multiple advisory platforms, often utilizing third-party asset managers and model portfolios, combining long-term strategies with options for shorter-term trading and specialized instruments.

Glen Dryden is a financial advisor with Transamerica Retirement Advisors, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 28 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Nationwide Investment Services Corporation from 2010 to 2022 and positions at Transamerica Life Insurance Company and Transamerica Investors Securities Corporation since 2022. Transamerica Retirement Advisors serves participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans and IRA owners through managed advice programs and investment education services. The firm relies on Morningstar Investment Management for portfolio construction and oversight, offering both implemented managed portfolios and non-discretionary recommendations to a large client base.

Robert Briggs is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Timonium, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 1999 and also holds a position as an agent with Agia. Outside of his advisory work, Briggs serves as President of the Board of Directors for At Jacob's Well Inc., a nonprofit providing housing for mentally ill homeless individuals in Baltimore, and as Treasurer of the Board for the Children's Chorus of Maryland. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-based individual investors, including high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models with overlay options for tax and ESG considerations.

William Allison III is a financial advisor with AE Wealth Management, LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and one year of industry experience. His career includes roles in annuity and insurance sales, as well as positions at Ilgenfritz Financial Group and Patterson Companies. AE Wealth Management provides fee-based portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, trusts, and ERISA plan sponsors. The firm emphasizes the use of discretionary model portfolios and offers a broad platform of investment strategies and services to support its large client and advisor network.

Christopher Wasson is a CFP® professional with 30 years of industry experience. He has been with Kestra Advisory Services since 2016 and holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. Outside of his advisory role, Wasson serves on the board of LifeBridge Health/Sinai Hospital and is involved in real estate ownership. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base including institutional investors and plan sponsors. The firm offers a range of services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, and employee education, and manages approximately $79.8 billion in assets.

Todd Garliss Jr. is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 31 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously spent 13 years with Corbyn Investment Management. He serves as a board member for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Hunt Valley, MD. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base, offering brokerage, financial planning, consulting, and advisory programs through a combination of in-house and third-party portfolio management.

Christina Snyder is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ with 10 years of experience and is currently with CWM, LLC. Her prior experience includes roles at Jacob William Advisory, Hornor Townsend & Kent Inc, and Penn Mutual Life Insurance. She is involved in several professional and community organizations, serving as Co-President of Women in Insurance & Financial Services and as a board member of HASA Baltimore. CWM, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, families, foundations, endowments, corporations, and institutions through a network of over 600 advisors. The firm manages discretionary portfolios using model portfolios, combining fundamental and technical analysis with third-party sub-advisors and customization tools, alongside a focus on fiduciary retirement plan services and comprehensive client reporting.

Andrew Kelen is a CFP® and CFA® with 14 years of industry experience. He has been with Equity Services, Inc. since 2012 and is also affiliated with National Life. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as an agent licensed to sell life and health insurance through Worthington Financial Partners and holds director positions focused on insurance services at Sortino Financial Group and Sortino Financial LLC. Equity Services, Inc., doing business as ESI Financial Advisors, provides financial planning, consulting, and asset management to individuals, corporations, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm offers multiple advisory platforms, frequently employs third-party asset managers, and combines long-term investment strategies with options for shorter-term trading.

Rebecca Hartnett is a financial advisor at Kestra Advisory with 26 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at UBS Financial Services and Morgan Stanley. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to plan sponsors and a broad mix of institutional and individual clients, offering services such as fiduciary consulting, plan-level investment advice, and employee education. The firm manages approximately $79.8 billion in assets and serves diverse clients including sovereign wealth funds.

Kevin Belshaw is a Certified Financial Planner® with 12 years of industry experience. He has been with United Planners Financial Services of America since 2019 and also serves as president of TriBel Consulting Firm, LLC, a consulting business unrelated to investment services. Additionally, he has experience as an insurance agent specializing in non-variable insurance and has held roles at MassMutual and the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies. United Planners Financial Services of America serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, charitable organizations, retirement plans, and institutional clients. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, retirement plan services, and brokerage solutions through an open-architecture platform utilizing multiple custodians and third-party money managers.