Kirk Sheldon is a CFP® with 13 years of industry experience, currently serving at Capital Financial Management in San Diego, CA. He has been with The Capital Group since 1987. In addition to his financial advisory role, he is involved in real estate brokerage and property management through businesses he owns. Capital Financial Management primarily serves individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as trusts, estates, and business entities, offering portfolio management, financial planning, consulting, and investment reporting. The firm’s investment approach focuses on fundamental analysis and asset allocation across a diverse range of securities, with a notable emphasis on client-directed, non-discretionary management.

Eric Schmid is a CFP® professional with nine years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Ted Buchan & Company since 2016. He is based in San Diego, CA, and works within a small team of two advisors at the firm. Ted Buchan & Company provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients, managing approximately $413 million in assets. The firm uses firm-developed model portfolios combined with fundamental and technical analysis, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary management along with annual account reviews.

Keith Hamilton is a CFP® professional with 39 years of industry experience. He has been with Hamilton Manor & Associates since 2009 and has worked with LPL Financial, LLC since 1995. His background includes tax preparation services in addition to his financial advisory work. Hamilton Manor & Associates serves individual and high-net-worth clients, providing portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm utilizes a range of research providers and third-party managers to construct asset allocation models and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary management.

Robert Patterson is a financial advisor with RJ Patterson Group in San Diego, CA, holding a Series 66 designation and 27 years of industry experience. He has been with RJ Patterson Capital Investment Group, Inc. since 2016 and Purshe Kaplan Sterling since 2014. RJ Patterson Group provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, and participant-account services to individuals, retirement plan participants, and corporations. The firm uses a value-oriented equity approach combined with diversified ETFs, mutual funds, individual equities, and fixed-income securities, and it offers specialized programs for early-career clients.

Sapphira Santibanez is a financial advisor at Del Mar Wealth Management Inc with six years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 credential and has previously worked at Northwestern Mutual Investment Services LLC and Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company. Outside of her advisory role, she has experience in hospitality at Carlsbad By The Sea Resort. Del Mar Wealth Management provides portfolio management and financial planning services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a tailored investment approach that combines fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory, incorporating a range of investment types including less common assets such as deed trust funds and structured notes.

Nathan Jarman is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 11 years of industry experience. He has worked with LPL Financial and Financial Planning Consultants since 2014. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with Jarman Wealth Management, a business entity focused on tax and investment purposes. Financial Planning Consultants provides financial planning and consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, and business entities. The firm offers comprehensive financial plans and life-stage planning, focusing on investment advice without managing client assets, typically using a long-term, value-oriented approach.

Olivian Pitis is a CFP®, CFA®, and Series 66-licensed financial advisor at CSJ Wealth Management, LLC with 17 years of industry experience. He previously worked at American Century Investment Services, Dimensional Fund Advisors, and Dowling & Yahnke. He has been involved with the UCLA Anderson San Diego Alumni Chapter since 2020. CSJ Wealth Management provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, ERISA plans, and corporations. The firm employs a long-term, asset-allocation investment approach using low-cost institutional funds and also manages a sponsored pooled investment vehicle with more active strategies.

Erik Johnson is a financial advisor with La Jolla Institute for Wealth Management, holding a Series 65 designation and 14 years of industry experience. He has been with La Jolla Institute since 2011 and has operated his own advisory practice since 1999. Outside of financial advising, he is involved in product sales and marketing. La Jolla Institute for Wealth Management provides personalized financial planning and investment management to individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm employs a core-and-satellite strategic asset allocation approach with globally diversified portfolios and operates on a non-discretionary basis.

Athanasios Preovolos is a financial advisor at Alpha & Omega with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Alpha & Omega Financial Management Consultants since 2022. In addition to his advisory role, he is an attorney with Preovolos Lewin, ALC, a law practice he has been affiliated with since 1993. Alpha & Omega Financial provides advisory services to individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, pension consulting, and administrative services, using methods such as cyclical and fundamental analysis and modern portfolio theory, with a focus on non-discretionary asset management.

Michael Licosati is a financial advisor at Alder Capital with nine years of industry experience. He holds Series 66 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Pacific Point Advisors, LLC. Alder Capital is an independent SEC-registered investment adviser serving high-net-worth individuals, family offices, trusts, estates, and institutions. The firm provides discretionary wealth management and comprehensive financial planning with an investment approach focused on broadly diversified, long-term portfolios using a range of asset types and third-party managers.

William Ward Jr. is a financial advisor at Ward & Associates with 22 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 65 designation and has been with Ward & Associates since 1997. Ward & Associates provides wealth management and investment advisory services to individuals, families, and related entities such as trusts and charitable foundations. The firm emphasizes long-term strategic asset allocation using Modern Portfolio Theory and offers portfolios that may include non-traditional investments alongside mutual funds and external managers.

Jennifer Wilson is a CFP® and ChFC® professional with nine years of experience in financial advising. She has worked at McNaughton Wealth Management, LLC since 2019 and previously was with Ameriprise Financial Inc. from 2016 to 2019. McNaughton Wealth Management serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as trusts, pension plans, and business entities. The firm manages approximately $291.6 million for about 240 clients, providing discretionary asset management, portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and referrals to third-party money managers.

Craig Kelley is a financial advisor at Kelley Investments with 40 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Kelley Investments since 1998, alongside a 15-year tenure at Ceros Financial Services. In addition to his advisory role, he is involved in insurance sales on a limited basis. Kelley Investments offers discretionary and non-discretionary wealth management, financial planning, and pension consulting to individuals, families, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $238 million across 216 client relationships using proprietary portfolio strategies focused on growth at a reasonable price through diversified equity and fixed income investments.

Amar Shah is a CFP®, CFA®, and Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 20 years of industry experience. He has been with Client First Capital, LLC since 2019 and previously worked at USAA in various financial planning and advisory roles from 2011 to 2019. Client First Capital serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and estates by providing asset management, comprehensive portfolio management, and standalone financial planning and consulting. The firm employs a fiduciary, client-specific process that incorporates multiple methods of analysis and offers distinct portfolio strategies to align risk profiles with client objectives.

Darren Bloom is a CFP® with 28 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at WEalthetic LLC since 2025. He previously spent 15 years at LPL Financial, llc. Outside of his advisory role, he organizes the Baja Rally, a racing event based in San Diego. WEalthetic LLC provides investment advisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities, managing approximately $13.2 million across 24 clients. The firm offers tailored portfolio management integrating various investment strategies and also serves institutional-type clients with consulting services in corporate structure, tax planning, and real estate analysis.

Bobbi Koala is a financial advisor with Koala Financial in Bonita, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. She has held roles at Cetera Wealth Services and Avantax Advisory Services and serves as CEO of Koala Financial, where she also provides accounting and tax preparation services as a Certified Public Accountant. Additionally, she is a licensed real estate agent involved in real estate sales and financing activities. Koala Financial provides investment advisory services to individuals and high-net-worth clients, offering pension consulting and financial planning. The firm integrates accounting, tax, legal, insurance, and real estate services and uses a diversified investment approach including discretionary portfolio management with a preference for Dimensional funds.

Kai Kramer is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor at Platt Wealth Management with four years of industry experience. He has worked at Platt Wealth Management since 2021 and previously held positions at Ameriprise Financial Services, UCLA, and Yasukochi Family Farms. Platt Wealth Management serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement plan clients, providing discretionary investment management and financial planning. The firm’s investment approach is based on Modern Portfolio Theory, emphasizing strategic asset allocation, diversified mutual fund exposure, and ongoing portfolio supervision aligned with client goals and risk tolerance.

Jason Shaya is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor at Mission Hills Financial Advisory LLC with two years of industry experience. He has been associated with Mission Hills Financial since 2005 in various capacities. Mission Hills Financial Advisory provides discretionary asset management and financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm tailors portfolios to client goals and risk tolerance using a combination of fundamental and technical analysis, mutual funds, ETFs, alternatives, and options, and also offers access to third-party managers and ongoing consulting services.

Tyrone Ross is a financial advisor at 401 Financial with 13 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at firms including Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, and NobleBridge Wealth Management. Outside of his advisory role, he is the founder of 401 STC, LLC, providing financial consulting and speaking engagements, and also works as a contractor with Coindesk producing podcasts and hosting events. 401 Financial is a small advisory practice serving individual and high-net-worth clients with financial planning, investment planning, and specialized cryptoasset strategies. The firm emphasizes tailored investment recommendations with passive core allocations and offers proprietary crypto research and education as part of its service.

About Danny G. Michael, CFP®, RLP®, MSBA Retirement requires making decisions that will impact my clients for the rest of their lives. So the first thing I do is help them define for themselves what a fulfilling, deeply satisfying retirement looks like. Once they have complete clarity on what they want, I put my advanced degrees in finance and tax-planning to work getting that for them. It’s also important that my clients know I have no hidden agendas. As a Certified Financial Planner™ and Registered Life Planner®, I provide completely transparent retirement planning and my team acts 100% in their best interests. We make no commissions off the financial products clients invest in and we charge no hidden fees. For 20 years, I’ve led clients through the maze that is retirement planning and I love knowing that they’re fully enjoying this phase of their lives and not worrying whether or not their financial resources can support their most fulfilling retirement. There’s nothing worse than realizing after you retire that your planning was incomplete. Let’s work together so that you can enjoy the comfortable, confident retirement you’ve earned. Media Mentions: Bank Rate https://www.bankrate.com/personal-finance/smart-money/understand-how-inflation-impacts-your-life-with-personal-inflation-rate/ https://www.bankrate.com/personal-finance/how-to-write-a-will/ https://www.bankrate.com/financing/cd-rates/pros-and-cons-of-ira-cds/ Investment News https://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/baby-boomers/articles/how-to-retire HuffPost https://www.huffpost.com/entry/important-money-moves-experts_n_5c1d130ee4b05c88b6f81d52 https://www.huffpost.com/entry/401k-loan-rules-borrow_l_5d83e88ae4b0957256b3d417 Think Advisor https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2019/08/21/advisors-advice-top-11-retirement-planning-questions-clients-ask/ Family Wealth News http://abetterwaytoretire.com/Understanding_Your_Personal_Inflation_Rate.aspx Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertfarrington/2021/12/21/5-last-minute-financial-tips-for-the-end-of-2021/?sh=5b7c6fb31403