Penny Jean Young is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Portage, MI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 20 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Oakwood Capital Securities, Alphastar Capital Management, MassMutual Life Insurance, and a decade at Damon Financial LLC. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages roughly $671 billion in assets and offers a combination of brokerage and advisory solutions supported by research from Wells Fargo Investment Institute and third-party sources.

George Smojver is a CFP® professional with 25 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Ameriprise in Kalamazoo, MI. He has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2005. Outside of advising, he is involved in business operations for FSCP, LLC, which supports shared infrastructure and continuity planning among team members. Ameriprise provides a retirement-income planning service targeting individuals with significant investable assets, combining research-driven, algorithm-supported recommendations with personalized financial advice. The firm offers a broad range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions typical of a large institutional provider.

Victoria Brown is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Kalamazoo, MI, holding a Series 66 designation and beginning her advisory role in 2026. Her background includes experience in political service with the Michigan House of Representatives and work in education and retail. Equitable Advisors provides financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and asset-management programs to individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes a range of third-party advisory programs and emphasizes matching clients to suitable investment models and managers.

Richard Behan Sr. is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and 65 licenses and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has worked at LPL Financial since 2019 and previously spent 26 years with FSC Securities Corporation. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as vice president of Eastfork Ranch LTD, an equestrian-related business. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of financial planning and portfolio management services, utilizing both proprietary and third-party investment strategies supported by advanced operational tools.

David Ackley is a financial advisor at Equitable Advisors with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 license and has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2024. Prior to his current role, he has held positions in education and the beverage distribution industry. Equitable Advisors serves individual clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations by providing financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and asset management programs. The firm uses a range of investment approaches, including third-party advisory models and proprietary programs, to tailor solutions to client needs.

Thomas Schripsema is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. since 1999 and holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory and investment solutions through a large network of financial advisors and branches nationwide.

Zachary Petty is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Portage, MI, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and seven years of industry experience. He has worked with several firms, including Northwestern Mutual and Sharon Yoder, before joining Ameriprise in 2024. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large, diversified advisory firm serving individual and institutional clients, known for its Premier Retirement Income service that provides written recommendation reports and annual retirement-income planning. The firm’s approach combines proprietary research, third-party data, and algorithmic tools to guide asset allocation and withdrawal strategies within a defined investment universe.

Brett Sweers is a financial advisor with Stifel, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 32 years of industry experience. He has been with Stifel Nicolaus & Co. Inc. and Natcity Insurance Services, Inc. since 2008. Stifel serves a broad range of clients, including individuals, institutional investors, and charitable organizations, offering brokerage and investment advisory services. The firm’s investment approach utilizes a proprietary methodology developed by its Investment Strategy Group, which combines forward-looking capital market assumptions with probabilistic modeling to support asset allocation and financial planning.

Veronica Darlington is a CFP® professional with 10 years of experience in financial advising. She has been with Edelman Financial Engines since 2025 and previously worked at Cahill Wealth Management for 20 years. Edelman Financial Engines provides technology-enabled investment advisory and financial planning services to individual investors, retirement-plan participants, and institutional clients. The firm employs a committee-driven modeling process combined with planner delivery and online tools, offering diversified portfolios with a long-term orientation.

Jason Erhardt is a financial advisor at Ameriprise in Portage, Michigan, holding a Series 66 designation with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Ameriprise in 2023, he held various roles including positions at Lawrence Technological University, Cedar Point, Meijer, and local high schools. He is also involved in managing an advisory business through OKL, LLC. Ameriprise provides retirement-income planning services primarily for individuals nearing or in retirement with substantial investable assets. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver personalized, non-discretionary recommendations through a centralized consulting team.

Mark Sansom is a Series 66-licensed advisor with Raymond James Financial, based in Plainwell, MI, and has one year of industry experience. Prior to his advisory role, he spent 17 years with Discount Tire Company. He is also involved with Majestic Financial, a non-investment-related support company. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning and investment consulting to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations, using tailored, non-discretionary advisory approaches and advanced analytical tools.

Stephanie Farrance is a financial advisor at Thrivent Investment Management with six years of industry experience. She has worked at Thrivent Financial and Thrivent Investment Management since 2019. Prior to her current role, Farrance spent eight years at Mattawan Animal Hospital. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients through a network of financial advisors. The firm offers holistic, goal-based financial analyses and allows clients to combine planning with managed-account programs under a consolidated billing system called “WealthPlan.”

William Sanders is a CFP® and ChFC® with 32 years of experience in the financial services industry. He currently works at Cetera, where he has served since 2026. His prior experience includes roles at Commonwealth Financial Network from 2016 to 2026 and Ameriprise from 2010 to 2016. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC operates as a multi-manager platform serving individual, employer-sponsored retirement, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients nationwide. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, ERISA retirement services, and access to a range of third-party managers, managing over $256 billion in assets through more than 10,000 advisors.

Keith Platte is a Series 66 licensed advisor with OSAIC based in Kalamazoo, MI. He has one year of industry experience, including prior roles at HFG Financial Group and seven years with Covenant Academy Foundation and Axios HR. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as president of the New Village Place Estates Condominium Association and works as a tax preparer at Lockwood Tax Center. OSAIC Wealth serves a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plans, charities, and corporate clients through a multi-advisor platform offering brokerage and advisory services. The firm employs a model-based investment approach with portfolio optimization tools and supports a range of account types and third-party manager programs.

Ryan Hekman is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and a founding partner of the Hekman & VanderStraaten Group. He has been in the financial services industry since 1994 and joined Merrill Lynch in 1999. Ryan works alongside fellow advisors and client associates to provide comprehensive wealth planning services aimed at helping individuals, families, and businesses meet their financial goals through personalized strategies and portfolio construction. Ryan's expertise spans a range of client focus areas including divorce transition planning, family wealth management strategies, services for endowments, foundations, and non-profits, defined benefit plans, legacy planning, personal retirement planning, philanthropic planning, portfolio management, individual and corporate investment strategy, and retirement income. He holds a bachelor's degree in Finance from Western Michigan University and has earned the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. Outside of his professional endeavors, Ryan serves on the board of the Grandville Walker Foundation. He lives in Grandville with his five children and enjoys spending time with family, playing basketball, biking, boating, cooking, golfing, traveling, and watching sports.

Mark Hiegel is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Kalamazoo, MI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 20 years of industry experience. He has been with Equitable Advisors since 2007, including its predecessor Axa Advisors, LLC. Equitable Advisors serves a wide range of clients, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and asset-management programs. The firm’s approach involves assessing clients' risk tolerance and matching them to various program models or discretionary managers, utilizing both proprietary and third-party asset management solutions.

Darlene Hybels is a financial advisor with Raymond James & Associates in Kalamazoo, MI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 38 years of industry experience. She has been with Raymond James & Associates since 1999. Outside of her advisory role, she serves on the Finance/Investment Committee of the YWCA of Kalamazoo, where she reviews investment and spending policies for endowed funds. Raymond James & Associates is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that oversees approximately $501 billion in assets. The firm serves a wide range of clients including individuals, institutions, and municipalities, offering financial planning and consulting with a variety of portfolio management styles supported by affiliated research and sub-advisers.

Matthew Weaver is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in Kalamazoo, MI, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and three years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Empower, Mercantile Bank, Kalsee Credit Union, and Huntington National Bank. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to plan sponsors, corporations, endowments, and other institutional clients through a non-discretionary program focusing on asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting. The firm combines quantitative and qualitative research to support its recommendations and offers capabilities in derivatives and commodities through its broader regulatory registrations.

Frederick Freihofer is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 26 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Wells Fargo since 2016, previously working at A. G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. for seven years. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions.

Tristen Mabin is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. She focuses on legacy planning, managing new wealth, and supporting women and wealth clients. Tristen brings a unique perspective to her role, combining her background in teaching and finance to educate and coach clients toward achieving their financial goals. She holds a Bachelor's Degree from Kalamazoo College, where she studied Mathematics and Spanish. Tristen is a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) and is fluent in both English and Spanish. Her career path includes living in Ecuador and New Orleans, experiences that enriched her commitment to serving others through volunteer opportunities. Tristen is involved in community service through AmeriCorps and pursues personal interests such as biking, horseback riding, music, reading, and traveling.