Brianna Tavares is a financial advisor with Lincoln Investment, holding Series 63 and 65 licenses and bringing 11 years of industry experience. She has worked at Lincoln Investment Planning since 2019 and previously at Fidelity Investments. Outside of advisory work, she is a manager and member of Powerhouse Consulting Group, LLC, a real estate-focused LLC. Lincoln Investment Planning, LLC is a large enterprise firm serving a broad mix of clients including individuals, high-net-worth investors, trusts, charities, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, advisor-led consulting, and portfolio management supported by an in-house Investment Management & Research team that constructs strategic model portfolios and employs third-party managers as needed.

Samantha Cooke is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. She previously worked at Kaplan Financial Group and spent seven years at George Mason University. Outside of her advisory role, Samantha hosts a local trivia event called District Trivia in Woodbridge, VA. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their clients. The firm provides advisory programs, wealth management, and retirement plan consulting, supporting affiliated advisors with operations, trading, technology, compliance, and practice management.

Brianna Buckley is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC with 13 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Oak Hill Wealth Advisors, ACNB Bank, Cetera, PNC Investments, and Equitable Advisors. Outside of her advisory role, she is an author of a cookbook sold on Amazon and creates content promoting brands on social media. Cerity Partners advises a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, business entities, and institutional investors, managing approximately $166.2 billion in client assets. The firm offers customized wealth management services with an investment approach centered on client-specific profiles, combining quantitative screening, manager selection, and access to alternative and private market solutions.

Andrew Mercer is a financial advisor with Stratos Wealth Partners, Ltd., holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and with 24 years of industry experience. He has worked at Stratos Wealth Partners since 2016 and previously at LPL Financial LLC and Uvest Financial Services Group, Inc. Outside of advisory services, he is a Maryland state notary and owns an LLC named 1772 Productions. Stratos Wealth Partners, Ltd. is an SEC-registered enterprise adviser with approximately 379 advisors and $18.6 billion in assets under management, serving individuals, retirement plans, corporations, nonprofits, and other institutional clients. The firm operates on an IAR-driven model emphasizing customized portfolio management and employs an open-architecture platform integrating multiple third-party managers and overlay strategies.

Lisu Gu is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 13 years of industry experience. She has worked with Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2013 and has been affiliated with World Financial Group since 2012. Outside of her advisory role, she serves as a caregiver for her elderly father through Nova Adult Home Care and is president of LG Solutions LLC, an insurance sales business. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, pension plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm offers both advisory and broker-dealer services, employing a combination of proprietary and third-party model portfolios with discretionary and non-discretionary options.

Myrle Simone is a CFP® professional with three years of industry experience. She is currently with Creative Planning, LLC and previously spent 18 years at Burt Wealth Advisors. Burt Wealth Advisors is a fee-only, SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals and high-net-worth clients with discretionary portfolio management and financial planning. The firm employs a mix of fundamental, technical, charting, and cyclical analysis across various time horizons and primarily allocates assets among mutual funds and exchange-traded funds.

John Creegan is a financial advisor at Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC with a Series 65 designation and one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Randstad USA and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, among others. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services provides financial planning, asset management, and retirement-plan consulting for individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages over $122 billion in assets, employing a diversified investment approach that combines passive and active managers overseen by an internal Investment Committee.

James Stewart is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with 27 years of industry experience. He has worked at Carmichael Hill since 1993. Stewart is based in Gaithersburg, MD. MAI Capital Management, LLC provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, integrated wealth management, retirement plan consulting, and family-office services to a diverse client base including high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, sports professionals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm manages $72.3 billion in assets and offers services such as trust administration and insurance through affiliated entities, employing a customized approach across multiple investment strategies and platforms.

Monique Sinmao is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC with 14 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and previously worked at SOL Capital Management Company, Pontoro, and Marlo. Cerity Partners advises a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, business entities, charitable institutions, and institutional investors, managing approximately $166.2 billion in client assets as of December 31, 2025. The firm offers customized wealth management services and employs a client-specific investment framework that incorporates quantitative screening, manager selection, and access to alternative and private market solutions.

Manfred Klee Saieh is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds the Series 65 designation and has previously worked at SOL Capital Management Company and the United Nations Development Programme. Cerity Partners advises a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, business entities, charitable institutions, and institutional investors, managing approximately $166.2 billion in client assets as of December 2025. The firm offers customized wealth management services and employs a client-specific investment framework that integrates quantitative screening, manager selection, and direct security selection, alongside access to alternative and private market solutions for qualified clients.

Shampa Bera is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services and holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. She has 26 years of industry experience, including 10 years with Truist Advisory Services and over 20 years with Truist Investment Services. Outside of her advisory role, she owns a beach condo rental business in Ocean View, Delaware. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporations, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes both discretionary and non-discretionary investment approaches, supported by third-party manager platforms and AI-enabled equity research, with a focus on integrated inter-affiliate service arrangements.

Nancy Hendershot is a financial advisor with Lincoln Investment in Rockville, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and over 37 years of industry experience. She has been with Lincoln Investment Planning, Inc. since 1988 and operates Hendershot Financial Group, where she provides support for corporate responsibilities. Outside of her advisory roles, she serves as Treasurer and Board Member for the nonprofit Walk the Walk Inc. Lincoln Investment Planning, LLC is a large enterprise firm serving a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth investors, trusts, charities, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, advisor-led consulting, and portfolio management through model portfolios and third-party managers, supported by an in-house Investment Management & Research team.

Connie Rong is a financial advisor at Transamerica Financial Advisors with six years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2018. Prior to this, she was affiliated with World Financial Group and has experience at Freddie Mac as an operational control analyst. She is also involved in the sales of insurance products affiliated with Transamerica. Transamerica Financial Advisors provides investment advisory, brokerage, and retirement-plan services to a diverse client base, including individuals, employer-sponsored plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes model portfolios and third-party managers through multiple program platforms, managing approximately $1.7 billion in regulatory assets under management.

Bernard Makino is a financial advisor with Independent Financial Group, LLC and holds a Series 66 designation. He has four years of industry experience, including roles at Commonwealth Financial Network and operating his own DBA, Makino Financial. Independent Financial Group, LLC provides advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and corporate plans. The firm employs model-based strategies combining active and passive approaches and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management.

Ted Halpern is a financial advisor at MAI Capital Management, LLC with 22 years of industry experience. He previously founded and led Halpern Financial, Inc. for over three decades before joining MAI Capital Management in 2024. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations. MAI Capital Management, LLC provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, integrated wealth management, retirement plan consulting, and family-office services to a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, families, sports professionals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm manages a broad range of investment strategies and offers additional services such as trust administration and insurance through affiliated entities.

David Brinkley Sr. is a ChFC® credentialed financial advisor with 33 years of industry experience, currently with TLG Advisors, Inc. His prior roles include positions at The Leaders Group Inc., State of Maryland, and Cetera Advisors LLC. Outside of advisory work, he serves as an unpaid trustee for Monocacy Insurance, a subsidiary of Frederick Health. TLG Advisors, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $2.0 billion in discretionary assets, serving individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and institutional investors. The firm offers investment supervisory and portfolio management, comprehensive financial and estate planning, ERISA fiduciary services, and a direct-to-consumer program called Starlight Portfolios, employing a research approach that combines fundamental analysis with Modern Portfolio Theory.

Robert Costello is a financial advisor at Transamerica Financial Advisors with 30 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked at several firms including Grove Point Investments, H. Beck, and Prudential. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in rental property management. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a wide range of clients including individual investors, pension plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm offers both advisory and broker-dealer services, utilizing proprietary and third-party model portfolios across discretionary and non-discretionary platforms.

Nghiem Nguyen is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors who holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 32 years of industry experience. He has been with Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012 and has worked at Wfg since 2001. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in timeshare rental activities. Transamerica Financial Advisors provides investment advisory, brokerage, and retirement-plan services to a diverse client base, including individuals, employer-sponsored plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes model portfolios and third-party managers through a large advisor network and multiple program platforms.

Robert Karcz is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 20 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Merrill from 2010 to 2017 and has served at Commonwealth since 2017. He is also the president and owner of Stonehedge Financial, a private entity operating in securities, investment advisory, and insurance services. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser supporting a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their clients. The firm provides advisory programs, technology, compliance, and practice-management support, enabling advisors to offer a wide range of securities and insurance products alongside discretionary model portfolios managed by Commonwealth’s Investment Management and Research team.

Solomon Nabdoya is a financial advisor at Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has prior work experience with Bankers Life Securities and Bankers Life & Casualty, as well as roles outside finance including at Brightview Senior Living and in education. Nabdoya is also a 1099 agent for Bankers Life and Casualty Company, appointed to write insurance products including Medicare Supplement, annuities, life, health, and long-term care insurance. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals through discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan services. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to create customized portfolios across multiple asset classes.