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.

Stephanie Cunningham is a financial advisor with Carmel Capital Partners, LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and four years of industry experience. She previously worked at DM Brenner, Inc., Beta Wealth Group, and Trilogy Financial. Outside of her advisory role, she operates a notary public business. Carmel Capital Partners provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm emphasizes fundamental valuation focusing on free cash flow and capital preservation, and it actively manages multiple private funds and special purpose vehicles.

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.

Joshua Koehnen is a Certified Financial Planner® with 23 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has been with Premier Wealth Advisors, LLC since 2018 and also maintains a long-standing affiliation with Independent Financial Group, LLC since 2004. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved as a real estate broker and holds executive positions in related financial and real estate businesses. Premier Wealth Advisors LLC serves individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as trusts, estates, business entities, and retirement plans, offering non-discretionary wealth management, comprehensive financial planning, and tax preparation services. The firm employs a risk-based investment approach focused on no-load mutual funds and ETFs, often utilizing third-party turnkey advisers for model portfolios.

Jamie Noriega is an advisor at Telos Capital Management, Inc. in San Diego, CA. He holds a Series 65 credential and has approximately two years of industry experience, including previous roles at Dolan Xitco and StepStone Group. Telos Capital Management is a SEC-registered advisory firm managing about $1.63 billion for roughly 900 clients through a 13-advisor team. The firm serves individual investors, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, small businesses, and retirement-plan participants, employing an active, research-oriented investment process focused on asset allocation, diversification, and periodic rebalancing across equity and fixed-income portfolios.

Steven Ostrowski is a financial advisor at CoastEdge Partners, LLC in San Diego, CA, with four years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. CoastEdge Partners provides investment management, financial planning, and comprehensive reporting services primarily for high-net-worth families, family foundations, and institutional clients. The firm focuses on capital preservation, diversification, and tailored portfolio management through a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary strategies and proprietary fund vehicles.

Brandon Hobson is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 65 license with eight years of industry experience. He has been with PracticeCFO Investments since 2017 and previously worked at Bridgepoint Education, Inc. from 2016 to 2017. PracticeCFO Investments offers a range of financial services including investment management, strategic personal and business financial planning, retirement plan advisory, insurance placement, and tax and accounting services. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer-sponsored retirement plans, managing approximately $401.6 million across around 211 clients. Their investment approach combines Modern Portfolio Theory with low-cost passive ETFs and tactical asset allocation, guided by formal Investment Policy Statements and ongoing client coordination.

Alex Klingensmith is a CFP® professional with 13 years of industry experience, currently serving at Intelligence Driven Advisers, LLC since 2018. He also holds ownership and management roles in Invictus Real Estate Partners, LLC, a real estate management firm. Klingensmith is involved in an affiliated insurance agency, Intelligence Driven Insurance Solutions. 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 utilizes a risk-managed investment process overseen by an Investment Committee, employing primarily low-cost institutional mutual funds and ETFs along with alternative strategies when appropriate.

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.

Isaac Cardoza is a CFP® and Series 66-licensed advisor at Pacific Wealth Management with three years of industry experience. He previously worked at Commonwealth Financial Network and Honeycutt, Smith & Associates. Pacific Wealth Management serves individuals, trusts, retirement plans, and business entities, offering discretionary and non-discretionary asset management, financial planning, and consulting. The firm employs a client-specific, asset-allocation approach within its “Proactive Asset Management” framework and manages approximately $318 million in assets across about 210 client relationships.

Tyler Aubrey is a CFP® with eight years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Define Financial, LLC. He previously worked at Securities America Advisors and General Dynamics NASSCO. Outside of his advisory role, he volunteers annually at a charity golf tournament in Borrego Springs, CA, where he assists with tournament organization and scoring. Define Financial, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individual clients, including high-net-worth households, and charitable organizations. The firm offers discretionary investment management, financial planning, and pension consulting, typically using passive, risk-based portfolios constructed with index mutual funds and ETFs.

Nicholas Kile is a financial advisor at Financial Sense Advisors, Inc. with one year of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Outback Steakhouse for nine years before joining Financial Sense Securities, Inc. in 2024. Financial Sense Advisors, Inc. is a registered investment adviser managing approximately $836 million for about 588 clients through a team of nine advisors. The firm serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and other entities, offering discretionary portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting with strategies ranging from conservative fixed-income to aggressive equity-focused portfolios.

Damon Robertson is a CFP® professional at Financial Alternatives, Inc. with nine years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Bank and JPMorgan Chase Bank. Financial Alternatives, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $615 million in assets through a six-person advisory team and offers discretionary portfolio management, wealth advisory, and financial planning services, employing diversified investment strategies across multiple asset classes.

Jeff Poole is a financial advisor at Wealth Analytics Partners, LLC with 28 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Fidelity Brokerage Services from 2009 to 2017 before joining Wealth Analytics Partners in 2017. Outside of his advisory role, he is also an author of non-financial books. Wealth Analytics Partners is a fee-only investment management and financial planning firm serving individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm focuses on discretionary portfolio management and written financial plans, utilizing fundamental analysis and globally diversified portfolios.