James Gates Jr. is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Wall, New Jersey, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 35 years of industry experience. He has been with Equitable Advisors and its predecessor firm AXA Advisors since 1999. Outside of his advisory role, Gates serves on the Bay Head Township Council and participates in the Parish Finance Council at Sacred Heart Church, as well as acting as Treasurer for the Regular Republican Organization of Bay Head. Equitable Advisors provides financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and asset management services to individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes a variety of advisory programs and third-party asset managers to tailor investment solutions across mutual funds, ETFs, separately managed accounts, and select alternative investments.

Aaron Niederman is a CFP® professional with 21 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Cetera. His career includes roles at Securian Financial Services, Mid Atlantic Resource Group, and MargFinancial. He serves as a volunteer firefighter for the Freehold Fire Department and holds a board trustee position at the Independence Square Condo Association. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC provides investment advisory services through a nationwide network of independent advisors, serving individual, corporate, retirement plan, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to third-party money managers.

Patrick Sheehan is a Client Experience Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. In this role, he collaborates with clients to understand their financial situations and helps introduce them to solutions available through Merrill and Bank of America. His objective is to provide clients with the knowledge and tools necessary to manage their financial lives and select platforms suited to their current needs. He specializes in assisting clients with managing multiple financial priorities, such as purchasing a home, saving for education, elder care, and healthcare planning. As a Merrill Financial Solutions Advisor, he works closely with clients to define goals and design portfolio strategies aimed at achieving them, offering ongoing advice and adjusting strategies as client situations evolve. Patrick holds a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation and earned a Bachelor's degree from the University of Maine as well as a Master's degree from Southern New Hampshire University.

Frank Strucki is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank since 2015, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney since 2009, and Citigroup Global Markets from 2000 to 2009. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management provides advisory programs to individuals and institutional clients, offering tailored financial planning supported by proprietary tools and analyses. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and serves clients through both direct and corporate financial planning agreements.

Tara Naldi is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 31 years of industry experience. Her career includes long tenure at Invest Financial Corporation and prior roles at Northfield Bank and LPL Financial. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolio programs, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms.

Christina Hammond is a financial advisor at Equitable Advisors with one year of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at the Kayo Conference Series, Producify, and Red Pepper Group. Outside of her advisory role, she works as a bartender on weekends at the Beachwood Yacht Club, a sailing club in Beachwood, NJ. Equitable Advisors serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, charitable organizations, and institutional clients by providing financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and asset-management programs. The firm utilizes various advisory models, including third-party programs and discretionary management, covering mutual funds, ETFs, separately managed accounts, and select alternative investments.

Thomas Cali is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He has been in the financial services industry since 1999 and joined Merrill Lynch in the same year as a Financial Advisor. Thomas focuses on addressing the complex financial needs of high net worth clients by offering investment, estate and wealth transfer strategies, liability planning, and insurance solutions. He is a qualified Portfolio Manager who designs and manages personalized investment strategies incorporating individual securities, Merrill model portfolios, and third-party strategies. Additionally, he serves clients through the firm's Investment Advisory Program, managing portfolios on a discretionary basis when appropriate. Thomas earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and High Technology Management from California State University in 1999. He holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC™) designation and the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. He also maintains several registrations and licenses through the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and state insurance authorities, including Series 7, 24, and 66 registrations, as well as New Jersey Life, Health, and Long Term Care Insurance Licenses. Residing in Brielle with his wife Amy and their two sons, Thomas is active in local philanthropic organizations. Outside of his professional role, he enjoys spending time with his family, sport fishing, biking, boating, cooking, gardening, surfing, traveling, and woodworking.

Thomas Mcilraith is a financial advisor at Merrill with a Series 66 designation and nine years of industry experience. His prior work includes positions at Bank of America and Uber. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutions.

Marc Micali is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in Manasquan, NJ, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 30 years of industry experience. He has worked at J.P. Morgan Securities since 2012 and has been affiliated with Jpmorgan Chase Bank, N.A. since 2010. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services focused on written asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting for plan sponsors, corporations, endowments, and other institutional clients. Their advisory process combines quantitative screens and qualitative research to develop model asset allocations, incorporating ESG considerations and utilizing affiliated entities for implementation and portfolio services.

David Belicose is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Toms River, NJ, bringing 11 years of industry experience. He has been with Equitable Advisors since 2015 and previously worked at Axa Advisors, LLC. Equitable Advisors serves a broad range of clients including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and various asset-management programs, leveraging a network of Investment Adviser Representatives and third-party asset managers to implement diverse advisory models.

Nicholas Siliverdes is a financial professional at Cetera with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked in entertainment-related positions at Shark Tank, Sony Pictures, and MGM Studios in 2022. Outside of finance, he has been involved with Party Perfect Rentals, a business he worked with intermittently from 2019 to 2025. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered adviser that serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm offers various portfolio management and financial planning services through a large nationwide network of independent advisors and employs a multi-manager platform with discretionary and non-discretionary program options.

Hunter Gutierrez is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at MassMutual Life Insurance Co and Harding Loevner. He is also an insurance agent selling fixed insurance products. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered adviser that serves individual, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients through a large nationwide network of independent advisors. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and consulting services via a multi-manager platform with access to affiliated and third-party managers.

Linda Gargano is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding a Series 66 designation and seven years of industry experience. She previously worked at BNY Mellon for 24 years before joining Cetera and also has a role as a registered administrative assistant at Frank A. Gargano, a financial services business. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts, offering a variety of portfolio management and financial planning services through a nationwide network of independent advisors.

James Giordano is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with 16 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Sorrento Pacific Financial, OceanFirst Bank, and Securian Financial Services. Giordano is also involved with Coastal Accounting Services LLC, providing tax preparation and accounting services. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that serves individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers financial planning, model portfolio programs, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms, combining advisory services with a broad range of non-advisory financial products.

Cliff Schmardel is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Spring Lake, NJ, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. He has worked with Equitable Advisors since 2007 and previously with Axa Advisors, LLC from 2007 to 2020. Outside of his advisory role, Schmardel owns and operates Modern Tax Advisors, LLC, a tax preparation service. Equitable Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and various asset-management programs through a network of Investment Adviser Representatives and collaborates with third-party managers and advisory programs.

Beth Ulrich is a financial advisor with Mass Mutual Investors Services holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 20 years of industry experience. She has been with MML Investors Services Inc and MassMutual since 2010. Outside of her advisory role, she is also licensed as a sales agent in life and health insurance. Mass Mutual Investors Services, LLC is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm provides ongoing financial planning and asset management services through collaborative, annual engagements using firm-approved analytical tools.

Donna Feldman is a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services with 18 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has been with UBS since 2009. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, combining institutional trading capabilities with wealth management services to provide tailored financial planning and portfolio management.

Mark Loevinger is a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He leads The Loevinger Group, which focuses on building enduring client-advisor relationships through objectivity and ongoing dialogue. The team specializes in wealth management for high-net-worth individuals and corporate 401(k) and employee benefit services, including expertise in complex benefit plans. Mark and his team customize wealth management strategies to help clients pursue financial goals, often collaborating with clients’ tax and legal advisors on tax-efficient planning. They regularly review plan progress to ensure alignment with clients’ objectives, utilizing the full range of Merrill Lynch resources and specialists to deliver comprehensive and customized financial solutions. Mark has been with Merrill Lynch since 2011 and holds several professional designations including CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Benefits Consultant (RBC). He earned his bachelor's degree from Beth Medrash Govoha. Mark is active in his community, volunteering with organizations such as Chai Lifeline and Nesivos. He resides with his family in Ocean County, New Jersey. His client focus areas include divorce transition planning, executive compensation, endowment and foundation services, defined benefit and contribution plans, liquidity management, managing new wealth, portfolio management, small business strategies, and tax minimization. Mark’s approach involves leveraging the combined investment insights of Merrill Lynch and the banking and lending solutions of Bank of America to help clients achieve their financial goals.

Mark Brahney is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 40 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley entities since 2009, including Morgan Stanley Private Bank since 2015. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management serves both individual and institutional clients, offering a broad range of advisory programs that include tailored financial planning and estate planning strategies. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and employs a structured planning process using firm-approved tools and market simulations.

Anne Kraljic is a financial advisor with OSAIC, holding a Series 66 designation and 25 years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Merrill, Invest Financial Corp., and Securities America Advisors before joining OSAIC in 2024. She serves on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, including Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey, 21 Plus, and the Ocean County College Foundation, where she is also a member of the finance committee. Additionally, she works as a group fitness instructor at the OCYMCA. OSAIC Wealth serves a diverse client base, including retail and institutional investors, through a multi-advisor platform offering brokerage and advisory services. The firm’s investment approach focuses on model-based asset allocation and portfolio optimization supported by tools like risk-tolerance questionnaires and efficient frontier analysis, allowing advisors to implement various managed strategies and third-party manager selections.