Frances Makino is a financial advisor at Independent Financial Group, LLC with 38 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and previously worked at Commonwealth Equity Services, Inc. for 33 years. Makino also teaches a personal finance course through Howard County Parks & Recreation. Independent Financial Group, LLC is a dual-registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, charities, corporations, and plan sponsors. The firm offers brokerage, portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan services through a nationwide network of Investment Adviser Representatives.

Benjamin Hostetler is a financial advisor at Integrity Alliance, LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at firms including Lion Street Financial, Commonwealth Financial Network, and Virtus Wealth Solutions. Hostetler is also the owner of Hostetler Financial LLC, a financial advisory firm. Integrity Alliance is a large advisor network serving individual investors, corporations, and qualified retirement plans. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and various program options, utilizing multiple platforms and investment approaches to support a broad client base.

Caroline Szivos is a financial advisor at Chevy Chase Trust Company with one year of industry experience. She holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and previously operated ArtfulPrint LLC for 14 years. Chevy Chase Trust Company serves high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutional clients by providing discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, personal trust and financial planning services, and institutional custody. The firm employs a thematic investment approach focused on secular trends and sector themes, emphasizing longer-term holdings and combining fiduciary trust and custody functions with investment management.

Craig Elliott is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and 20 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at T. Rowe Price, Bank of America, and Merrill. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage clients. The firm delivers services through an integrated model tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, emphasizing long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing.

William Sterling III is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network in Columbia, MD, holding a Series 66 designation and 25 years of industry experience. His prior work includes 13 years at PNC Investments Inc. and three years at Cypress Wealth Management. Outside of his advisory role, he is the owner of Sterling III Capital, LLC, a commercial real estate management entity. Commonwealth Financial Network serves a national network of approximately 2,900 advisors and manages about $212.7 billion in client assets. The firm provides a broad adviser-support platform with discretionary and nondiscretionary managed-account programs, third-party asset manager access, and custody and clearing services.

Charles Beal is a ChFC® credentialed financial advisor with 29 years of industry experience. He has been with Truist Advisory Services since 2016, having previously worked at SunTrust Investment Services. Truist Advisory Services offers investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, business clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary manager relationships and utilizes third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools to support its investment approach.

Claire Weil is a financial advisor at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC with 31 years of industry experience. She previously worked at The Colony Group, LLC and GYL Financial Synergies, LLC. Outside of her advisory work, she manages a rental property in Scotland, handling income and expense tracking and occasional interaction with the management company. Focus Partners Wealth serves individual, high-net-worth, family office, corporate, retirement plan, and institutional clients, offering a range of investment and wealth management services. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach and integrates fundamental and quantitative analysis with affiliated service companies and product relationships.

Lauren Rathsack is a financial advisor at Wealthspire Advisors with a Series 65 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Wealthspire Advisors in 2025, she worked at Janney Montgomery Scott and InFocus Financial Advisors. She is involved with the Baltimore Estate Planning Council. Wealthspire Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, retirement plans, nonprofits, and trustees, offering wealth management, financial planning, and trust administration services. The firm employs a customized, relationship-driven approach with institutional-style asset allocation and utilizes a variety of investment vehicles and third-party platforms to manage client portfolios.

Louis Glantz is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing 10 years of industry experience. He has been with Commonwealth Financial Network since 2010, including his current role starting in 2026. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their retail and institutional clients. The firm provides a range of advisory programs and services, including discretionary model portfolios and personalized investment solutions, supported by extensive operations, technology, and compliance infrastructure.

Madison Hedrick is a financial advisor at Hornor, Townsend & Kent, LLC with three years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Penn Mutual/Aspire Wealth Planners and Hornor, Townsend & Kent. Outside of her advisory role, she coaches field hockey at Paint Branch High School. Hornor, Townsend & Kent serves individuals, trusts, businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans, offering advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm operates both advisory and broker-dealer services, managing billions in assets through a network of advisers and third-party asset managers.

James Eichelberger is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional with 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Wealthspire Advisors since 2002. Wealthspire Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, retirement plans, and nonprofit organizations, providing wealth management, financial planning, and trustee services. The firm employs a relationship-driven, customized investment process with an emphasis on diversified, institutional-style asset allocation.

Kenneth Brown is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with 24 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Truist Advisory Services. He has been with various Truist entities since 2012, including Truist Investment Services and Truist Advisory Services. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation, investment policy analysis, fiduciary support, and a manager-selection program that incorporates discretionary and non-discretionary strategies supported by AI-enabled research tools and inter-affiliate integration.

John Olson is a CFP® with 16 years of experience in financial advising, currently affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network. He has previously worked at First Command Financial Planning and Advisory Services for a decade. Olson is also a board member of Tipton Airport. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,900 advisors and managing about $212.7 billion in client assets. The firm offers a comprehensive adviser-support platform with both discretionary and nondiscretionary managed-account programs, access to third-party asset managers, and a variety of investment options, including mutual funds, ETFs, and personalized indexing.

Ernest Kwong is a financial advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC and holds a Series 66 designation. He has been with the firm since 2025 and has prior experience working in education and retail sectors, including roles at Towson University and CVS Pharmacy. Kwong also served on the Maryland Council on Economic Education in 2025. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and specialized retirement consulting, employing a strategic investment process that combines passive and active management guided by an internal Investment Committee.

Adam Deal is a financial advisor with Rockefeller Financial LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 18 years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at Rockefeller Capital Management, Truist Advisory Services, Truist Investment Services, BB&T Securities, and BB&T Bank. Outside of his advisory work, he is a member of DNA Holdings LLC, an investment holding company that makes passive investments. Rockefeller Financial LLC serves high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, family offices, institutional clients, retirement plans, foundations, and corporations. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, consulting, and operates as a registered broker-dealer providing securities transactions, variable insurance products, placement, and investment banking services.

Sien Vernyns is a CFP® certificant with one year of industry experience, currently affiliated with Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC. Prior to joining Beacon Pointe, Vernyns worked at The Family Firm for a total of nine years, interspersed with brief periods outside the industry. Vernyns holds a minor ownership interest in a family paint business based in Belgium. Beacon Pointe Advisors provides investment advisory and consulting services to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and retirement plans. The firm employs a manager-driven, asset-allocation approach using a proprietary “Focus List” and offers discretionary wealth management, fiduciary services, and outsourced CIO solutions.

Michelle Muhammed is a CFP® and ChFC® with 25 years of industry experience. She is currently a senior wealth advisor and managing partner at Stratos Wealth Partners, Ltd, joining the firm in 2024. Her prior roles include positions at Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C., EF Legacy Securities, LLC, and Edelman Financial Service, LLC. Additionally, she provides divorce financial counseling through her businesses, offering services that analyze the financial effects of divorce settlements and related planning. Stratos Wealth Partners, Ltd. is an SEC-registered enterprise wealth management firm serving over 24,000 clients with approximately $18.6 billion in assets under management. The firm offers a range of personalized portfolio management and financial planning services through a network of independent investment adviser representatives using an open-architecture platform.

Andrew Goudeaux is a financial advisor at PNC Wealth Management with two years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania and Bohemia Manor High School. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through several model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital discretionary model account that uses algorithm-driven risk assessments and invests in mutual funds and ETFs with annual rebalancing.

Jared Ford is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with nine years of industry experience, currently affiliated with PlanMember Securities Corporation. He has worked at several firms since 2016, including Paladin Advisor Group and Securities USA. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with Paladin Advisor Group in securities and insurance sales and services. PlanMember Securities Corporation provides retirement-plan advisory services to employers and plan participants, acting as an ERISA Section 3(38) fiduciary for many plans. The firm employs a top-down strategic asset allocation framework and manages risk-based mutual-fund portfolios, alongside offering education and support services such as seminars and personalized retirement planning.

Kathleen Feeney is a financial advisor with Citigroup Global Markets, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 43 years of industry experience. She has been with Citigroup Global Markets since 2007. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering a broad range of investment advisory programs and broker-dealer execution and custody services. The firm implements multi-asset, multi-manager strategies through discretionary and non-discretionary programs, combining large institutional scale with unique market roles such as operating as a swap dealer and futures commission merchant.