Joseph Branley is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 23 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66, Series 65, and Series 63 designations. His prior work includes roles at Fidelity Investments and Fidelity Personal and Workplace Advisors. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, delivering services through an integrated model connected to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Quentin Wong is a financial advisor with HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. in Fremont, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and 12 years of industry experience. His career has been primarily with HSBC in various roles since 2013. Outside of his advisory work, he is an owner of multiple real estate rental properties. HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. offers managed account programs for individuals, retirement accounts, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm employs a model-based investment process with both client-directed and fully discretionary program options, utilizing several affiliated and third-party providers for advisory and fund management services.

Justin Bass is a financial advisor with MAI Capital Management, LLC, holding a Series 65 credential and 13 years of industry experience. He previously worked at TRUE Capital Management for eight years before joining MAI Capital Management in 2022. MAI Capital Management 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 trust and insurance administrative services, with reported assets under management of $72.3 billion as of May 2026.

William Evans is a financial advisor with Centaurus Financial, Inc. in Pleasanton, CA, holding the ChFC® and Series 63 designations and bringing 25 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Centaurus Financial in 2024, he worked for Farmers Insurance Group and Farmers Financial Solutions for over two decades. Outside of financial services, he also assists as a bartender at Porky’s Pizza Palace, a family-owned restaurant. Centaurus Financial, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base including individuals, families, small businesses, and institutions. The firm’s advisors offer financial planning, portfolio management, and specialized consulting with both discretionary and non-discretionary arrangements, utilizing a mix of fundamental and technical analysis.

Roger Lam is a financial advisor with Hightower Advisors in San Ramon, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 15 years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at Wells Fargo Bank, UBS Financial Services, and founding Lam Trading. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, and various types of organizations. The firm’s approach emphasizes manager selection and multi-manager solutions, utilizing both affiliated and third-party managers along with proprietary research and a range of investment vehicles.

Tu Bui is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors in Pleasanton, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 29 years of industry experience. He has been with Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012 and has additional experience with Wfg dating back to 2002. Outside of financial advising, Tu Bui is involved in coaching volleyball and has roles as a substitute teacher and athletic director, including teaching personal finance at Pleasant Hill Adventist Academy. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and institutional clients, offering both advisory and broker-dealer services through proprietary and third-party model portfolios with discretionary and non-discretionary options.

Theodore Lum is a financial advisor with Independent Financial Group, LLC, holding a ChFC® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses. He has 43 years of industry experience, including seven years at LPL Financial prior to joining Independent Financial Group in 2018. He is also the owner of Lum Global Financial & Insurance Services, a marketing DBA through which he offers insurance products. Independent Financial Group, LLC is a dual-registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that provides brokerage, portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan services to individuals, charities, corporations, and plan sponsors. The firm manages approximately $11.3 billion in regulatory assets and distributes advisory services through a national network of Investment Adviser Representatives.

Ilia Tsai is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors who holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 15 years of industry experience. He has worked with Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012 and is also a CPA partner at Sopheleus Associates & Co, where he provides accounting services including corporate financial planning and tax strategy. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations, offering investment advisory and brokerage services through a large advisor network and multiple program platforms that utilize model portfolios and third-party managers.

Quan Zhang is a financial advisor with HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. based in Fremont, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and possessing seven years of industry experience. He has been with HSBC Securities and its affiliate HSBC Bank USA since 2018. Zhang also serves as a Bank Officer for HSBC Bank (USA) N.A., where he engages in the sale of bank-related products and services alongside his role as a registered representative. HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. provides managed account programs to a variety of clients including individuals, retirement accounts, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers a range of investment programs combining client-directed and discretionary strategies, leveraging global asset management resources while utilizing affiliated and third-party providers for advisory, fund selection, and administrative services.

Jinger Pajestka is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 13 years of industry experience, currently with Mariner Wealth Advisors. Her background includes roles at Wells Fargo Advisors, Commonwealth Financial Network, and Viewpoint Financial Network. She is also involved in fixed insurance sales conducted at her branch location. Mariner serves a wide range of clients, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and private funds. The firm offers investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and integrated tax and accounting services, utilizing both in-house research and third-party managers to create customized, discretionary portfolios.

William Baker is a financial advisor with Private Advisor Group, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 28 years of industry experience. His prior roles include eight years at Strategic Wealth Advisors Group and five years at Baker, Brose & Mitsutome Wealth Management LLC. He also serves as a branch manager involved in fixed insurance sales outside of investment activities. Private Advisor Group serves a broad client base, including individuals, business entities, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm provides access to third-party asset managers and turnkey asset management platforms through a network of advisers who tailor solutions to client objectives.

Vandana Devi is a Planning Consultant at Fidelity Investments, where she has been serving since 2025. She began her career at Fidelity Investments in 2023, progressing through roles including Financial Service Representative, Financial Representative, and Relationship Manager before assuming her current position. Prior to joining Fidelity, she worked as a Personal Banker at Fremont Bank from 2020 to 2022. Her professional experience encompasses client relationship management and financial planning, with a focus on empowering clients to make informed decisions and maintain confidence in their financial goals. Vandana holds a California Insurance License, supporting her expertise in insurance-related financial services. Outside of her professional work, Vandana engages in activities such as cooking and baking, outdoor adventures, parenthood, reading, traveling, and writing.

Grace Campbell is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in San Ramon, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and eight years of industry experience. Her prior work includes roles at Inheritguard LLC, Michael Frickman DDS, Net Law Group Inc, Transamerica Financial Advisors, and World Financial Group. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, including a wide range of households and organizations. The firm manages over $1 trillion in assets and offers various advisory strategies, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee programs, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard.

Phillip Cardinale is a financial professional with 42 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Cetera. He holds a Series 63 designation and has worked at Cetera and its predecessor firms since 2005. Outside of his advisory role, he is a partner at Castlerock Insurance Group and serves as a trustee for the Rose McWalters Trust. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that provides a multi-manager platform serving individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services through a nationwide network of over 10,000 advisors.

Marlon Villavicencio is a financial advisor at Cetera with a Series 65 designation and four years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at Avantax Investment Services Inc. and Avantax Advisory Services, as well as ongoing involvement with MV Insurance Services, Inc. and MCV Enterprises LLC. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm serving individual, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients through a nationwide network of over 10,000 advisors. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services, operating as a multi-manager platform with access to affiliated and third-party managers, and managing more than $256 billion in assets.

Vivian Chuan Sun is a financial advisor with LPL Financial based in San Ramon, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 28 years of industry experience. She previously worked with Morgan Stanley Private Bank and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Sun is a founder, member, and secretary of the Five Loaves & Two Fishes Global Foundation, a nonprofit organization. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves individuals, retirement plans, financial institutions, and charitable organizations through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, financial planning, and consulting services, utilizing model portfolios and research from various sources alongside discretionary and non-discretionary management options.

Ellen Neumark is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 41 years of industry experience. She has been with Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016 and previously worked at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC from 2009 to 2016. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary services. The firm’s IPS-driven advisory process incorporates modern portfolio theory and includes a broad range of investment options, such as insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep programs.

Stevan Hoffman is a financial advisor with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors in San Ramon, CA, holding a Series 66 license and 23 years of industry experience. He has been with Cambridge since 2014. Outside of his advisory role, Hoffman co-owns a European Wax Center franchise and serves as its treasurer through Arnold-Kahana and Hoffman, LLC. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors is a large SEC-registered firm serving individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, trusts, estates, and retirement-plan sponsors. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through independent Financial Professionals using a variety of portfolio management approaches and platform arrangements.

Norman Lam is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in San Leandro, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing ten years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at BMO Investment Services, Wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase, Charles Schwab, and Transamerica Financial Advisors. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm provides a range of advisory programs and financial planning services, including discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by research and model portfolios.

Qimeng Li is a financial advisor at Merrill with seven years of industry experience. They hold the Series 66 designation and have worked at both Merrill and Bank of America, N.A. since 2013. Merrill, along with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program to a range of clients including individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers model-based and discretionary investment strategies developed by internal and third-party managers and supports account administration, trading, and custody.