Michael Miles is a CFP® certified financial advisor with 27 years of industry experience. He has operated Variplan, LLC since 2006 and also serves as an investment advisor for Turnkey Financial Services, a related firm currently winding down its operations. Variplan, LLC provides integrated financial planning and non-discretionary investment advisory services to individuals and trusts through a proprietary annual engagement package. The firm employs quantitative methods and emphasizes diversified, low-cost index and ETF strategies, tax efficiency, and periodic rebalancing.

Christopher Leader is the sole advisor at Leader Investments LLC in Silver Spring, MD. He holds a Series 65 credential and has two years of industry experience. Prior to founding his firm, he worked in various roles at Twilio, SendGrid, and Stack Labs. He currently works as a product manager with Preply outside of his advisory activities. Leader Investments LLC provides personalized financial guidance to individual investors without managing client accounts or custody of assets. The firm focuses on diversification and value-oriented recommendations, primarily utilizing indices and publicly traded vehicles, with advice tailored to client suitability factors.

Claire Emory is a CFP® and CFA® with 14 years of industry experience, currently operating Clarity Financial Planning in Arlington, VA. She has led the independent firm since 2010. Clarity Financial Planning serves middle- and upper-middle-income individuals and families, offering fee-only comprehensive financial planning without asset minimums. The firm focuses on tax-sensitive, low-cost investment strategies, with a low-turnover, individualized asset allocation approach and uses fixed retainer fee arrangements rather than percentage-of-AUM fees.

Mary Thomas Spruill is a financial advisor at Serene Financial Solutions in Gaithersburg, MD, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 65 license with six years of industry experience. Prior to founding Serene Financial Solutions in 2020, she worked at The McKelvey Group and held positions at Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Navy Marine Corps Relief Society NMCRS Sasebo, and NBHC Sasebo. Serene Financial Solutions advises individuals, families, and small-business owners, providing portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, consulting, educational seminars, and tax preparation services. The firm combines passive and active management within a Modern Portfolio Theory framework and is notable for its tax preparation practice staffed by enrolled agents and its range of business support services.

Sara Cavendish is a financial advisor at Plein Air Capital Advisers, LLC with 26 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Windward Asset Management, LLC since 2008. Plein Air Capital Advisers provides discretionary investment management and advisory services to individuals, trusts, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm employs a fundamentally driven, long-term, value-oriented investment approach with concentrated portfolios typically holding 15–20 stocks selected below their view of intrinsic value.

Gary Korolev is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 66 license, with 22 years of experience in the financial industry. He has been with Sovereign Wealth Management since 2016 and previously worked at Spire Wealth Management LLC, Spire Securities, and Spire Investment Partners. Korolev is also a licensed insurance agent offering life, long-term care, and disability insurance products. Sovereign provides investment management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm combines fundamental and technical analysis to build diversified portfolios across traditional and alternative assets, utilizing derivative instruments and a dedicated crypto investment strategy.

Keanon Swan is a financial advisor at Tennext LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 credential and has professional experience at Cygne Advisors and Kansas City University. Outside of his advisory role, Swan serves as Director of Analytics at the Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center, a nonprofit community health center where he focuses on data analysis and risk reporting. Tennext LLC provides discretionary portfolio management and develops individualized Investment Policy Statements for clients including individuals, high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, and small businesses. The firm employs an evidence-based, multi-disciplinary investment approach incorporating quantitative models, fundamental and technical analysis, and behavioral finance, catering to clients with varying risk tolerances through tailored portfolio strategies.

Mark O’Shea is a financial advisor at Red Torch Capital LLC with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has previously worked at Torch Finance Group, Capstone Partners, and Lionchase North America. He also has a longstanding association with the University of Chicago. Red Torch Capital LLC provides discretionary investment management primarily through separately managed accounts to retail investors, high-net-worth individuals, and other entities. The firm employs a long-term, value-oriented approach that combines fundamental analysis with quantitative methods to identify undervalued equity securities.

Dennis Brown is a financial advisor at Investment Initiatives, LLC with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has been with his current firm since 2014. Investment Initiatives, LLC is an independent, single-advisor registered investment adviser serving individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as banks, thrift institutions, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm provides portfolio management, pension consulting, and financial planning using a range of securities and employs a combination of charting, fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis with both discretionary and non-discretionary management approaches.

Liam Daly is the founder of Daly Capital Management and holds a Series 65 credential. He has been associated with Daly Capital Management since 2024. Prior to founding the firm, he worked in various educational roles at Quince Orchard High School, Ridgeview Middle School, and Diamond Elementary School. Daly Capital Management provides fee-based, discretionary portfolio management and investment advice tailored to individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities. The firm employs a tactical allocation approach using fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis across a broad range of securities and offers direct portfolio management with client-imposed investment restrictions.

Alexander Ruda is the sole advisor at Ruda Financial and holds a Series 65 credential. He has eight years of experience with the Internal Revenue Service and two years with Fannie Mae before founding his firm in 2025. Ruda Financial is a fee-only advisory firm that serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, and charitable organizations with investment management and financial planning services. The firm emphasizes individualized investment policies and asset allocation, employing fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory alongside passive investment strategies.

Srinivas Vaidya is a financial advisor at AlphaPlus Wealth Management LLC with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked for 18 years as a software engineer at Navy Federal Credit Union. AlphaPlus Wealth Management is an independent advisory firm serving individual and high-net-worth clients with tailored investment management and financial planning services. The firm uses a combination of active and passive strategies within a modified modern portfolio framework and offers performance-based fee arrangements alongside traditional asset-fee accounts.

Diron Insley is a financial advisor at White Oak Wealth LLC in Arlington, VA, holding a Series 66 designation with 13 years of industry experience. He is the managing member of Wealthnova Nexus LLC and also works as an independent insurance agent, brokering life insurance products. White Oak Wealth LLC serves individuals and business entities by providing written financial planning and retirement plan services, including education, benchmarking, and ERISA-related support. The firm does not directly manage client assets but recommends and monitors third-party investment advisers, focusing on individualized asset-allocation planning and conducting semi-annual client reviews.

Edmund Wellington is the sole advisor at Wellington Capital Management, Inc., an independent firm based in Chevy Chase, MD. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has 24 years of industry experience. He has been with Wellington Capital Management since 1996. Wellington Capital Management provides discretionary portfolio management and investment counseling to a select group of private individuals, partnerships, and trusts. The firm employs a conservative, long-term investment approach focused on U.S. large-cap equities and high-quality fixed-income securities, tailoring strategies to clients' objectives and managing accounts on a discretionary basis.

Frank Byskov is a CFP® and CFA® with 11 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Forty4 Financial, an independent firm he joined in 2023, and previously worked with Advisory Services Network and Wells Fargo Advisors. Outside of his advisory work, he is the head coach of Rock Creek Tri Club, a triathlon coaching program, serves on the board of Bethesda Green, contributes to financial literacy education through Mentamorph, and co-founded Advisors for Good, a nonprofit focused on climate action and social justice within the financial advisory community. Forty4 Financial provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services for individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm uses fundamental analysis to create customized long-term portfolios and offers specialized pension and retirement-plan consulting services uncommon among firms of similar size.

Aba Tyus is a financial advisor at Tyus Financial Group LLC with Series 65 and Series 66 credentials and four years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he has worked at firms including Northwestern Mutual and Defense Acquisition Support Services, LLC. He is also the president of The Columbia Business School Alumni Club of D.C., where he oversees the executive committee and manages club events and finances. Tyus Financial Group serves institutional and high-net-worth clients, providing discretionary portfolio management and advisory services across a broad range of asset types, including equities, fixed income, private equity, and alternative investments. The firm employs multiple analytical methods and strategies tailored to client objectives, with a focus on institutional-sized relationships and the use of alternative vehicles and third-party sub-advisors.

Lee Miller is a CFP® and Series 65 credentialed financial advisor with 23 years of industry experience. He is the principal of Miller Capital Management, Inc. and also operates Lee J. Miller, CPA, P.C., a public accounting practice. Miller serves on the board of directors of a charitable foundation as its vice president and treasurer and acts as trustee for several trusts. Miller Capital Management provides personalized investment supervisory services and financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and trusts. The firm focuses on capital preservation through fundamental security analysis and a long-term buy-and-hold strategy, making tailored recommendations and requiring client approval before transactions.

Paul Ramming is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 63 designation. He has 12 years of industry experience and has been the sole advisor at Foundry Capital Management since its founding in 2014. The firm provides discretionary portfolio management to individual and high-net-worth clients, typically using widely traded mutual funds and low-cost funds-of-funds. Foundry’s investment approach blends fundamental and technical analysis with market-valuation measures to adjust portfolio risk and emphasizes simplicity, low expenses, and limiting large drawdowns through a passive core plus targeted satellite adjustments.

David Brandolph is the sole advisor at David B. Brandolph, J.D., CFP, an independent firm based in Fairfax, VA. He holds CFP® and Series 65 designations and has 32 years of industry experience. Prior to founding his advisory practice in 1993, he worked for Bloomberg BNA for 39 years. Since 2019, he has also operated a communications consulting business providing writing and editing services for nonprofit organizations. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning and investment advisory services to individuals and families, focusing on a buy-and-hold strategy using diversified, low-expense mutual funds and ETFs. It manages approximately $2.45 million in client assets and emphasizes tailored asset allocation and client selection, often providing one-time or hourly consultations for lower-asset clients.

Kenneth Diehl is a CFP® professional with over 25 years at Cornerstone Financial Planning, Inc. in Gaithersburg, MD. He has four years of industry experience. Cornerstone Financial Planning, Inc. offers personalized, fee-only financial planning and advisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, and small businesses. The firm follows Modern Portfolio Theory and efficient-market principles, focusing on diversified, low-cost index funds and ETFs, and operates on a fixed-fee basis without accepting commissions or referral fees.