Michael Wilson is a financial advisor at Blueprint Retirement Advisors LLC in Moraga, CA, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 63 license with six years of industry experience. He previously worked at State Farm Insurance for 13 years before founding Blueprint Retirement Advisors in 2019. Wilson produces educational content through a YouTube channel and conducts workshops. Blueprint Retirement Advisors serves individual investors and business clients, including retirement plan sponsors and small pension plans, by providing advisor selection, monitoring services, and financial planning. The firm does not manage client accounts directly but identifies and monitors third-party money managers who implement asset-allocation strategies using mutual funds and ETFs.

John Cha is a financial advisor at KLESIS Advisors, LLC with 20 years of industry experience. He previously worked at VBL Advisors LLC for five years and TLA Capital Management, LLC / Twin Lakes Capital Management, LLC for 17 years. He holds a Series 63 designation. KLESIS Advisors, LLC is an independent investment adviser serving individuals and high-net-worth clients with investment advisory services, managed accounts, and financial planning. The firm customizes advice based on clients’ objectives, time horizons, and risk tolerances, employing various investment approaches and offering both discretionary and non-discretionary management.

Quincy Hall is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with 14 years of industry experience. He founded Hall Financial Services, Inc. in 2018 after prior roles at Cetera Advisor Networks and Mass Mutual Investors Services. In addition to his advisory work, Hall teaches financial planning concepts as a lecturer at the College of Marin Community Education and publishes educational books and courses under his Advice Only business. Hall Financial Services, Inc. provides personalized financial planning and advisory services to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm offers Advice-Only™ standalone planning engagements that are separate from asset management, recommending third-party managers when ongoing portfolio management is desired, and provides educational content through its Advice Only program.

Jake Birnberg is a financial advisor at Empowering Financial with nine years of industry experience. He previously worked at Portsmouth Financial Investment Advisory and has been involved in real estate and self-employment for over two decades. Birnberg operates a tax planning and preparation business, Deduction Detectives, and holds real estate and insurance licenses. Empowering Financial provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management and financial planning services to individuals, small business owners, trustees, and fiduciaries. The firm employs a tailored investment approach combining fundamental, quantitative, qualitative, and cyclical analysis, and offers tax planning and IRS representation through its related tax business.

Daryl Wong is the sole advisor at Tula Investment Group LLC in Oakland, CA, holding a Series 65 credential with 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Tula Investment Group since its founding in 2013. Tula Investment Group LLC provides discretionary investment management and financial advisory services to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm emphasizes a value-oriented, small-cap, and contrarian equity approach, complemented by opportunistic, event-driven research, and employs performance-based compensation for eligible investors.

Randy Benning is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 33 years of industry experience. He is the principal of Benning Financial Group, LLC, an independent firm he has led since 2002. Prior to founding his firm, he worked at Triad Advisors, Inc. for nine years. In addition to his advisory work, he is also an insurance broker and owner, licensed with several carriers. Benning Financial Group provides discretionary portfolio management for individual investors, corporate entities, charitable organizations, and pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm employs a combination of fundamental and cyclical analysis and utilizes long-term, short-term, and trading strategies, including derivatives and option strategies, tailored to client objectives.

Wenjia Liu is a CFA® charterholder with four years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Teapot Investments LLC since 2025. Prior to this, Liu worked at Nuveen for eight years and Ned Davis Research, Inc. for seven years. Teapot Investments provides advisory services to registered investment advisers, family offices, endowments, foundations, corporations, and individual clients. The firm employs a blend of fundamental analysis, proprietary quantitative models, tax-aware analysis, and probabilistic scenario testing to develop strategic asset allocations with tactical adjustments and offers flexible fee arrangements including hourly and fixed project fees.

Much like you don't wait to join a gym until you're healthy, you shouldn't wait to work with a financial planner until you're wealthy. Unfortunately, the financial industry historically only wants to work with clients who have -insert any seven-digit-minimum amount of assets-. The good news is there are now plenty of financial planners who will gladly work with clients regardless of how much they have already saved. I am one of those planners. ;) I've been a financial planner for over a decade now, and I've worked lots of different clients from all walks of life. I've come to learn that sticking to the basics and keeping things simple is the best approach when helping clients develop a financial plan. My role is to help guide you on your path to financial freedom. New clients start with a financial plan. This is where we talk about your goals, time horizon, and all the numbers. We’ll review different scenarios so you can see what’s possible. By the end of the initial plan, you should be up and running, moving in the general direction of your goals. From there, we move to ongoing financial planning in which we meet semi-annually to monitor your plan and make adjustments when needed.

Bruce Ritter is the sole advisor at Ritter Wealth Counsel, an independent fee-only wealth management firm based in San Rafael, CA. He holds a Series 65 designation and has over 36 years of experience in the industry. Ritter Wealth Counsel serves primarily high-net-worth individuals and families, as well as trusts, estates, pension, and charitable organizations. The firm offers customized investment programs implemented mainly with passive index funds or ETFs, maintaining predominantly non-discretionary client relationships and a small, concentrated client roster.

John Dowling is a CFA® charterholder and principal advisor at JFD Capital, LLC, with nine years of industry experience. He previously worked at Fairview Capital and the Golub Group (now Summitry) before founding his current independent advisory firm. JFD Capital is a small independent registered investment adviser that provides ongoing, tailored portfolio management primarily to high-net-worth individuals. The firm employs a bottom-up, fundamental research approach focusing on undervalued equities and fixed-income securities, offering discretionary management and performance-based fee arrangements to qualified clients.

Matthew Wright is the principal of Wright Financial, LLC in Pleasant Hill, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 26 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Geneos Wealth Management Inc, Independent Financial Group, LLC, NPB Financial Group, LLC, and Seel & Wright, LLC. He also serves as a trustee for a family trust. Wright Financial, LLC provides investment management and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, and small businesses. The firm manages approximately $74 million for around 118 clients, using a non-discretionary advisory approach based on Modern Portfolio Theory and a core-and-satellite investment strategy.

Edi Alvarez is a CFP® with 19 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at AIKAPA since 2014. He is also the CEO of Dual Enterprises, a publishing business he founded in 1990 that produces niche books for smaller audiences. AIKAPA provides comprehensive wealth and financial planning services to individuals, families, trusts, and small businesses, with a client base that includes executives and business owners. The firm emphasizes financial plans as the foundation of its investment advice and offers both managed and guided planning models, incorporating diversified portfolios and ongoing education through seminars and a published blog.

Caxton Rhodes is the sole advisor at Rhodes Consulting Group LLC, an independent firm based in Orinda, CA. He holds a Series 65 designation and has 15 years of industry experience. Since founding Rhodes Consulting Group in 2006, he has focused on providing personalized investment counseling and portfolio management. Rhodes Consulting Group LLC is a fee-only investment adviser serving individuals, trusts, accredited investors, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm employs a client-oriented, long-term, global investment approach that combines fundamental and technical analysis to build diversified portfolios emphasizing cost efficiency and tax considerations.

Raj Brahmbhatt is the sole advisor at Aldabra Capital Management and holds a Series 65 credential with six years of industry experience. He has been with Aldabra Capital Management since 2020 and concurrently serves as a senior director in global marketing at Visa Inc., a payment technology company. Aldabra Capital Management provides discretionary investment management primarily to individuals, small businesses, trusts, estates, and IRAs through separately managed accounts. The firm employs a concentrated, high-conviction equity strategy focused on publicly traded companies with durable economics and long-term growth potential, managing a small client base with a uniform portfolio approach.

Randall Huyser is a financial advisor with Full Compass Investment Advisors in Novato, CA, holding a Series 63 designation and 21 years of industry experience. He has been with Full Compass Investment Advisors since 2012. Full Compass Investment Advisors provides personalized investment management and advisory services to individuals, families, trusts, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, typically through separately managed discretionary accounts. The firm uses a multi-disciplinary investment process combining fundamental research with quantitative and qualitative analysis to construct tailored portfolios across various strategies.

Laura Chernov is a CFP® professional with 19 years of industry experience. She is the founder of Balanced Financial Advisors and has previously worked at WealthSource Partners, Goldman Sachs PFM, and United Capital. She also serves as a Managing Director and investment adviser representative at Wealth Source. Balanced Financial Advisors provides portfolio management and financial planning for individual and high-net-worth clients, using model allocations based on Modern Portfolio Theory. The firm typically manages accounts on a discretionary basis and advises clients on a range of investment types, including ETFs, REITs, annuities, and private placements.

Alsida Canton is a financial advisor at CLBI Investments Inc with 13 years of industry experience. She has been with CLBI Investments Inc since 1988. CLBI Investments Inc provides discretionary investment management and related portfolio services to a focused client base including individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and certain corporate clients. The firm employs an opportunistic investment approach within a conservative framework emphasizing capital preservation, using fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis along with asset allocation when appropriate.

Joseph Gallagher is a financial advisor at Pacific Crest Asset Management LLC with 31 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Dorsey Capital Management and Kimun Lee. Pacific Crest Asset Management LLC provides discretionary portfolio management and prepares Investment Policy Statements tailored to clients’ goals, tax considerations, and risk tolerances. The firm employs a mix of analytic techniques and implements long-term purchase strategies across equities, fixed income, and ETFs, managing client assets internally without third-party managers.

Valerie Gospodarek is a CFA® charterholder with 18 years of experience in financial advising. She is the principal of VG Financial Consulting, LLC, an independent firm she has led since 2017. Her prior roles include positions at Schmerling Financial Group, Garrison Murphy Wealth Management, and VR Advisors. VG Financial Consulting serves individuals, families, and financial professionals, particularly executives with stock-based compensation who may not meet traditional wealth management asset thresholds. The firm focuses on financial organizing, comprehensive planning, and implementation coaching without managing client assets, offering specialized services such as stock option modeling and cost-basis research.

Steven Toomey is a financial advisor at Wholeness Financial in Richmond, California, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses with three years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he has held positions at several companies including Snout, Inc., where he serves as CFO, focusing on wellness payment plans for veterinary clinics. Wholeness Financial is an independent California-registered investment adviser offering financial planning and investment management to individuals, trusts, small businesses, charitable organizations, and pension/profit-sharing plans. The firm emphasizes personalized financial plans translated into customized investment policy statements, with a discretionary management approach involving diverse asset classes and ongoing portfolio monitoring.