Sara Mills Gaines is a financial advisor at Principal Financial Services with 12 years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. Her career includes roles at Merrill, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and various financial firms before joining Principal. She also has involvement in the sales and service of insurance products including fixed life, annuities, and group benefits through multiple carriers. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors and institutional clients. The firm’s advisory approach includes direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement consulting, and access to third-party money manager solutions, with investment implementation generally conducted on a discretionary basis by TPMMs.

Daniel Cook is a CFP® professional with 38 years of industry experience, currently serving at VALIC Financial Advisors since 2003. He also holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has an agent role with Agia involving non-securities insurance products. VALIC Financial Advisors serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models for portfolio construction.

Kyle Certo is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with five years of industry experience. He holds Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and has previously worked at GWFS Equities, Xactly Corp., and Proofpoint Inc. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to certain retail brokerage clients. The firm’s integrated services focus on long-term portfolio returns and savings rates, delivered through platforms affiliated with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative systems.

Michael Napoli is a financial advisor with Private Advisor Group, LLC and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 27 years of industry experience, having previously worked at firms including LPL Financial, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup Global Markets. Napoli is also involved with Nexa Mortgage, referring clients for mortgage services to help secure lower rates. Private Advisor Group serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plans by offering portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement consulting. The firm employs a fiduciary-based advisory model and utilizes proprietary and third-party platforms and managers to deliver tailored investment solutions.

Michael Flynn Jr. is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Capitola, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 21 years of industry experience. He has worked with New York Life Insurance Company and Nylife Securities Inc. since 2005 and operates his own firms, Flynn Wealth Strategies and Insurance Solutions, Inc. and BIGGR Wealth Strategies and Insurance Solutions, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he hosts The Impact Entrepreneur Show Podcast, which features interviews with entrepreneurs across various industries. Eagle Strategies serves individual and institutional clients by providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services through a large network of affiliated representatives. The firm emphasizes tailored recommendations and offers multiple program types, with the majority of assets managed on a non-discretionary basis.

Jerry Lopez is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Scotts Valley, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 28 years of industry experience, including 23 years with Valic Financial Advisors and a current role with Agia. Lopez serves on the board of the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County, participating in philanthropy and finance committees. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models and providing various overlay options to tailor client portfolios.

Michael Jordan is a financial advisor at Lincoln Investment with 31 years of industry experience. He has been with Lincoln Investment since 2017 and previously spent 22 years at Legend Equities Corporation. Outside of advising, he serves as an executor for estate settlements requiring travel to Michigan. Lincoln Investment Planning, LLC is a large enterprise advisory and broker-dealer serving a diverse client base including individual and high-net-worth investors, trusts, charities, and retirement plans. The firm’s investment approach combines in-house model portfolio management, third-party managers, and advisor-led discretionary and non-discretionary services.

Daniel Newquist is a CFP® professional with 26 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Focus Partners Wealth, LLC. His prior work includes roles at The Colony Group, LLC, Buckingham Strategic Wealth, LLC, and SECURITIES AMERICA, Inc., among others. Newquist has also been involved with the Charter School of Morgan Hill Foundation. Focus Partners Wealth serves individuals, families, charitable organizations, corporations, and institutional retirement plans, offering comprehensive investment management and financial planning services. The firm employs a long-term investment approach emphasizing tax and fee sensitivity, using a combination of active and passive strategies alongside specialized solutions tailored to client needs.

Daniel May is a financial advisor with Focus Partners Wealth, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 34 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at The Colony Group, Buckingham Strategic Wealth, and Charles Schwab. Outside of financial advising, he participates in a professional networking group called LGNG, where he occasionally assists with report generation. Focus Partners Wealth serves individuals, families, charitable organizations, corporations, and institutional retirement plans by providing investment management, financial planning, and related services. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach utilizing a blend of active and passive strategies alongside third-party managers and private funds, tailoring portfolios to clients’ specific needs.

Christopher Young is a financial advisor at Farther with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and previously worked for Meridian Investment Counsel Inc. for 13 years before joining Farther in 2026. Farther provides discretionary investment management and related advisory services primarily to individual investors, trusts, and estates through a web and mobile platform combined with in-person meetings. The firm’s investment approach is based on Modern Portfolio Theory and uses proprietary models, algorithmic rebalancing, and a range of investment vehicles, supplemented by AI tools under internal controls.

Shiva Porter is a financial advisor at Principal Financial Services with 13 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has worked at notable firms including JP Morgan Chase Bank and Edward Jones. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions.

Scott Mcdougall is a financial advisor with Fifth Third Securities, Inc. in Watsonville, California, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has 11 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at J.P. Morgan Securities, LPL Financial, BMO Harris Bank, and First Bank of Highland Park. He was also involved with Scott Mcdougall Photography, LLC for nine years. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. serves individual and institutional clients through both advisory and brokerage services, offering a range of investment programs including mutual funds, SMA strategies, tax overlays, and direct indexing. The firm operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fifth Third Bank and manages approximately $10.9 billion in assets.

Scott Bloom is a financial advisor with Centaurus Financial, Inc. in Aptos, CA, holding a Series 63 designation and 44 years of industry experience. He has been with Centaurus Financial since 1999 and concurrently provides services at Pacific Tax Service since 1979. Centaurus Financial, Inc. offers advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base including individuals, families, small businesses, corporations, trusts, and foundations. The firm employs a variety of investment analysis methods and provides both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, along with specialized services such as retirement-plan consulting and advisory management of annuity and variable life sub-accounts.

Anthony Rovai is a financial advisor with Money Concepts Capital Corp in Capitola, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 33 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at C2 Financial Corporation, Eagle Funding Corporation, All Cal Financial Inc, and A.K.T. American Capital, Inc. Rovai serves on the Finance Committee for the City of Capitola and is also involved as an agent in health, dental, and vision insurance, as well as real estate. Money Concepts Advisory Service provides investment advisory, financial planning, and consulting services to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, estates, and corporations. The firm manages approximately $4.07 billion in client assets through a network of several hundred advisors, utilizing model-driven and asset-allocation approaches supported by third-party managers and platforms such as Envestnet.

James Bargetto is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Santa Cruz, CA, holding a Series 63 designation and 42 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley and its related entities since 1998, including Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association, since 2015. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs including tailored financial planning, utilizing firm-approved tools and methodologies to assist clients with their financial goals.

Laura Ferguson is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities who holds Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 credentials and has 19 years of industry experience. She has worked at various J.P. Morgan entities since 2011 and previously at Valic Financial Advisors. She is also a signer for Accessibility Connection, a family business specializing in home remodeling. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to plan sponsors, corporations, endowments, and other institutional clients through a selective group of Wealth Advisors. Their non-discretionary program emphasizes written asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting, supported by centralized due diligence and incorporating an ESG eligibility framework.

Abraham Rivera is a financial advisor with Merrill in Watsonville, CA, holding a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. He has worked at Bank of America, N.A. since 2024 and was previously employed at Hartnell College for 14 years. 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 strategies for individual, high-net-worth, and institutional clients.

Erik Cormier is a financial advisor with Ameriprise Financial Services LLC and holds a Series 66 designation. He has 19 years of industry experience, including roles at Ameriprise since 2018. Outside of his advisory work, Cormier is involved in family-owned businesses, serving as a director of Hermitage Brewing Company, a craft brewery, and overseeing operations in a portfolio that includes restaurants and commercial real estate. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large advisory firm serving individual and institutional clients, with a specialized Premier Retirement Income service that provides retirement planning advice focused on income sources and tax-aware withdrawal strategies.

Diana Brenneise is a Series 66-credentialed financial advisor with Edward Jones, based in Watsonville, CA. She has nine years of industry experience, all with Edward Jones. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets, offering a range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies, tax-efficient services, and affiliated mutual funds, supported by a nationwide network of over 23,700 financial advisors.

Matthew Neiger is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in Santa Cruz, California, holding a Series 63 designation and 31 years of industry experience. He has worked at J.P. Morgan Securities since 2012, following roles at Chase Investment Services Corp. and Wamu Investments, Inc. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to plan sponsors, corporations, endowments, and other institutional clients through a non-discretionary advisory program focused on asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting. The firm’s approach combines quantitative and qualitative manager due diligence and may include ESG considerations, supported by affiliates offering implementation and portfolio services.