Maureen Whelan is a CFP® professional with 20 years of experience, currently leading M.A. Whelan Financial Planning in Cortlandt Manor, NY. She has focused her career exclusively with this independent firm. M.A. Whelan Financial Planning serves individuals and families nearing or in retirement, providing financial planning, discretionary investment management, and income tax preparation for some clients. The firm emphasizes asset allocation and cost control through diversified portfolios using mutual funds and ETFs, managing accounts on a discretionary basis with quarterly reviews and flat fees.

Makenna Flagg is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional with over 43 years of industry experience. She has been managing Makenna & Company, Inc., an independent advisory firm based in Darien, CT, since 2004 and has also worked at Hynes, Himmelreich, Glennon & Company since 2000. Makenna & Company, Inc. provides discretionary investment management, written financial planning, and manager search services to individuals, families, trusts, estates, and family retirement plans. The firm creates client-specific investment policies and implements portfolios using a combination of no-load and load-waived mutual funds, ETFs, and separately managed accounts with both active and passive strategies.

Mergim Elezi is a financial advisor at Adriatic Wealth Management LLC with 13 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Highbridge Wealth Management LLC and WestPark Capital Inc. His practice is based in Norwalk, CT. Adriatic Wealth Management LLC provides portfolio management and pension consulting services to individuals and select institutional clients, including pension and profit-sharing plans, banks, and investment companies. The firm employs an IPS-driven investment process with direct management of client assets, utilizing a range of strategies tailored to client objectives and risk tolerances.

Benjamin Lubin is a financial advisor at Securities Industry Management Corp. with 29 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has been with the firm since 1981. Outside of his advisory role, he also acts as a consultant for Securities Industry Management Corp. Securities Industry Management Corp. provides discretionary investment management and financial consulting to high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, estates, businesses, charitable organizations, and qualified plans. The firm uses a proprietary strategic asset allocation methodology and a variety of analytical approaches to construct and manage diversified portfolios on a discretionary basis.

John O'Brien is the principal of O'Brien Capital Management, Inc., an independent firm based in Nyack, NY. He holds the CFP® and Series 63 designations and has 21 years of experience managing portfolios at his firm. O'Brien Capital Management is a fee-only, SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $37.2 million across 41 client accounts. The firm serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporations, using a long-term buy-and-hold investment approach grounded in fundamental analysis and modern portfolio theory.

Kip Paulson is a CFP® and CFA® credentialed financial advisor with 18 years of industry experience. He is the principal of Paulson Private Wealth LLC in Norwalk, CT, and has previously worked at UBS Financial Services, Merrill/Bank of America, and Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. Paulson Private Wealth LLC is an independent, fee-only registered investment adviser serving individuals and high-net-worth clients. The firm’s approach combines passive and active strategies with an emphasis on asset allocation and modern portfolio theory, using third-party managers and Schwab’s institutional platform to implement customized portfolios.

Nathaniel Kane is the principal of Kane Asset Management, LLC in Stamford, CT. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has seven years of experience at EWM Global LLC and four years at Bridgewater Associates. Kane Asset Management, LLC provides discretionary investment management to individuals and high-net-worth families, offering customized portfolios that combine fundamental and technical analysis with a focus on asset allocation. The firm emphasizes long-term holdings while allowing short-term trading for rebalancing or opportunistic purposes.

Tamara Cronin is a financial advisor at Beacon Capital, LLC with 23 years of industry experience. She has been with Beacon Capital since 2002. Outside of her advisory role, she serves as Volunteer Treasurer and a member of the Board of Directors for Norwalk Congregate Homes for the Elderly, a nonprofit providing housing for low-income seniors. Beacon Capital provides investment management for individuals, retirement and education plans, trusts, estates, and not-for-profit organizations, primarily serving high- and medium-high-net-worth families and local charitable entities. The firm employs a long-term, risk-conscious asset-allocation approach and customizes portfolios to clients’ specific needs, including tax, estate, and retirement planning, with a focus on managing charitable accounts and estate-related matters.

Andrew Haley is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 63 license with 21 years of industry experience. He has worked at UBS from 2015 to 2023 and has been with SEVA Funds, LLC since 2024. He was self-employed for one year prior to joining SEVA Funds. SEVA Funds, LLC provides discretionary investment management to an affiliated private investment fund and separately managed accounts for individuals, high-net-worth investors, retirement accounts, and various business entities. The firm employs a multi-asset approach focused on liquid, exchange-traded instruments with systematic, quantitative, discretionary, and risk-based portfolio construction techniques.

Karen Ho Smith is a financial advisor at KCCS Management Inc. in Weston, CT, holding a Series 65 designation with 19 years of industry experience. She has worked at KMH Management Inc. for 34 years and has been with KCCS Management Inc. since 2016. KCCS Management Inc. provides discretionary portfolio management to high-net-worth individuals, trusts, corporations, and pension plans, focusing on long-term, valuation-oriented investing across equities, fixed income, and alternative assets. The firm serves a limited number of clients with account minimums that exclude lower-net-worth retail investors and emphasizes discovery value in small- and mid-cap securities.

Samuel Schaeffer is a financial advisor at Lords Wealth with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has previously worked at B S F S Advisors and The Leneta Company. Outside of advising, he also works as a personal coach and serves as an administrator for The Leneta Company, a manufacturing business. Lords Wealth provides investment education, advisory, and limited financial consulting services to individual investors, focusing on buy-and-hold equity mutual fund portfolios for long-term capital appreciation. The firm emphasizes client-directed account management, structured educational workshops, and publishes detailed historical and backtested performance data for its recommended funds.

Antonia Clearwaters is a CFP® professional with 15 years of industry experience. She has been the sole advisor at Clarity Investments + Planning LLC since 2008. Clarity Investments + Planning LLC provides discretionary investment management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and corporate entities, including pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes asset allocation, diversification, and cost minimization, primarily using mutual funds, ETFs, and passive equity vehicles, and is notable for its client mix that includes both individual and corporate clients.

Dean Moberg is a financial advisor with Sound Trust Wealth Advisors, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 43 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at UBS Financial Services and American Portfolios Financial Services. He operates an independent advisory practice in Norwalk, CT. Sound Trust Wealth Advisors provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to high-net-worth individuals, their trusts, estates, and retirement accounts, as well as institutional clients. The firm employs a range of investment strategies based on fundamental and cyclical analysis, offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management through both direct and third-party managers.

Collecting coins, saving money in a piggy bank, questioning the cost of every single item, calculating investment returns, watching Maria Bartiromo on CNBC. This about sums up my childhood. Plus basketball..can't leave out basketball. Beautiful Westchester County, NY is the place I have been proud to call home for pretty much my entire life. I have been with my amazing wife Karen since freshman year in high school. 9th Grade! Yes, that is correct...since I am 14 years old. Some things in life are destined to be and for us, we both knew it right away. Having a soulmate is a real thing and I was lucky enough to find mine at a very young age. We have three beautiful and active (aka difficult) children that keep us on our toes ;) I always knew my life would be spent working in the Investing/Financial Markets profession. It is what I was born to do, but it was not a straight easy ride that led me to this point. There were a lot of highs and lows, a lot of leaps of faith, a lot of following our dreams, and a lot of uncertainty. We are the type of people that go for it in life. No regrets. We often choose the road less traveled...and that has made all the difference. I have a passion for helping people figure out their finances. I truly enjoy it. Not all people are wired to deal with personal finances, but the truth is it is super important to living a happy life. I want to find a way to help people that struggle with all this stuff. I did not start this business to only help people that are already well off. Offering education, YouTube videos, blogs, individual coaching, group coaching, on-line classes, and being a trusted fiduciary advisor is my vision for the School of Personal Finance. I don't have it all figured out yet, but I am on my way! I believe the coaching/financial planning piece is much more important than the actual managing of investment accounts for a majority of people. Yes, having the correct asset allocation and matching your risk profile is very important, but with the creation of low-cost index funds and the advances in technology, the need for a portfolio manager is becoming a thing of the past. But you know what will continue to be here forever? The need for personal financial advice, education, and guidance that is easily available and affordable for everyone. Please visit Richard's blog here: https://www.schoolofpersonalfinance.com/blog

Richard Stallone is the sole advisor at RAS Capital Services, Inc. in Wilton, CT, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 22 years of industry experience. His prior work includes positions at Raymond James Financial, Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., and UBS Financial Services. He has led RAS Capital Services since 2009. RAS Capital Services provides portfolio management and investment supervisory services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a combination of charting, fundamental, and technical analysis with both long- and short-term strategies, managing accounts on a non-discretionary basis that requires client trade authorization.

Vinay Munikoti is the sole advisor at System Research, LLC in White Plains, NY, with 14 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has led System Research since 2008. Outside of his advisory role, Munikoti is the CEO of Returnstream LLC, an online newsletter publisher providing trading signals for stocks, mutual funds, and ETFs, as well as Global Dynamic Systems LLC, which sells artwork. System Research provides discretionary portfolio management to individuals and high-net-worth clients, using systematic, research-driven computer models to generate short- to intermediate-term forecasts and implement trades across multiple asset classes. The firm’s explicit market-timing approach and its combination of quantitative program development and diverse strategies, including digital assets, distinguish it within the independent advisory space.

Brian Moss is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 63 license with six years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Soaring Capital Management, LLC, an independent firm based in Darien, CT. His prior work includes roles at Barington Capital Group, L.P., and entrepreneurial consulting activities. Soaring Capital Management, LLC provides comprehensive wealth management for high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients, focusing on concentrated advisory relationships. The firm employs an institutionally oriented, evidence-based investment approach with access to private-market strategies and incorporates quantitative tools, generative AI assistance, and tax-aware techniques.

Luke Albright is the sole advisor at Oak Grove Management LLC, an independent firm based in Greenwich, CT. He holds a Series 65 designation and has 12 years of industry experience. Albright has managed Oak Grove since its founding in 2013. Oak Grove Management LLC provides discretionary portfolio management and investment supervisory services primarily to high-net-worth individuals and select institutional clients. The firm employs a variety of analytical methods and manages accounts on a discretionary basis, using performance-based fees for qualified clients and maintaining direct control over portfolio management without outsourcing.

Alan Nadel is a financial advisor at Flying Point Asset Management LLC with 15 years of experience. He holds the Series 65 designation and is based in Chappaqua, NY. Nadel has worked exclusively at Flying Point Asset Management since 2011. Flying Point Asset Management provides discretionary portfolio management and creates individualized Investment Policy Statements for clients, including individuals, high-net-worth individuals, and trusts. The firm manages approximately $55.7 million across 31 accounts, employing a combination of fundamental, technical, charting, and cyclical analysis alongside long- and short-term trading strategies.

Richard Reach is the sole advisor at RLR Capital Management, Inc., an independent firm based in New Canaan, CT. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 23 years of industry experience. Since founding RLR Capital Management in 1991, he has led the firm for over three decades. RLR Capital Management provides discretionary portfolio management focused on stocks, convertible securities, and corporate bonds for individual clients. The firm emphasizes asset allocation and security selection using valuation models and financial analysis, managing a small, concentrated client base with tailored portfolios.