Levar Brown serves as a Senior Resident Director and Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he brings nearly 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. In his current role, he provides investment and retirement planning, cash management, insurance analysis, educational planning, and business lending services. Levar works closely with successful families who have complex financial lives, helping to simplify and organize their wealth management strategies. Additionally, as Resident Director of the Merrill Ridgefield, CT office, he is involved in training both new and experienced Financial Advisors to expand their practices and deliver comprehensive services. Levar holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance with a minor in Economics from the College of Mount Saint Vincent and earned an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business, focusing on Global Business, Marketing, and Finance. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional and also holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ designation, among other professional credentials. Outside of his professional commitments, Levar enjoys basketball, horseback riding, music, painting, traveling, watching movies, and spending time with his family. He is a member of Free Arts NYC and resides in White Plains, New York.

Jorge Dias is a Senior Financial Advisor and First Vice President at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in Southbury, Connecticut. He has been with Merrill Lynch since 2003 and holds the designation of Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). Jorge speaks both Portuguese and English and is involved with professional organizations including the Knights of Columbus in Middlebury, the LIONS Club of Middlebury, and the Southbury Heritage BNI. Jorge assists a diverse clientele including business owners, families, individuals, retirees, and seniors. He employs the Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Process to help clients identify financial goals, develop strategies, implement appropriate solutions tailored to their risk tolerance and investment objectives, and monitor progress towards financial security. In addition to his work at Merrill Lynch, Jorge works with seniors at a local retirement community, providing him insight into retirement needs. A lifelong resident of Connecticut, Jorge graduated from Central Connecticut State University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Information Systems. He is actively involved in his community and enjoys activities such as biking, dancing, gardening, genealogy, spending time with his family, traveling, watching movies, and yoga.

James Czajkowski is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Milford, CT, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 40 years of industry experience. He has been with Equitable Advisors since 1999 and previously worked with AXA Advisors, LLC from 1999 to 2020. Equitable Advisors serves individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement plan support, and access to asset management through LPL programs and third-party asset managers. The firm uses a hybrid referral and implementation model and offers tailored advisory services based on client goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon.

Lynn Dilley is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. She has worked with Primerica Advisors since 1998 and Primerica Financial Services since 1996, alongside a 24-year tenure at ASML. Outside of her advisory role, she serves as a power of attorney and executor for an estate. Primerica Advisors manages a wrap-fee asset management program serving individual, corporate, and charitable clients primarily through model-delivery strategies developed by unaffiliated asset managers. The firm operates on a large scale with nearly 3,700 advisors and approximately $15.5 billion in assets under management.

Michael Bogardus is a CFP® professional with 13 years of industry experience, currently serving at Mass Mutual Investors Services since 2017. Prior to that, he worked at MetLife Securities Inc. for five years. He maintains an active role as an insurance agent specializing in various life and health insurance products. Bogardus also serves as Vice President of Harbor Oak Professional Services, LLC, a firm focused on shared operational infrastructure and expense management. Mass Mutual Investors Services is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that provides financial planning and asset management services to individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm offers a range of programs including wrap accounts and educational seminars, emphasizing collaborative, annual financial planning engagements.

Robert Wood is a financial advisor with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has been with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors since 2016. Outside of his advisory role, he also works as an independent insurance agent. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a diverse range of clients including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and trusts. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, retirement plan advisory, and financial-wellness services through a network of independent Financial Professionals, utilizing multiple custody platforms and a combination of proprietary and third-party investment strategies.

John Dezzutti is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Lakeside, CT, holding a Series 63 designation and 39 years of industry experience. He has worked with Ameriprise and its affiliates since 1986. Outside of his advisory role, he teaches weekly yoga classes in Litchfield, CT. Ameriprise offers a retirement-income planning service aimed at individuals nearing or in retirement who meet specific asset criteria, providing detailed written Recommendation Reports that address income sources, Social Security options, and tax-smart withdrawal strategies. The firm combines algorithmic automation with expert oversight to deliver tailored retirement income advice and offers a broad range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions.

Thomas Ellis IV is a financial advisor with MassMutual Investors Services and holds a Series 66 designation. He has one year of industry experience and previously worked at Barnum Financial Group and Vitamin Shoppe. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a brand ambassador for Get Raw Nutrition, promoting sports supplement products. MassMutual Investors Services is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that provides financial planning and asset management services to individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers collaborative, goal-oriented planning engagements supported by firm-approved analytical tools.

Ashish Verma is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with 21 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at JPMorgan Chase Bank and Wells Fargo Bank over the course of his career. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides institutional consulting services to corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting through a team of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with brokerage and investment management capabilities, delivering recommendations on a non-discretionary basis while clients retain final decision-making authority.

Jeffrey Florio is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with 31 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at Bank of America and Merrill. He is also the owner of Florio Financial Advisors, managing his Ameriprise business part-time. Ameriprise offers a retirement-income planning service targeting individuals with significant investable assets, combining research and modeling with tax-efficient strategies. The firm provides a broad range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions through its affiliated companies.

Ernest Montavon is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Ansonia, CT, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 32 years of industry experience. He has worked at Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016 and previously at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC from 2009 to 2016. Outside of his advisory role, he has been involved with Millennium Construction and Development, LLC for over two decades. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients by providing investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers a range of brokerage and advisory solutions supported by research and analytics from Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

Bennett Sacks is a financial advisor at LPL Enterprise with five years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at firms including The Prudential Insurance Company of America, Pruco Securities LLC, and Axa Advisors, LLC. LPL Enterprise serves a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and institutional clients, offering financial planning, advisory services, and access to various investment and insurance products through a combined advisory and brokerage platform.

Timothy O'Connell is a CFP® with 29 years of industry experience and currently advises at Cetera. His prior roles include positions with Mass Mutual Investors Services and MassMutual Life Insurance Company, where he worked for 15 years. He is co-owner of Financial Guide Solutions, LLC, an entity used for pass-through compensation. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC serves a broad range of clients including individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a multi-manager platform featuring discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to various third-party money managers.

Philip Adriani is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with 39 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney since 2010. 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 financial planning and estate strategies, leveraging structured planning processes and advanced modeling tools.

Ira Taber is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Stratford, CT, holding a Series 63 designation and 33 years of industry experience. He has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2005. Outside of his advisory role, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Hawley Commons Condominium Association. Ameriprise is an institutional firm that offers a retirement-income planning service targeting individuals approaching or in retirement with substantial investable assets. The firm provides a combination of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions, utilizing a centralized consulting team to deliver research-based, tax-efficient retirement income recommendations.

John Atkins is a financial advisor at Cetera with 20 years of industry experience and holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. His career includes roles at ION Investments, Osaic Institutions, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, and Main Street Financial Group. Outside of his advisory work, he is a bass player in two bands, Capricorn and Guy Malone. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that serves individual, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients through a nationwide network of independent advisors. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services and operates a multi-manager platform with access to affiliated and third-party managers, managing over $256 billion in assets.

Michael Jones is a CFP® professional with 34 years of industry experience, currently with Mass Mutual Investors Services since 2017. His prior experience includes MSI Financial. He is also an independent insurance agent offering various insurance products, including disability, Medicare-related products, and life insurance. Mass Mutual Investors Services, LLC is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm provides financial planning, asset management, and educational seminars with a focus on collaborative client relationships and event-driven planning services.

Kenneth Handwerker is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. He has been with Primerica Advisors since 1993 and with Primerica Financial Services since 1992. Outside of his advisory role, he is the founder of Faithful Champions Global, Inc., a faith-based clothing and awards company. Primerica Advisors offers discretionary asset management through its Lifetime Investment Program, which features model-delivery strategies and discretionary separately managed account options for individual and high-net-worth clients, operating primarily as a wrap-fee solution.

Benjamin Edwards is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and 15 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Sammons Institutional Group, Jackson National Life Distributors LLC, Mass Mutual Investors Services, and MSI Financial Services. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, credit unions, corporations, and charitable organizations nationwide. The firm offers financial planning, various advisory programs, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing model portfolios, third-party subadvisors, and advanced technologies.

Garett Ceraso is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding a Series 66 designation and 17 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Fidelity Investments for 11 years and has been associated with People’s United Advisors and People’s Securities since 2018. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement consulting, utilizing model portfolios and a variety of investment strategies.