Melissa Gerckens is a CFP® professional with 11 years of experience in the financial services industry. She currently works at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC, where she has been since 2019, following prior roles at Heller Wealth Advisors, LLC. In addition to her advisory work, she is a licensed insurance agent involved with Beacon Pointe Insurance Services, LLC. Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC offers wealth advisory, financial planning, retirement-plan platform services, and outsourced chief investment officer services to individuals, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm integrates asset-allocation modeling with third-party independent managers and employs both active and passive strategies across public and private asset classes.

Colin Gaven is a financial advisor at Commonwealth Financial Network with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and three years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Rosenblatt Securities and Merrill Lynch. Outside of advising, he is involved in fixed insurance sales. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser that supports a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their clients through a range of advisory programs and services. The firm provides operations, technology, investment management, and compliance support, enabling advisors to offer customized portfolio solutions under Commonwealth’s supervision.

James Zerweck is a financial advisor with GWN Securities Inc. in Bridgewater, NJ, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 27 years of industry experience. He has been with GWN Securities since 2016 and also works with ABMM Financial since 2014. GWN Securities is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individual and business clients, including high-net-worth individuals, through a network of approximately 423 advisors. The firm offers discretionary managed accounts, financial planning, and access to third-party sub-advisers and model portfolios, utilizing a range of strategies from traditional asset allocation to legacy market-timing and momentum-based approaches.

Anthony Dibisceglie is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with 16 years of industry experience. He has been with Citigroup Global Markets Inc. since 2013 and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering a broad range of investment advisory programs and execution services. The firm implements multi-asset, multi-manager strategies through discretionary and non-discretionary programs and operates with notable institutional scale and unique market roles.

Jack Butler is an advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Hennion & Walsh Inc. and UBS, as well as positions unrelated to finance, such as at Minuteman Whiskey Bar and Spring Ridge. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base, including individuals, families, trusts, estates, and institutional sponsors, offering brokerage services, financial planning, and advisory programs with a combination of in-house and third-party portfolio management.

Robert Fowler is a financial advisor with J. W. Cole Advisors, Inc. He holds a Series 66 credential and has 24 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors and Fcg Advisors LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a board member for a charity sponsoring and mentoring needy Catholic high school students and is a finance committee member for New Eyes for the Needy. J. W. Cole Advisors operates a large network of independent advisers and offers fee-based portfolio management, financial planning, retirement services, and access to multiple third-party investment platforms for individual, high-net-worth, and institutional clients. The firm’s advisers use a combination of fundamental and technical analysis and may manage accounts on both discretionary and non-discretionary bases.

Erin O'Donnell is a financial advisor with Guardian Life in Berkeley Heights, NJ, holding a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. Her prior work includes roles at Equitable Advisors and various positions outside the financial sector, including academic and business consulting roles. Guardian Life’s subsidiary, Park Avenue® Wealth Management, serves individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients with brokerage, financial planning, and investment advisory services, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolios alongside digital advisory solutions.

Jack Zotti is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 37 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has been with Janney Montgomery Scott since 2012. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, estates, and institutional clients, offering brokerage services, financial planning, consulting, and various advisory programs.

Paul Aris is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 22 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Janney Montgomery Scott since 2018, with prior experience at Bank of America and Merrill. Outside of advising, he serves as an adjunct business professor at Fordham University's Gabelli School of Business and is a member of the board of directors for the Wharton Club of New Jersey. Janney Montgomery Scott is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse clientele, including individuals, families, trusts, and institutional clients, offering brokerage, financial planning, consulting, and advisory programs supported by in-house and third-party portfolio management.

Justin Giacona is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 credential and has previously worked at Round Table Wealth Management and KPMG LLP. Cerity Partners LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base that includes high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, corporations, charitable institutions, and other institutional investors. The firm offers a range of services such as investment management, financial planning, tax and insurance support, and access to alternative and private-market investments, emphasizing customized, diversified portfolios and private market programs for qualified clients.

Henry Falquez is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Berkeley Heights, NJ, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 15 years of industry experience. He has worked at Valic Financial Advisors since 2014 and has been with Agia since 2022. Outside of advisory work, he serves as a notary public in New Jersey. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-based 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’s UMA models and maintaining approximately $26.4 billion in discretionary assets across a large advisor network.

Marlene Badai is a financial advisor with GWN Securities Inc. in Bridgewater, NJ, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 39 years of industry experience. She has been with GWN Securities since 2014. In addition to her advisory work, she operates a life insurance business focused on assessing family insurance needs and protecting inheritances. GWN Securities is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individual and business clients through a network of approximately 423 advisors. The firm offers discretionary managed accounts, financial planning, and access to third-party sub-advisers and model portfolios, utilizing a range of investment programs including both traditional asset allocation and legacy market-timing strategies.

Samuel Hardy is a financial advisor with TD Private Client Wealth LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and four years of industry experience. Prior to joining TD in 2026, he worked at Nest Investments BD LLC and Nest Investments LLC from 2023 to 2026, and has held positions at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. among other firms. Hardy also operated Hardy Solutions from 2022 to 2023. TD Private Client Wealth LLC provides discretionary wrap-fee managed account programs and brokerage services to institutional, high-net-worth private, and retail clients. The firm employs a portfolio construction approach combining strategic and tactical asset allocation with investments from both affiliated and third-party sub-managers.

Alan Babbitt is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Edison, NJ. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 14 years of industry experience. He has been with Eagle Strategies since 2017 and has also worked with Nylife Securities LLC and New York Life Insurance Company since 2016. 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 offers multiple program types tailored to client objectives and plan sponsor criteria, with most assets managed on a non-discretionary basis.

Michael Santana is a financial advisor with TD Private Client Wealth LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. His prior experience includes five years at Merrill and roles in education at Rutgers Business School and Union County College. Outside of finance, Santana owns and manages an online retail cigar business, Santana Cigars. TD Private Client Wealth LLC provides discretionary wrap-fee managed account programs and brokerage services to institutional clients, high-net-worth private clients, and retail investors. The firm combines strategic and tactical asset allocation with investments from affiliated and third-party sub-managers, offering ongoing portfolio management and financial planning support.

Richard Zangara is a financial advisor at &PARTNERS with 32 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing, Wells Fargo Advisors LLC, and Pruco Securities Corporation. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as chairman of the North Brunswick Planning Board and the North Brunswick Democratic Organization. &PARTNERS serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, foundations, universities, trusts, private businesses, and corporations. The firm offers investment management, financial and tax planning, and retirement-plan services using a combination of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis across proprietary and third-party strategies.

Derek De Pol is a financial advisor with GWN Securities Inc. in Bridgewater, NJ, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Mass Mutual Investors Services and Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company. In addition to his advisory work, he manages real estate through De Pol Real Estate, LLC and De Pol Real Estate Holdings, LLC. GWN Securities provides investment advisory and related services to individual and corporate clients via multiple managed account programs and financial planning offerings. The firm employs portfolios based on asset allocation and Modern Portfolio Theory, incorporating both affiliated and unaffiliated sub-advisers, and is known for its use of market-timing and momentum-based strategies in certain legacy programs.

Cameron Koplik is a financial advisor at Commonwealth Financial Network with 15 years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses. His prior roles include positions at Kestra Advisory Services, Preferred Financial Partners, MassMutual, and Metlife Securities. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,900 affiliated advisors and managing roughly $212.7 billion in client assets. The firm provides a broad adviser-support platform with discretionary and nondiscretionary managed-account programs, access to third-party asset managers, and custodial services.

Leonard Cheah is an investment advisor representative with TLG Advisors, Inc. in Summit, NJ, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and six years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at The Leaders Group Inc., Compass Management Holdings LLC, and GWN Securities, Inc. Outside of his advisory work, he is co-founder and CFO of OC Tech, LLC, a company focused on creator ERP systems, and co-founder and CFO of Good Fire Co. LLC, a hot sauce brand. TLG Advisors, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and institutional investors. The firm employs a manager selection approach grounded in fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory, offering both sub-advised portfolios and a direct-to-consumer digital program called Starlight Portfolios.

Jay Heidt is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management, holding Series 63 and Series 65 registrations and possessing 42 years of industry experience. He has been with PNC investments since 2004. PNC Wealth Management delivers retail brokerage and advisory services through several model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital discretionary model account for employees that uses algorithm-driven risk assessment and invests via mutual funds and ETFs with annual rebalancing.