Myrle Simone is a CFP® professional with three years of industry experience. She is currently with Creative Planning, LLC and previously spent 18 years at Burt Wealth Advisors. Burt Wealth Advisors is a fee-only, SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals and high-net-worth clients with discretionary portfolio management and financial planning. The firm employs a mix of fundamental, technical, charting, and cyclical analysis across various time horizons and primarily allocates assets among mutual funds and exchange-traded funds.

Brian Gross is a financial advisor at Valic Financial Advisors with 11 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Fidelity Investments in various roles from 2013 to 2024, as well as at BSG Consulting, LLC and BSG Ventures, LLC. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients, as well as employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and discretionary unified managed accounts through a large network of investment advisor representatives, leveraging centralized technology and model solutions.

Charles Cooley III is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors, holding a Series 66 designation and six years of industry experience. He has worked at Valic Financial Advisors since 2019 and has additional experience with Agia and Firehouse Subs. Outside of his advisory role, he manages a short-term rental property on Airbnb. 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, consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models for portfolio construction.

James Lambert is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and bringing 44 years of industry experience. He has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 1997 and has also worked at Agia since 2022. Outside of his advisory role, Lambert manages an LLC involved in rental property management and serves as trustee of a revocable living trust. 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, wrap programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models for portfolio construction.

Christopher Persak is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services, holding a Series 66 designation and 21 years of industry experience. He has been with Principal Securities Inc. and Principal Life Insurance Company since 2004. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and active-duty military personnel abroad. 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.

Monique Sinmao is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC with 14 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and previously worked at SOL Capital Management Company, Pontoro, and Marlo. Cerity Partners advises a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, business entities, charitable institutions, and institutional investors, managing approximately $166.2 billion in client assets as of December 31, 2025. The firm offers customized wealth management services and employs a client-specific investment framework that incorporates quantitative screening, manager selection, and access to alternative and private market solutions.

Michael Orleans is an investment advisor representative at Kestra Advisory with 23 years of industry experience. He has worked with Kestra Investment Services since 2010 and Kestra Advisory since 2016. Orleans serves as director of Special Needs Special Planning at The Meltzer Companies and has held leadership roles, including past president of Shared Horizons, where he participated on the finance committee. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a broad range of institutional and individual clients. The firm offers services including plan design, fiduciary consulting, vendor searches, and employee education, and manages approximately $79.8 billion in assets for clients such as sovereign wealth funds and large institutional investors.

Manfred Klee Saieh is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds the Series 65 designation and has previously worked at SOL Capital Management Company and the United Nations Development Programme. Cerity Partners advises a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, business entities, charitable institutions, and institutional investors, managing approximately $166.2 billion in client assets as of December 2025. The firm offers customized wealth management services and employs a client-specific investment framework that integrates quantitative screening, manager selection, and direct security selection, alongside access to alternative and private market solutions for qualified clients.

Charles Walker is a CFP® with 31 years of industry experience. He has been with Wealthspire Advisors since 2019 and previously worked at SunTrust Advisory Services and related SunTrust entities from 2014 to 2019. Wealthspire Advisors serves a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, retirement plans, nonprofit organizations, and trustees, providing wealth management, financial planning, and trust-administration services. The firm employs a relationship-driven, customized investment approach that emphasizes diversified, institutional-style asset allocation and ongoing portfolio management.

Gavin La Dore is a financial advisor at Valic Financial Advisors with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. He has prior experience at Ameriprise Financial and has been involved with various organizations including Sacred Heart Outreach Camp and Maryland Football. Additionally, he is appointed as an agent to sell non-securities insurance products for AGIA. 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 for portfolio construction and management.

Nikita Lodha is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 27 years of industry experience. He has worked at SunTrust Advisory Services since 2016 and has been associated with SunTrust Bank and SunTrust Investment Services, Inc. since 2012. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary approaches supported by third-party manager arrangements. The firm integrates multiple affiliates to offer a range of services including the AMC Advantage manager-selection program and AI-enabled research tools.

Devin Williams is a financial advisor at Commonwealth Financial Network with a Series 65 credential and three years of industry experience. Prior to joining Commonwealth in 2023, he held positions at Forthright Capital Partners, Aston Carter, Vicus Capital, Heritage Financial Advisors, and Cassaday and Company. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,900 advisors and managing about $212.7 billion in client assets. The firm offers a broad adviser-support platform that includes managed-account programs, third-party asset manager access, retirement consulting, and custody services.

Linly Ramlal is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors in Laurel, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 28 years of industry experience. She has been with Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012 and is also president of LKR Strategic Solutions Inc. Additionally, she works as a part-time real estate agent with Taylor Properties. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory and broker-dealer services through proprietary and third-party managed portfolios with both discretionary and non-discretionary program options.

Melinda Manning Robinson is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 16 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at firms including T Rowe Price and Glass Jacobson Investment Advisors LLC. Outside of her advisory role, she works part-time at TJ-Maxx in Pasadena, Maryland. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, leveraging integrated platforms for recordkeeping and administration. The firm emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and savings rates in its planning services and serves a large participant base relative to its adviser headcount.

Donald Ferguson Jr. is a financial advisor at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC with 32 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked previously at Keeney Financial Group, Inc. and Triad Advisors, Inc. He is also the owner of DFergs, LLC, a stockholder entity based in Ocean City, Maryland. Beacon Pointe Advisors provides investment advisory and consulting services to a diverse range of individual and institutional clients, utilizing a manager-focused, asset-allocation approach that combines active and passive strategies with ongoing performance monitoring. The firm sponsors proprietary investment vehicles and serves as an operating general partner for multiple private funds.

Bernard Makino is a financial advisor with Independent Financial Group, LLC and holds a Series 66 designation. He has four years of industry experience, including roles at Commonwealth Financial Network and operating his own DBA, Makino Financial. Independent Financial Group, LLC provides advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and corporate plans. The firm employs model-based strategies combining active and passive approaches and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management.

Maria Nikitina is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Bethesda, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Eagle Strategies, she worked at NYLIFE Securities LLC and New York Life Insurance Company, and has experience in nonprofit educational event organization related to sunburn prevention in children. She is also a partner at Cherry Blossom LLC, providing consulting on marketing strategy and personal branding. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base, including individual and institutional investors, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm emphasizes tailored recommendations and manages the majority of its assets on a non-discretionary basis within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Robert Christian is a financial advisor with PlanMember Securities Corporation and Paladin Advisor Group, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with seven years of industry experience. Prior to his financial services career, he worked for 25 years at the Annapolis Fire Department and also spent time at the Maryland Department of Health. PlanMember Securities Corporation provides retirement-plan advisory services to employers and plan participants, acting as a fiduciary for many plans and offering participant-level investment options. The firm employs a strategic asset allocation framework with risk-based mutual fund portfolios and supports plan sponsors and participants through education, personalized planning, and counseling services.

Tracy Clark is a CFP® with 20 years of industry experience, currently advising at Valic Financial Advisors since 2018. Her prior roles include positions at Capital One Advisors, LLC and Capital One Investing, LLC from 2016 to 2018. She is also an agent with Agia, involved in non-securities insurance products. Valic Financial Advisors primarily 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.

Arturo Romo is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management in Columbia, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and seven years of industry experience. He previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing Services and Wells Fargo Bank, accumulating a decade of related experience before joining PNC. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital discretionary model account for employees that uses algorithm-driven risk assessments and implements portfolios via approved model strategies with mutual funds and ETFs.