Charles O'Connor is a financial advisor with O'Connor Financial Group, LLC in Royal Oak, Michigan. He holds a Series 66 designation and has 18 years of industry experience. O'Connor has been with his current firm since 2011 and also maintains an affiliation with LPL Financial LLC. In addition to his advisory work, he is a licensed notary. O'Connor Financial Group, LLC provides investment management and financial consulting services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and retirement and business entities. The firm customizes portfolios using a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, implements option strategies, and conducts ongoing portfolio monitoring with at least quarterly reviews.

John Dyer is a financial advisor at Alpha Asset Advisors LLC with 21 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Key Management Group and Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. In addition to his advisory role, he is a licensed insurance agent. Alpha Asset Advisors primarily serves individual clients through a sub-advisory model, managing discretionary accounts identified by unaffiliated primary advisers. The firm uses a rules-based dividend-growth investment strategy focused on stocks that pay dividends from free cash flow with a history of increasing payouts.

Donald Carnaghi is a financial advisor with Premier Estate Planners, LLC in Clinton Township, MI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 27 years of industry experience. He has worked at Premier Estate Planners since 2002 and previously at Secure Asset Management, LLC from 2022 to 2025. Carnaghi is also involved with Macomb Marketing LLC and is a licensed insurance agent. Premier Estate Planners advises individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities, providing wealth management services including portfolio management, third-party adviser selection, and savings plan management. The firm manages both discretionary and non-discretionary accounts and emphasizes model portfolios, often using ETFs, while serving a large client base with a small advisory team.

Matthew Walschlager is a CFP® professional with one year of industry experience, currently serving at Bay Pointe Financial. His prior work includes six years at Bay Pointe Financial Management and four years with Anchor Bay Aquarium LLC. Bay Pointe Financial offers discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and pension consulting to individuals, high-net-worth individuals, and employer-sponsored pension plans. The firm combines fundamental analysis and modern portfolio theory in its investment process and utilizes the DPL Financial Partners platform to provide access to insurance products.

Thomas Mazza is a financial advisor with Premier Estate Planners, LLC in Clinton Township, MI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 27 years of industry experience. He has worked at Premier Estate Planners since 2002 and previously at Secure Asset Management, LLC. Mazza is also a licensed insurance agent and involved with Macomb Marketing LLC. Premier Estate Planners serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities by providing wealth management services including portfolio management, third-party adviser selection, and modular financial planning. The firm manages both discretionary and non-discretionary accounts and employs model portfolios, often using ETFs, while overseeing more than $226 million in client assets.

Jacob Smith is a financial advisor with Third Sigma Investment Advisors LLC and holds a Series 66 license. He has two years of industry experience and previously worked at Thrivent Financial, Ally Bank, and Ford Motor Credit Company. Smith serves as a board member for Teen HYPE, a Detroit-area nonprofit focused on youth education and leadership development. Third Sigma Investment Advisors LLC provides discretionary portfolio management and investment consulting to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm uses a combination of active and passive investments with a focus on tax-efficient, customized asset allocation, managing primarily larger and institutional accounts on a discretionary, fee-only basis.

Mark Pauwels Jr. is a financial advisor at Bay Pointe Financial with 15 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Sigma Financial Corporation and Waddell & Reed Inc. Outside of advising, he is a licensed insurance agent appointed with various companies. Bay Pointe Financial provides discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and pension consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and employer-sponsored plans. The firm combines fundamental analysis and modern portfolio theory to create individualized investment strategies and offers insurance-based retirement products aligned with clients’ objectives.

Miles Jamieson is a financial advisor at Daniel Investment Group Inc. with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has prior experience at Commonwealth Financial Network as well as roles in academic institutions including Wayne State University and Davidson College. Daniel Investment Group provides discretionary asset management and financial planning services to individuals, qualified retirement plans, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $210 million in assets with a small advisory team and employs a fee-oriented, fiduciary approach that emphasizes cost sensitivity and individualized planning.

Julie Lobaza is a financial advisor at Rochester Wealth Strategies, LLC with six years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Rochester Wealth Strategies since 2018. In addition to her advisory role, she owns a technology consulting firm serving small and mid-sized businesses. Rochester Wealth Strategies provides wealth management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals, trusts, and institutional sponsors. The firm employs a planning-centric investment process focused on strategic, primarily ETF-based portfolios tailored to client risk tolerance and reviewed regularly.

Angela Zangarola is a financial advisor at Quantum Wealth Strategies, LLC with eight years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Sigma Planning Corporation and Raymond James & Associates. Angela is also a licensed insurance agent appointed with various insurance companies. Quantum Wealth Strategies advises individual and high-net-worth clients through discretionary portfolio management and financial planning. The firm employs a range of investment analysis techniques and offers services including Certified Divorce Financial Analyst support, with client accounts custodied at Schwab Institutional.

Gregory Carrico is a financial advisor at Legacy Wealth Advisors, LLC with 12 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Legacy Wealth Advisors since 2016. In addition to his advisory role, Carrico is president of Contour Insurance Solutions LLC, where he is involved in the sale of insurance products and services. Legacy Wealth Advisors serves individual and high-net-worth clients with discretionary asset management, financial planning, and management of variable annuity and life products. The firm tailors portfolios based on client goals, time horizons, and risk tolerances, and offers additional services such as estate-document work and personal tax planning for clients with $500,000 or more invested.

Austin Cavanaugh is a financial advisor at Paragon Investing, LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation. Prior to joining Paragon Investing, he worked for Prospect Capital Restaurants and Little Caesars Enterprises. Paragon Investing provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, businesses, and other investment advisers. The firm’s investment approach includes customized asset allocation using fundamental and technical analysis, ETF and mutual fund selection, and both long- and short-term strategies, with a primary goal of preserving purchasing power over the long term.

Theresa Collins is a financial advisor at Paragon Retirement Planning, Inc. in Troy, MI, holding a Series 65 designation with two years of industry experience. She has worked at Paragon Retirement Planning since 2022 and has prior experience at Financial Services of America from 2006 to 2017. Outside of her advisory role, Collins acts as an independent insurance agent. Paragon Retirement Planning serves individual and high-net-worth clients, offering comprehensive and single-issue financial planning and consulting with a typical account minimum of $100,000. The firm’s investment approach utilizes model portfolios managed by unaffiliated sub-advisors, focusing on asset allocation while retaining responsibility for client relationships and periodic reviews.

Stephen Richardson is a financial advisor at Quantum Wealth Strategies, LLC with nine years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at Raymond James Financial Services and Southworth & Wilson Inc. prior to joining his current firm. Quantum Wealth Strategies provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to individual and high-net-worth clients, managing approximately $32.2 million across about 67 client relationships. The firm uses a combination of investment approaches, including technical and fundamental methods, and offers a subscription newsletter with specific buy and sell recommendations to its clients.

Brett Busuttil is a CFP® and ChFC® with 13 years of industry experience. He currently works at Bay Pointe Financial and previously spent nine years at Sigma Financial Corporation/Spc. He is a licensed insurance agent and co-owner of a commercial property holding company in St. Clair, Michigan. Bay Pointe Financial provides discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and pension consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and employer-sponsored plans. The firm combines fundamental analysis and modern portfolio theory with tailored client profiles to guide investment decisions and incorporates insurance products when aligned with client goals.

Darren Brennan is a CFP® professional at Lakeshore Financial Planning Inc. with 13 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Kaydan Wealth Management, Inc. and Raymond James Financial Services Inc. He is also a licensed insurance agent. Lakeshore Financial Planning Inc. manages discretionary portfolios and provides financial planning to individuals, charitable organizations, and investment clubs. The firm uses diversified, model-based strategies implemented primarily through mutual funds and ETFs, with a focus on both fundamental and technical analysis.

Scott Salaske is a financial advisor at FirstMetric, LLC with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 credential and has been with FirstMetric since 2017. Prior to this, he took a planned break from the industry between 2015 and 2017. FirstMetric serves individuals, trusts, foundations, estates, business entities, qualified retirement plans, and charitable organizations by providing discretionary investment advisory and portfolio management alongside financial planning and legacy securities transition guidance. The firm employs a passive, asset-class investment approach using low-cost index mutual funds and ETFs, emphasizing long-term, buy-and-hold strategies with integrated tax-aware practices.

Peter Labrash is a financial advisor at Paragon Retirement Planning, Inc. in Troy, MI, holding a Series 66 designation with two years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at MML Investors Services, MassMutual Life Insurance, Prudential Financial Planning Services, and other firms. Paragon Retirement Planning serves individual and high-net-worth clients with comprehensive and single-issue financial planning, generally requiring a $100,000 account minimum. The firm emphasizes suitable asset allocation through model portfolio strategies managed by unaffiliated sub-advisors and third-party investment advisers while retaining responsibility for client relationships and reviews.

ABOUT THRIVE RETIREMENT SPECIALISTS Standing out in our industry's “sea of sameness” and b#llsh!t, we introduce a new business model that applies the latest retirement research to deliver “reality-based” retirement planning, representing an evolutionary step forward in how people prepare for and thrive during retirement. We arm you with a framework to make better decisions based on your unique circumstances, enabling you to avoid unnecessary sacrifices symptomatic of following conventional “rules of thumb” intended for the masses. The result is living a more rewarding life optimized for contentment. ThriveRetire is an all-in-one, flat-fee service that includes: • Retirement Planning • Tax Planning • Investment Management • And more! ABOUT ANTHONY WATSON, CFA, CFP®, RICP® Prior to founding Thrive Retirement Specialists, Tony served as a Chief Investment Officer, providing advice and investment management services to over 600 individuals representing over $1.5 billion of investments. Before this, Tony served as Vice President at J.P. Morgan Private Bank, where he advised high- and ultra-high net worth individuals on all matters of wealth, including investments, portfolio construction, portfolio management, and retirement planning. EDUCATION: • BBA of Finance, Walsh College • MBA, University of Michigan, Ross School of Business CREDENTIALS: • Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) • CERTIFIED FINANICAL PLANNERTM (CFP®) • Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®)

Mark Romin is a CFP® professional at Lakeshore Financial Planning Inc. in Saint Clair Shores, MI, with 18 years of industry experience. He has previously worked at Brayton Asset Management and Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. Romin contributes to social media input for a non-investment-related support company affiliated with his firm. Lakeshore Financial Planning Inc. manages discretionary portfolios and provides incidental financial planning to individuals, charitable organizations, and investment clubs. The firm employs client-specific strategies using proprietary model portfolios diversified across asset classes, primarily via mutual funds and ETFs, and manages approximately $469 million in discretionary assets.