Shilin Yin, CFP®, is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. She began her career as a Financial Advisor Associate at Morgan Stanley and joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2013. Supported by a team of specialists from Merrill and Bank of America in investments, estate planning services, philanthropy, and lending, she focuses on helping clients grow and preserve their wealth through challenging economic and market cycles and major life events. As a qualified Portfolio Manager, Shilin follows a disciplined and sustainable process emphasizing prudent risk management, long-term growth, tax efficiency, and transparency. She offers qualified investors alternative investments such as private equity and real assets to enhance portfolio diversification beyond traditional stocks and bonds. Shilin is a native Mandarin Chinese speaker and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP®), Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®), Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA®), and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC™) designations. She is a graduate of Temple University and holds an MBA in International Business from California State University. Shilin and her husband, Brett, live in Mariaville, NY. She is a member of the Investment & Wealth Institute™ and a member of the Bank of America Upstate New York Diversity & Inclusion Council. Her personal interests include cooking, hiking, and traveling.

Lisa O'Connor serves as a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where she partners with clients to develop personalized financial strategies tailored to their long-term goals. She specializes in managing wealth through a comprehensive approach that involves understanding clients' financial situations and priorities, then crafting flexible strategies that adapt to changing needs and market conditions. Lisa leverages the investment insights of Merrill and the banking solutions of Bank of America to address various facets of clients' financial lives. Her expertise centers on guiding clients through significant financial milestones, including divorce transition planning, personal retirement planning, and retirement income. She is committed to supporting both pre-retirees and retirees through customized planning processes covering wealth accumulation, retirement income, wealth preservation, and intergenerational wealth transfer. Lisa holds professional designations including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP), CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). She earned her Bachelor's degree from Siena College. Outside of her professional role, Lisa participates in community activities such as Hope in the Boat, a breast cancer survivor dragon boat team, and is affiliated with the Galway Lake Campers Association. Her personal interests include antiquing, biking, boating, and gardening.

Kate Curcio is a financial advisor at RBC Capital Markets in Albany, NY, with 11 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been with RBC Capital Markets since 2014. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, serves a diverse client base including individual investors, institutional clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers various advisory programs featuring portfolio management, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing a combination of in-house and third-party investment managers to tailor strategies to clients’ risk profiles.

Joseph Gravini is a CFP® with 26 years of industry experience, currently serving at Wells Fargo Clearing since 2019. His prior experience includes roles at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he officiates high school basketball games and serves as Chair of the Finance Committee for the Albany Symphony Orchestra. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting services to qualified ERISA and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary solutions. The firm’s advisory process is IPS-driven, grounded in modern portfolio theory, and includes a broader set of financial products such as insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options.

Kelly Chavez Laprade is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities, holding a Series 66 designation and five years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Bank of America, Merrill, and Citizens Securities, Inc. prior to joining J.P. Morgan. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides institutional consulting services to corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, delivering asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with brokerage and investment management capabilities.

Dianne Funigiello is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Albany, NY, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 25 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, Merrill Lynch, Key Private Bank, and HSBC. She is a partial owner of a real estate LLC used for personal estate planning purposes. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through a variety of brokerage and advisory offerings, combining institutional trading capabilities with wealth management services and leveraging proprietary research and model-based asset allocations.

Jonathan Turnock is a financial advisor with Merrill in Albany, NY, holding a Series 66 designation and eight years of industry experience. He has worked with Bank of America and Merrill since 2015. Outside of his advisory role, Turnock serves as a board member of the Niskayuna Soccer Club, where he helps organize teams and plan soccer-related activities. Merrill provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions program, offering a range of model-based and discretionary investment strategies. The firm serves a broad client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors, leveraging its integration with Bank of America’s corporate platform.

Shireen Kafiluddi is a financial advisor at Merrill with nine years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. She has been with Merrill since 2015 and also has worked at Bank of America, N.A. since 2022. Merrill provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions program, offering a range of model-based and discretionary investment strategies to individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate fiduciaries. The firm is integrated into Bank of America’s platform, enabling access to a broad set of financial products and services.

Christine Ormsbee is a financial advisor with Merrill in Clifton Park, NY, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 19 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Merrill in 2018, she worked at LPL Financial from 2012 to 2018. She serves as a board member of the Shellstrong Foundation, a charitable organization that supports children and families receiving treatment at Albany Med and offers camp experiences through Double H Ranch. Merrill provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions program, offering a range of model-based and discretionary investment strategies to individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate fiduciaries.

Andrea Scott is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Clifton Park, NY, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and six years of industry experience. She has been with Primerica Advisors and Primerica Financial Services since 2019. Outside of her advisory role, she works as a self-employed IRS tax professional. Primerica Advisors provides discretionary asset management through its Lifetime Investment Program, offering model-delivery strategies and a limited number of discretionary separately managed accounts to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm focuses on a tiered wrap-fee structure and curates third-party asset managers to implement various investment models.

Brian Hooks is a Series 66-credentialed financial advisor with LPL Financial, based in Cohoes, NY, and has seven years of industry experience. He has worked at LPL Financial since 2019 and has been associated with Broadview Federal Credit Union since 2011. Outside of his advisory work, Hooks serves as the head coach of the basketball team at Shaker High School. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, credit unions, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of financial planning and advisory programs, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing model portfolios, third-party research, and various management options.

Melissa Taylor is a CFP® professional with 24 years of industry experience, currently serving at Raymond James & Associates since 2015. She holds the Series 66 designation and is based in Latham, NY. Raymond James & Associates is a dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $501 billion in assets and employing over 5,400 financial advisors. The firm provides wealth advisory and investment consulting services to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and government entities, with a notable presence in municipal and public finance.

William Vanevera is a financial advisor with Mass Mutual Investors Services and holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials. He has 48 years of industry experience and has been with Mass Mutual Investors Services and MassMutual Life Insurance Company since 2001. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in individual and group life and health insurance sales. MassMutual Investors Services, LLC is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and educational seminars, focusing on collaborative, annual planning relationships that use firm-approved analytic tools.

Michael Wheeler is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He follows a disciplined process that begins with taking the time to understand clients, their families, financial situations, and what matters most to them. This approach reflects his belief that advising is not just about markets and returns, but about aligning financial planning with clients' life priorities. Michael’s areas of expertise include managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, individual and corporate investment strategy, tax minimization, and retirement income. He holds several professional designations, including CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). Michael earned a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Rochester. He emphasizes collaboration with clients to create personalized plans tailored to their goals and aspirations.

Zachary Haggas is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he leads the H Group. Since joining Merrill Lynch in 2012, he has developed strategies for high-net-worth individuals, their families, and businesses to help them pursue their short- and long-term financial goals. Prior to his current role, Zach gained experience in marketing, sales, and financial education in various wealth management firms before building his own team. He also serves as a member of Merrill's Council of Technology Champions, a divisional speaker, national trainer, and head of the training program for the New York Capital Central Complex. Zach's work involves thorough analysis of clients' assets, including company savings plans, IRAs, Roth accounts, pensions, employee benefits, and brokerage accounts, as well as cash management, spending, and goal structuring. He offers services such as tax minimization strategies and assists clients with estate planning in collaboration with legal advisors. His expertise spans areas such as pre-retirement financial analysis, transition and severance planning, retirement income planning, estate planning strategies, and insurance and long-term care strategies. He holds the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. Raised in Whitesboro, New York, Zach graduated from Siena College with a bachelor's degree in finance. He is a member of the Fort Orange Club and participates in community organizations including the Charity Motor Club formerly Mohawk Valley Lunch Club, the Saratoga Automobile Museum, and The Prevention Council of Saratoga County. Zach resides in Albany, New York, and in his free time, enjoys reading, writing, spending time with family, and maintaining a focus on healthy living.

Charles Luzadis is a financial advisor at Equitable Advisors with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has prior work experience at the University of Tampa and in roles at golf clubs, including Saratoga National Golf Club where he serves as a golf shop attendant. Equitable Advisors serves individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, corporations, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning and access to asset management through third-party programs. The firm employs a hybrid referral and implementation model, providing both advisory and brokerage services.

Neil O'Brien is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 34 years of industry experience. He joined LPL Financial in 2025 after 26 years at NEXT Financial Group, Inc. In addition to his advisory work, he is involved with a non-variable insurance business and operates Capital Asset Management, Inc. for tax and investment purposes. LPL Financial is a national SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, financial institutions, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm provides a range of advisory programs, financial planning services, and access to model portfolios and research from both internal and third-party sources.

Robert Kovacs is a CFP® professional with 37 years of industry experience. He has been with LPL Financial since 2016 and also works with Pioneer Bank. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, institutions, and charitable organizations through a large network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a broad range of advisory programs, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage services, providing both discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by extensive research and technology.

Steven Hipsley is a CFP® with 31 years of industry experience. He has been with OSAIC since 2024 and previously worked for 15 years at American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. He is also president of Champlain Wealth Management, Ltd., a business name associated with his wealth management and securities activities. OSAIC serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers integrated brokerage and advisory services, utilizing asset-allocation tools, risk-tolerance assessments, and automated rebalancing to construct diversified portfolios that may include various asset classes managed on discretionary or non-discretionary bases.

James Hicks is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Clifton Park, NY, holding a Series 63 designation and 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Primerica Advisors since 1999 and Primerica Financial Services since 1998. Outside of his advisory role, Hicks is involved in sales of loan products and home-related services through affiliated companies. Primerica Advisors offers discretionary asset management through its Lifetime Investment Program, which includes model-delivery strategies and discretionary separately managed accounts for individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm uses third-party asset managers and provides a wrap-fee solution with a tiered percentage-based fee structure.