Matthew Gale is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 10 years of industry experience. He is currently with EP Wealth Advisors and has previously worked at Steel Peak Wealth Management, Brighton Jones, and Charles Schwab. EP Wealth Advisors is a registered investment adviser serving individuals, corporate clients, and retirement plans. The firm offers wealth management, financial planning, and ancillary services such as tax preparation and estate-document preparation, using customized model portfolios and a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis.

Constantin Brancov is a financial advisor with PlanMember Securities Corporation in Carpinteria, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at PlanMember since 2013 and also leads Brancov Financial Services, a financial and insurance sales firm he founded in 2000. PlanMember provides retirement-plan advisory services to employers and plan participants, acting as an ERISA Section 3(38) fiduciary for many plans and offering participant-level investment options. The firm’s investment approach uses a top-down strategic asset allocation framework and manages risk-based mutual fund portfolios with periodic rebalancing based on economic and portfolio considerations.

Scott Shellhamer is a financial advisor at EP Wealth Advisors with 15 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Warren Financial Service for 10 years before joining EP Wealth Advisors in 2022. Outside of his advisory role, he serves on the board of directors and the fundraising committee for Good Works, Inc., a nonprofit focused on home repair. EP Wealth Advisors is a registered investment adviser that serves individuals, corporate clients, and retirement plans. The firm provides wealth management, discretionary portfolio management, and financial planning services, utilizing customized model portfolios and a mix of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis.

Stephanie Hicks is a financial advisor at Transamerica Financial Advisors with 20 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked with multiple organizations including Covered California and Dickerson Insurance Agency, where she offers Medicare services to seniors during open enrollment. Hicks also provides health benefit coverage through the California Health Benefit Exchange and sells guaranteed issue whole life products through Enrollment First Inc. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporations, offering both advisory and broker-dealer services. The firm utilizes proprietary and third-party model portfolios with discretionary and non-discretionary management options.

Griffin Lake is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with five years of industry experience. He currently works at EP Wealth Advisors, where he has been since 2024. His prior experience includes roles at Ameriprise Financial Services and Wells Fargo Advisors, as well as positions at Utah Valley University and Mountain America Credit Union. EP Wealth Advisors is a registered investment adviser serving individuals, corporate clients, and retirement plans. The firm offers wealth management, discretionary portfolio management, and financial planning services, and employs a range of investment strategies including customized model portfolios, third-party manager recommendations, and ERISA plan services.

Makoa Hotz is a financial advisor at Guardian Life with a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at Guardian Life Insurance and Park Avenue Securities. Outside of his advisory duties, he works as an independent contractor in insurance. Park Avenue Securities LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, businesses, and retirement plan sponsors. The firm combines advisor-led discretionary management with model-based strategies and offers a variety of financial planning, consulting, and institutional services.

Richard Sturm is a financial advisor with NewEdge Advisors holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 35 years of industry experience. His prior career includes twenty years at National Planning Corporation and nine years at LPL Financial. Outside of his advisory work, he is also a motivational speaker and educator. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a network of independent advisers. The firm offers a wide range of portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services, with a focus on combining in-house and third-party strategies supported by centralized due diligence and technology tools.

Anthony Hicks is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors in Carson, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 33 years of industry experience. He has been with Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012 and has previously worked with World Financial Group since 2001. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in rental property management. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base, including individual investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers both advisory and broker-dealer services with proprietary and third-party model portfolios, providing discretionary and non-discretionary investment programs.

Jordan Loo is a CFP® and Series 65-registered advisor at EP Wealth Advisors with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining EP Wealth Advisors, he worked at Protein Lab from 2020 to 2022. EP Wealth Advisors serves individuals, corporate clients, and retirement plans, offering wealth management, discretionary portfolio management, and financial planning services. The firm uses a variety of investment strategies, including fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, and provides additional services such as tax preparation and estate-document facilitation for qualified clients.

Vanessa Sredzinski is a CFP®, ChFC®, and Series 65-licensed advisor with five years of industry experience. She has worked with EP Wealth Advisors since 2024 and previously spent seven years at Executive Wealth Management, LLC. Prior to her financial career, she was involved in the restaurant industry at Sushi Zen for one year. EP Wealth Advisors is a registered investment adviser serving individuals, corporate and business clients, and retirement plans. The firm provides wealth management, discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and ancillary services such as tax preparation and estate-document preparation, using a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis alongside options and alternative investment strategies.

Mark Gieser is a financial advisor at Independent Financial Group, LLC with 37 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked at firms including Crown Capital Securities, Lp and SII Investments, Inc. In addition to his advisory work, he operates a tax preparation business. Independent Financial Group, LLC provides investment advisory and brokerage services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, corporate and pension/profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning and portfolio management through multiple platforms and combines strategic asset allocation with both passive and active investment exposures.

Armand Fidler is a CFP® professional with 18 years of experience in the financial services industry. He currently serves as an advisor at Osaic Advisory Services, LLC and has previously worked at Arbor Point Advisors and Securities America. In addition to his advisory role, he owns Picacho Financial Consulting LLC and operates in the insurance sector, focusing on fixed life insurance, long-term care, disability, and annuities. Osaic Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base that includes individuals, pensions, corporations, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm provides a range of services including investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and third-party manager oversight, utilizing multiple program models and custodial relationships primarily with Schwab and Fidelity.

Kelly Smith is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor at J.W. Cole Advisors, Inc. with four years of industry experience. Prior to joining J.W. Cole Advisors, she worked at PacSun and Starbucks. She also operates Smith Wealth Partners, providing investment advisory services. J.W. Cole Advisors serves individual, high-net-worth, and institutional clients through a large network of independent representatives, offering fee-based portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan services, and access to multiple third-party investment platforms.

G. Bradley Owen is a Certified Financial Planner® with 19 years of industry experience. He has worked at EP Wealth Advisors since 2018 and previously spent 12 years at Donnelly Wealth Advisors Inc. EP Wealth Advisors is a registered investment adviser that serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, corporate and business clients, and retirement plans. The firm offers wealth management, discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and ancillary services such as tax preparation and estate-document preparation for select clients, using customized model portfolios and a range of investment strategies.

Jack Chou is a financial advisor with Guardian Life and Park Avenue Securities, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 13 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at MML Investors Services LLC and MassMutual Life Insurance Company. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a trustee for his parents’ investment accounts. Park Avenue Securities LLC, a subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers customized client solutions through advisor-led discretionary management, model-based strategies, proprietary wrap programs, third-party advisory options, and a digital advisory platform.

Zachary Smith is a CFP® professional with 13 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Creative Planning. His prior experience includes roles at JP Morgan Securities and Cetera Wealth Services. Outside of his advisory work, he owns a sole proprietorship called Study Tech, which involves branding and selling various products online. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals and institutional clients. The firm emphasizes a financial-planning-led investment approach focused on low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies while offering a range of specialized services such as sub-advisory arrangements and private market investments.

Zhenxing Lao is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with nine years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at HSBC Securities USA Inc., HSBC Bank USA Inc., and Wells Fargo. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering a range of investment advisory programs and broker-dealer services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies with internal oversight and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary investment solutions.

Bret Miller is a CFP® professional with four years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at EP Wealth Advisors in Torrance, CA. His work history includes multiple roles at EP Wealth Advisors as well as experience outside the financial sector, including positions with Five Guys, Inc. and the United States Air Force. EP Wealth Advisors is a registered investment adviser that serves individuals, corporate clients, and retirement plans. The firm provides wealth management, discretionary portfolio management, and financial planning services, utilizing customized model portfolios and a variety of investment strategies including fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis.

Christopher Hopkins is a financial advisor with EP Wealth Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 23 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at TD Ameritrade, Scottrade, and Charles Schwab. In addition to his advisory work, he assists with tax preparation through Executive Wealth Management Tax Solutions. EP Wealth Advisors serves individuals, corporate and business clients, and retirement plans, offering wealth management, discretionary portfolio management, and financial planning services. The firm uses a blend of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to construct customized portfolios and provides ancillary services such as tax preparation and estate-document preparation for qualified clients.

Tyler Lang is a financial advisor at EP Wealth Advisors with 18 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked for Buffington Mohr McNeal for 19 years before joining EP Wealth Advisors in 2025. EP Wealth Advisors is a registered investment adviser serving individuals, corporate and business clients, and retirement plans. The firm provides wealth management, discretionary portfolio management, and financial planning, utilizing customized model portfolios and a mix of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, along with third-party manager recommendations and ERISA plan services.