Ekta Parekh is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Edison, NJ, holding a Series 66 designation and five years of industry experience. She previously worked with Mass Mutual Investors Services and MassMutual Life Insurance Company before joining Eagle Strategies and affiliated NY Life entities in 2023. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved as a committee member with Boys Scout Troop 86. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individual investors, institutional clients, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services, often integrating insurance and annuity products, with a focus on tailored, mostly non-discretionary advisory solutions.

Craig Ballington is a financial advisor with Hornor, Townsend & Kent, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 30 years of industry experience. He has been affiliated with both Penn Mutual and Hornor, Townsend & Kent since 2002. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in life insurance brokerage, serving as an agent and managing partner of related insurance ventures. Hornor, Townsend & Kent serves individuals, trusts, businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans through a network of advisers, offering advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm operates both advisory and broker-dealer services, providing custody, execution, and brokerage capabilities alongside investment advice.

Bridger Dawson is a financial advisor at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. with 10 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation along with Series 66 and Series 63 licenses. His prior work includes roles at Edward Jones and Charles Schwab Bank. Mercer Global Advisors serves individuals, families, small business owners, plan sponsors, foundations, non-profits, and endowments, offering comprehensive investment advisory and planning services. The firm’s investment approach is based on Modern Portfolio Theory, utilizing globally diversified portfolios with low-cost ETFs, index funds, and other strategies, supported by a range of specialized services and client education initiatives.

John Lapilusa is a financial advisor at Cetera Planning Partners with 27 years of industry experience and holds the Series 66 designation. His prior experience includes roles at Avantax Investment Services, 1st Global Advisors, and O’Connor, Davies LLP. He serves as secretary and trustee for Peace Care Inc., a nonprofit organization overseeing nursing homes. Cetera Planning Partners serves individual and high-net-worth clients, focusing on pre-retirees and retirees by providing investment management, comprehensive financial planning, Social Security optimization, and retirement advice. The firm offers additional services such as tax planning, bookkeeping, and estate planning through a third-party provider, employing a diversified investment approach aligned with clients' objectives and risk tolerance.

Jan Nilsen is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Berkeley Heights, NJ, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 32 years of industry experience. He has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 2006 and also serves as an agent with Agia, working with non-securities insurance products. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants, offering wrap programs, portfolio management, and financial planning through a large network of advisors. The firm employs discretionary unified managed accounts using Envestnet’s platform and supports a high client count per advisor with centralized technology and model solutions.

Rakesh Sharma is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Edison, NJ, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and with 28 years of industry experience. He has been affiliated with Eagle Strategies since 2014 and also operates DGP Financial, LLC, which focuses on selling New York Life products and brokering non-registered insurance products. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plans, and institutional clients, providing 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.

Luander Mccaskill is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF and TIAA since 2015. Outside of his advisory work, he owns a single-family home rental property. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers point-in-time planning services as well as ongoing discretionary management using model and customized portfolios, and it advises the TIAA Donor Advised Fund.

Peter Derosa is a CFP® with 46 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with GWN Securities Inc. since 2014. He previously spent over three decades at Jost Financial Management Corp., where he was a principal owner. In addition to his advisory work, he is involved in independent fixed insurance sales as a licensed producer with several firms. GWN Securities provides investment advisory and related services to individual and corporate clients through managed account programs, financial planning, and third-party manager introductions. The firm employs a mix of affiliated and unaffiliated sub-advisers and utilizes both traditional and momentum-based market-timing strategies in its portfolio management.

Jose Raposo is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at firms including Morgan Stanley, E*TRADE Capital Management, and TD Ameritrade. His career includes multiple roles in advisory and investment management across well-known financial institutions. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning, discretionary managed account programs, and broker-dealer services primarily to individuals connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans, as well as to trusts, estates, partnerships, corporations, and small retirement plans. The firm’s advisory model distinguishes between one-time financial planning and ongoing discretionary management using model or customized portfolios, operating under a fiduciary standard with disclosed potential conflicts related to affiliated funds and fee structures.

Heidi Tiong is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Brooklyn, NY. She holds the ChFC® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses, with nine years of industry experience. Heidi has worked with NYLife Securities LLC since 2017 and New York Life Insurance Company since 2015. She also operates an insurance brokerage business, Hudson Financial & Insurance Services, Inc., which sells New York Life products and brokers non-registered insurance products. Eagle Strategies serves individual and institutional clients by offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm provides a range of advisory programs and emphasizes non-discretionary asset management tailored to client and plan sponsor objectives.

Raymond Angelo is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with 19 years of industry experience. He has been with Private Advisor Group, LLC since 2012 and previously worked at UBS Financial Services from 2008 to 2012. Private Advisor Group serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plans by providing portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm utilizes a fiduciary-based advisory model and offers both proprietary and third-party managed account solutions.

John Shall Jr. is a financial advisor at Cetera Planning Partners with 21 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Avantax and 1st GLOBAL ADVISORS. In addition to his advisory role, he is a partner and senior accountant at DeSantis, Kiefer, Shall & Sarcone LLP, where he focuses on tax and financial statement preparation. Cetera Planning Partners serves individual and high-net-worth clients, particularly pre-retirees and retirees, offering investment management, comprehensive financial planning, and retirement-related advice. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes diversified portfolios built from mutual funds and ETFs aligned with client objectives, supported by ancillary services such as tax planning, bookkeeping, and estate planning through third-party providers.

Tremaine Bembry is a financial advisor at Hornor, Townsend & Kent, LLC with 11 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at Hornor Townsend & Kent since 2019. Prior to that, he was associated with MML Investors Services and MassMutual. Bembry also owns and operates a life insurance brokerage serving attorneys under the Attorney Resource Group brand. Hornor, Townsend & Kent serves individuals, trusts, businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans through a network of advisers, offering advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm combines advisory and broker-dealer services and employs third-party asset managers in both discretionary and non-discretionary account structures.

Jonathan Peck is a financial advisor with Lincoln Investment based in Cranford, NJ, holding a Series 63 license and having 28 years of industry experience. He has worked at Underwriters Equity Corporation since 2002. In addition to his advisory role, Peck is an insurance agent for American General, VOYA, and Genworth, specializing in life and disability insurance. Lincoln Investment Planning, LLC serves a broad client base including individuals, high-net-worth investors, trusts, charities, and retirement plans, with a longstanding focus on educators and 403(b) and 457(b) programs. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management through model portfolios and third-party managers, and employs an in-house Investment Management & Research team to construct strategic and adaptive investment strategies.

Monique Thacker is a financial advisor at Valic Financial Advisors with 29 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked for HSBC Bank USA N.A. for 11 years. Thacker is also involved with Mindful Departure LLC, operating as The Core Room. 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 wrap programs through a large network of advisors and employs a technology-driven approach utilizing unified managed accounts and model solutions.

Michael Melly is a financial advisor at Valic Financial Advisors with ChFC®, Series 65, and Series 63 credentials. He has held various roles in the financial services industry since 2020 and has experience with firms including Cetera and Mass Mutual Life Insurance Co. Outside of his advisory work, Melly has been involved with Celtic Shores Realty since 2010 and Sutton Place Occupational Therapy from 2010 to 2025. 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 consulting services, utilizing a technology-driven approach with discretionary managed accounts and overlay services.

Derdley Fleuridor is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with six years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has prior experience at firms including J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Mutual of America Securities LLC. Outside of advising, he is part investor in a car rental business. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as certain retail clients. The firm emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing, delivering services integrated with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Frank Deluca is a financial advisor with OSAIC Institutions, Inc., holding Series 65 and Series 63 credentials and 24 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Financial Resources Federal Credit Union, CUSO Financial Services, L.P., Pruco Securities LLC, and Beacon Trust Company. He serves as trustee for the Deluca Family Trust, where he manages investment decisions and asset distributions. OSAIC Institutions, Inc. is an SEC-registered adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and corporate clients through a network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers customized advisory services, financial planning, ERISA plan services, and access to alternative investments within a hybrid adviser/broker-dealer structure.

Patrick Maly is a financial advisor with Equity Services, Inc. who holds 37 years of industry experience. His career includes long tenures at Metlife Securities Inc. and Mass Mutual Investors Services. Outside of advising, he is involved as an insurance agent with Integrated Financial Concepts LLC. Equity Services, Inc., also known as ESI Financial Advisors, provides financial planning, consulting, and asset management services to a wide range of clients including individuals, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers multiple advisory platforms that combine long-term strategies with options for shorter-term trading and utilizes third-party asset managers and model portfolios.

David Gatto is a financial advisor at Private Advisor Group, LLC, holding a Series 65 designation with one year of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at The Siegfried Group and L3Harris Technologies, Inc. He is based in Red Bank, NJ. Private Advisor Group serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plans with a fiduciary-based advisory model. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and managed account solutions, utilizing a variety of strategies and technology platforms while often implementing advice through third-party managers and TAMPs.