Sammie Kothari Peng is a Wealth Management Advisor and partner of the Kothari Group at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. She joined Merrill in 2000 and focuses on working closely with clients to deliver comprehensive wealth planning strategies and investment advice geared towards achieving their financial goals. Sammie's expertise includes wealth management planning, intergenerational wealth transfer, global asset allocation, charitable giving, and higher education savings. She serves a diverse client base including women seeking financial direction, business owners, professionals, and retirees. Sammie holds multiple professional designations such as CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist™, Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™, and Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor® certifications. She earned her Bachelor's degree from the University of California, Irvine. Active in her community, Sammie is a long-time member of ALPHA, an auxiliary of the Assistance League of Fullerton that supports various community organizations. She resides in Brea with her husband and their two children. In her personal time, Sammie enjoys running, yoga, reading, and during winter months, skiing and snowboarding with her family.

Vi Houang is a CFP® professional with 21 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Cetera. She has been associated with Cetera and its related entities since 2013 and also operates Crane and Associates, a financial services business. Outside of finance, she is involved in coaching and refereeing youth basketball through her ownership of Play the Whistle, LLC. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered advisory firm with a nationwide network of over 10,000 independent advisors, serving a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a variety of portfolio management and financial planning services across multiple program structures and custodial relationships.

Ethan Lui is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with three years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC since 2022. Prior to his financial services career, Mr. Lui held roles at East West Bank and worked in education at the University of California, Riverside and Los Alamitos High School. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management serves both individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs including tailored financial planning supported by structured discovery and firm-approved planning tools. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and provides services through its Financial Advisors and Estate Planning Strategies Group.

David Rodriguez Jr. is a Financial Advisor associated with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. In his role, he works closely with clients to develop personalized financial strategies aimed at achieving their short-, mid-, and long-term goals. He provides comprehensive support in areas including investing, retirement planning, and saving for unexpected expenses, and connects clients with Bank of America specialists for additional financial services such as banking, credit, home financing, and small business solutions. David holds professional designations as an Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (AWMA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). He earned his High School Diploma from North Thurston High School and attended South Puget Sound Community College without obtaining a degree. His approach focuses on understanding clients' priorities to tailor strategies accordingly and offering ongoing advice as their financial situations evolve.

Giovanni Alvarez Mena is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 14 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC for 15 years before joining Equitable Advisors in 2026. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with The Group WOWM, LLC as a registered team member. Equitable Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, corporations, charitable organizations, and institutions. The firm offers financial planning, broker-dealer services, insurance distribution, and access to third-party asset management programs, utilizing a delivery model focused on LPL-sponsored programs and endorsed TAMPs.

Anthony Valazza is a ChFC® with 37 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Thrivent Investment Management since 2002. He is also involved in community service as a board member of the Race Track Chaplaincy of California and serves as secretary for the Race Track Chaplaincy of America, organizations that provide spiritual and material support to the race track community. Thrivent Investment Management offers Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients, focusing on comprehensive, goal-based financial analyses without discretionary trading authority, and supports ongoing plan reviews through a network of financial advisors.

Victor Kubo is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and bringing 28 years of industry experience. He has worked at Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016 and previously held roles at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC and Wells Fargo Bank. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting services to qualified ERISA plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services. The firm’s IPS-driven approach incorporates modern portfolio theory and includes a broader range of financial product offerings, such as insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options.

Douglas Morris is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Claremont, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and with 30 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley and its Private Bank since 2015. Outside of financial advising, he has been involved in Elite Jewelry at the Vault since 1982. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management provides a variety of advisory programs to individuals and institutional clients, offering tailored financial planning through its Financial Advisors and Estate Planning Strategies Group. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and uses structured planning tools and modeling to develop financial plans.

Zyanya De La Torre is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 11 years of industry experience. She has worked with JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities since 2012. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides institutional consulting services to clients such as corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines institutional advisory operations with brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

Melissa Levin is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Orange, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and 28 years of industry experience. She has been with LPL Financial since 1998. Outside of her advisory role, Levin owns a travel-related business used primarily for personal travel and is involved in several insurance-related ventures. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves a wide range of clients including individuals, retirement plans, and institutions. The firm offers financial planning, advisory programs, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage services, supported by research and model portfolios from internal and third-party sources.

Riley Williams is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Walnut, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 42 years of industry experience. He has been with Primerica Advisors since 1983 and Primerica Financial Services since 1982. Beyond advisory work, he is involved in sales of loan products and home security and automation services through affiliated Primerica companies. Primerica Advisors provides discretionary asset management primarily through its Lifetime Investment Program, which offers model-delivery strategies and discretionary separately managed accounts to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm uses third-party asset managers and maintains an operational model centered on tiered wrap fees and ongoing oversight of its investment options.

Amine Mabsout is a financial advisor with OSAIC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and over 32 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Sagepoint Financial, Royal Alliance Associates, and Signator Investors. He is also the founder of Ametrine Wealth Strategies, LLC, and operates an insurance agency under Ametrine Financial & Insurance Services. OSAIC Wealth, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individual investors, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations through a large network of affiliated advisors. The firm offers integrated brokerage and advisory services with access to multiple investment platforms, employing asset allocation tools and third-party managers to build diversified portfolios.

Marcos Montenegro is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with seven years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has been with Wells Fargo Clearing Services since 2018, also maintaining a role at Wells Fargo Bank NA since 2013. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering services such as investment policy statement preparation, investment recommendations, performance reporting, participant education, and plan benchmarking. The firm’s advisory process is IPS-driven and grounded in modern portfolio theory, with a range of investment options that include insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep programs.

James Terry is a financial advisor with Charles Schwab who holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has 34 years of industry experience. He has worked at Charles Schwab since 2002 and at Charles Schwab Bank since 2005. Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. serves a large client base primarily composed of high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals through its Schwab Wealth Advisory wrap fee program and related managed-account and financial planning services. Schwab offers a combined brokerage and advisory platform with both non-discretionary and discretionary investment options, supported by centralized custody and operational infrastructure.

Matthew Rodriguez is a financial advisor at Merrill with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Before joining Merrill and Bank of America in 2026, he worked at Deloitte and held various roles during his time at UCLA. 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 leverages its integration with Bank of America to offer access to a broad set of investment products and services.

Na Ren is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has been with Wells Fargo in various capacities since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a caregiver for elderly parents. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary investment services. The firm’s approach is IPS-driven and incorporates a broad range of financial products, including insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options.

Bryan Schlundt is the Vice President and Branch Leader at Fidelity Investments, where he oversees the Pasadena investor center. He is dedicated to assisting individuals, families, and businesses with their investment and financial planning needs. Bryan has held multiple leadership roles within Fidelity Investments since 2021, including Market Leader for LA North and Vice President, Branch Leader. Prior to his current tenure at Fidelity, he held various positions at TD Ameritrade from 2007 to 2021, including Regional Branch Director and Manager of Private Client services in the West Division. He holds a California Insurance License.

Jack Wang is a financial advisor at Cetera with 14 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. His prior work includes roles at J.P. Morgan Securities, CTBC Bank, and East West Bank. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm serving individuals, retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and access to a range of program platforms and third-party managers, supporting both discretionary and non-discretionary account management across multiple custodial relationships.

Charles Hung is a CFP® with 21 years of industry experience, currently serving at J.P. Morgan Securities since 2021. His prior experience includes roles at Bank of America and Merrill from 2014 to 2021. Outside of his advisory work, he owns a condominium investment property in Pomona, CA. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides institutional consulting services to corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. As part of J.P. Morgan, the firm combines institutional advisory operations with brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

Todd Bolen is a financial advisor with OSAIC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and over 32 years of industry experience. He has been with OSAIC since 2024 and also maintains a role with Woodbury Financial Services, where he has worked since 2009. Additionally, he is involved in insurance sales and service through Woodbury Financial. OSAIC serves a diverse client base including individual and high-net-worth investors, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm provides integrated brokerage and advisory services using various asset-allocation tools and supports multiple platforms, offering portfolios that include stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, and alternative investments.