John Rutledge Sr. is a financial advisor at Hilltop Securities Inc. in Dallas, TX, with 30 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and has been with Hilltop Securities since 2016. Rutledge is involved in community activities, serving as a board member of the Highland Park High School Alumni Association and participating in the Salesmanship Club of Dallas, including volunteer roles at the Byron Nelson Championship. Hilltop Securities Inc. provides brokerage, execution, clearing, custody, investment advisory, and retirement-plan consulting services to individuals, corporations, nonprofits, and institutional clients. The firm uses an open-architecture platform and offers a range of managed account programs, including municipal bond strategies co-advised by Franklin Templeton Group and sub-advised by Western Asset Management.

Christopher Pascuzzi is a financial advisor at Prospera Financial Services, Inc. in Dallas, TX, holding a Series 66 designation with 19 years of industry experience. He has been with Prospera since 2008. Additionally, he owns PSE Wealth Management and serves as an agent for Prospera Life & Annuity, Inc., both of which provide financial planning, investment-related services, and insurance products. Prospera Financial Services, Inc. is an enterprise-scale adviser and dually registered broker-dealer serving individuals, corporate and charitable entities, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $12.4 billion across 207 advisors and offers a range of investment advisory and financial planning services through multiple delivery platforms and customizable portfolio strategies.

Katie McMahon is a financial advisor at Hilltop Securities Inc. in Dallas, TX, with 19 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Hilltop Securities since 2016. Hilltop Securities serves both individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory and broker-dealer services including managed accounts, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm combines custody, banking, and market-making capabilities, providing clients access to diverse investment strategies and open-architecture platforms.

James Jones is a financial advisor at Hilltop Securities Inc. in Dallas, TX, with 50 years of industry experience. He has been with Hilltop Securities since 2000 and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Outside of his advisory role, he manages Elan Associates, LLC, which holds intellectual property related to trading software. Hilltop Securities Inc. provides brokerage, execution, clearing, custody, investment advisory, and retirement-plan consulting services to individuals, corporations, nonprofits, and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $2.25 billion in assets and offers a range of portfolio management programs and retirement-plan fiduciary services through an open-architecture platform.

Ronald Staton is a financial advisor with Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC and holds a Series 65 designation. He has 11 years of industry experience and has previously worked at Virtue Capital Management, LLC. He is also president of Staton Financial Group, where he sells life insurance, long-term care insurance, and fixed annuities. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and corporate clients with discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services. The firm uses an open-architecture platform and combines tailor-made asset allocation models with fundamental and technical analysis to implement strategies consistent with client objectives.

Casey Waits is a financial advisor at Prospera Financial Services, Inc. in Frisco, TX, holding a Series 63 designation with 30 years of industry experience. He has been with Prospera since 2000. Outside of his advisory role, Mr. Waits serves as Treasurer for a local nonprofit affiliated with the Frisco Mayor’s office. Prospera Financial Services is an enterprise-scale firm serving individuals, corporate and charitable entities, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $12.4 billion across about 207 advisors and offers investment advisory and financial planning services through multiple platforms and customizable portfolio solutions.

Hannah Murray is a financial advisor with Thrivent Advisor Network, LLC in Plano, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having six years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Thrivent Financial, Thrivent Investment Management Inc, National Financial Services LLC, Fidelity Investments, and MML Investors Service, LLC. Prior to her advisory career, she worked at Andrew Associates and Kohl’s. Thrivent Advisor Network serves a wide range of clients, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans, managing approximately $6.8 billion in assets. The firm offers customized investment strategies that often emphasize low-cost mutual funds and ETFs, supported by discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to independent managers and fee-based investment products.

Ari Baum is a financial advisor at Prospera Financial Services, Inc. in Dallas, TX, with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has been with Prospera since 2014. Outside of his advisory role, Baum serves on the finance committee of Magen David Yeshiva, is a board member and treasurer for the Council of Jewish Organizations of Flatbush, and coaches track and field at Yeshiva of Flatbush High School. He also consults for Alphasights Consulting on financial planning and industry trends. Prospera Financial Services, Inc. is an enterprise-scale adviser and dually registered broker-dealer managing approximately $12.4 billion across a diverse client base including individuals, corporate and charitable entities, and retirement plans. The firm offers investment advisory and financial planning services through multiple delivery platforms, combining firm models, third-party sub-advisers, and customizable allocations.

Jonas Roos is a CFP® with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Capital Investment Advisors, LLC in Dallas, TX. He worked for 14 years at Guidestone Advisors and Guidestone Financial Resources before joining Capital Investment Advisors. Outside of his advisory role, he holds a 50% ownership in an education consulting business, Tricia Roos Consulting LLC, where he does not participate in daily operations. Capital Investment Advisors, LLC serves individual, high-net-worth, and institutional clients with discretionary portfolio management and integrated financial planning. The firm utilizes a centralized investment platform with standardized asset-allocation models, actively managed sleeves, and ETF-based portfolios, supported by specialized in-house estate and tax planning resources.

Gavin Pucciarello is a financial advisor at Apollon Wealth Management, LLC with 11 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Avantax and 1st Global Advisors before joining Apollon in 2025. Apollon Wealth Management is an SEC-registered multi-team adviser serving a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, businesses, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of services such as financial planning, portfolio management, retirement plan advisory, sub-advisory, and consulting, employing a combination of centrally managed models and locally managed portfolios.

Mark Oswald is a financial advisor with Balefire, LLC in Dallas, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 33 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at B/D Compliance Associates, Bridge Capital Associates, AEGIS Financial, and H. Beck, Inc. Outside of advisory work, he serves as a board member of Ozzie's Pitch-22 Foundation, a charitable organization that provides scholarships. Balefire serves individual and high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, charitable organizations, trusts, and business entities with discretionary asset management, financial planning, and ERISA-focused corporate solutions. The firm uses a team-based investment process featuring core-plus-tactical model portfolios and licensed third-party research to tailor client relationships by risk profile and goals.

Carolyn Smith is a financial advisor with ValMark Advisers, Inc. She holds a Series 66 designation and has 21 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Lion Street Advisors and Kestra Financial Services. Outside of her advisory work, she is a senior partner at C3 Financial Partners, where she is involved in the sales and service of life, disability, and long-term care insurance. ValMark Advisers provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth investors, retirement plan sponsors, and institutional clients. The firm’s approach focuses on diversified, goal-based model portfolios and asset allocation, utilizing a range of proprietary and third-party platforms and investment products.

John Dix Jr. is a financial advisor at Arax Advisory Partners in Dallas, TX, with 53 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked previously at U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors and USCA Securities LLC. Arax Advisory Partners is a multi-team SEC-registered wealth manager overseeing approximately $26.5 billion in assets and serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, family offices, institutions, and retirement plans. The firm offers a range of services including financial planning, portfolio management, retirement plan consulting, and advisory services to pooled private funds, utilizing a combination of internal portfolio management, third-party models, and tailored asset allocation.

Mark Gehlbach is a financial advisor at True North Advisors, LLC in Dallas, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 26 years of industry experience. He has been with True North Advisors since 2000. True North Advisors serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, trusts, endowments, and other institutions by providing comprehensive financial planning, portfolio management, and consulting services. The firm employs a fundamentally driven, bottom-up investment approach with a focus on value-oriented strategies and organizes portfolios across four Functional Asset Classes: Equities, Fixed Income, Diversifiers, and Private Investments.

Philip Kistler is a CFA® charterholder with 14 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Turtle Creek Trust in Dallas, TX. He has been with Turtle Creek Management since 2006. Turtle Creek Trust provides investment management and advisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm emphasizes fundamental analysis and a multi-capitalization equity strategy, managing approximately $3.66 billion in assets across about 105 client relationships.

Jordan Schwartz is a financial advisor with Strategic Wealth Investment Group, LLC in Louisville, KY, holding a Series 65 designation and 10 years of industry experience. He is the owner of Jean and Jordan, LLC, a virtual success coaching company, and maintains a blog targeted at millennials. His prior experience includes roles at Bass Realty and operating independent leasing and consulting businesses. Strategic Wealth Investment Group serves individual clients, including high-net-worth households, and select business entities by providing discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, charting, and cyclical analysis to develop tailored investment plans, which are typically managed on a discretionary basis and may include allocations to private placements and externally managed vehicles.

Duane Roberts is a CFA® charterholder with 23 years of industry experience. He has been with Dana Investment Advisors, Inc. since 2008. Dana Investment Advisors, Inc. is an independent investment management firm serving individual and institutional clients, including pension plans, high-net-worth individuals, banks, insurance companies, and public-sector entities. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary equity and fixed-income portfolio management with an emphasis on relative-value equity selection and fixed-income strategies focused on income and credit quality, incorporating ESG screening and client-directed social or faith-based exclusions.

Angela Tacco is a financial advisor with Level Four Advisory Services in Fort Worth, TX, holding a Series 66 designation and 15 years of industry experience. She previously worked at Edward Jones from 2010 to 2019 before joining Level Four Financial, LLC, and Level Four Advisory Services. Outside of her advisory role, she volunteers as a retirement planning educational seminar facilitator with AARP and serves as an instructor at Tarrant County Community College and Texas Christian University. Level Four Advisory Services is an SEC-registered enterprise investment adviser managing approximately $5.32 billion across 115 advisors and 13,865 client relationships. The firm serves a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing fee-only financial planning, asset management, and retirement plan advisory services.

Timothy Thurston is a financial advisor with Accelerate Retirement in Dallas, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 22 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Accelerate Retirement in 2023, he was affiliated with firms including NFP Retirement, LPL Financial, Visionpoint Advisory Group, Hub International Investment Advisory Services, and IPS Advisors. Outside of his advisory role, Thurston serves as Minister of Music at Community North Baptist Church, where he leads the music program and directs the choir. Accelerate Retirement provides retirement plan consulting, discretionary investment management, and fiduciary services to individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth individuals and corporate plan sponsors. The firm employs a long-term investment approach using customized portfolios and maintains significant retirement plan advisory relationships, integrating insurance services as a distinct offering separate from advisory fees.

Paul Benge is a financial advisor with Advisor Resource Council in Dallas, TX. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has 40 years of industry experience. Since 2016, he has been associated with both Advisor Resource Council and LPL Financial. Advisor Resource Council serves individuals, families, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and business enterprises with asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs AI-driven model portfolios combined with fundamental analysis and offers a range of investment strategies tailored to different account sizes and client needs.