Kyle Agonia is a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, serving clients from the Torrance/El Segundo office throughout his career. With over 25 years of experience in wealth management strategy, he advises individuals and families by developing personalized wealth strategies focused on high-quality assets that generate dividends and interest. Kyle’s expertise includes college education planning, family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, personal retirement planning, portfolio management, tax minimization, and retirement income. He holds the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation and serves as a Portfolio Advisor in the Merrill Investment Advisory Program, where he helps clients meet their investment objectives by recommending a variety of investment strategies and portfolios. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California. Outside of work, Kyle enjoys baseball, chess, football, golfing, spending time with his family, and traveling.

James Barbara is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and over 31 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Jeffries LLC and City National Bank. Outside of finance, he is the President of the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles and works seasonally as a Mountain Host at Mammoth Mountain ski resort. J.P. Morgan Securities provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors, combining quantitative asset allocation modeling with centralized due diligence and an ESG eligibility framework.

Daniel Higgins is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at LPL Financial since 2018, following a prior thirteen-year tenure at GES. Outside of his advisory role, Higgins is involved as an owner and partner in a Thai restaurant business based in Redondo Beach, CA. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, and corporations through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of financial planning and advisory programs, including both discretionary and non-discretionary management, supported by in-house and third-party research and a variety of investment strategies.

Ross Mc Knight is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with three years of industry experience. He holds Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and previously worked at Symmetry Financial Group and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth households and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a variety of advisory programs and investment solutions supported by a large nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Taylor Cryer is a financial advisor with Ameriprise Financial Services, holding a Series 66 designation and five years of industry experience. Prior to joining Ameriprise in 2026, Cryer worked at RBC Capital Markets for four years and Wells Fargo in various capacities from 2016 to 2022. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large, diversified advisory firm serving both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a specialized Premier Retirement Income service, providing tailored retirement income planning focused on dependable income sources and tax-aware withdrawal strategies.

Venansia Tuineag is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with 17 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Bank of America and Merrill Lynch. Outside of her advisory role, she is an owner and partner in the Tuineag & Ekawati Family Trust, which manages rental properties. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice and investment manager searches. The firm delivers these services alongside affiliated brokerage and investment management capabilities, operating with a centralized due-diligence framework and a non-discretionary advisory model.

Devon Uy is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with a Series 66 license and three years of industry experience. He is also involved with Dragonfly Thai, a business unrelated to investment services. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving a wide range of clients, including individuals, retirement plans, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm offers diversified financial planning and advisory programs supported by research, model portfolios, and technology-driven solutions.

Saswati Dutta is a financial advisor at Merrill with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. She previously worked at Bank of America for ten years from 2016 to 2026. Merrill provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions program, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies to individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate fiduciaries. The firm integrates its investment offerings with Bank of America’s broader corporate platform, providing access to a wide range of products and services.

Kristin Cost is a financial advisor at Cetera with eight years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 credential and has worked at Cetera Advisors LLC since 2017. Outside of her advisory role, she serves as Director of Operations at MEA Wealth Advisors and is also a licensed notary public. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm serving a wide range of clients, including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable accounts, and institutional investors. The firm offers multiple portfolio management options, financial planning services, and access to third-party managers through a large nationwide network of over 10,000 advisors.

Maria Chavez is a financial advisor at RBC Capital Markets with 10 years of industry experience. She previously worked at Oppenheimer and D.A. Davidson & Co. She holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, serves individual and institutional clients with customized investment strategies implemented through a combination of in-house and third-party managers. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and integrates capital markets capabilities with portfolio management and financial planning services.

Nevil Dhabhar is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 23 years of industry experience. Prior to joining LPL in 2025, he worked for CUSO Financial Services and Fidelity in various advisory and brokerage roles from 2005 to 2021. 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 wide range of financial planning and advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary management, supported by in-house and third-party research.

Melissa Cardenas is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and with three years of industry experience. Her work history includes roles at J.P. Morgan Securities and J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, AllianceBernstein, as well as self-employment and legal positions at Shegerian & Associates, Inc. and California Employment Counsel, APC. J.P. Morgan Securities provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors, combining quantitative asset-allocation modeling with centralized due diligence and an ESG eligibility framework for investment recommendations.

Robert Gomez is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 22 years of industry experience. He previously worked at UBS Financial Services for 11 years and spent three years at California State University, Long Beach. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting services to qualified ERISA and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary advice. The firm’s IPS-driven approach incorporates modern portfolio theory and includes a range of investment options such as insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep programs.

Linda Klugman is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Torrance, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 31 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Waddell & Reed, various insurance carriers, and multiple community organizations. She serves as treasurer for Temple Emet and auditor for the Redondo Beach PTSA. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves individuals, retirement plans, banks, credit unions, corporations, and charitable organizations through a nationwide network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and financial planning services, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management strategies supported by internal and third-party research.

Kayla Schmit is a financial advisor at Charles Schwab with a Series 66 credential and one year of industry experience. Prior to her advisory role, she worked at The Slice and Pint for four years. 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 affiliated managed-account and financial planning services. The firm offers a combination of non-discretionary and discretionary investment options, supported by multi-asset model portfolios and centralized operational infrastructure.

Hiroko Okunaga is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Torrance, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. She has worked at PFS Investments Inc. and Primerica Financial Services since 2000 and is currently involved with Libec Sales of America. Outside of her advisory work, Okunaga is a Reiki Master and teacher at Oneness Holistic Care. Primerica Advisors offers discretionary asset management through its Lifetime Investment Program, serving individual and high-net-worth clients with model-delivery strategies and separately managed accounts structured as wrap-fee solutions. The firm curates third-party asset managers and delegates trading responsibilities to BNY Mellon Advisors.

Jacob Berger is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities, holding a Series 66 designation and beginning his career in 2025. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan Securities, he worked in real estate as an agent with Coldwell Banker Realty and serves as a statistician for the Los Angeles Sparks basketball team. J.P. Morgan Securities provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors, combining quantitative asset-allocation modeling with centralized due diligence and applying an ESG eligibility framework in their recommendations.

Louie Bitanga is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Hermosa Beach, CA, holding the ChFC® and Series 63 designations and bringing 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2005. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in commercial real estate ownership. Ameriprise provides retirement-income planning services primarily for individuals approaching or in retirement with significant investable assets, combining research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver tailored, non-discretionary recommendations through a centralized consulting team.

Alejandro Acosta is a financial advisor at Merrill with nine years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Bank of America and Merrill since 2009. 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, and institutional investors. The firm is integrated with Bank of America’s corporate platform, providing access to a broad set of financial products and services.

Kevin Bloom is a financial advisor at Cetera with 13 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation as well as Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. His prior work includes roles at Hartford Investment Financial Services and multiple Cetera entities since 2017. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with a range of portfolio management and financial planning services, supporting advisors through various program structures and investment options.