Chali Hachtel is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 14 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has been with TIAA-CREF since 2011. Outside of her advisory role, she is a rental property owner. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning, discretionary managed account programs, and broker-dealer services to individuals and various entities, often serving clients with pre-existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers a range of advisory services, including model-based and customized portfolio management, and acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Ryan Thompson is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with four years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Truist and its predecessor firms since 2015. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation, investment policy analysis, fiduciary support, and a manager-selection program implemented through both discretionary and non-discretionary strategies.

Timothy Sampson is a financial advisor at United Planners' Financial Services of America, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses with four years of industry experience. His prior positions include roles at VALIC Financial Advisors, Agia, GWFS Equities, and AIG. United Planners Financial Services is a national wealth-management enterprise serving individual investors, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm delivers advisory and brokerage services through independent representatives and utilizes various custodians and third-party money managers, with a significant portion of assets managed on a non-discretionary basis.

Carl Thompson is a financial advisor with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC, holding a Series 63 designation and 41 years of industry experience. He has worked at Independent Advisor Alliance since 2018 and previously held roles at Independant Financial Partners and LPL Financial. Thompson manages his advisory services through Independent Advisor Alliance, an independent firm separate from LPL Financial. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans, offering asset management, financial planning, and retirement consulting. The firm employs a network model with independent advisory representatives and integrates multiple portfolio management strategies supported by technology platforms.

Chloe Lander is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with one year of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. Prior to joining Empower Advisory Group, she was affiliated with Empower Financial Services, Inc. and worked with One Love Travel Club for nine years. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management services primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage account holders. The firm integrates its services with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms and emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing in its planning approach.

Renee Lander Ruff is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and 19 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Advised Assets Group, Wells Fargo Clearing, Wells Fargo Advisors LLC, and Wachovia Bank. She is also a notary public signing agent for the State of Texas through her business, RLR Interests. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as certain retail brokerage clients. The firm delivers services through an integrated model tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, emphasizing long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing.

Mary Gunn is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing 10 years of industry experience. She has worked at Commonwealth Financial Network since 2015 and has been associated with Selah Financial Services since 2014. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their retail and institutional clients. The firm offers a variety of advisory programs and services, including discretionary model portfolios and personalized investment solutions, while providing operational and practice-management support to affiliated advisors.

Jeffery Wilkins is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) in Roasharon, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 27 years of industry experience. He previously worked at NBC Securities for 21 years before joining Eagle Strategies and affiliated firms in 2025. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse range of individual and institutional clients by providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm offers multiple program types tailored to client objectives, with a significant portion of assets managed on a non-discretionary basis within the integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Rex Richards is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network, holding a Series 66 designation and 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Commonwealth since 2009. His other business activities include fixed insurance sales conducted at his branch location. Commonwealth Financial Network serves a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their clients, providing a range of advisory programs and support services. The firm offers discretionary model portfolios, customized program structures, and a platform that includes operations, trading, technology, compliance, and practice-management support.

Tommy Higgins is a CFP® professional with 11 years of experience in the financial industry, currently affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network. He has been with Selah Financial Services since 2012 and is a co-owner of the firm. Outside of advisory work, he is involved in fixed insurance sales and co-owns Selah Real Estate, LLC, which manages commercial real estate. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser supporting a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors. The firm offers a variety of advisory programs and services, including discretionary model portfolios and customized investment solutions, while providing operational, compliance, and technology support to its affiliated advisors.

Simone Shammai is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and 20 years of industry experience. She has been with UBS since 2015. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved with Shammai Investments LLC, which includes management and supervisory responsibilities related to a rental four-plex property. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, combining institutional trading capabilities with wealth management services. The firm employs proprietary research and model-based asset allocations to tailor financial plans and operates with a broad platform that includes trading, custody, and lending services.

Michael Pascarella is a CFP® with 20 years of experience in the financial industry, currently serving at Ameriprise since 2020. He previously worked at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. from 2005 to 2020. He serves on the Board of Directors for Massey Lakes Estates HOA in Houston, TX. Ameriprise offers retirement-income planning services primarily for individuals approaching or in retirement with significant investable assets, combining research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to provide tailored, written recommendations. The firm provides a broad range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions typical of a large institutional financial services provider.

Bill Corbell is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 43 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley and its affiliated entities since 2009 and previously worked with Citigroup Global Markets starting in 2002. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals and institutional clients with a range of advisory programs, including tailored financial planning. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and employs a structured planning process supported by proprietary tools and market outcome simulations.

William Smith is a financial advisor with Merrill in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and offering 28 years of industry experience. He has worked at Merrill since 2006 and Bank of America since 2011. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a limited partner in a family-owned investment LLC focused on rental property management. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services for Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations with model-based and discretionary strategies developed by internal and third-party managers.

Claudia Cardona is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Houston, TX, holding a Series 66 designation and 17 years of industry experience. She has been with Ameriprise and its related entities since 2015. Outside of her advisory work, she owns a retail business called Shopsy Queen and is also a professional singer. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large, diversified advisory firm serving both individual and institutional clients. It offers a specialized Premier Retirement Income service focused on written recommendations and ongoing tax-aware retirement income planning, supported by a centralized team and proprietary research tools.

Paul Emig is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in League City, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 20 years of industry experience. He has been with Primerica Advisors since 2005 and was previously with Primerica Financial Services beginning in 2004. Outside of his advisory role, he operates a math instructional DVD business as an independent contractor. Primerica Advisors provides discretionary asset management through its Lifetime Investment Program, offering model-based strategies and a limited number of separately managed account options primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm curates third-party asset managers and uses a tiered wrap-fee structure for its services.

Huy Nguyen is a financial advisor with Merrill in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and four years of industry experience. Prior to joining Merrill, he worked at Texas Bay Credit Union and CUSO Financial Services, LP. He has also been involved in entrepreneurial ventures, including ownership roles in fitness-related businesses such as Crossfit Zeke LLC and Suite Time Fitness, LLC. Merrill, along with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, delivers managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Sergio Ordonez currently serves as Vice President and Financial Consultant at Fidelity Investments, a role he has held since 2021. He has been with Fidelity Investments since 2016, progressing through various positions including Financial Consultant and Investment Consultant. Prior to joining Fidelity, Sergio worked as a Financial Representative at MetLife Securities and New England Securities. With over a decade of experience in the financial services industry, Sergio focuses on creating comprehensive and holistic financial plans tailored to each client's unique situation and goals. He holds an Arkansas Insurance License which supports his work in providing financial guidance. Outside of his professional career, Sergio enjoys activities such as spending time at the beach, family activities, hiking, running, soccer, and traveling.

Jenifer Thomas is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Pearland, TX, holding a Series 66 designation. She began her career at Edward Jones in 2025 after 25 years at Oceaneering Space Systems. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients with approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment solutions supported by a large network of financial advisors and branch offices nationwide.

Logan Cheak is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and a key member of The Cheak Group. Since joining the team in 2018 alongside his father, he has focused on assisting clients with personal retirement and college education planning, as well as developing wealth management strategies tailored to families and individuals. Logan supports The Cheak Group’s goals-based approach to financial planning, emphasizing customized strategies that address tax minimization, retirement income, estate considerations, and long-term care. A native Texan, Logan earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing from Texas Tech University in 2017. He holds the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation and is affiliated with the professional organization Lambda Chi Alpha. In addition to his professional work, Logan participates in community activities including involvement with the South Plains Food Bank. Outside of work, he enjoys playing golf and softball, drawing and painting, and following Houston and Texas Tech sports.