John Lock is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Edward Jones in Bakersfield, CA, where he has worked since 2013. He has 13 years of industry experience. Outside of his advisory role, he owns rental and family properties in California and Virginia. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of investment strategies, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fees, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard.

Jason Cohen is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Bakersfield, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 22 years of industry experience. He has been with UBS since 2007 and previously worked at Ira S. Cohen from 2000 to 2005. Cohen serves as a trustee for the Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Foundation, focusing on fundraising for the hospital’s children’s services, and has served on the Board of Directors for the Kern Community Foundation. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through a mix of brokerage and investment advisory services, utilizing proprietary research and model-based asset allocations to tailor financial plans. The firm combines institutional trading capabilities with wealth management services, offering a broad range of products including discretionary portfolio management and alternative investments.

Douglas Amstutz is a financial advisor with Merrill in Bakersfield, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 50 years of industry experience. He has worked at Merrill since 1991 and concurrently with Bank of America since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, he serves on the board of the Bakersfield East Rotary Foundation, advising on the distribution of foundation funds to local charities. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm offers strategic and model-based investment approaches for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors, combining internal and third-party management with account administration and custody support.

Shane Bryan is a CFP® professional with 12 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services since 2022. His prior roles include positions at ValMark Advisers, Inc. and Valmark Securities, Inc., where he worked for five years, as well as at Independent Financial Group. Bryan serves on the board of directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Kern County, a nonprofit organization. UBS Financial Services Inc. provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individual, corporate, and institutional clients, offering a range of financial planning and portfolio management solutions supported by proprietary research and model-based asset allocations. The firm combines institutional trading capabilities with wealth management services, including futures commission merchant activities and market-making.

Linda Ahmed is a financial advisor with Merrill in Bakersfield, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and eight years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Bank of America, JP Morgan Securities LLC, JP Morgan Chase, and Allstate Insurance. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides 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.

Petar Repar is a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services with eight years of industry experience. He has been with UBS since 2015, following a decade in education prior to his advisory career. He holds a Series 66 designation. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory services, including financial planning and portfolio management. The firm integrates institutional trading capabilities with wealth management and offers proprietary research and a broad range of capital markets services.

Romany Pinto De La Paz is a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services with five years of industry experience. They hold a Series 66 designation and have worked at UBS since 2018. Prior to joining UBS, Romany held roles at the Kern County Administrative Office and has experience outside finance, including working at El Jacalito Mexican Restaurant. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients by combining brokerage and investment advisory offerings. The firm provides fee-based financial planning, portfolio management, and offers a broad range of capital markets services supported by proprietary research and institutional trading capabilities.

Cheryl Trail is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 18 years of industry experience. She has worked at Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc since 2013. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

Dennis Hamilton is a financial advisor with MassMutual Investors Services, holding a Series 66 designation and 11 years of industry experience. He has been with MML Investors Services and MassMutual Life Insurance Company since 2017, and previously worked at Princor Financial Services Corporation and Principal Life Insurance Company from 2015 to 2017. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in individual and group life and health insurance sales. MassMutual Investors Services, LLC is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and educational seminars, focusing on collaborative, goal-oriented planning using firm-approved analytical tools.

Bobby Stewart is a financial advisor at Ameriprise in Bakersfield, CA, holding a Series 66 designation. He has one year of experience in the financial industry, joining Ameriprise in 2025 after working at WholeFoods and San Joaquin Refining. Stewart’s background also includes roles in education at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Independence High School, and Lakeside Elementary. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large, diversified advisory firm serving individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a specialized Premier Retirement Income service that provides a written Recommendation Report and ongoing retirement-income planning advice focused on dependable income sources and tax-aware withdrawal strategies.

Christopher Muxlow is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Bakersfield, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 30 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney since 2009 and Citigroup Global Markets from 2007 to 2009. He is also involved as an owner in the Spencer-Muxlow General Partnership. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management provides advisory programs to individuals and institutions, offering tailored financial planning and managing approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets. The firm’s approach includes structured planning tools and modeling techniques, serving clients directly and through corporate agreements.

Walter Russell is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Bakersfield, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and seven years of industry experience. He has worked at Morgan Stanley since 2019, including a position at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. since 2024. Prior to this, he held roles at Wells Fargo Bank and Wells Fargo Clearing Services. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management provides advisory programs to individuals and institutions, offering tailored financial planning supported by firm-approved tools and methodologies. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and serves clients through both direct engagements and corporate financial planning agreements.

Ivan Aguilar is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with 10 years of industry experience. He has held multiple roles within J.P. Morgan affiliates since 2016, including at JPMorgan Chase Bank and JP Morgan Securities LLC. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and is based in Bakersfield, CA. 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 its investment recommendations.

James Sakowski is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Bakersfield, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 42 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Citigroup Global Markets from 1993 to 2009 and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney since 2009, continuing into Morgan Stanley Private Bank since 2015. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving both individual and institutional clients with a range of advisory programs and tailored financial planning services. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and employs structured planning tools and strategies developed by its Global Investment Committee.

Walter Hernandez is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Bakersfield, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 21 years of industry experience. He previously worked at UBS Financial Services from 2012 to 2018 before joining Wells Fargo Clearing in 2018. Outside of his advisory role, Hernandez coaches soccer at Stockdale High School. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting services to qualified ERISA and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services. The firm’s process is IPS-driven and incorporates modern portfolio theory, with a notable inclusion of insurance-related investment options and bank deposit sweep programs among its offerings.

Jon Sampson is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 17 years of industry experience. He has been with Wells Fargo Clearing since 2018 and previously worked at UBS Financial Services from 2008 to 2018. He is based in Bakersfield, CA. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary services. The firm’s IPS-driven advisory approach incorporates a broad range of investment options, including insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep programs, and acts as an ERISA fiduciary when providing investment advice.

Craig Huff is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he has been a member of the team since 1986. He focuses on delivering customized financial strategies to affluent families, successful business owners, and corporate executives. Craig addresses the unique challenges these clients face by providing guidance throughout all stages of the business cycle—from start-up to maturity—covering areas such as cash management, group benefits, financing through Bank of America, N.A., and succession planning. He collaborates closely with a team of specialists to ensure tailored strategies that meet the specific needs of each business and family. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and a minor in Computer Science from Oral Roberts University, Craig holds designations as a CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). He is a member of the Presidents Club and participates in community service through Rotary. A California native, Craig has been married for 40 years and has three grown sons along with multiple grandchildren. His personal interests include bodybuilding, hiking, sailing, racquetball, traveling, gourmet cooking, and enjoying the outdoors.

Amardeep Paul is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing, holding Series 63 and Series 65 registrations and bringing 33 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Morgan Stanley and UBS Financial Services. He is also involved in managing rental property investments. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm providing investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting to individual, corporate, and institutional clients. The firm utilizes research and analytics to support its investment approach, serving a broad client base with both brokerage and advisory solutions.

Ricardo Flores is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Bakersfield, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and seven years of industry experience. He has been with LPL Financial since 2017 and previously worked at Macy's for one year. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of services including financial planning, model portfolio programs, third-party asset management access, and institutional platforms, supported by a large network of advisors and technological tools.

Justin Leland is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at LPL Financial in Bakersfield, CA. Prior to joining LPL Financial in 2025, he spent 10 years with SCF Investment Advisors, INC. and SCF Securities, Inc. He is involved in a financial podcast, Moneywise Radio/Podcast, and participates in local government activities in Kern County. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that provides financial planning, retirement advice, and asset management services through a large network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of advisory solutions including model portfolios, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms, supported by advanced operational and research tools.