Philip Zhang is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He specializes in assisting clients with various aspects of their financial lives, including retirement planning, tax reduction strategies, wealth growth and preservation, and establishing reliable income plans throughout their life. Philip emphasizes building trusted, respectful relationships and delivers clear, professional advice through a thoughtful, proven approach centered on goals-based wealth management. Philip's approach focuses on starting with what matters most to each client, tailoring plans to individual personalities and situations, and optimizing the use of the client's resources. His expertise encompasses equity compensation services, family wealth management strategies, personal retirement planning, portfolio management, women and wealth, and retirement income. Philip holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of California at Davis and professional designations as a CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). Outside of work, he is involved in community activities, including coaching his son's Little League baseball team, and has interests in baseball, basketball, boxing, golfing, skiing, spending time with his family, traveling, and woodworking.

John Asher is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Walnut Creek, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 41 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley in 2017, he worked at UBS Financial Services for 11 years. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a committee member of the WCPC Foundation, which supports scholarship and special projects at Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church, and is a board member of The Lowell Berry Foundation, a nonprofit focused on community, educational, and humanitarian efforts. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals and institutional clients, offering tailored financial planning and managing approximately $2.74 trillion in assets. The firm employs structured planning processes and broad investment services, including access to various advisory programs and institutional resources.

Shahan Avakian is a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services with 27 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Morgan Stanley and its affiliated entities for 25 years. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, including fee-based financial planning and portfolio management. The firm combines institutional trading capabilities with wealth management services and utilizes proprietary research and model-based asset allocations to tailor client strategies.

Lawrence Fleming is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing, holding a Series 66 designation and 15 years of industry experience. He has been with Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016 and previously worked at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC from 2011 to 2016. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and provides both brokerage and advisory solutions.

Sean Mckenna is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 33 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley and its affiliated entities since 2007, including roles at Morgan Stanley Private Bank and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Outside of his advisory work, he serves on the board of Flying Resort Ranches in Salmon, Idaho, where he also holds a Vice President role related to license approvals. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management provides advisory programs and tailored financial planning to both individual and institutional clients, managing approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and utilizing a structured planning process supported by firm-approved tools and methodologies.

Angelique Seitz is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with nine years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at First Republic Securities Company and First Republic Investment Management. She is currently based in Walnut Creek, CA. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management serves both individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs including tailored financial planning. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and employs structured planning tools and investment modeling in its advisory process.

Sean Nicholson is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and four years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Bank of America, Merrill, JPMorgan Chase, and Primerica. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, delivering both discretionary and non-discretionary services. The firm’s IPS-driven process is based on modern portfolio theory and includes a broader range of financial products than typical for large institutional advisers.

Andy Lee is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Morgan Stanley since 2010, including at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. since 2022. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and financial planning services, managing approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets.

Alyssa Ritchie is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Cetera, BAR Financial, and Mid Atlantic Financial Management. Outside of her advisory work, she was involved as a wellness advocate for DoTerra Oil from 2017 to 2020. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary services. The firm’s advisory process is IPS-driven and incorporates a broad range of investment options, including insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep programs.

Margaret O'Hearn is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 designation with 15 years of industry experience, all with Raymond James & Associates in Walnut Creek, CA. She has been with the firm since 2011. Raymond James & Associates is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $501 billion in assets. The firm serves a diverse client base ranging from individuals and high-net-worth clients to institutional and municipal entities, offering financial planning and advisory services through multiple specialized programs.

Jonathan Cruz is a Series 66-registered financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors in Walnut Creek, CA, where he has worked since 2018. He has seven years of industry experience, including six years at Comcast prior to joining Wells Fargo Advisors. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network is a large broker-dealer and registered investment adviser affiliated with Wells Fargo that provides investment and fee-based financial planning services to individuals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm offers a broad range of planning services using proprietary research and tools, delivering tailored recommendations through advisors.

Elizabeth Mintzer is a CFP® professional with eight years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors. She has worked at Cambridge Investment Research in various capacities since 2017. Outside of her advisory role, she is a group fitness instructor and serves as a committee member for the Financial Planning Association. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors is a large SEC-registered firm serving a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and retirement-plan sponsors. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, retirement advisory, and financial-wellness services through independent Financial Professionals using a variety of platform options and tailored investment strategies.

Jennifer Whalen is a financial advisor at Merrill with 21 years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. She has been with Merrill since 2006 and concurrently with Bank of America, N.A. since 2017. Outside of her advisory role, she serves as a teacher for the Orinda Community Center. 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 a range of clients including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutions.

Kevin Bryant is a financial advisor with Merrill based in Walnut Creek, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and having 12 years of industry experience. He has worked at Merrill since 2012 and concurrently at Bank of America, N.A. since 2016. Outside of his advisory role, he is a co-owner of a family rental property. Merrill, along with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, offers managed account services through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program to Bank of America fiduciary clients, serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations with model-based and discretionary investment strategies.

Mike Alho is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 14 years of industry experience. He is currently with Merrill and has prior experience at Bank of America and Wells Fargo Clearing. 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.

Patrisia Contreras Vigil is a Series 66–licensed advisor with Merrill in Walnut Creek, CA, holding six years of industry experience. She has worked at Bank of America, N.A. and Merrill since 2020, and previously held positions at St Joseph Home and Community Care, Collabria Care, and OLE Health. 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 supported by internal and third-party managers for individuals, institutions, and nonprofit organizations.

Ron Phillips is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 29 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. since 2015 and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC since 2009. Outside of finance, he is involved with the Combat Sports Academy in Dublin, California. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management serves both individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs and tailored financial planning supported by firm-approved tools and strategies.

John Mensendiek is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 38 years of industry experience. His prior work includes positions at VOYA Financial Advisors and Cetera Wealth Services. Outside of advising, he is an independent insurance agent specializing in fixed insurance sales. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered adviser serving a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutions. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with a range of portfolio management and financial planning services, supported by a network of over 10,000 advisors and more than $256 billion in assets under management.

Steven Richardson is a financial advisor with LPL Financial and holds a Series 63 designation. He has 38 years of industry experience, including prior roles at Merrill from 1988 to 2018 and Bank of America, N.A. from 2011 to 2018. He has been with LPL Financial since 2018. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement consulting, utilizing discretionary and non-discretionary management alongside model portfolios and research from multiple sources.

John Hutchinson is a CFP® professional with 30 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Raymond James & Associates since 2025. He spent 14 years at Stifel Nicolaus & Co Inc prior to his current role. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as co-executor and acting trustee for a family trust, managing related fiduciary responsibilities. Raymond James & Associates is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $501 billion in assets. The firm serves a diverse client base—including individuals, institutions, and municipal entities—and offers a range of financial planning, advisory, and consulting services supported by various portfolio management styles and affiliated research resources.