Dowens Nicolas is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with a Series 66 designation and less than one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Manhattan University and Varonis Systems. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, along with certain IRA and retail brokerage clients. The firm emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing through a financial planning service integrated with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Robert Giuffrida is a financial advisor with TD Private Client Wealth LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and having 19 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions with Charles Schwab Bank SSB, Charles Schwab and Co., Inc., and TDAmeritrade Inc. Outside of his financial advisory work, Giuffrida serves in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, where he supports boating safety, veterans, local charities, vessel safety checks, and environmental conservation. TD Private Client Wealth LLC provides discretionary wrap-fee managed account programs and brokerage services to institutional and high-net-worth private clients. The firm uses a combination of strategic and tactical asset allocation with affiliated and third-party investment managers, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and custody services through a technology platform.

Christopher Ciani is a financial advisor at Primerica Advisors with 19 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked with Park Avenue Securities and Guardian Life Insurance for over 15 years. Outside of his advisory role, he sells fixed insurance products through Crump Life Insurance. Park Avenue Securities serves a diverse retail client base, including individuals, high-net-worth investors, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers a range of brokerage and advisory services, utilizing proprietary model portfolios and third-party investment managers across various account types and investment strategies.

Robert Baker is a financial advisor with Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 30 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Raymond James Financial Services and Wells Fargo Advisors. He is also the owner of Baker - Sarama Wealth Managers, a support company. Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise-scale RIA managing approximately $36.7 billion in assets. The firm serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations, offering investment advisory, financial planning, pension consulting, and managed account programs.

Larenz Mitchell is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management in Wayne, NJ, holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Merrill and TD Bank before joining PNC. PNC Wealth Management provides retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an online discretionary model account offered as an invitation-only employee pilot that uses algorithm-driven portfolio recommendations and invests in mutual funds and ETFs with annual rebalancing.

Theresa Castro is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has three years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at NYLIFE Securities LLC and New York Life since 2023, along with prior experience in sports and camp management. She leads a local networking group, Horseneck Networking Group, engaging with community members outside of her advisory work. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plans, and institutional clients, providing financial planning, investment management, and advisory services. The firm offers multiple program types and emphasizes tailored recommendations, predominantly managing assets on a non-discretionary basis within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Maria Licini is a financial advisor with Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and having 10 years of industry experience. She has worked at Steward Partners Investment Advisory since 2017 and has prior experience with Raymond James and Wells Fargo. Licini has a role supporting administrative and operational duties at Baker Sarama Wealth Management Group and serves as a personal representative with limited power of attorney on an IRA account. Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise-scale RIA managing approximately $36.7 billion in assets. The firm serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as pension plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations, offering a range of investment advisory, financial planning, and managed account programs.

Simi Schwartz is a CFP® with 17 years of experience in the financial services industry. She is currently with Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC and has previously worked at Raymond James Financial Services, Bank of America, and Merrill. She is a partner and advisor at Steward Partners Global Advisory, LLC. Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise-scale RIA managing approximately $36.7 billion in assets. The firm serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as institutions, providing a range of advisory and portfolio management services through both proprietary and third-party solutions.

Russell Meccia is a financial advisor at Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC with seven years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked with Wells Fargo Bank, NA and Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC is an SEC-registered, enterprise-scale RIA managing approximately $36.7 billion in regulatory assets. The firm serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations, offering a range of investment advisory, financial planning, pension consulting, and managed account programs.

Min Chul Kim is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Saddle Brook, NJ. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has four years of industry experience. His career includes roles at New York Life and its affiliated entities since 2021, as well as prior positions at Cosmos Boutique LTD and Cosmos Queens LTD. Eagle Strategies serves individual and institutional clients through financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm offers a range of program types tailored to client objectives and operates largely on a non-discretionary basis within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Gail Simons is a CFP® professional with 35 years of experience in the financial services industry. She has been with Commonwealth Financial Network and Highbridge Financial Group, Inc. since 2003. Outside of her advisory roles, she is vice president and 50% owner of GMS Associates, Inc., a property tax consulting firm unrelated to investments. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their clients. The firm offers a variety of advisory programs and support services, including discretionary model portfolios and personalized indexing options, while providing operational and compliance support to affiliated advisors.

John Geraghty is a financial advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC, holding Series 65 and Series 66 credentials and 20 years of industry experience. He previously worked for Rochdale Investment Management for 18 years before joining Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services and Wealth Enhancement Group in 2023. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services provides financial planning, asset management, retirement-plan consulting, and managed account referrals to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages over $122 billion in assets and employs a diversified, risk-class based investment approach combining passive and active strategies overseen by an internal Investment Committee.

Leopoldo Matarazzo is a financial advisor with Guardian Life and Park Avenue Securities, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 11 years of industry experience. He has been with Park Avenue Securities and Guardian Life since 2016. Outside of his advisory role, Matarazzo is involved in estate planning through his own law office and consults on estate and business succession plans with Wiss & Company, LLP. Park Avenue Securities LLC, operating as Park Avenue® Wealth Management, is a dually registered broker‑dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals—including high-net-worth clients—pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients with financial planning, brokerage services, and investment advisory programs.

Mark Jaffe is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with 36 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Citigroup Global Markets since 2007. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering a range of investment advisory programs and execution services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies using internal standards and oversight committees to select and monitor managers, supporting both discretionary and non-discretionary programs.

Nicholas Caron is a financial advisor with Citigroup Global Markets, holding a Series 66 designation and 17 years of industry experience. He has worked in various roles, including at Citi Wealth Management since 2019 and previously with Raymond James Financial Services and Citizens Securities Inc. from 2012 to 2018. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across multiple wealth segments, offering a range of investment advisory programs and broker-dealer services. The firm utilizes multi-asset, multi-manager strategies and combines large institutional scale with unique market roles, including functioning as a security-based swap dealer and futures commission merchant.

Michael Pak is a financial advisor with Citigroup Global Markets, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and having 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Citigroup Global Markets since 2007. Outside of his advisory role, he is a silent investor in Pinetree Enterprises LLC. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering a range of investment advisory programs and execution services. The firm combines large institutional scale with specialized market roles, implementing multi-asset, multi-manager strategies through discretionary and non-discretionary programs.

Anand Thakkar is a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He specializes in helping busy professionals, business owners, and families develop coordinated, tax-aware financial strategies that align with their personal and long-term goals. Anand works closely with clients through personalized wealth management approaches, including college education planning, retirement income design, estate and legacy planning, tax minimization, and managing new wealth. With expertise in equity compensation strategies, concentrated positions, insurance and risk management, and philanthropic planning, Anand supports clients facing major financial events such as business sales, IPOs, and wealth transfers. He combines Merrill Lynch's investment insights with the banking and lending solutions of Bank of America to deliver comprehensive financial planning. Anand holds the Personal Investment Advisor designation and has completed executive education at Harvard Business School, in addition to earning a Bachelor's degree from Wayne State University. Anand is also committed to community involvement, volunteering with local organizations. Outside of work, he enjoys basketball, tennis, music, and reading. His approach emphasizes building one-on-one relationships to provide tailored, actionable financial strategies designed to help clients achieve their financial objectives.

Kenneth Harper is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (New York Life), holding a Series 66 credential and 23 years of industry experience. He has previously worked at LPL Financial, Invest Financial Corp., and Booth Financial Associates. Harper serves as a board member and bookkeeper for the Newtown Rotary Club Foundation. Eagle Strategies provides financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse range of individual and institutional clients. The firm offers multiple program types and emphasizes tailored recommendations, with the majority of its assets under management held on a non-discretionary basis.

John Orlikowski is a financial advisor with TD Private Client Wealth LLC in Ramsey, NJ, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and seven years of industry experience. His prior firms include TD Bank N.A., Bank of America, Merrill, Morgan Stanley, E*TRADE Securities, Equitable Advisors, and AXA Advisors. TD Private Client Wealth LLC offers discretionary wrap-fee managed account programs and brokerage services to institutional clients, high-net-worth private clients, and retail customers. The firm employs a blend of strategic and tactical asset allocation utilizing both affiliated and third-party sub-managers, with custody and reporting supported by third-party custodians.

Jason Ellis is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses, with 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at Ellis Financial Advisory since 2020, and previously spent 11 years at LPL Financial and two years at Vision Retirement, LLC. Ellis is also involved in fixed insurance sales through his branch office. Commonwealth Financial Network serves a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their clients, providing a range of advisory programs and back-office support including operations, trading, technology, compliance, and practice management. The firm offers various investment programs and discretionary model portfolios managed by its Investment Management and Research team.