Alison Sagi is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with seven years of industry experience. She previously worked at Merrill from 2018 to 2025 and spent six years at Johns Hopkins University prior to entering the financial sector. Sagi holds a Series 66 designation. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered adviser and broker-dealer serving both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and employs structured financial planning tools, managing approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets.

Benjamin Hoffman is a financial advisor with Ameriprise Financial Services, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 24 years of industry experience. He has been with Ameriprise since 2009, including six years at Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. Outside of his advisory role, Hoffman holds a 10% ownership in a sports memorabilia business. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large, diversified advisory firm serving individual and institutional clients. It offers a specialized Premier Retirement Income service that provides written recommendation reports and ongoing retirement-income planning advice focused on dependable income sources and tax-aware withdrawal strategies.

Joseph Bell is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Columbia, MD, holding CFP® and Series 66 credentials and bringing 17 years of industry experience. He has worked with multiple firms including Avantax Advisory Services and 1ST Global Capital Corp. He is also associated with Bell, Frech & Jacobs, a CPA firm specializing in tax preparation and accounting. LPL Financial is a national SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individual clients, retirement plans, banks, credit unions, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement consulting, utilizing model portfolios, third-party research, and technology-driven investment strategies.

Brendan Smith is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at Equitable Advisors and Merrill Lynch, as well as multiple positions at Clemson University. Equitable Advisors serves individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, corporations, and charitable organizations by providing financial planning, retirement-plan support, and access to asset management through LPL programs and third-party asset managers. The firm uses a hybrid referral and implementation model, offering both advisory and brokerage/insurance channels to implement client recommendations.

David Hicks is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 45 years of industry experience. He has worked at firms including Triad Advisors and OSAIC before joining Cetera in 2025. Outside of his advisory role, Hicks is a partner in a joint venture managing apartment rentals and serves as president of his own business entity. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC operates as a large multi-manager platform serving a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and consulting services and supports advisors with multiple program and custodial options.

Ronnie Rounds II is a financial advisor at Equitable Advisors with a Series 66 designation and no prior industry experience. His work history includes positions at CWCapital and academic roles at Louisiana State University and Bishop McNamara High School. Equitable Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, corporations, and institutions. The firm offers financial planning, broker-dealer services, insurance distribution, and access to third-party asset management programs, operating through multiple program sponsors and third-party managers.

Robert Bowman is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Columbia, MD, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses. He has been with Wells Fargo Clearing since 2025. His prior roles include various positions at James Madison University and other organizations. 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 offers both brokerage and advisory solutions.

Michael Stein is a financial advisor with Merrill in Baltimore, MD, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and 25 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at T. Rowe Price and PNC Bank. Stein also serves as trustee for an irrevocable trust, overseeing distributions and annual tax filings. Merrill provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through its Select Portfolio Solutions program, offering a range of model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

Michael Balakirsky is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Columbia, MD, holding a Series 66 designation and having 22 years of industry experience. He has been with LPL Financial since 2007. Outside of his advisory work, he has a small involvement in acquiring local tax liens. 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 various advisory programs, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage services, providing both discretionary and non-discretionary management along with model portfolios and research support.

Kevin Hutt is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with 30 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Cetera. His career includes long-term roles at Avantax and ownership of Onyx Asset & Wealth Management LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he serves on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, including the Christian Jail Ministry and the National Children's Center, and is involved in community leadership as president of the Hidden Ridge Homeowners Association. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that supports a nationwide network of independent advisors, serving individual, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a multi-manager platform enabling advisors to implement a range of portfolio management strategies across various program structures and custodial relationships.

Connor Flynn is a financial advisor at Merrill with 11 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at Merrill and Bank of America since 2017, following two years at Axa Advisors, LLC. Merrill provides managed account services to fiduciary clients of Bank of America through the Select Portfolio Solutions program, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies across a broad client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional fiduciaries.

Patrick Durbin is a CFP® professional affiliated with Edelman Financial Engines in Ellicott City, MD, with 10 years of industry experience. He has previously worked at Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C., Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, and Edelman Financial Services, LLC. Edelman Financial Engines provides technology-enabled investment advisory and financial planning services to individual investors, retirement-plan participants, and institutional clients. The firm utilizes a committee-driven modeling process combined with planner delivery and online tools, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary management solutions.

Justin Taylor is a CFP® with 12 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Mass Mutual Investors Services since 2017. He previously worked at METLIFE SECURITIES Inc from 2013 to 2017. Taylor also works as an independent insurance agent specializing in dental, group disability income, life, accident, health, and Medicare-related products. Mass Mutual Investors Services, LLC is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm provides financial planning, asset management, and educational seminars, with a structured planning approach that emphasizes collaborative goal analysis and recommended investment strategies.

Eric Jones is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 20 years of industry experience. He worked at M&T Securities for 13 years before joining Wells Fargo Clearing in 2018. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both non-discretionary and discretionary services. The firm’s IPS-driven advisory process incorporates modern portfolio theory and includes a broader set of financial product offerings, such as insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options.

Neil Schmerling is a CFP® and PFS™ professional with 26 years of experience in financial advising. He is currently with Cetera and has previously worked with Avantax Advisory Services and led his own firms, including Schmerling Financial Group and The Schmerling Group. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as president of Rodef Sholom Congregation, overseeing its operations alongside volunteers and staff. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm serving a broad client base that includes individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable entities, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with a variety of portfolio management options and access to third-party money managers, managing over $256 billion in assets through a network of more than 10,000 advisors.

Judith Specht is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors in Baltimore, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. She has been with Wells Fargo Advisors since 2015. Wells Fargo Advisors serves individuals, trusts, and institutional clients by providing investment and financial planning services that address a broad range of needs, including retirement, education, risk management, and specialized areas such as business-owner and special-needs planning. The firm employs Wells Fargo research and planning tools to develop tailored recommendations delivered through client meetings and summary letters.

Garrett Atkins is a financial advisor at Equitable Advisors with three years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Equitable Advisors since 2023. Prior to his financial advisory career, he spent several years at the University of Alabama. Equitable Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, corporations, charities, and institutions, providing financial planning, broker-dealer services, insurance distribution, and access to third-party asset management programs. The firm operates through various program sponsors and emphasizes a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary management solutions.

Heather Sommerfield is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with 25 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has been with Ameriprise since 2009, including six years with Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large, diversified advisory firm serving individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a specialized Ameriprise Premier Retirement Income service that provides written recommendation reports and ongoing planning advice focused on reliable income sources and tax-aware withdrawal strategies for clients nearing or in retirement.

William Cleary is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 13 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has worked at Morgan Stanley and its private bank since 2018, following five years at Axa Advisors LLC. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving both individual and institutional clients, offering a variety of advisory programs and financial planning services that utilize structured discovery processes and firm-approved planning tools.

Christina Pascoe is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 17 years of industry experience. Her work history includes roles at Cetera, First National Bank of Pennsylvania, Wells Fargo Clearing, Wells Fargo Advisors LLC, and Wachovia Bank, N.A. She is based in Baltimore, MD. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm serving a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services through a national network of over 10,000 advisors, managing more than $256 billion in assets.