Nicole Quinlan is the Resident Director and Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill’s Laguna Niguel office. She began her financial services career in 2012 and joined Merrill in October 2020. Nicole specializes in multigenerational wealth planning, helping clients create detailed, easy-to-follow strategies that align with their financial goals. Her advisory practice emphasizes legacy and wealth transfer planning, tax-efficient strategies, and personalized guidance for families and business owners. Nicole holds a Bachelor of Science in International Business from California State University, Long Beach. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) professional, Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®), and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA). Her expertise includes retirement planning, tax minimization, socially responsible and values-based investing, and supporting women and families in building confident financial futures. Nicole is involved in the Orange County community through her participation with Young Catholic Professionals. Raised in Southern California, Nicole lives in Orange with her husband and their rescue dog. Outside of her professional responsibilities, she enjoys hiking, yoga, reading, traveling, and volunteering.

Avlin Prosa is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management in Irvine, CA, holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Thrivent, Prosa worked at Astraios Financial and has additional experience in educational and service roles at Chapman University and other organizations. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients, focusing on goal-based financial planning across various topics without managing client portfolios directly. Their approach integrates planning with managed-account programs through a consolidated billing option while keeping those services distinct.

Noah Burns is a CFP® with 15 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Stifel Nicolaus & Co., Inc. since 2013. He is active in community service through Rotary International, where he co-founded and serves as president of a local chapter, and he holds leadership roles in the San Clemente Rotary Club’s charity and youth service committees. Stifel provides brokerage and investment advisory services to a diverse client base including individuals, institutional clients, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes a proprietary investment methodology developed by its Investment Strategy Group to support asset allocation and financial planning analyses.

Manuel Rojas is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with eight years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has been with Wells Fargo in various capacities since 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 offers both brokerage and advisory solutions leveraging research from Wells Fargo Investment Institute and third-party databases.

Shabnam Rezaei is a financial advisor with Merrill holding a Series 66 designation. She has been with Merrill since 2022 and has previous experience at Bank of America, N.A., EZ Insurance, Macy's, and MiniDil. 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.

John Harcar is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 32 years of industry experience. He has worked at Linsco/Private Ledger Corp. since 1998, and previously operated the JCH Insurance Agency, Inc. from 1997 to 2016. His background includes activities related to non-variable insurance products through an insurance agency specializing in fixed life, health, disability, and long-term care insurance. LPL Financial is a national SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, financial institutions, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing model portfolios and research from multiple sources, alongside both discretionary and non-discretionary management options.

Michael Liang is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with 20 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 credential and has worked with LPL Financial since 2011. In addition to his advisory role, Liang is involved in tax preparation and accounting services through co-ownership of Liang & Quinley Tax Management. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, financial institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of financial planning and advisory programs, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management and incorporating model portfolios and research from multiple sources.

Glenn Louie is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016 and previously worked at Wells Fargo Advisors from 2011 to 2016. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting services to qualified ERISA plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services. The firm’s investment approach is IPS-driven, grounded in modern portfolio theory, and includes a broader range of financial products such as insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options.

Shawn Chughtai is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in Irvine, CA, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at J.P. Morgan Securities and Jpmorgan Chase Bank since 2018, as well as prior experience at Wells Fargo Clearing, Wells Fargo Advisors LLC, and Wells Fargo Bank. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC 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.

Gabriela Valencia is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with eight years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Wells Fargo and J.P. Morgan in various capacities since 2016. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with a range of investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and employs more than 14,000 financial advisors, offering both brokerage and advisory solutions.

Sandra Haidao is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Irvine, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and nine years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at RBC Capital Markets, Farmers Financial Solutions, Farmers Insurance, UnionBanc Investment Services, and MUFG Union Bank. 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 advisory process is IPS-driven and based on modern portfolio theory, with a broader set of financial product offerings than typical large institutional advisers, including insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options.

Sang Hwang is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 17 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Wells Fargo in various capacities since 2011. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering a range of services including investment policy statement preparation, investment recommendations, performance reporting, and participant education. The firm’s approach is IPS-driven and grounded in modern portfolio theory, with fiduciary responsibilities and discretionary investment management options tailored to plan objectives and risk tolerances.

Peter Rice is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. He has worked at Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016 and previously at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC from 2011 to 2016. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting services to qualified ERISA plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary investment advice. The firm’s approach is IPS-driven and grounded in modern portfolio theory, with a notable inclusion of insurance-related investment options and bank deposit sweep programs.

John Milligan is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding a Series 66 designation and nine years of industry experience. He previously worked at Scottrade from 2016 to 2018 before joining LPL Financial in 2018. In addition to his advisory role, he contributes writings on economic, market, and fundamental securities analysis. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, institutions, and charitable organizations through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, financial planning services, and utilizes model portfolios and research to support both discretionary and non-discretionary management.

Jaime Lowry is a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services with 16 years of industry experience and holds the Series 66 designation. He has been with UBS since 2008. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through a combination of brokerage and investment advisory offerings, utilizing proprietary market insights and a range of financial planning and portfolio management services.

Armond Herndon is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience, currently advising at Wells Fargo Clearing. His career includes roles at Bank of America, Merrill, Edward Jones, and multiple positions within Wells Fargo entities. Outside of his advisory work, he owns and operates an online retail store for golf accessories. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering services that include investment policy statement preparation, investment recommendations, performance reporting, and participant education. The firm’s advisory process is IPS-driven and incorporates modern portfolio theory, with notable inclusion of insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options among its investment menus.

Daniel Cassiere is a Series 66-licensed financial professional with experience at Republic National Distributing Company and American Honda Motor Company prior to joining LPL Enterprise in 2025. He is based in Irvine, CA. Cassiere is also engaged as a financial professional through a non-variable insurance agency. LPL Enterprise, LLC serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and institutional clients through advisory and brokerage services. The firm offers financial planning, access to model portfolios, third-party asset management arrangements, and a range of brokerage and insurance products via an integrated platform.

Katy Chen is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Irvine, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 24 years of industry experience. She has been with UBS since 2016. 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, utilizing proprietary research and model-based asset allocations to tailor client strategies.

Steven Shields is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 17 years of industry experience. He has worked at J.P. Morgan Securities since 2012 and has been affiliated with JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA since 2010. He is based in Mission Viejo, CA. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides institutional consulting services to corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting. The firm combines large institutional advisory capabilities with broker-dealer and investment adviser registrations, delivering its services through a select group of Wealth Advisors.

Ramez Raheb is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in Irvine, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and with 14 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Morgan Stanley, E*Trade, TD Ameritrade/Schwab, and JPMorgan Chase Bank. J.P. Morgan Securities provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors, utilizing a quantitative asset-allocation approach combined with centralized due diligence and an ESG eligibility framework to support customized investment solutions.