Mariannette Lopez is a financial advisor at Merrill with 5 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Bank of America, N.A. since 2021. Outside of her advisory role, she has teaching experience at East Los Angeles College and Los Angeles City College. Merrill provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions program, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies to a broad client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

Qixuan Wu is a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services with five years of industry experience. Prior to joining UBS in 2022, Wu worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank and Morgan Stanley from 2020 to 2022. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients by combining brokerage and investment advisory services, including financial planning and portfolio management. The firm integrates institutional trading capabilities with wealth management and provides research-driven, tailored investment solutions.

Hector Amezcua is a Series 66-credentialed advisor with 15 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Merrill and Bank of America, where he has worked since 2014. He participates in privately buying and selling land with friends in Southern California outside of his advisory role. Merrill provides managed account services through the Select Portfolio Solutions program, serving a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate fiduciaries. The firm integrates model-based and discretionary investment strategies with Bank of America’s broader platform.

Sammie Kothari Peng is a Wealth Management Advisor and partner of the Kothari Group at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. She joined Merrill in 2000 and focuses on working closely with clients to deliver comprehensive wealth planning strategies and investment advice geared towards achieving their financial goals. Sammie's expertise includes wealth management planning, intergenerational wealth transfer, global asset allocation, charitable giving, and higher education savings. She serves a diverse client base including women seeking financial direction, business owners, professionals, and retirees. Sammie holds multiple professional designations such as CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist™, Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™, and Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor® certifications. She earned her Bachelor's degree from the University of California, Irvine. Active in her community, Sammie is a long-time member of ALPHA, an auxiliary of the Assistance League of Fullerton that supports various community organizations. She resides in Brea with her husband and their two children. In her personal time, Sammie enjoys running, yoga, reading, and during winter months, skiing and snowboarding with her family.

Annie Chen is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, providing clients with financial strategies for growing and preserving wealth. She manages wealth for high-net-worth individuals, families, and non-profit organizations, supporting investment, wealth transfer, and philanthropic objectives. Annie also works with private business owners on financing, business growth, employee benefits, and pre-transaction planning. Her areas of expertise include investment management, retirement planning, trust and estate planning, credit and lending solutions, and insurance policies. Fluent in both English and Mandarin, Annie is particularly focused on serving Chinese-speaking clients, including first-generation Americans. Annie joined Merrill in 2018. Prior to this role, she spent two years as a financial analyst for the National Futures Association and five years as a business banker concentrating on global banking and commercial loans. She holds a B.S. degree in Economics and Media Communication from Sichuan Normal University, a Master of Musical Arts degree in Piano from the University of Missouri, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) charter holder. She is a member of the Chicago CFA Society. Outside of her professional responsibilities, Annie is involved with the Chinese American Service League and the Midwest Asian Health Association. She lives in Lincoln Park with her husband, daughter, and dog. In her free time, Annie enjoys traveling, yoga, interior design, and culinary arts.

John Fitzgerald is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 21 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC since 2009. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a wide range of advisory programs, including tailored financial planning that utilizes structured discovery processes and firm-approved tools.

Haeseong Shin is a financial advisor at Merrill with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Morgan Stanley and Fidelity Investments. Merrill provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions program, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies to a broad client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional fiduciaries. The firm integrates investment management with Bank of America’s broader corporate platform, providing access to a wide range of products and services.

Vi Houang is a CFP® professional with 21 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Cetera. She has been associated with Cetera and its related entities since 2013 and also operates Crane and Associates, a financial services business. Outside of finance, she is involved in coaching and refereeing youth basketball through her ownership of Play the Whistle, LLC. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered advisory firm with a nationwide network of over 10,000 independent advisors, serving a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a variety of portfolio management and financial planning services across multiple program structures and custodial relationships.

Ethan Lui is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with three years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC since 2022. Prior to his financial services career, Mr. Lui held roles at East West Bank and worked in education at the University of California, Riverside and Los Alamitos High School. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management serves both individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs including tailored financial planning supported by structured discovery and firm-approved planning tools. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and provides services through its Financial Advisors and Estate Planning Strategies Group.

James Standish is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he serves business owners, executives, and entertainment professionals. In his role, he acts as a planner and Senior Portfolio Advisor, providing investment management, retirement and legacy planning, insurance, lending and credit, as well as banking services through Bank of America. His approach begins with a comprehensive assessment of clients' financial situations to develop personalized and disciplined strategies that emphasize diversification and balance. James has been dedicated to financial advising since 2011, drawing upon his background in business ownership and banking alongside formal education in economics and financial planning. His expertise includes education planning, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, small business strategies, tax minimization, and services for defined benefit plans. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Denver and a Master of Arts in Economics from California State University at Long Beach. His professional designations include CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Sports & Entertainment Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (SE-AWMA). James resides in Hancock Park with his wife and four children.

David Rodriguez Jr. is a Financial Advisor associated with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. In his role, he works closely with clients to develop personalized financial strategies aimed at achieving their short-, mid-, and long-term goals. He provides comprehensive support in areas including investing, retirement planning, and saving for unexpected expenses, and connects clients with Bank of America specialists for additional financial services such as banking, credit, home financing, and small business solutions. David holds professional designations as an Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (AWMA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). He earned his High School Diploma from North Thurston High School and attended South Puget Sound Community College without obtaining a degree. His approach focuses on understanding clients' priorities to tailor strategies accordingly and offering ongoing advice as their financial situations evolve.

Giovanni Alvarez Mena is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 14 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC for 15 years before joining Equitable Advisors in 2026. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with The Group WOWM, LLC as a registered team member. Equitable Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, corporations, charitable organizations, and institutions. The firm offers financial planning, broker-dealer services, insurance distribution, and access to third-party asset management programs, utilizing a delivery model focused on LPL-sponsored programs and endorsed TAMPs.

Jeffrey Scofield is a financial advisor with RBC Capital Markets, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 33 years of industry experience. His career history includes roles at City National Bank, Wells Fargo Clearing, and Wells Fargo Advisors. Scofield serves on the boards of Education Through Music Los Angeles and the Boys and Girls Club of Pasadena, and he is an officer of the Pasadena Breakfast Forum, a local speaking group. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, serves a diverse client base including individual investors, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm offers tailored advisory and portfolio management programs using a combination of in-house and third-party investment managers and provides integrated financial planning and brokerage services.

Anthony Valazza is a ChFC® with 37 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Thrivent Investment Management since 2002. He is also involved in community service as a board member of the Race Track Chaplaincy of California and serves as secretary for the Race Track Chaplaincy of America, organizations that provide spiritual and material support to the race track community. Thrivent Investment Management offers Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients, focusing on comprehensive, goal-based financial analyses without discretionary trading authority, and supports ongoing plan reviews through a network of financial advisors.

Michael Tidik is a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services with 34 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has been with UBS since 2015. Outside of his advisory role, Tidik is a limited partner and investor in real estate investment funds and commercial real estate partnerships. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, including financial planning and portfolio management. The firm combines institutional trading capabilities with wealth management services and leverages proprietary research and model-based asset allocations to tailor solutions to clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Victor Kubo is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and bringing 28 years of industry experience. He has worked at Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016 and previously held roles at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC and Wells Fargo Bank. 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 IPS-driven approach incorporates modern portfolio theory and includes a broader range of financial product offerings, such as insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options.

Douglas Morris is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Claremont, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and with 30 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley and its Private Bank since 2015. Outside of financial advising, he has been involved in Elite Jewelry at the Vault since 1982. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management provides a variety of advisory programs to individuals and institutional clients, offering tailored financial planning through its Financial Advisors and Estate Planning Strategies Group. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and uses structured planning tools and modeling to develop financial plans.

Zyanya De La Torre is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 11 years of industry experience. She has worked with JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities since 2012. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides institutional consulting services to clients such as corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines institutional advisory operations with brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

Marcos Montenegro is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with seven years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has been with Wells Fargo Clearing Services since 2018, also maintaining a role at Wells Fargo Bank NA since 2013. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering services such as investment policy statement preparation, investment recommendations, performance reporting, participant education, and plan benchmarking. The firm’s advisory process is IPS-driven and grounded in modern portfolio theory, with a range of investment options that include insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep programs.

Brandi Zimmerman is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with eight years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley Private Bank since 2017. Prior to that, she was with Sun Life Financial from 2009 to 2017. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers tailored financial planning and a broad range of advisory programs supported by structured planning tools and investment research.