Peter Ryan is a financial advisor at Alikos Wealth Management, LLC with nine years of industry experience. He holds the Series 65 designation and has been with Alikos since 2015. Ryan also has over 30 years of experience at Ryan & Wetmore P.C. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved as a member in several real estate investment partnerships. Alikos Wealth Management serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and small businesses by providing discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm emphasizes long-term, broadly diversified portfolios primarily implemented with passively managed mutual funds and ETFs, and offers customized solutions including ESG, tax-sensitive, and fixed-income accounts.

Tiffany Blackburn is a financial advisor at Arkagos Advisors & Asset Management, Inc., holding a Series 65 designation. She has been with Arkagos since 2024 and has experience working in related roles, including at Vector Wealth Strategies and Henmead Enterprises, Inc. Blackburn is also affiliated with George Mason University for the years 2023 to 2025. Arkagos Advisors and Asset Management serves individual and high-net-worth clients by offering portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, and access to private investments. The firm uses model-based allocations combining technical, fundamental, and modern portfolio theory techniques tailored to clients’ objectives and risk tolerance, with a notable focus on private placement investments alongside traditional advisory services.

Frederick Hubach is a CFP® professional with six years of industry experience. He is currently with Generational Private Wealth, where he has worked since 2025. His prior experience includes roles at Belgrade Wealth Management LLC, Hemington Wealth Management, and Andersen. Generational Private Wealth serves high-net-worth individuals, trusts, retirement plans, and nonprofit entities, offering discretionary investment management and advanced financial planning. The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation, diversification, and fundamental analysis, managing approximately $263 million across 49 client relationships.

Gillian Curran is a CFP® professional with 21 years of experience in financial advising. She has been with Prospect Financial Group LLC since 2004. Outside of her advisory work, she is an owner of a rental real estate business in Ocean City, New Jersey. Prospect Financial Group LLC provides fee-only financial planning and discretionary investment management to individuals, personal trusts and estates, and small-business retirement plans. The firm operates as a fiduciary, employing a strategic asset allocation approach primarily using mutual funds and ETFs, and also offers retirement-plan consulting services alongside individual wealth management.

Audrey Jones is a financial advisor at Poder Wealth Advisors with a Series 65 designation and three years of industry experience. She previously worked at Carson Wealth and CWM, LLC. Outside of her advisory role, she is the founder and CEO of SkateFit, LLC, a fitness business. Poder Wealth Advisors serves individual clients, including high-net-worth households, business owners, and nonprofit entities. The firm uses a primarily passive, Modern Portfolio Theory-based investment approach and offers discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and insurance assistance.

Alon Zieve is a financial advisor at Aption Advisors LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has previously worked at Aperios Solutions Ltd, Bringg Delivery Technologies, and Seeking Alpha. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as CEO of Apeiros Inc and its subsidiary Apeiros Solutions Ltd, and is the sole owner and CEO of Eximia Ltd, a consulting firm. Aption Advisors provides investment advice to individuals with large, concentrated positions in venture-backed private companies, focusing on share forward transaction contracts to help clients reduce concentration risk. The firm uses proprietary technology to monitor private holdings and does not exercise investment discretion or recommend other securities.

John Coleman is a financial advisor at Piedmont Wealth Management with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. In addition to his role in financial advising, Coleman owns Commonwealth Business Services, a CPA and tax preparation firm. Piedmont Wealth Management is a fee-only financial planning and investment management firm serving trusts, foundations, pension plans, and corporate/household accounts. The firm offers personalized financial planning, discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, and consulting, with a focus on institutional and trust/corporate relationships and coordinated services through affiliated financial and accounting entities.

Michael Schwartz is a financial advisor with MZ Capital, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and over 23 years of industry experience. He has worked at MZ Capital Management since 2018 and previously held roles at Securities America Advisors, Inc., Securities America, Inc., and Master's Financial Associates. Outside of advising, he owns Home Instead Senior Care and serves as a regional leadership council member for Messiah College. MZ Capital Management provides discretionary asset management and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm employs a passive, asset-class allocation strategy using institutional funds with a buy-hold-rebalance approach and offers ongoing portfolio supervision, written planning reports, newsletters, and client seminars.

Ross Anderson is a CFP® with 18 years of industry experience and is currently with Craftwork Capital LLC, where he has worked since 2020. Prior to that, he spent six years at Motley Fool Wealth Management. Outside of financial services, he is the owner of Anderson Entertainment, a DJ services business he has operated since 2001. Craftwork Capital primarily serves individual and high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, and access to third-party digital platforms, utilizing model portfolios, separately managed accounts, and AI tools to support portfolio construction and ongoing management.

Lisa Pendley is a CFP® professional with 17 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at 8th Street Investments, LLC since 2008. She works out of Alexandria, VA, and is part of a two-advisor team at the firm. 8th Street Investments provides discretionary portfolio management and standalone financial planning to individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm employs fundamental analysis and tailored asset-allocation strategies, combining long-term holdings with active trading and derivative instruments within discretionary mandates.

Charles Harris is a financial advisor with First Georgetown Securities, Inc. in Alexandria, VA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and possessing 44 years of industry experience with the same firm since 1982. Outside of his advisory role, he produced and stars in a YouTube TV pilot titled "Becoming Van Vlack," a non-investment related project started in late 2022. First Georgetown Securities provides discretionary portfolio management primarily to individual clients, including high-net-worth households, using growth, growth-and-income, and income strategies. The firm employs a tactical allocation approach integrating fundamental and technical analysis and manages approximately $101.7 million in discretionary assets as of mid-2025.

Ryan Beckwith is a financial advisor at Bluestone Financial Advisors, LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at GP Strategies Corporation and Waddell & Reed. Bluestone Financial Advisors primarily serves entrepreneurs, business owners, high-net-worth individuals, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm provides personal CFO services including financial planning, consulting, and investment management, with a focus on long-term financial strategy, capital allocation, and risk management.

Tomasz Cymer is a CFP® and CFA® with 19 years of experience in financial advising. He is the principal of Opulen Financial Group, LLC, an independent advisory firm he has led since 2014, and has operated as a sole proprietor since 2009. In addition to his advisory work, Cymer holds a licensed insurance agent role, spending part of his time on life, disability, and long-term care insurance sales. He is also involved in educational seminars and teaching through a separate corporate entity. Opulen Financial Group serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, and corporations with portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, and retirement plan services. The firm emphasizes documented investment policies, fundamental analysis, and combines direct management with third-party platform oversight, while offering ERISA 3(21) fiduciary services and participant education.

Taro Taguchi is a financial advisor at MZ Capital, LLC with 9 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with MZ Capital Management since 2015. MZ Capital Management provides discretionary asset management and financial planning to individuals, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm emphasizes a passive, asset-class allocation approach using institutional funds within a buy‑hold‑and‑rebalance framework, managing accounts primarily on a discretionary basis with individualized investment policy statements.

John Ohly is a financial advisor with Bontempo Ohly Capital Management, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Bontempo Ohly since 2004. Bontempo Ohly Capital Management provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, and consultation services to individuals, high-net-worth families, trusts, estates, and retirement plans. The firm uses strict quantitative modeling and customized portfolios based on client risk tolerance, time horizon, and goals, operating with discretionary trading authority and conducting ongoing portfolio reviews.

Ormand Bontempo is a financial advisor with Bontempo Ohly Capital Management, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Bontempo Ohly Capital Management since 2004. Bontempo Ohly Capital Management provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, and consultation services to individuals, high-net-worth families, trusts, estates, and retirement plans. The firm uses strict quantitative modeling for security analysis and manages customized portfolios based on client risk tolerance, time horizon, and goals.

Michael Shea is a CFA® charterholder with 17 years of industry experience. He has been with 8th Street Investments, LLC since 2008, serving as one of two advisors at the firm in Alexandria, VA. 8th Street Investments provides discretionary portfolio management and standalone financial planning to individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $171.7 million for about 55 clients, employing a fundamental analysis-based investment process with tailored asset-allocation strategies and incorporating active trading tools and derivatives within discretionary mandates.

Brian Scanlon is a financial advisor at Capstone, LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Archstone Capital, LLC and Height Analytics, LLC, among others. In addition to his advisory role, Scanlon serves as Director of Institutional Sales at Capstone, focusing on policy research and access to related events. Capstone serves institutional investors such as mutual funds, hedge funds, private equity firms, and long-only managers by providing policy analysis, regulatory due diligence, and written research products. The firm emphasizes vetted, impersonal research and advisory services without managing client assets, delivering comprehensive reports and deep-dive due diligence for clients globally.

Christopher Lane is a financial advisor at McGinn Penninger Investment Management Inc. with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at the University of Maryland and Bullis School. McGinn Penninger Investment Management provides discretionary portfolio management primarily for high-net-worth individuals and institutional clients, focusing on a long-term, large-cap value equity strategy with fundamental analysis and contrarian purchases. The firm also serves as sub-adviser to the Union Street Partners Value Fund and offers tailored portfolio management across individual accounts and the fund.

Ed Leads a team revolutionizing financial planning for federal employees. Valor Wealth Partners is a veteran-owned business with an office in Washington, D.C. and serving clients virtually in 19 states. With over 25 years of experience providing financial planning guidance, Ed has helped hundreds of families navigate complex and emotional dilemmas. He combines decades of experience with personalized strategies to help clients meet their needs. By simplifying his comprehensive analysis into down-to-earth terms, he is able to help clients understand their situation and take positive actions. Helping people with their financial goals is a deeply personal mission for Ed. Early struggles with money led him to pursue a meaningful career guiding people through the financial planning process. As a Certified Financial Planner, Ed follows the CFP Board’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct. The complex knowledge required to obtain and maintain this professional designation helps Ed develop extensive financial plans that hardworking people deserve. Ed’s devotion to the community is evident in the numerous charitable associations where he volunteers his time. He’s currently a captain for a team of cyclists in the annual Pan-Mass Challenge and is a two-time marathoner for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. He attributes his core values of integrity and attention to detail to his service with the U.S. Marines. We invite you to see our passion and knowledge on how your federal benefits can be maximized at our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/FinancialPlanning4Feds