Michael Friedman is a financial advisor at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC with 21 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and previously worked at Churchill Management Group for over two decades. Focus Partners serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients with a range of wealth management and advisory services. The firm’s investment approach combines active and passive strategies within an enhanced open architecture framework, utilizing fundamental and quantitative analysis alongside specialized tools such as trend-following and options overlay strategies.

Ryan Hook is a CFP® with 16 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Creative Planning since 2017. Prior to this, he worked at SC Distributors, LLC for one year. He also teaches a personal financial planning course for the CFP program at the University of California, Irvine’s Division of Continuing Education. Creative Planning offers investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, and retirement plans. The firm employs a financial planning–led investment approach emphasizing low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supported by a large advisory team and integrated non-investment businesses such as estate legal services and trust administration.

Alexander Cruz is a CFP® professional with 23 years of industry experience, currently serving at SPC since 2015. His prior roles include positions at Parkland Securities LLC, OSAIC Services, Inc., and Independent Capital Management. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in providing referral services for estate planning and trust-related matters to law firms. SPC offers investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base that includes individual investors, employer-sponsored plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm supports a large network of advisors delivering tailored, discretionary advice through multiple account programs and maintains partnerships with third-party advisers and service providers.

John Somerville is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He focuses on connecting all aspects of clients' financial lives to help them and their families prioritize and pursue the goals that matter most. John's expertise includes family wealth management strategies, liquidity management, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, tax minimization, and retirement income. He works with clients to plan for and fund education, ensure retirement lifestyle and healthcare costs are covered, and create personalized plans to achieve long-term family goals. He emphasizes simplicity and transparency in the wealth planning process. John holds a Bachelor's Degree from California State University - Long Beach and has earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designations. He is involved with the Boy Scouts of America. Outside of work, John enjoys adventure sports, baseball, biking, boxing, golfing, hiking, pickleball, skiing, and spending time with his family.

Javonte Hubbard is a CFP® professional with six years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Schwab Wealth Advisory. His prior experience includes roles at Vanguard Advisers, Inc. and The Vanguard Group, Inc. He has also worked in various positions outside finance, including at Yelp Inc. and UC Merced. Schwab Wealth Advisory serves clients enrolled in the Schwab Wealth Advisory (SWA) program and certain Charles Schwab & Co.-referred clients, providing non-discretionary fiduciary investment advice, financial planning, and wealth management consultations. The firm’s advice is based on Charles Schwab’s asset-allocation models and research tools, with trades executed only after client authorization.

Evan Kimbro is a financial advisor at Independent Financial Group, LLC with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and one year of industry experience. His work history includes roles at StoneKimbro and Propaganda E-Liquid, LLC, where he has been involved since 2021. Independent Financial Group, LLC provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and corporate plans. The firm utilizes a combination of firm- and third-party models, strategic asset allocation, and active and passive investment exposures to develop tailored client strategies.

Ryan Wang is a financial advisor at Transamerica Financial Advisors with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and four years of industry experience. His career includes roles in business development and client services across several companies, including Managed Health, Inheritguard, LLC, and Mailbox Power. Outside of financial advising, he is involved in providing employee benefit solutions and estate planning education. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes model portfolios and third-party managers to deliver investment advisory and retirement-plan services through a large advisor network and multiple program platforms.

Andrew Yang is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with 14 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has been with Citigroup since 2015. Outside of his advisory role, he is a partner in a food and boba drink shop where he is involved in business planning and weekend operations. Citigroup Global Markets serves a broad client base including individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager investment strategies and offers a range of advisory programs, execution, and custody services, leveraging its large institutional scale and unique market roles.

Peter Zierhut is a financial advisor at Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC with over 43 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has worked with firms including LPL Financial and Level Four Advisory Services. Zierhut is also involved in multiple non-variable insurance ventures and operates a family office. Integrated Wealth Concepts serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans through a network of independent advisors. The firm offers discretionary investment management, financial planning, family office, and retirement plan advisory services, utilizing customized portfolios and a combination of internally managed and third-party strategies.

Pedro Garcia is a Series 65 credentialed advisor at NewEdge Advisors with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining NewEdge Advisors, he held roles at PacificView Wealth Management and various positions in the automotive and racing industries, including Porsche Experience Center LA and Kinetix Racing. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a broad range of portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services through a network of independent advisers, utilizing multiple program structures and centralized due diligence to support client needs.

John Pham is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors who holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 33 years of industry experience. He has been with Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012 and has previously been involved in business activities including Destiny Builders Enterprises and Global Merchant Innovations. Outside of advising, Pham serves as president of Destiny Builders Enterprises and has experience managing a rental property. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a wide range of clients, including individual investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers both advisory and broker-dealer services with various model portfolios and third-party money manager access, operating uniquely as both an RIA and broker-dealer.

Andrew Corral is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Goldman Sachs Wealth Services, based in Newport Beach, CA. He has four years of industry experience, including prior work at Reed Electric and Field Services. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services advises a diverse client base ranging from individual investors to institutional clients, offering financial planning, portfolio management, and specialized services such as Private Family Office and Executive Wealth programs. The firm integrates its advisory services within the broader Goldman Sachs ecosystem, utilizing strategic allocation models, tax-aware techniques, and access to alternative investments.

Jay Thompson is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 17 years of industry experience. His professional background includes roles in tax preparation, small business consulting, and commercial property management. He has been involved with the CSU Bakersfield Small Business Development Center as a business consultant and operates Golden Empire Services, a small business consulting firm. Transamerica Financial Advisors provides investment advisory, brokerage, and retirement-plan services to a diverse client base, utilizing a large advisor network and multiple program platforms. The firm’s advisory approach primarily uses model portfolios and third-party managers, serving individual investors, employer-sponsored plans, trusts, and charitable organizations.

Sylvia Ahn is a financial advisor at Principal Financial Services with 11 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including MassMutual Life Insurance Company and Minnesota Life Insurance Company. In addition to her advisory role, she is involved in the sale of various insurance products such as life, disability, annuities, and health insurance. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager programs under multiple advisory and promoter arrangements.

Tanya Torres is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with seven years of industry experience, currently with Schwab Wealth Advisory in Irvine, CA. Her prior roles include positions at Merrill and Guardian Life Insurance Company. Schwab Wealth Advisory provides non-discretionary fiduciary investment advice, financial planning, and wealth management consultations primarily for clients enrolled in the Schwab Wealth Advisory program or referred by Charles Schwab & Co. The firm uses proprietary asset-allocation models and internal research tools to tailor recommendations to client goals and risk tolerance without exercising discretionary trading authority.

Matthew Kersey is a financial advisor with AE Wealth Management, LLC and holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations. He has one year of industry experience and has worked with several firms including Skyline Legacy Wealth Management and Orange County's Credit Union. Outside of his advisory roles, he has been involved with The Kerseys, Inc. since 2019. AE Wealth Management provides fee-based portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse range of clients including individuals, corporations, trusts, and ERISA plan sponsors. The firm utilizes discretionary model portfolios and a mix of fundamental, technical, and cyclical investment strategies, managing approximately $49.8 billion for over 127,000 clients through a platform-focused approach.

Stephen Pinckney is a financial advisor at Goldman Sachs Wealth Services with 23 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Goldman Sachs since 2021, following 14 years at The AYCO Company, L.P./Mercer Allied. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services provides financial planning, investment management, and advisory support to a diverse client base, including individual, high-net-worth, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm uses centralized investment resources and model portfolios, offering tailored solutions such as Executive Wealth and Private Family Office support, and operates within a large integrated financial group with various affiliated entities.

Henry Balanza Sr. is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 23 years of industry experience. He has been with Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012 and has a background that includes leadership roles in several business ventures, notably operating CHJ Enterprises, LLC dba Serenity Home, which provides care and supervision for developmentally disabled children. He also serves as president and administrator for Balanza Homes, offering health services for developmentally disabled adults. Transamerica Financial Advisors provides investment advisory, brokerage, and retirement-plan services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, employer-sponsored plans, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes model portfolios and third-party managers within a large advisor network and offers multiple program platforms such as Transamerica ONE and TFA365.

Nora Okamoto is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. She holds a Series 66 designation and has one year of industry experience. Her prior work includes roles at Bankers Life Securities, Inc. and Bankers Life & Casualty, Inc., as well as experience outside finance managing Bagel Cafe Inc. in California. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. primarily serves mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals with discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan consulting. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis methods to create tailored portfolios aligned with clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Kaiwen Liu is a CFP® with seven years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at MAI Capital Management, LLC. His prior roles include positions at Whittier Trust Company, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, and The Ayco Company, L.P./Mercer Allied. MAI Capital Management provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management and integrated wealth services to individuals, families, sports professionals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm employs a customized investment approach across various strategies and offers additional services such as retirement plan consulting, trust administration, and insurance administration.