Jerel Patch is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he has built a career since 1989. He serves as a founding member of The JB Group, advising a select group of affluent client families nationwide, including senior executives, business owners, and landowners across various industries. He emphasizes a boutique level of personalized wealth management, leveraging his deep expertise to align the efforts of clients' CPAs, attorneys, and firm specialists in addressing complex, multi-generational financial challenges such as wealth transfer, legacy planning, and philanthropic strategies. Jerel holds multiple professional designations, including Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA®), Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®), Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS™), and Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA®), among others awarded by recognized industry organizations. His educational background includes a Bachelor's degree in International Political Economy from Colorado College and an MBA in Finance and Accounting from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Committed to community involvement, Jerel founded a group within his office to facilitate colleague participation in charitable organizations focused on hospice care, cancer, mental healthcare, and dyslexia. He and his wife Rachel, a retired oncology nurse and hospice volunteer, live in Denver where they engage in outdoor activities such as golfing, hiking, skiing, and fly fishing.

Matthew Smith is a financial advisor with Fidelity Investments in Covington, KY. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Fidelity since 2025. Prior to his current role, his background includes positions in various industries such as technology, construction, and retail sales. Outside of finance, he works part-time as a restaurant employee during the NFL season. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC provides investment management and advisory services to both retail and institutional clients, utilizing a combination of fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction to manage diversified portfolios.

David Gawne is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with 24 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations. Prior to joining LPL Financial in 2024, he worked at Lincoln Financial Securities Corp. for eight years. 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 a variety of advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, utilizing discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by research from LPL and third-party subadvisors.

Thomas Miller is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 35 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Wells Fargo in 2024, he worked nine years at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary services. The firm’s IPS-driven advisory process incorporates modern portfolio theory and includes a broader range of financial products than typical for large institutional advisers, including insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options.

Christopher Vactor is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Pittsburgh, PA, holding a Series 66 designation and nine years of industry experience. Prior to joining Equitable Advisors in 2017, he worked at AXA Advisors and was employed at LaRoche College. Outside of finance, he was involved for ten years with II Pizzaiolo. Equitable Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual, high-net-worth, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients, offering financial planning, broker-dealer services, insurance, and access to third-party asset management programs. The firm operates as both an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, utilizing program sponsors and TAMPs to deliver advisory and brokerage solutions.

Joseph Rongaus is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Canonsburg, PA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 41 years of industry experience. He has been with UBS since 2013. Outside of his advisory work, he serves on the board of directors for South Hills Country Club, overseeing the club's operations. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, employing proprietary research and model-based asset allocations to tailor client plans. The firm combines institutional trading capabilities with wealth management services and offers a broad range of capital markets and fiduciary services.

Robert Dunbar is a financial advisor with RBC Capital Markets in Sewickley, PA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 42 years of industry experience. He has been with RBC Capital Markets since 2014. Outside of his advisory work, he serves on the Board of Directors for Little Big Horn Associates, a historical association, where he oversees conference site decisions and leads conferences. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, offers a range of advisory programs and services to individual and institutional clients, including portfolio management, financial planning, and brokerage services. The firm customizes investment strategies based on each client’s risk profile and utilizes both in-house and third-party managers to implement portfolios.

Christopher Merlo is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with 19 years of industry experience, currently serving at Wells Fargo Advisors since 2023. Prior to this, he worked nearly a decade at Raymond James Financial Services and is involved in tax preparation and planning through his ownership of CAM Tax Consulting LLC. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network is a large broker-dealer and registered investment adviser affiliated with Wells Fargo, providing investment and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, and institutions. The firm offers a broad range of planning services tailored to clients who meet certain net-worth criteria.

James Verlato is a financial advisor with Cetera in Pittsburgh, PA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 29 years of industry experience. His prior roles include 20 years at Avantax Insurance Services and 15 years with 1st Global Advisor Services. He also operates as a sole proprietor CPA. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC provides services through a large network of independent advisors to a broad client base, including individuals, retirement plans, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with various portfolio management options and oversees over $256 billion in assets under management.

Mark Rusiski is a financial advisor with LPL Enterprise, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 17 years of industry experience. Prior to joining LPL Enterprise in 2024, he worked at Prudential Insurance Company of America and Pruco Securities, LLC from 2009. LPL Enterprise serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers financial planning, advisory services, and access to model portfolios and third-party asset management through an integrated platform that combines adviser programs with brokerage and insurance products.

David Liguori is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 17 years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® and Series 66 designations and previously worked at UBS Financial Services for 14 years. Outside of his advisory role, he is the sole proprietor of Liguori Properties, LLC, a real estate business. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management serves both individual and institutional clients with a wide range of advisory programs and tailored financial planning, managing approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets. The firm’s financial planning process involves structured discovery and firm‑approved tools without providing individual security recommendations as part of standalone plans.

Jason Curran is a financial advisor at Merrill with a Series 66 designation and three years of industry experience. He previously worked at BNY Mellon Investor Solutions, LLC and spent over a decade at Morgan Stanley Alternative Investment Partners. Merrill, along with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations using model-based and discretionary investment strategies.

Joseph Maker is a CFP® professional with 10 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. He previously worked at Waldron Private Wealth and PwC. Outside of advising, he is president of Lobo One LLC, a business in which he holds signing and tax authority responsibilities. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to individual and institutional clients. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary planning and consulting, supporting a broad advisor network with a range of advisory programs and institutional services.

Blaze Tatananni is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Pittsburgh, PA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 41 years of industry experience. He has worked at Wells Fargo Clearing since 2017 and previously at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association from 2015 to 2017. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering services including investment policy statement preparation, investment recommendations, performance reporting, and participant education. The firm’s advisory process is IPS-driven, grounded in modern portfolio theory, and includes both discretionary and non-discretionary services, with notable inclusion of insurance-related investment options and bank deposit sweep programs.

Kristopher Nuttall is a financial advisor at Edelman Financial Engines with 22 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has been with Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. since 2016. Edelman Financial Engines offers technology-driven investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, retirement-plan participants, and institutional clients. The firm uses a committee-driven modeling process combined with planner support and online tools, providing diversified portfolios and a range of management options across multiple account types.

William Evancho is a financial advisor at RBC Capital Markets with 27 years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® and Series 66 designations. His prior work includes positions at UBS Financial Services Inc. and City National Bank. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, serves a diverse client base including individual investors, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory programs featuring discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management tailored to client risk profiles.

Kees Van Der Zee is a financial advisor at Equitable Advisors in Pittsburgh, PA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials with three years of industry experience. Prior to joining Equitable Advisors, he worked at Penn State, Stenson, and Ripplematch. 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 utilizes a hybrid referral and implementation model, offering both advisory and brokerage/insurance channels to implement client recommendations.

Timothy Ungarean Jr. is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with a Series 66 credential and one year of industry experience. His prior roles include work at JKS Financial and The Pittsburgh Golf Club, as well as studies at the University of Pittsburgh. 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, including customized financial planning supported by structured discovery and firm-approved tools, managing approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets.

Jimmy Peraffan is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with a Series 66 designation and no prior industry experience. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2018 to 2023 and continues to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting for qualified ERISA plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary services grounded in an IPS-driven process and modern portfolio theory. The firm’s investment offerings include a broad range of financial products such as insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options.

Aaron Marks is a financial advisor with LPL Enterprise who holds a Series 66 designation and has six years of industry experience. He previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing for six years and at Precision Garage Doors for four years. Marks is also involved in non-variable insurance activities through an insurance agency in Pittsburgh. LPL Enterprise serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers financial planning, advisory, and brokerage services, utilizing model portfolios, third-party asset managers, and an integrated platform that includes insurance and lending products.