Sikander Mehdi is an advisor at Private Advisor Group, LLC with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has professional experience spanning multiple roles in various industries since 2019, including positions at LPL Financial and Global Advisor Group, and has a background that includes work in education and service sectors. Mehdi has also managed operations for EZ Moving & Storage LLC. Private Advisor Group serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plans by providing portfolio management, financial planning, retirement consulting, and access to a range of managed account solutions. The firm employs a fiduciary-based advisory model, utilizing technology platforms and multiple investment strategies while often implementing advice through third-party managers and TAMPs.

Ekaterina Sheliga is a financial advisor at Prime Capital Financial with 10 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Her prior roles include positions at StanCorp Equities, Inc. and Arthur J Gallagher. Prime Capital Financial is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers asset management, financial planning, trustee services, and family office solutions, utilizing a range of investment strategies and platforms to manage accounts on discretionary and non-discretionary bases.

Carolina Paramo Aguilera is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 11 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Bank, NA. She is based in Fairfax, VA. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans. The firm serves clients often connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans and offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing portfolio management through various managed account programs.

Louise Mercer is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with one year of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Amegy Bank and Truist Investment Services. Outside of finance, she was involved with Mamaka Smoothie Bowls in 2022. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation analysis, fiduciary support, and manager-selection programs, integrating third-party platforms and a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary investment management.

Robert Schneider is a financial advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and five years of industry experience. He previously worked at Washington Wealth Advisors from 2021 to 2023 and was affiliated with Special Olympics, Inc. for eight years. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services provides financial planning, asset management, retirement-plan consulting, and referrals to managed account investment managers for individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages over $122 billion in assets and employs a diversified investment approach combining passive and active strategies, overseen by an internal Investment Committee.

Janna Climer is a financial advisor at Guardian Life with two years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Private Advisor Group, LLC and LPL Financial. Guardian Life’s subsidiary Park Avenue Securities provides brokerage and advisory services to individuals, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, offering a combination of advisor-led discretionary management and model-based strategies through proprietary and third-party platforms.

Mohammad Maroof Ziaey is a financial advisor at First Command Advisory Services with Series 63 and Series 65 credentials. He has experience at several firms including Primerica Financial Services and Turbo Tax. His background also includes roles in education and nonprofit organizations focused on Afghanistan. First Command Advisory Services is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, corporate, and charitable clients, with a focus on active-duty service members and their families. The firm offers financial planning and multiple wrap-fee asset management programs managed by a centralized Investment Management Team and Wealth Portfolio Managers.

Ryan Torguson is a CFA charterholder with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors. His prior experience includes roles at RBC Capital Markets and Morgan Stanley Private Bank. He is involved with the CFA Society of Washington as chair of the External Relations Committee. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm emphasizes manager selection and multi-manager solutions, utilizing both affiliated and third-party managers, and offers a range of strategies including mutual funds, ETFs, alternatives, and custom indexing.

Hui Zhu is a CFA® charterholder and holds the Series 66 designation, with six years of industry experience. Hui is currently affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network and has previously worked at Quantis Wealth Management and Oppenheimer. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,900 advisors and managing roughly $213 billion in client assets. The firm provides a broad adviser-support platform including managed-account programs, access to third-party asset managers, retirement and plan consulting, and custody services.

Michael Depirri is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with 34 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and previously worked at PNC Investments for 11 years before joining Citigroup in 2022. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering investment advisory programs, execution, and custody services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies through discretionary and non-discretionary programs and provides specialized services including derivatives and futures.

John Nguyen is a CFP® professional with 26 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network. He has worked at Commonwealth since 2007, including his current tenure starting in 2018, and also operates Clarendon Wealth Management. Outside of his advisory role, he co-owns Jack Books, LLC, an entity focused on authoring and publishing books. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their clients. The firm provides a range of advisory programs and support services, allowing advisors discretion in portfolio construction alongside model portfolios managed by its Investment Management and Research team.

Brandi Dickey is a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors with 17 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney from 2009 to 2021 before joining Hightower in 2021. Outside of her advisory role, she provides pet sitting services on a part-time basis. Hightower Advisors offers investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm’s approach emphasizes multi-manager solutions and proprietary research, providing access to a wide range of investment strategies and operational support.

Roland Geronimo is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 28 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked with Truist and its affiliates since 2004, including a two-year period at Quick & Reilly, Inc. prior to that. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools, to deliver its investment solutions.

Deborah Gandy is a financial advisor with Chevy Chase Trust Company in Bethesda, MD, holding Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and having 19 years of industry experience. She has been with Chevy Chase Trust Company since 2009. Chevy Chase Trust Company serves high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutional clients, offering discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, personal trust, family wealth and financial planning services, institutional custody, and access to collective investment funds. The firm employs a thematic investment approach focused on macroeconomic trends and sector themes, integrating fiduciary trust, custody, and investment management functions.

Julie Babcock is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services in Sterling, VA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and possessing 24 years of industry experience. She has been with Principal Financial Services since 2001 and also held a role at Principal Life Insurance Company from 2000 to 2025. In addition to her advisory role, she serves as a bank officer at Principal Bank and Principal Trust Company, supporting retirement plan account relationships. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, and access to third-party money managers through various advisory and promoter arrangements.

Frederick Hopkins is a CFA® charterholder with four years of industry experience. He has worked at Chevy Chase Trust Company since 2021 and previously spent eight years at Wilmington Trust, N.A. Chevy Chase Trust Company advises high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutional clients, offering investment management along with personal trust and wealth planning services. The firm employs a thematic investment approach that focuses on secular trends and diversification, combining fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis across equities and fixed income.

David Burgess is a CFP® and CFA® with 17 years of experience in the financial advisory industry. He has been with Creative Planning since 2014. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $217 billion in client assets and employs a financial planning–led investment approach emphasizing low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supplemented by specialized tactics such as direct indexing and tax-loss harvesting.

Kathryn O'Connor is a financial advisor at Wealthspire Advisors with three years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and has previously worked in educational roles at Virginia Tech and middle/high schools. Wealthspire Advisors is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $34.3 billion in assets for nearly 9,700 clients. The firm serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, corporate and pension plans, and nonprofits, using an institutional-style asset allocation framework implemented through a diversified mix of investments and centralized oversight.

Pamela Cappelli is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Fairfax, VA, holding a Series 65 designation and nine years of industry experience. She has been with TIAA since 2009 and with TIAA-CREF since 2018. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals connected with TIAA-administered employer retirement plans, as well as to trusts, estates, and small retirement plans. The firm distinguishes its point-in-time planning services from ongoing discretionary management and serves as adviser to a donor-advised fund within a vertically integrated structure.

Jack Keating is a financial advisor at Wealthspire Advisors with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has previously worked at Bronfman Rothschild. Wealthspire Advisors is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $34.3 billion in assets for nearly 9,700 clients, including individuals, corporate and pension plans, nonprofits, and foundations. The firm employs an institutional-style asset allocation approach based on endowment and foundation models, using a mix of mutual funds, ETFs, private investments, and unaffiliated separate account managers with centralized oversight.