Charles Chen is a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, bringing extensive experience since joining the firm in 1999. His primary areas of practice include corporate retirement plans, executive stock services, and liability management. Charles partners with Merrill Specialists on credit and corporate pension plans to create financial strategies aligned with his clients' risk tolerance. He serves clients across multiple focus areas including college education planning, executive compensation, legacy planning, small business strategies, and personal retirement planning. Charles holds a Bachelor's degree in Finance from California State University, Fullerton. He has earned professional designations as a CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Benefits Consultant (RBC). Previously, he led the training program for new Financial Advisors at the Brea, Santa Ana, and Ontario offices. Charles is fluent in English and Chinese. Outside of his professional role, Charles enjoys adventure sports such as mountain biking and snowboarding. He is also an engaged father, supporting his two daughters in dance activities. Charles resides in Anaheim Hills with his wife Angel and their daughters Cameron and Kyle.

Ford Howell is a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services in Long Beach, CA, holding a Series 66 designation with 26 years in the industry. He has been with UBS since 2005. Outside of his advisory role, Howell serves as a successor trustee for a family retirement account. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory services, including fee-based financial planning and portfolio management. The firm combines institutional trading capabilities with wealth management, leveraging proprietary research and a broad platform of financial products.

Michael Nelson is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with 20 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Cetera. He has worked at Cetera and Cetera Financial Specialists since 2013 and is also associated with Petersen International Underwriters and Foresight Wealth, where he serves as owner. Nelson is licensed to sell disability insurance through multiple firms. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is a large SEC-registered advisory firm that serves a diverse client base including individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services through a multi-manager platform, providing advisors with access to various model portfolios and third-party money managers.

Jagruti Makwana is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Long Beach, CA, holding a Series 66 designation and 17 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Citi Wealth Management, J.P. Morgan Securities, Avantax Advisory Services, Bank of America, and Merrill Lynch. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolio programs, and access to third-party asset management, with advice delivered by investment adviser representatives using various strategic approaches.

Eric Chang is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and 27 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Prudential Insurance Company of America and Pruco Securities, LLC for 23 years before joining Equitable Advisors. Outside of his advisory role, he owns CJ Capital Insurance & Financial Services, Inc., which sells fixed life, health, disability, and medical insurance products. Equitable Advisors serves a range of clients including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and asset-management programs through a network of advisers, utilizing third-party asset managers and LPL-sponsored advisory solutions.

Edwin Yi is a financial advisor at Ameriprise in Torrance, CA, holding a Series 66 credential with two years of industry experience. He previously worked at Kinecta Federal Credit Union and LPL Financial. Yi is also employed at Kinecta Wealth Management, where he is involved in investment management. Ameriprise offers retirement-income planning services primarily for individuals with significant investable assets, combining research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver tailored recommendations. The firm provides a broad range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions through its affiliated companies.

Aubrey Robertson is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management in Lakewood, CA, holding a Series 66 designation and 16 years of industry experience. He has worked with Thrivent Financial since 2017 and has prior experience at Wells Fargo Advisors and Raymond James Financial. Outside of his advisory role, Robertson is an author of Christian books and content. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients, offering goal-based analyses and written recommendations on various planning topics without discretionary trading authority. The firm’s approach combines planning with managed-account programs under a consolidated billing option while maintaining separation between these services.

Bryan Kang is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with 14 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has worked at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Chase Investment Services Corp since 2012. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to plan sponsors, corporations, endowments, and other institutional clients through a non-discretionary advisory program focused on written asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting. The firm’s advisory process combines quantitative screening and qualitative research to build model asset allocations and may incorporate an ESG eligibility framework.

Kevin Coyle is a CFP® with 14 years of experience in the financial industry, currently serving at Morgan Stanley since 2017. Prior to this, he worked at Merrill from 2011 to 2017. He holds the Series 66 designation. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management provides a wide range of advisory programs to both individual and institutional clients, offering tailored financial planning and managing approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets. Their planning process emphasizes structured discovery and firm-approved tools, while clients retain responsibility for plan implementation and updates.

Gary Tsou is a financial advisor at Merrill with Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and five years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at Bank of America, Merrill, Nylife Securities LLC, and New York Life Insurance Company. He has also held positions at California State College Fullerton and Mountain San Antonio College. Merrill, together 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 offers model-based and discretionary investment strategies designed for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Njambi Hooks currently serves as a Branch Leader at Fidelity Investments, a role she has held since 2023. In this capacity, she leads, manages, and coaches a team of professionals focused on understanding client needs and assisting them throughout their financial planning journeys. Prior to this position, she gained extensive experience across various roles at Fidelity Investments, including Wealth Management Planning Consultant from 2017 to 2023, Senior Relationship Manager from 2014 to 2017, and Private Client Specialist from 2012 to 2013. Her professional background also includes a Vice President, Director of Operations role at Beacon Pointe Wealth Advisors from 2013 to 2014, and earlier experience at HSBC Private Bank as an Assistant Vice President and Relationship Officer from 2007 to 2012. She began her career in banking with Wells Fargo Bank, serving as a Client Service Consultant and Assistant Branch Manager between 1999 and 2007. Njambi holds a California Insurance License. Outside of her professional responsibilities, Njambi has personal interests that include cooking and baking, exploring culinary experiences as a foodie, running, traveling, and practicing yoga.

Sandy Gage is a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. She brings extensive experience in wealth management, specializing in helping high-net-worth individuals preserve their principal through tax-efficient strategies and facilitating effective wealth transfers. Sandy's practice emphasizes personalized financial planning tailored to clients' unique goals, including family wealth management, legacy planning, tax minimization, and retirement income strategies. Her career began in 1985 on the trading floor of Security Pacific Bank, where she focused on tax-free bond portfolios. Following a series of mergers, her firm became part of Bank of America and later Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Sandy completed executive education at Wharton in 2003, enhancing her expertise in financial advisory services. She holds the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation and has maintained a focus on client-centric strategies throughout her career. Outside of her professional endeavors, Sandy is actively involved in her community through St. Paul The Apostle Church and supports Dana Farber Cancer Research. An avid runner, she has completed marathons across all seven continents, the six World Marathon Majors, all 50 states, and several 100-mile ultra marathons. She balances her career with family life, sharing her passion for running and philanthropy with her husband and four adult children.

Daniel Lasker is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 14 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association since 2011 and 2015, respectively. He is based in Long Beach, CA. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer offering a range of advisory programs to individuals and institutional clients. The firm emphasizes tailored financial planning, utilizing firm-approved tools and scenarios developed by its Global Investment Committee.

Monica Dickson is a CFP®-credentialed financial advisor with Edward Jones, based in Long Beach, CA. She has 10 years of industry experience and has been with Edward Jones since 2015. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management and offers a range of advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee strategies, separately managed accounts, and tax-efficient services under a fiduciary standard.

Akhil Pruthi is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Orange, CA, with 11 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations and previously worked at JP Morgan Chase for seven years before joining Edward Jones. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a range of advisory services including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee strategies, managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds.

Esperanza Padilla Gomez is a financial advisor at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors with 31 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including UBS Financial Services and Wells Fargo Clearing. Outside of her advisory work, she owns The Creperee LA, a business in the food industry and dog boarding. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a diverse client base, including individual and institutional clients such as pension and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services through multiple platforms and proprietary model strategies.

John Koyama is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 17 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Cetera and Foresters Financial Service. Outside of his advisory work, he is also the owner of Float Spa Clinic in Torrance, CA. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolios, and institutional platforms, supported by extensive operational tools and a large network of over 22,800 advisors.

Zhuang Tantiwasadakran is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Walnut, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 28 years of industry experience. He has worked with Linsco/Private Ledger Corp. since 2007 and previously at 1717 Capital Management Company for five years. Outside of advisory work, he is involved in an independent fixed insurance business focusing on life, health, disability, fixed annuity, and long-term care insurance. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers financial planning, model portfolios, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms, combining a large advisory network with a range of non-advisory financial services.

Kevin Marumoto is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Irvine, CA, holding a Series 63 designation and 32 years of industry experience. He has been with Ameriprise and its affiliate Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. since 2005. Outside of advising, he sublets office space to other advisors under a master lease arrangement. Ameriprise provides a retirement-income planning service targeting individuals with significant investable assets, combining research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver personalized, non-discretionary recommendations. The firm offers a broad range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions typical of a large institutional provider.

Pierre Biscaichipy is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 30 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has been with Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. since 2015, as well as Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, he serves on the advisory board and finance committee of the Devil Pups Foundation, a nonprofit focused on children and youth, where he is involved in fundraising, marketing, and administrative duties. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving both individual and institutional clients with comprehensive financial planning and advisory programs. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and employs a structured planning process supported by firm‑approved tools and research.