Michelle Tipping is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Boca Raton, FL, holding a Series 63 designation and bringing 30 years of industry experience. She has worked at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney since 2009 and has been with Citigroup Global Markets since 1993. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management offers a range of advisory programs for both individuals and institutional clients, focusing on tailored financial planning through its Financial Advisors and Estate Planning Strategies Group. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and employs a structured planning process supported by firm-approved tools and modeling techniques.

Patrick O'Connell is a CFP® professional with 33 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Ameriprise in Fort Lauderdale, FL. He has been with Ameriprise and its predecessor firms since 1992. Ameriprise offers a retirement-income planning service aimed at individuals nearing or in retirement with significant investable assets, providing written Recommendation Reports that address income sources, Social Security options, and tax-smart withdrawal strategies. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis delivered through a centralized consulting team, emphasizing assets held in Ameriprise Managed Accounts and utilizing algorithmic automation overseen by a Retirement Income Oversight Committee.

Robert Margolies is a Series 66 credentialed financial advisor with Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc., based in Fort Lauderdale, FL, with two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Raymond James in 2024, he worked at Stelliam Capital Management and Stelliam Investment Management from 2017 to 2024. He also serves as an insurance agent selling life insurance products and acts as treasurer for his family’s foundation accounts. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a diverse range of clients, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm employs tailored, non-discretionary planning and uses analytical tools such as risk profiling and probability modeling to support client goals, while maintaining notable programs in municipal advisory and SIMPLE IRA employer consulting.

Todd Watson is a financial advisor with RBC Capital Markets in Plantation, FL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 39 years of industry experience. He has worked at RBC Capital Markets since 2014 and at City National Bank since 2016. 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 that provide customized portfolio management, financial planning, and brokerage services tailored to clients’ risk profiles.

David Ramos is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Boca Raton, FL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and having 11 years of industry experience. He has worked with Primerica Advisors since 2014 and was previously associated with AmeriHope Alliance Legal Services for 14 years. Outside of advisory roles, Ramos owns Ramos Financial Network, which operates for Primerica business purposes. Primerica Advisors offers discretionary asset management through its Lifetime Investment Program, providing model-delivery strategies and limited discretionary separately managed account options to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm curates third-party asset managers and delegates model implementation to BNY Mellon Advisors, operating primarily through a tiered wrap-fee structure.

Svitlana Dorofina is a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. She brings over 19 years of experience in the financial services industry, having started her career in 2003 and joined Merrill in 2010. Svitlana specializes in high-net-worth client relationships and offers expertise in areas such as equity compensation services, family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, philanthropic planning, and portfolio management. She approaches wealth management by integrating home, health, leisure, and philanthropy aspects to develop tailored strategies that meet her clients’ goals and aspirations. Svitlana holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance with a minor in Economics from Northeastern Illinois University, where she graduated summa cum laude. She has earned several professional designations, including Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). Fluent in Ukrainian, Russian, and English, she is an active member of the Chicago community and participates in initiatives such as Better Money Habits, a Bank of America program in partnership with Khan Academy, and the Chicago Public Library Foundation Associate Council. Residing in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood with her husband and rescue dog, Svitlana enjoys biking, vegetarian cooking, hiking, running, skiing, traveling, yoga, and reading. She is part of The Sheppard Group team recognized by Forbes as one of the Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams in 2024, and she has been named among Forbes’ Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State for 2023 and 2024 as well as Top Next Generation Wealth Advisors Best-in-State in 2023.

Dawn Burgher is a financial advisor with Merrill in Boca Raton, FL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 33 years of industry experience. She has been with Merrill since 2009. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved in health-related ventures, including ownership of a health coaching business in development and acting as a distributor for a health product company. 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, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies for a range of clients including individuals, high-net-worth investors, and institutions.

Roy Mccullough is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors in Boca Raton, FL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and having 23 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing, Wells Fargo Bank, and PNC Investments and Bank. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network is a large broker-dealer and registered investment adviser that serves individuals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm offers a broad range of financial planning and investment services, including specialized planning for business-owner transitions, sports and entertainment, special-needs analysis, and divorce.

Manuel Kent is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley in 2022, he worked at Goldman Sachs from 2020 to 2022. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management serves both individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs including tailored financial planning supported by firm-approved tools and analytics. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and provides services through Financial Advisors and its Estate Planning Strategies Group.

Diana Plucienkowski is a CFP® with 30 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Cetera. She has worked with Cetera and its affiliated entities since 2019, and previously spent over a decade at Summit Financial Group Inc. She serves as president of Dane Financial Group, a firm focused on financial planning and investment advice, and is treasurer of the Broward Women's Alliance, which administers scholarship donations. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered advisory firm that serves a wide range of clients including individuals, retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional accounts. The firm offers diverse investment solutions through a multi-manager platform and supports both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management across various program structures.

Matthew Holbrook is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Boca Raton, FL, holding a Series 66 designation and 17 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Rockefeller Financial and Raymond James & Associates. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individual and institutional clients through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage services, with access to model portfolios, research, and various investment strategies.

Michael McMahon is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Fort Lauderdale, FL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley Private Bank since 2015 and with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney since 2012. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that provides a range of advisory programs to individuals and institutional clients. The firm offers structured financial planning and investment services, managing approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets.

Vivien Balcker is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Miramar, FL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 21 years of industry experience. She has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2012. Balcker serves on the Board of Directors for A Place in Time Christian Ministries. Ameriprise offers a retirement-income planning service targeted at individuals approaching or in retirement with significant investable assets, providing written recommendation reports that address income sources, Social Security options, and tax-efficient withdrawal strategies. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax analysis to deliver tailored, non-discretionary recommendations primarily for clients with Ameriprise-managed accounts.

Aron Weingard is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience, currently with Raymond James & Associates. He has been with Raymond James since 2015. Outside of his financial advisory role, he volunteers as a counselor and board member for Experience Camps, and is involved in local collaborative law initiatives and nonprofit event leadership in Boca Raton, FL. Raymond James & Associates is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, institutions, and public entities. The firm offers financial planning and non-discretionary investment consulting supported by a broad range of portfolio management styles and affiliated research.

Kenneth Steinmetz is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Janney Montgomery Scott, Bank of America, and Merrill. Steinmetz is based in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large, diversified advisory firm serving individual and institutional clients. It offers a specialized Premier Retirement Income service that provides written recommendation reports and ongoing retirement income planning advice focused on dependable income sources and tax-aware withdrawal strategies.

Jason Freeman is a CFP® with over 32 years of industry experience and is currently affiliated with Wells Fargo Advisors in Boca Raton, FL. He has held various roles within Wells Fargo entities since 2009. Outside of his advisory work, Freeman has ownership interests in MAMIBRO, Inc., a holding company for a financial practice, and Eagle Oak Wealth Partners, LLC, a financial practice based in Boca Raton. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network provides investment and fee-based financial planning services to individuals, trusts, and institutional clients, offering a broad range of planning services including retirement, education, risk, and wealth-transfer planning. The firm uses proprietary research and planning tools to develop tailored recommendations and integrates advisory services with other financial products and referral channels.

Maribeth Bates is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Fort Lauderdale, FL, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. She has previously worked at Lincoln Financial Advisors, Merrill, and Bank of America, and has been with Morgan Stanley since 2020. Bates serves as a board member for the Exit Planning Institute Ft. Lauderdale Chapter, overseeing membership and organizing events for professionals focused on business exit strategies. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management provides a range of advisory programs and financial planning services to individual and institutional clients, managing approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and utilizing firm-approved tools and methodologies to develop tailored financial plans.

John Kerr is a financial advisor at Raymond James & Associates with 13 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has previously worked at Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, and Merrill. Outside of his advisory role, he assists his wife with administrative tasks for her interior design business. Raymond James & Associates is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $501 billion in assets. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning and non-discretionary investment consulting supported by extensive research and a variety of portfolio management styles.

Jason Beutel is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Boca Raton, FL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and possessing 10 years of industry experience. His prior work includes two years at Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and eight years in a previous tenure with UBS Financial Services. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through a range of brokerage and advisory services, including fee-based financial planning and portfolio management. The firm combines institutional trading capabilities with wealth management services, utilizing proprietary research and model-based asset allocations to tailor investment plans.

Wayne Anderman is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 37 years of industry experience. He currently serves at Cetera and previously worked for Avantax entities for over 15 years and Anchor Capital Resources for more than two decades. He is also a member of the Forbes Business Council, where he contributes articles and newsletters. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm supporting a large nationwide network of independent advisors. It serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts, offering a variety of portfolio management and financial planning services with multiple program options and affiliations.