Carlos Benitez is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He serves a select number of high net worth families and business owners through integrated and customized wealth management strategies, including discretionary portfolio management, sophisticated retirement planning, stock-option analysis, and wealth-preservation and transfer strategies. Carlos is both a Domestic and International Financial Advisor. Carlos graduated with honors from the United States Naval Academy with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering concentrating in Nuclear Engineering, where he also played soccer. He holds an M.B.A. from American University Kogod School of Business and graduated Beta Gamma Sigma. He has earned professional designations including CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). Outside of his professional work, Carlos is an avid sports enthusiast who enjoys coaching. He is involved in community organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and the Naval Academy Alumni Foundation. He lives in Boca Raton with his wife Militsa and their four children.

Karen Steppler Krieg is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Edgewater, MD, holding the CFP® designation along with Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. She has 25 years of industry experience and has been with Edward Jones since 2000. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs, discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee strategies, and affiliated investment products. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets with a nationwide network of more than 23,700 financial advisors and 15,000 branch offices.

Breton Laubscher is a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Atlantic Lighting & Irrigation and NV Homes. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, including fee-based financial planning and portfolio management. The firm combines institutional trading capabilities with wealth management services and utilizes proprietary research and model-based asset allocations to tailor plans to clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Wesley Hayward is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Washington, DC, holding a Series 66 credential and eight years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley and its Private Bank since 2018. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management provides advisory programs and tailored financial planning services to individuals and institutional clients, managing approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets. The firm uses structured planning tools and modeling techniques to support its financial planning process while offering a broad suite of retail and institutional investment services.

Francine Porter is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 42 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Wells Fargo since 2016, including a brief tenure at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers a range of brokerage and advisory solutions supported by research from Wells Fargo Investment Institute and third-party sources.

Laura Gonzalez Portillo is a financial advisor at Merrill with a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. She has been with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated since 2013. 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 serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations using model-based and discretionary investment strategies developed by internal and third-party managers.

Sheri Mergenthaler is a CFP® professional with 14 years of industry experience, currently with Cetera in Annapolis, MD. She has held prior roles at Avantax Advisory Services and 1ST Global Capital Corp., among others. Sheri also serves as a committee member on the Maryland Association of CPAs (MACPA) Investment Committee, overseeing the organization's investment fund. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is a nationwide SEC-registered advisory platform serving individual, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients through a multi-manager approach that includes discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to third-party money managers.

Edward Hughes is a CFP® professional affiliated with Wells Fargo Clearing in Washington, DC, with 22 years of industry experience. He has worked at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC and Wells Fargo Clearing since 2010. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting services to qualified ERISA plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory solutions grounded in an IPS-driven process and modern portfolio theory. The firm includes a broad range of financial products, such as insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options, in its investment menus.

Jacqueline Perrins is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in Washington, DC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 29 years of industry experience. She has worked with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. since 2016 and has been with J.P. Morgan Securities and its predecessor, Chase Securities Inc., since 2001. Outside of her advisory role, Perrins serves as a director for Explore Museum, a nonprofit organization focused on educational programs for children in the DC metropolitan area. J.P. Morgan Securities provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors, combining quantitative asset-allocation modeling with centralized due diligence and an ESG eligibility framework to inform its recommendations.

Jeremy Milo is a financial advisor with Fidelity, holding a Series 66 designation and five years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Fidelity Investments since 2020, prior experience at Bloomberg Industry Group, and running his own law office from 2011 to 2020. He is affiliated with Strategic Advisers LLC, a Fidelity Investments company that provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients. The firm uses a blend of fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction to manage portfolios, including discretionary and non-discretionary advisory services, fund advisory, and model portfolio delivery.

John Rohrs is a financial advisor at Merrill with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at T. Rowe Price for ten years before joining Merrill and Bank of America in 2026. 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 individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Carey Greenauer is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 26 years of industry experience. He is currently with UBS Financial Services, where he has worked since 2022. Prior to that, he held positions at Bank of America and Merrill, with a combined tenure of nearly three decades in the financial sector. UBS Financial Services Inc. serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, including financial planning, portfolio management, and mutual fund distribution. The firm integrates institutional trading capabilities with wealth management services and utilizes proprietary research and model-based asset allocations to tailor strategies to clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Christopher Malay is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 15 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC and Wells Fargo Clearing since 2009. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering services such as investment policy statement preparation, investment recommendations, performance reporting, and participant education. The firm’s advisory approach is IPS-driven and grounded in modern portfolio theory, including discretionary options and a broader set of financial product offerings than typical large institutional advisers.

Leigh Long is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 32 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Merrill from 1993 to 2021 before joining Morgan Stanley in 2021. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and is based in Washington, DC. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management provides a range of advisory programs to individuals and institutional clients, including tailored financial planning supported by firm-approved tools and models. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and offers services both directly and through corporate agreements.

Cary Piligian is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 16 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney since 2024, following a 14-year tenure with Merrill and Bank of America. Cary is currently based in Washington, DC. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management serves both individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs and tailored financial planning through its network of Financial Advisors and Estate Planning Strategies Group. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and employs structured planning tools to guide its services.

Matthew Halverson is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley in Washington, DC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with two years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Charles Schwab Co., Inc., Lockheed Martin, and Newbern Excel Marketing Firm, as well as several years in full-time education. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs including tailored financial planning supported by structured discovery and firm-approved tools.

Joseph Martin is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Silver Spring, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 42 years of industry experience. He has been with Ameriprise since 1984. Outside of his advisory role, he leases land for cow grazing and farmland leasing in West Virginia. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large, diversified firm serving both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a specialized Premier Retirement Income service that provides written retirement income plans and ongoing advice focused on dependable income sources and tax-aware withdrawal strategies.

Jessica Marxer is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors with 26 years of industry experience. She has held various roles within Wells Fargo, including positions at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC and Wells Fargo Clearing. Marxer holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network is a large broker-dealer and registered investment adviser affiliated with Wells Fargo that provides investment and fee-based financial planning services to individuals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm offers a broad planning menu and tailored recommendations supported by Wells Fargo research and planning tools.

Caitlin Luchkiw is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with two years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has prior work experience at Giant Grocery and Torrid. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer managing approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and financial planning services to both individual and institutional clients, utilizing structured discovery processes and advanced planning tools.

Eman Mossadeghi is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, specializing in retirement strategies and portfolio management. Since joining the firm in 2013, he has developed expertise in areas including corporate executive services, executive compensation, divorce transition planning, legacy planning, tax minimization, and socially responsible investing. Eman is a member of the Evolve Wealth Management Group and has received recognition including inclusion on the 2022-2025 Forbes "America's Top Wealth Management Teams High Net Worth" list, the 2025 Forbes "Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams" list for the District of Columbia, and Barron's top 1,200 Financial Advisors from 2018 through 2024. Eman holds a Bachelor's Degree in Finance from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech). His professional designations include Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC™), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). He is fluent in English and Spanish. Based in Alexandria, Virginia, Eman lives with his wife and two sons. He is an avid Washington D.C. sports fan and a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. Outside of work, he volunteers with the Virginia Tech Alumni Association.