Clifford Straub is a CFP® and Series 66 credentialed financial advisor with 20 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Lifestyle Financial Strategies, LLC, where he has worked since 2006. Prior to that, he was with WRP Investments Inc for two years. Straub serves as a trustee of the Middletown Rotary Club Scholarship Trust and is on the Board of Directors, including the Executive and Finance Committees, of Middlesex United Way. Lifestyle Financial Strategies provides holistic financial planning and investment advisory services to individuals, families, and not-for-profit organizations. The firm emphasizes disciplined asset allocation and non-discretionary advisory relationships, with a notable client focus on charitable and not-for-profit entities.

John Bubello is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with 20 years of industry experience. He is the principal at Compass Retirement, LLC, an independent firm he has led since 2011. Prior to founding Compass Retirement, he worked at Everlist, LLC from 2014 to 2017. Outside of his advisory role, he manages an income-producing real estate entity as a part-time activity. Compass Retirement, LLC serves individuals and high-net-worth clients with customized financial planning and discretionary portfolio management, as well as consulting services for retirement plan sponsors. The firm employs a diversified, asset-class allocation approach guided by Modern Portfolio Theory and focuses on retirement-plan clients, advising approximately $167 million in retirement-plan assets.

Dennis O'Connor is the sole advisor at Brae Head, Inc. in Essex, CT, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials with 21 years of industry experience. He has been with Brae Head, Inc. since 1997. Brae Head, Inc. provides fee-only, discretionary portfolio management and basic financial planning to individuals, families, trusts, businesses, and retirement plans, including charitable organizations. The firm uses a disciplined, systematic investment process based on Modern Portfolio Theory and actively manages diversified equity and fixed-income portfolios, serving a relatively small client base with approximately $82 million in assets under management.

John Stalega is the principal of JGS Wealth Management, LLC in Colchester, CT, holding the PFS™ designation and Series 65 license with 15 years of industry experience. He has operated his CPA and financial planning practice since 2005, providing tax preparation and accounting services to individuals and small businesses. His accounting practice occasionally offers investment advice as an incidental service. JGS Wealth Management provides ongoing portfolio advisory and comprehensive financial planning for individual clients, emphasizing Modern Portfolio Theory and passive investment strategies. The firm uses broadly diversified equity and fixed-income allocations, often employing third-party portfolio managers for portfolio construction and oversight.

Sally Kennedy is a CFP® and Series 65 licensed advisor with 12 years of industry experience. She is the sole advisor at Real Financial Planning, LLC, an independent firm based in Guilford, CT. In addition to financial planning, she is involved in tax preparation. Real Financial Planning serves individual clients and small businesses, offering fee-only, as-needed financial planning focused on cash flow, tax planning, education funding, retirement and estate planning, and investment selection. The firm emphasizes asset allocation, diversification, and tax considerations, providing written analyses without managing client assets or charging percentage-of-assets fees.

James Davis IV is a ChFC®-designated financial advisor with 39 years of industry experience. He has been the sole advisor at Capital Planning Consultants, LLC since 1986. In addition to his advisory role, Mr. Davis spends a small portion of his time on tax preparation services. Capital Planning Consultants, LLC is an independent, state-registered investment adviser managing approximately $37 million for individuals, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm emphasizes fundamental analysis and long-term investment strategies, operating primarily on a non-discretionary basis where clients retain final trading decisions.

Raymond Serra Jr. is a financial advisor with Narrow Path Guidance, LLC and holds the PFS™ designation along with Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. He has 11 years of industry experience and previously worked at Royal Alliance Associates, Inc., Richard A. Norkun & Associates, LLC, and FSC Securities Corporation. In addition to his advisory work, he is a CPA and member of Serra & Associates LLC, an accounting practice, and serves as a pastor, elder, and secretary at Christ Community Church. Narrow Path Guidance provides financial planning and investment consultation to individuals, high-net-worth clients, businesses, foundations, and charitable organizations. The firm emphasizes a passive, diversified investment approach focused on low cost and tax efficiency, primarily recommending indexed mutual funds and ETFs, and delivers investment advice through consultation rather than discretionary management.

Keith Henkin is the sole advisor at SmartValue Investment Management LLC in Guilford, CT, with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 registrations and has been with SmartValue since its founding in 2005. SmartValue Investment Management provides personalized investment supervisory and wealth management services to individuals, pension and profit sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and small businesses. The firm follows a bottom-up, value-oriented equity process combined with a top-down and bottom-up approach for fixed income, and emphasizes a no-commission, no-product-sales policy with clients retaining control over their assets.

We believe meaningful financial planning is built on education, genuine partnership, and walking alongside you as you make life's most defining decisions. We are an independent, advice-only financial planning practice. We do not manage investment accounts, sell financial products, or earn commissions. Instead, we sit on the same side of the table as our clients. Our goal is never to tell you what to do, but to help you understand your choices, see what it looks like in practice to implement an idea, and build a clear, plain-English roadmap together. We walk with clients through two transparent, flat-fee ways of working together: Subscription-Based (Ongoing Partnership): Built for growth-minded couples and professionals in their 20s and 30s who are combining their lives and building their financial foundation. Merging accounts, buying a home, or balancing different money habits can create tension. We walk with you as an ongoing guide: helping you organize your money, align joint cash flow, navigate taxes, and build simple, automated habits so you can grow together with peace of mind. Project-Based (Focused Roadmaps): Designed for individuals and families seeking dedicated guidance on a specific transition or major milestone without an ongoing commitment. Whether you are navigating a career change, evaluating retirement readiness, or exploring one of our favorite areas; designing a thoughtful legacy and giving plan to pass assets to loved ones and non-profits, we educate you on how the pieces connect so you can make informed decisions. Our Commitment to Servant Leadership: To us, servant leadership means approaching every conversation with humility, patience, and complete honesty. We believe money is simply a tool to create personal freedom, care for family, give back, and live with purpose. You always retain complete control of your money, with a trusted partner walking beside you.

Frank Flores Jr. is a CFP® professional with 43 years of industry experience and is the principal advisor at Sound Planning and Investments, LLC, an independent firm he founded in 2017. He previously worked at National Planning Corporation for 17 years and spent a year at LPL Financial. Flores also holds life, long-term care, and fixed annuities insurance licenses. Sound Planning and Investments, LLC provides non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and consulting services primarily to individual and small business clients. The firm manages approximately $99 million in assets and employs a long-term, asset-allocation focused approach across multiple asset classes, with client approval required before executing trades.

Thomas Alexa is the principal advisor at Alexa Wealth Management, LLC, an independent firm based in Deep River, CT. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 28 years of industry experience. Prior to founding his firm in 2019, he worked at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors and Ohanesian/Lecours, Inc. He is also a licensed independent insurance agent. Alexa Wealth Management serves primarily individual clients with discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm applies a blend of modern portfolio theory, fundamental analysis, and technical approaches, managing accounts typically on a discretionary basis while focusing on tailored advice aligned with client objectives and risk tolerance.

Douglas Brenneman is the sole advisor at Brenneman Investment Adviser, LLC, an independent firm based in Centerbrook, CT. He holds the CFA® designation and Series 63 license and has 22 years of industry experience, having led his firm since 2004. Brenneman Investment Adviser, LLC offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management and financial planning to individual investors and small business clients. The firm employs a disciplined, active money-management approach that integrates tactical and strategic asset allocation across diverse asset classes and maintains formal quarterly account reviews.

Lawrence Kaplan is a financial advisor at Summit Investment Management, LLC with 36 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has been with Summit since 2009. Kaplan is also a licensed insurance agent in Lyme, CT, selling insurance products alongside his advisory work. Summit Investment Management provides individualized investment advisory and consulting services to individuals, including high net-worth clients, using tailored portfolios that may include stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, and private securities. The firm’s investment approach is based on fundamental analysis and asset-allocation principles, offering ongoing asset management, financial planning, and consulting engagements.

Matthew Fernandez is a financial advisor at Morrissey Wealth Management LLC with a Series 65 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Morrissey Wealth Management, he worked in residential real estate as a licensed salesperson with Century 21 ICON. Morrissey Wealth Management LLC provides discretionary investment management and financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and businesses. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to build primarily long-term portfolios and emphasizes client education through participant meetings and licensed financial-planning materials.

Charles Koncz is a financial advisor with Summit Planning Group, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and over 51 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at LPL Financial and Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation, and he has been involved with Summit Planning Group and related entities since 1995. In addition to advisory services, he is active in insurance sales including long-term care and fixed life insurance products. Summit Planning Group provides financial planning and corporate advisory services primarily to owners of closely held businesses, corporate clients, and high-net-worth individuals. The firm focuses on fee-for-planning engagements involving personal financial, retirement, estate, and business continuation planning, coordinating implementation through clients’ other advisors rather than managing assets directly.

Emily Wood is a CFP® professional with nine years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Jeffrey N. Mehler, CFP LLC. She previously worked at Connecticut Wealth Management, LLC and Asset Strategies, Inc. Wood is a board member of Advancing Connecticut Together and the Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center. Jeffrey N. Mehler, CFP LLC is an independent investment adviser managing approximately $391 million for individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm offers customized financial planning and investment management services, employing a range of strategies including derivatives and margin transactions.

Benjamin Onofrio is a financial advisor with Summit Planning Group, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and eight years of industry experience. He has previously worked at Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation and Summit Asset Management. His other business activities include a non-variable insurance role at Merit Insurance Services. Summit Planning Group provides financial planning and corporate advisory services primarily for owners of closely held businesses, corporate clients, and high-net-worth individuals. The firm focuses on fee-for-planning engagements and coordinates implementation with clients’ other advisors without providing ongoing portfolio management or custody of assets.

Derek Lyon is a CFP® professional at Jeffrey N. Mehler, CFP LLC with one year of experience in financial advising. His prior work history includes roles at Aquilance, LLC, SS&C Technologies, Barnes Group Inc., Hickok & Boardman Insurance Group, and the University of Vermont. Jeffrey N. Mehler, CFP® LLC provides financial planning, investment management, and consulting services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm uses fundamental analysis to build customized portfolios and employs advanced investment strategies including margin and derivatives, managing a largely discretionary asset base with specialized services such as forensic financial statement analysis.

Ryan Morrissey is a CFP® professional with 25 years of industry experience, currently serving at Morrissey Wealth Management LLC. His prior roles include positions at LPL Financial, Northstar Wealth Partners, Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, and his own firm, Retire with Ryan LLC, which focuses on educational content through podcasts, videos, classes, and speaking engagements. He holds the Series 66 designation and is based in North Haven, CT. Morrissey Wealth Management provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, and ERISA retirement-plan services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and businesses. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis with a long-term investment orientation and places a significant emphasis on educational programming and content for clients and plan sponsors.

John Shaw is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with 23 years of industry experience. He has been with Professional Alliance Associates, LLC since 2002 and concurrently serves as a full-time CPA and officer at Mason DiMarco and Shaw PC, a certified public accounting firm where he has worked since 1992. Professional Alliance Associates, LLC operates through fee‑sharing arrangements with other investment management firms and does not provide direct investment advice, manage client assets, or maintain discretionary authority. The firm focuses on operational support rather than hands-on asset management.