Jitin Singhal is a CFA® charterholder with 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at EJ Financial Corp. since 2004 and held roles at Farmer Mac from 2005 to 2019 and Sallie Mae since 2025, where he is Sr. Director of Portfolio Analytics and Strategy. EJ Financial Corporation provides investment advice and finance and technology consulting to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm combines quantitative and economic analysis to guide investment decisions and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary management, alongside educational seminars and financial consultations for private companies and government entities.

As a member of the financial independence community, I understand the value of quality fee only advice catering to the complex and "nontraditional" route we are taking to life. I have built a "lifestyle" practice, where I can serve clients, maintain my balanced lifestyle with two girls, pursue my hobbies and travel. I primarily work with clients on an ongoing retainer basis, charged with a monthly billing arrangement. For legacy (separated) clients or family of clients, I offer hourly based planning. I also prepare tax returns and manage assets, both of which I charge a separate fee for. After graduating from University of Maryland, College Park, I worked in public accounting doing tax preparation and consulting for high net worth individuals, estates and trusts. I changed careers into financial planning in 2013, working mainly with clients pursuing a traditional retirement path, including attorneys, physicians, executives and families with wealth. After working for a large planning firm in the DC area, I launched my firm in 2018. I am a CFP® and CPA. Given my background, I specialize in tax planning, retirement planning and frugality!

John Rathnam is the sole advisor at Rathnam Capital, LLC, an independent firm based in Bluemont, VA. He holds the CFA® designation and Series 65 license, with 21 years of industry experience. Rathnam has led Rathnam Capital since its founding in 2010. Rathnam Capital serves individual and high-net-worth clients, managing approximately $81 million across about three dozen households. The firm provides discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting, utilizing customized asset allocation strategies and third-party sub-advisers to address a range of investment needs.

Eric Norberg is the principal of EAN Equity Financial Services LLC, an independent firm based in Leesburg, VA. He holds the CFP® and ChFC® designations and has 11 years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked at PKS Investment Advisors LLC for one year. In addition to his advisory work, Norberg provides CPA tax preparation and small life insurance sales through his firm. EAN Equity Financial Services offers personalized financial planning and investment management to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm employs a combination of strategic and tactical asset allocation using both active and passive investment vehicles and fundamental security analysis, and maintains a tax-preparation practice alongside its advisory services.

David Pickei is the sole advisor at Reye Partners Asset Management LLC in Leesburg, VA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 24 years of industry experience. He has been with Reye Partners since 2005. Reye Partners Asset Management provides discretionary, separately managed investment management and portfolio consulting services primarily for individual clients and trusts. The firm serves both high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth clients, emphasizing portfolio composition, due diligence, diversification, and capital preservation through a manager-of-managers approach.

Eric Smeby is the sole advisor at eSmeb Inc. in Leesburg, VA, holding a Series 65 designation with 16 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Capital One, Camino Financial, and Ellucian, among others. He is also involved with affiliated entities FTToken Inc. and Waterfall Wealth LLC. eSmeb Inc. delivers automated investment advisory services through its online platform, WaterfallWealth.ai, serving individual investors and companies seeking rules-based portfolio management without in-person advice. The firm’s algorithmic approach incorporates trend-based weighting, risk scoring, and automated rebalancing, offering managed model portfolios and self-directed custom portfolios entirely via the Internet.

Kevin Bernard is a financial advisor at Pivot Capital Management, LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 credentials and has worked in various roles at firms including Avantax Insurance Agency and Solomon Edwards. In addition to his advisory work, he is a licensed CPA and serves as Director of Assurance and Federal Practice at a public accounting and consulting firm, as well as managing member and CEO of a bookkeeping, tax preparation, and consulting firm. Pivot Capital Management provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm customizes investment strategies using a broad range of asset classes and employs both discretionary and non-discretionary account management tailored to client suitability and changing circumstances.

Bryan Lohr is a financial advisor at Present Value Financial Services LLC with seven years of industry experience and a Series 65 credential. He has been with Present Value Financial Services since 2018 following a period of semi-retirement from 2015 to 2018. Present Value Financial Services serves individual and family clients with financial planning, investment management, tax preparation, and financial education. The firm employs a fiduciary standard, using bottom-up fundamental analysis combined with capital market techniques to construct diversified, tax-aware portfolios and offers fee structures that do not rely on assets under management.

Robert Allen is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with 22 years of industry experience. He has been the principal at Allen Investment Management since 2014. Allen Investment Management serves individual investors, foundations, charitable organizations, businesses, and pension/profit-sharing plans by providing discretionary investment supervisory services combined with integrated financial planning. The firm emphasizes a value-oriented, long-term investment approach supplemented by active sector rotation or limited short-term trades and manages roughly $27.1 million in discretionary client assets across approximately 41 client relationships.

Sean Defrehn is a financial advisor at DeFrehn Consulting with 9 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Triad Advisors, Inc. and OSAIC. Outside of financial advising, he teaches hunter safety classes for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. DeFrehn Consulting is an independent firm serving clients from Adamstown, MD.

Mark Helm is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, with 22 years of experience in financial advisory. He has been the sole advisor and founder of Helm Financial Advisors, LLC since 2003. Helm Financial Advisors, LLC is a fee-only, state-registered firm providing holistic financial planning and investment advisory services primarily to individuals and families. The firm employs a retainer and project fee model, offers integrated tax preparation and IRS representation, and focuses on non-discretionary advice with client-approved trading.

Jonathan Peyton is a CFP® professional with 21 years of experience in financial advisory services. He is the principal of Different Investments, LLC, an independent firm based in Ashburn, VA, and has held roles at firms including USAA and LPL Financial. Outside of advising, Peyton is involved in multiple business ventures such as a publishing firm producing educational content and a business consulting service. Different Investments, LLC offers discretionary investment management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business clients. The firm employs a range of analytical techniques to customize portfolios and provides specialized planning services including divorce consulting, exit planning, and special-needs planning.

Bradley Piesco is the managing principal of Magpie Consulting LLC, an independent advisory firm based in Leesburg, VA. He holds the CFP® and ChFC® designations and has 16 years of industry experience. Piesco has led Magpie Consulting since 2007. Magpie Consulting LLC provides fee-only asset management and financial planning services to individual clients, including high-net-worth and private investors. The firm uses a disciplined financial planning process and constructs diversified portfolios mainly with exchange-traded funds, offering both discretionary and nondiscretionary management options.

Diane Case is the principal of Shenandoah Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 20 years of industry experience. She has operated as a sole proprietor since 1993 and worked at Gradient Advisors, LLC from 2015 to 2016. In addition to her financial advisory work, she is a licensed insurance agent and dedicates approximately 25% of her time to that practice. Shenandoah Financial provides financial planning and consulting services to individuals and small businesses, referring clients to third-party money managers for investment management. The firm assists clients with tailored financial plans, monitors third-party manager performance, and handles related administrative tasks.

Melanie Brophy is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 12 years of experience in the financial services industry. She has worked at Next Play Financial Solutions, LLC since 2018 and previously spent five years with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Next Play Financial is an independent, fee-only advisory firm serving individual and high-net-worth clients with investment management and comprehensive financial planning. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes passive strategies using diversified index funds and ETFs, supplemented by fundamental analysis and select third-party managers.

Rahul Aggarwal is the sole advisor at Aris Alpha LLC, holding a Series 65 designation with one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Accenture Federal Service and several other firms. Aris Alpha LLC provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals and high-net-worth clients, employing fundamental analysis and a long-term trading approach. The firm offers a broad range of investment options and manages accounts on a discretionary basis, tailoring strategies to each client’s risk tolerance and objectives.

Jessie Rancourt is the principal of Opportunity Cost Investors LLC and holds the Series 65 designation with four years of industry experience. Prior to founding the firm in 2019, Jessie worked at Harris Miller Miller & Miller and UFA, Inc., and concurrently serves at the Federal Aviation Administration. Jessie is also the owner of Opportunity Cost Media, which produces finance-related content on YouTube. Opportunity Cost Investors LLC is a solo registered investment adviser that provides discretionary portfolio management to retail clients, primarily focusing on a fundamental, value-oriented investment approach targeting deeply discounted, high-quality public equity securities. The firm manages a small number of concentrated portfolios and operates an affiliated media outlet aligned with its investment views.

Gregory Gooden is a financial advisor at RGC Wealth Planning Group in Ashburn, VA, holding a Series 65 credential. He has a background in technology and consulting, having worked at Microsoft Corporation, Amazon Web Services, Deloitte Consulting, and BambeCo. Outside of advising, he is involved with Gooden Publishing House, which produces financial education content under the Smart Money Whispers brand. RGC Wealth Planning Group provides comprehensive, planning-centered financial advice tailored to individuals, families, professionals, business owners, and high-net-worth clients. The firm focuses on education and consultative planning without discretionary trading authority or asset-based fees.

John Vyge is a CFP® professional with 21 years of experience in financial planning. He founded Bold Financial Planning in 2004 and currently operates as the sole advisor at Hillebrand Financial Planning LLC in Ashburn, VA. Hillebrand Financial Planning LLC provides fee-only financial planning and investment management services to individuals, trusts, and small businesses. The firm emphasizes a strategic, core-and-satellite investment approach using passive index and ETF exposures, offers various engagement models including project-based planning and educational workshops, and manages approximately $60.9 million in assets across 37 clients.

Tarif Homsi is a financial advisor at Noorvest with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at JPMorgan Securities, UBS Financial Services, and Spire Wealth Management. Noorvest provides fee-based investment management and financial planning primarily for individual clients, including high-net-worth individuals, as well as trusts, estates, and certain business entities. The firm specializes in socially responsible Islamic investing, using qualitative halal and financial screens to construct portfolios that comply with specific ethical guidelines.