Elijah has been a fee-only financial planner for over eight years. In 2025, he started Essa Financial to provide transparent and client-centric financial advice to folks in the Louisville community and beyond. As a teacher, Elijah’s favorite part about being a financial planner is communicating complex planning topics to clients in ways that are more easily understood. He enjoys the education aspect of being a planner, especially in a one-on-one environment. He values deep relationships with clients, and is always willing to listen and learn. He also believes exceptional client service (and swift communication) is the cornerstone of financial planning. Elijah is actively involved in the profession. He is an active volunteer with the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), having previously served on their Genesis board for young advisors for five years and currently serving on the South Region board as the Membership Chair. He also reviews scholarship applications for the CFP Board Center for Financial Planning, which provides assistance to qualified candidates for the CFP® exam. In addition to his role as a planner, Elijah teaches part-time as an adjunct professor at the University of Louisville. Elijah resides in Louisville with his wife, Sarah, and dogs, Landon and Korra. Aside from financial planning and teaching, Elijah spends his time frequenting local coffee shops, running (short distances) around his neighborhood, playing video games, watching the Minnesota Timberwolves, and of course, spending time with friends and family.

Mark Thompson is the sole advisor at MARK Investment Advisors in Louisville, KY, with 15 years of industry experience. He previously operated Thompson Investment Advisors for 35 years before establishing his current firm. Outside of advisory work, he is a minority owner of Whitecloud Technologies, LLC, a company involved in medical spine device inventions and marketing. MARK Investment Advisors provides investment counsel and portfolio management services to individuals, retirement accounts, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm combines technical chart analysis, mathematical measures, and fundamental review to guide investment decisions and may adjust cash allocations to preserve capital during market declines.

Jeb Jarrell is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 10 years of industry experience. He is the founder of Plentiful Wealth, LLC, an independent firm based in Louisville, KY. Prior to founding Plentiful Wealth, he worked at firms including Ameriprise Financial Services and Merrill. Outside of his advisory role, he hosts a podcast focused on Kentucky history and culture and serves as treasurer and board member of a nonprofit providing housing services to the homeless. Plentiful Wealth provides comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management for individuals, high-net-worth clients, nonprofits, and employers. The firm combines fundamental company analysis with modern portfolio theory and offers institutional-style services such as outsourced CIO support for nonprofit endowments and pension consulting for employer plans.

Ross Wright is the sole advisor at Wrightpoint Wealth, holding a Series 65 credential with one year of experience in investment management. He has served with the United States Army Corps of Engineers since 2007 as a Risk Assessment Advisor and Senior Review Manager, leading risk assessments and managing engineering project teams. Wrightpoint Wealth is an investment manager specializing in discretionary management of pooled and institutional-style portfolios. The firm combines fundamental, quantitative, and Modern Portfolio Theory analyses to implement tailored strategies, utilizing proprietary models and third-party portfolios through the Altruist platform.

Patrick Lach is a CFP® and CFA® credentialed financial advisor with 14 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Lach Financial in Louisville, KY. In addition to his advisory work, Lach serves as an Associate Professor of Finance at Indiana University Southeast and contributes to The Wall Street Journal. He also provides consulting related to textbook material and legal expert witness engagements. Lach Financial offers financial planning and portfolio management primarily for individual investors and trusts through ongoing discretionary planning and hourly consulting. The firm employs a long-term, passive buy-and-hold investment strategy based on academic research, utilizing no-load mutual funds and ETFs, including those from Dimensional Fund Advisors.

Kinson Wealth Group helps business owners, families and individuals live boldly with their wealth, have impact that matters and leave a lasting legacy. We guide clients through financial planning processes that align their values and purpose with their financial resources. What we do: - We help clients DISCOVER and communicate what's most important to them - We help clients evaluate their current situation, then DETERMINE the best alternatives and strategies for achieving their financial goals - We help guide and DIRECT clients along their journey of pursuing their goals

Michael Dahlem is the sole advisor and owner of Market Cycle Investments LLC, holding a Series 65 designation with two years of industry experience. He previously managed Dahlem-Hollenbach Ventures L.L.C., a business focused on real estate investments, where he co-founded and serves as co-manager. Prior to his advisory career, he was involved in property management and retired for a period before founding his current firm. Market Cycle Investments LLC is a single-manager investment adviser providing discretionary management of sector-focused ETF portfolios and customized equity portfolios for institutional and qualified clients. The firm utilizes a strategy based on historical, macroeconomic, technical, and sector analysis to adjust allocations according to market risk, aiming to capture market cycles through rotation between long and inverse or leveraged instruments.

Marcus Warren is the principal advisor at Warren Wealth Management & Tax Planning Inc. in Louisville, KY, with 20 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has held roles at several firms, including Gradient Advisors, LLC and The Warren Investment Group, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, Warren serves on the boards of the WHAS Crusade for Children and the Financial Empowerment Academy and is an owner and insurance agent at Syndicate Ins Solutions Incorporated. Warren Wealth Management & Tax Planning Inc. offers investment management, financial and tax planning, and educational seminars to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, technical, charting, and cyclical analysis, employing third-party model portfolios with discretionary oversight, and conducts quarterly account reviews and timely financial planning.

Conner Cloyd is the sole advisor at Cloyd Capital in Louisville, KY, holding a Series 65 credential with one year of industry experience. Prior to founding his independent advisory firm, he worked as a senior project engineer at Vogt Power International while transitioning into financial advising part-time. His engineering background includes managing large capital projects and coordinating team efforts. Cloyd Capital serves individual clients, including high-net-worth households, providing comprehensive financial planning and discretionary investment management. The firm emphasizes passive, low-cost, tax-efficient mutual funds and ETFs tailored to client objectives and risk tolerance, and incorporates detailed retirement planning with Monte Carlo simulations.

David McManus is a financial advisor with Highland Capital Advisors, LLC in Louisville, KY, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 21 years of industry experience. He has been with Highland Capital Advisors since 2011 and previously operated McManus & Associates, Inc. from 2005 to 2019. Outside of advisory work, he offers insurance planning and the sale of fixed insurance products, including life insurance and annuities. Highland Capital Advisors serves individuals, families, retirement plans, trusts, corporations, municipalities, and non-profits with discretionary portfolio management, retirement-plan design, fiduciary investment management, and stand-alone financial planning. The firm utilizes a multi-strategy investment approach incorporating strategic asset allocation, tactical strategies, and various analytical methods, managing portfolios that include equities, bonds, REITs, and factor ETFs.

Brandon Moody is a financial advisor at Thompson Investment Advisors in Louisville, KY, with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at Aquila Distributors, LLC for six years before joining Thompson Investment Advisors in 2021. Thompson Investment Advisors provides investment counsel and portfolio management to individuals and entities such as trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations, primarily serving non-high-net-worth clients. The firm’s investment approach combines technical analysis with fundamental and cyclical factors and manages portfolios mainly on a discretionary basis with a focus on capital preservation during market declines.

Troy Bolton is a financial advisor at Mercurio Wealth Advisors in Louisville, KY, holding a Series 65 designation with 12 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Mercurio Wealth Management and Global Financial Private Capital, LLC. He is also licensed through Mercurio Insurance Services to sell insurance products. Mercurio Wealth Advisors serves individual clients, estates, retirement plans, foundations, and institutions by providing discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting. The firm offers ongoing investment supervision and utilizes third-party tools to assess risk tolerance and consolidate reporting while integrating estate and insurance advice into its planning services.

Paul Stropkay is a CFA® charterholder and financial advisor with 14 years of industry experience. He is the principal of Sapphire Fiduciary Advisors, LLC in Louisville, KY, where he has worked since 2021. Stropkay also serves as a director on the boards of Rockcastle Bancorp and Citizens Bank, providing oversight on banking operations and strategy. Sapphire Fiduciary Advisors offers discretionary investment management to individuals, families, trusts, institutions, and other advisers, managing approximately $90 million in assets. The firm’s investment approach centers on fundamental analysis and the identification of discrepancies between market price and intrinsic value across equities and fixed income, with a client base that includes beneficial owners and institutional mandates.

David Karem is a Series 65-licensed advisor at Blend Wealth in Louisville, KY, with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Blend Wealth, he worked at Legato Financial Group, Inc. and spent five years at Dean Dorton Allen Ford, PLLC. He is also a senior tax accountant at Blend Wealth Accounting LLC, an affiliated firm providing tax and accounting services. Blend Wealth serves individual and family clients, including high-net-worth and business-owner households, as well as employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm uses a passive, Modern Portfolio Theory–based investment approach with diversified portfolios primarily composed of index mutual funds and ETFs, offering integrated wealth management and retirement plan consulting on a discretionary basis.

Ben Allison Jr. is a CFA® charterholder with 13 years of industry experience, currently with Pillar Financial Advisors, LLC in Louisville, KY. He has been with Pillar Financial Advisors since 2013 and previously worked at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. Mr. Allison is also a member of Currypowder Holdings LLC, a non-investment entity that owns Pillar Financial Advisors' business location. Pillar Financial Advisors serves individuals, trusts, estates, and business entities, offering integrated wealth management that includes portfolio management and wealth planning. The firm emphasizes long-term, primarily passive investment strategies using ETFs and mutual funds, with an approach focused on asset allocation and tax-efficient asset location.

Debrah Nocito is a Series 65 licensed advisor with MC Financial Services, Inc. in Louisville, KY, where she has worked since 2013. She has four years of industry experience and is also a licensed life and health insurance agent. MC Financial Services, Inc. is a small registered investment adviser managing approximately $61 million for individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm uses a structured financial planning process and a combination of risk-based asset allocation and tactical adjustments, primarily managing assets on a non-discretionary basis.

Richard Phares is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with seven years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Sapphire Fiduciary Advisors, LLC, an independent firm he joined in 2026 after previous roles at Cerity Partners, ARGI Investment Services, and Pallas Partners. Sapphire Fiduciary Advisors provides discretionary investment management to individuals, families, trusts, institutions, and other advisers, managing approximately $90 million in assets. The firm employs fundamental analysis focused on high-quality securities, using both equity and fixed-income research, and offers advisory, sub-advisory, and tri-party arrangements.

Tabitha Tiefermann is a CFP® with four years of industry experience, currently with Belle Trace Financial Planning in Louisville, KY. She previously worked at Coats Financial Planning, Inc. and E/Financial Alliance. Belle Trace LLC is a fee-only financial planning and investment management firm serving individuals, trusts, estates, and small businesses. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning alongside portfolio management using a long-term buy-and-hold approach focused on no-load mutual funds and passive ETFs, operating on a fixed-fee retainer basis.

Paula Mcconville is a financial advisor with MC Financial Services, Inc. in Louisville, KY, holding a Series 65 designation and 16 years of industry experience. She has been with MC Financial Services since 2009 and also serves as the Chief Financial Officer for GAAB Investments, LLC and related fast food franchise entities in Kentucky and Indiana. MC Financial Services, Inc. is a small registered investment adviser managing approximately $61 million across about 67 client relationships. The firm provides investment management and financial planning to individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate clients, using a mix of risk-based asset allocation and tactical adjustments.

Emily Beilman is a Certified Financial Planner™ at Belle Trace Financial Planning with three years of industry experience. She has previously worked at Coats Financial Planning, Inc. and Plancorp, LLC. Belle Trace LLC is a state-registered, fee-only financial planning and investment management firm serving individuals, trusts, estates, and small businesses. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning alongside investment advice, using a long-term buy-and-hold approach with no-load mutual funds and passive ETFs, operating strictly on a fee-only basis.