Benjamin Smith, CFP®, is the founder and owner of Briarwood Financial, a comprehensive financial services firm providing wealth management, tax preparation, accounting, and business consulting for individuals and business owners nationwide. Benjamin enjoys working directly with clients to help them navigate the complexities that wealth inevitably brings. His approach combines financial planning, tax strategy, and business advisory services—ensuring that every piece of a client’s financial picture works together efficiently and intentionally. Before launching Briarwood, Benjamin served as a Financial Advisor at Cetera Investment Services, an independent broker-dealer. There, he specialized in developing customized investment portfolios guided by long-term strategic planning. His drive to offer clients more holistic, tax-integrated advice led him to expand his practice beyond traditional advising and establish Briarwood Financial as a full-service firm. Benjamin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a concentration in Economics from Seattle Pacific University and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional. Earlier in his career, he gained valuable experience in sales, operations, and management within the telecommunications industry—skills that helped shape his practical, results-oriented approach to leadership and client service. At the heart of his philosophy are integrity, honesty, and competence. He believes true financial planning is built on trust, clarity, and a genuine commitment to helping clients make informed, confident decisions that align with their values and long-term goals.

Jesse Dungan is a financial advisor at Fangorn Wealth Management with Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining the firm, he spent 10 years at Amazon Corporate LLC. Outside of advising, he works as a compensated soccer referee in Kent, WA. Fangorn Wealth Management serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, small businesses, and charitable foundations with financial planning and portfolio management. The firm utilizes diversified, tax-aware investment strategies and applies Modern Portfolio Theory, scenario analysis, and stress testing to manage risk, while also providing estate and charitable-planning guidance and educational seminars.

Julie Wurst is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience. She has operated her independent advisory firm, Julie A. Wurst, CFP, LLC, in Tacoma, WA, since 2017. Her firm provides advisory services to individual clients, including high-net-worth individuals, as well as small businesses and trusts. The firm employs a globally diversified, low-cost investment approach primarily using index mutual funds and ETFs, and offers customized financial planning and consulting through various communication methods.

Gregory Merrill is the sole advisor at Strategic Asset Management in Tacoma, WA, holding a Series 65 designation with 31 years of industry experience. He has been with Strategic Asset Management since 1995. Strategic Asset Management serves individual investors across various account types, offering discretionary portfolio management and investment advice. The firm employs a combination of fundamental and technical analysis to guide investment decisions and incorporates private limited partnerships for accredited clients, along with operational practices aimed at fairness in trade execution.

Jacy Hixon is the president and chief compliance officer of Crossroads Advisor Network LLC and has 20 years of experience in the financial industry. He is also president and co-owner of Advisor Systems Inc., a technology company serving financial advisers. Prior to his current roles, he has been self-employed as a business consultant since 2015. Crossroads Advisor Network LLC provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and pension consulting services for pooled vehicles, institutional retirement accounts, businesses, trusts, and individual clients. The firm’s investment approach incorporates technical, cyclical, and fundamental analysis and may include options strategies, margin, and derivatives in separately managed accounts.

Laurence Elvins is the sole advisor at Tacoma Investment Group in Tacoma, WA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 31 years of industry experience. He has led Tacoma Investment Group since its founding in 1995. Tacoma Investment Group provides discretionary portfolio management for individuals, trusts, retirement accounts, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm emphasizes fundamental and qualitative analysis, asset allocation, and long-term investment strategies tailored to client-specific considerations, and it uniquely serves both individual and institutional clients as an independent solo advisor.

Elaine Chan is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) with 20 years of industry experience. She has been the sole advisor at FIOH Global Asset Management and Strategies, LLC since 2011. FIOH Global Asset Management and Strategies is an independent registered investment adviser serving individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, financial and retirement planning, benefit plan consultation, and divorce settlement consulting, using tailored strategies with stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs.

Jeremy Despain is a financial advisor with Advent Capital Strategies, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing eight years of industry experience. He previously worked at Key Investment Services and Kms Financial Services, Inc., and has been involved with Bible Baptist Church for over ten years. Advent Capital Strategies provides discretionary investment management and retirement-plan consulting to individuals, families, trusts, employer-sponsored plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm’s approach focuses on passive, asset-class-based portfolios primarily composed of index mutual funds and ETFs, tailoring asset allocations to client objectives, time horizons, and risk tolerances.

Brian Skaggs is a CFP® professional with 23 years of industry experience. He founded and has operated Skaggs Financial Planning, LLC since 2002 in Burien, WA. Skaggs Financial Planning, LLC serves individual and high-net-worth clients with portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning, including hourly and pro bono advisory work. The firm follows a market-efficient investment approach based on Modern Portfolio Theory, emphasizing asset allocation and typically using no-load, institutional mutual funds and ETFs.

Terry Bradford-Crane is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® practitioner with over 25+ years of financial services industry experience as a financial advisor and registered representative, financial literacy advocate, guest speaker, educator, and adjunct faculty member for MBA and CFP® education and certification programs. Terry helps clients create pathways to financial and professional wellness by aligning values, financial and non-financial resources, and a clear vision for a fulfilled quality of life. Terry is also the managing partner and financial officer of Allied Approach Group, LLC, an aviation test and evaluation consulting firm. She volunteers for the Foundation for Financial Planning and multiple business leadership and mentoring programs. Terry is a member of the XY Planning Network and the Financial Planning Association of Puget Sound. Terry holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the United States Naval Academy, a Master of Business Administration from California Lutheran University, and is a Taekwondo Master, 4th Dan.

Jeremiah Job is a CFP® and ChFC® with 15 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Columbia Strategic Wealth Advisors, LLC since 2020. His prior experience includes roles at Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company and Hornor Townsend & Kent Inc. He also works as a strategy consultant at Kaiser Permanente of Washington Health Plan, focusing on analytics and capital budget reporting. Columbia Strategic Wealth Advisors is an independent firm providing financial planning and investment management to individual clients, emphasizing a non-discretionary, personalized approach that incorporates various analysis methods and a range of planning engagement options.

Pravin Davrey is the principal of Emerald Pacific Investment Advisors LLC in Tacoma, WA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 16 years of industry experience. He has worked with Farmers Insurance Company since 2025 and has been involved with Emerald Pacific Investment Advisors since 2021 and Emerald Pacific Capital LLC since 2016. Outside of investment advisory, he is the managing principal and mortgage broker at Emerald Pacific Capital, a consumer loan company that originates mortgage and commercial loans. Emerald Pacific Investment Advisors provides non-discretionary, customized investment advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, partnerships, and corporations. The firm typically constructs diversified portfolios using stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, and REITs, employing both fundamental and technical analysis, and manages portfolios with client approval.

I help women achieve financial independence (FI), so they can live life on their own terms. I am you. My journey into personal finance started unexpectedly almost 30 years ago when my mother developed cancer and was eventually left disabled. I hired a financial advisor to help my parents with their finances. He sold them expensive load funds (5.75%) that enriched him while hampering their returns. After a year and a half, I caught on, fired him and began overseeing our family’s finances myself. As an investor and financial planner, I’ve noticed that while women have made tremendous strides educationally and professionally, this has not always translated into greater financial security and personal freedom. Why? Based on my experience, a big part of that is the cultural stories that we’ve inherited regarding our roles and responsibilities to others at the expense of ourselves. But, only when we take ownership of our stories can we take ownership of our lives and make the most of our resources, including money. As with any resource, money has its own energy. I can teach you to master it, so it becomes the wind on your back to help you realize your Life’s mission and vision. Our society equates money with wealth. While there is overlap, in my opinion, they are different. Money is the means to live life on our own terms. But, wealth is the recognition that a life well-lived means taking care of ourselves and then our family and our community.

Alexander Morrow is a CFP® with eight years of experience in the financial industry. He is the sole advisor at Faire Capital Group, an independent firm based in Gig Harbor, WA. His prior work includes roles at KPMG, Cpwm, LLC, and Wright Investment Properties. Faire Capital Group provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, churches, and corporations. The firm constructs customized portfolios utilizing ETFs, mutual funds, and individual securities, employing fundamental analysis, modern portfolio theory, and cyclical analysis.

Rafe Johnson is a financial advisor at Anchor Financial in Tacoma, WA, with one year of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has prior experience at Bankers Life Securities, Bankers Life & Casualty, and the Medicare Exchange. Anchor Financial serves primarily individual clients with a small, concentrated practice managing about $5.7 million in assets. The firm offers discretionary asset management focused on mutual funds and ETFs, retirement plan services, and uses a mix of fundamental, technical, and charting analysis to tailor investment strategies to client objectives.

Donald Foy is a financial advisor at Columbia River Advisors with 22 years of experience in the industry. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked with firms including LPL Financial and Raymond James Financial Services. In addition to his advisory role, he owns Summit Tax Services. Columbia River Advisors provides investment advice and portfolio management primarily to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, private funds, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm uses customized asset allocations based on internally developed model portfolios, employing a buy-and-manage approach that incorporates Modern Portfolio Theory alongside fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis.

Nils Wickman is a CFP® with 18 years of industry experience and currently serves at Ares Financial Consulting LLC. He has worked at Ares since 2017 and has prior experience with Ameritas Investment Corp. Outside of his advisory role, Wickman teaches a financial literacy class for Tacoma Public Schools and serves as Planned Giving Director at Urban Grace Church. He is also an advisory committee member of the 253 Youth Ultimate Program. Ares Financial Consulting serves individuals, families, small businesses, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning and discretionary portfolio management using a long-term, diversified investment approach typically involving mutual funds and ETFs, alongside value-based pricing and business-focused services.

Jun Chea is a CFP® and Series 66-registered financial advisor with three years of industry experience. He has worked at Rainier Family Wealth, Inc. since 2024 and previously held roles at Financial Insights, Inc. and Key Bank NA, where he spent 29 years. Rainier Family Wealth, Inc. is a fee-only registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth households, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning, using a combination of passive and active strategies grounded in Modern Portfolio Theory.

Michael Ruff is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 66 license with 21 years of industry experience. He has worked at Rainier Family Wealth, Inc. since 2024 and previously held roles at Financial Insights, Inc. and Key Bank. Rainier Family Wealth, Inc. is a fee-only registered investment adviser serving individual, high-net-worth, charitable, and corporate clients. The firm employs a goal-based investment approach centered on asset allocation using both passive and active strategies, integrating financial planning and tax analysis into ongoing account supervision.

Janet Pack is a financial advisor with Advisors Asset Management, Inc. in Tacoma, WA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 14 years of industry experience. She has worked at Advisors Asset Management since 2017 and has also been involved with Senior Care Alliance since 2005, where she spends approximately 70% of her time overseeing insurance product sales. Her prior experience includes a role at Federal Retirement Resources in 2017. Advisors Asset Management primarily serves individual clients by referring accounts to third-party money managers and providing fee-for-service financial planning without acting as a custodian or directly managing client assets. The firm also offers insurance products through an affiliated business and receives compensation tied to third-party manager advisory fees while maintaining compliance oversight internally.