Gen X advisors focused on career changers in California

Jared Fruth is a financial advisor at Northwest Asset Management with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Securities America, Inc., KMS Financial Services, Inc., Oppenheimer Funds, and John Paul Mitchell Systems. Northwest Asset Management is a registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.6 billion for nearly 3,000 clients, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charities, and corporations. The firm employs a customized, fiduciary approach using Modern Portfolio Theory and strategic asset allocation, combining fundamental and technical analysis to build diversified portfolios with periodic rebalancing.

Scott Mahoney is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in New York, NY, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley since 2009, including roles at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved with Giants Foot Cubed LLC. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a large SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a wide range of advisory programs and financial planning services supported by structured planning tools and broad investment resources.

Elizabeth Brown is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in New York, NY, where she has worked since 2012. She has 26 years of industry experience. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to clients such as corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

David Hart is a financial advisor with Safeguard Investment Advisory Group, LLC, holding a Series 65 credential and 15 years of industry experience. He has worked with Safeguard since 2020 and previously held roles at LifePro Asset Management, LLC, Martin and Associates Insurance Services, Inc., and Martin Wealth Management, LLC. Hart is also a Certified Financial Fiduciary and volunteers as an instructor with the Foundation for Fiduciary Education (NACFF), providing unbiased fiduciary financial education. Safeguard Investment Advisory Group, LLC serves individual, high-net-worth, institutional, and business clients, offering discretionary portfolio management, access to third-party sub-advisers, and fee-based financial planning. The firm employs a fundamental-analysis investment process with a preferred horizon of two to ten years and manages over $600 million across approximately 1,800 client relationships.

Alan Toman is a financial advisor with Regal Investment Advisors LLC in Los Angeles, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having nine years of industry experience. He has worked at Regal Investment Advisors since 2018 and has prior experience with Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation and Bankers Life. Outside of his advisory role, Toman is active in the insurance sector, offering accident and health insurance, fixed and indexed annuities, and traditional life insurance products through American Senior Benefits and as an insurance agent. Regal Investment Advisors LLC provides discretionary investment management services to independent advisers and other registered advisers, serving a diverse client base including individuals, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers proprietary and third-party model portfolios across various asset classes, with advisers selecting allocations and granting Regal authority to implement and manage strategies.

Samuel Smith is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, specializing in assisting clients through career transitions and the unique financial considerations they entail. He works closely with professionals who have recently changed jobs, providing tailored financial strategies that address new compensation packages, retirement account management, and employer benefits optimization. His approach emphasizes creating personalized financial roadmaps aligned with clients' evolving career goals and long-term aspirations. Samuel's areas of expertise include college education planning, family wealth management strategies, legacy and philanthropic planning, liquidity management, retirement income, and portfolio management services. He holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP) designation and is a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). Samuel earned his bachelor's degree from Indiana State University and is a member of the Estate Planning Council of Indianapolis. Outside of his professional work, Samuel enjoys baseball, basketball, football, spending time with his family, and watching movies. He is a proud father of two boys and a husband, committed to helping clients achieve their financial goals through disciplined, client-focused service.

Jesse Zora is a CFP® with 14 years of industry experience and has been with Zora Financial since 2014. He serves on the board of directors for Seabed, Inc., a closely held family farm in Marion Junction, AL. Zora Financial serves individual households—including both high-net-worth and non-HNW clients—and sponsors of employer retirement plans. The firm employs a long-term, buy-and-hold investment approach grounded in Modern Portfolio Theory, supplemented by fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, and offers a range of planning and advisory services.

Laura I. Rotter, CFA, CFP is the founder of True Abundance Advisors, a fee-only financial life planning firm. Laura runs a unique firm built on the belief that true abundance comes when we create meaning with our money. Her meetings are a safe space for her clients to explore what they value and what gives them a sense of meaning and purpose. Together, they develop and implement a plan that broadens the concept of “investing” beyond financial assets to another scarce resource: time. Laura had a successful career on Wall Street, managing money for institutional investors, including Citicorp and Para Advisors. Her definition of abundance shifted, and she realized that she was using her life to make money, rather than using her money to make a life. She is drawn to work with others navigating a big life transition, and who are seeking purpose in their lives.

Avery Krasnow is an Investment Consultant at Fidelity Investments, a role held since 2025. In this capacity, Avery partners with clients to develop personalized investment strategies that align with their financial goals, utilizing Fidelity's planning tools to provide clarity and confidence in financial decision-making. Avery's experience in the financial services industry includes previous positions at Fidelity Investments as a Relationship Manager from 2024 to 2025 and as a Financial Representative from 2023 to 2024. This progression reflects Avery's growing expertise in client relationship management and financial planning. Outside of professional responsibilities, Avery has personal interests in cooking and baking, exploring food as a foodie, spending time with pets, practicing Pilates, and engaging in puzzles.

Lelamarie Kelly is a financial advisor at Life UnLocked Partners LLC with a Series 65 credential and one year of industry experience. She has held roles at Leyland Cypress LLC, Carbon Law Group, and RGP Legal, and has operated her own legal practice, LSK Legal, since 2010. Kelly is also principal and general counsel at Tennenbaum & Kelly, Inc., overseeing legal matters related to privately held investments, and serves as CFO and general counsel for businesses in email security and skincare sectors. Life UnLocked Partners provides financial planning, investment monitoring, and recommendations to individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm’s investment approach centers on a value and dividend strategy aimed at income replacement around career transitions, followed by a shift toward longer-term appreciation vehicles, including venture capital, hedge funds, and private equity.

Michelle Vargas, Certified Financial Planner™ is the President of Waymaker Financial Planning, a Fee-Only firm that provides transparent and accessible financial guidance. She enjoys helping clients navigate and plan all aspects of their financial life so that they will worry less about their future and free up more time to spend doing what they love. After earning a degree in Finance from the University of Southwestern Louisiana in 1990, she moved to Florida and started her career with Harcourt Brace Publishing. Her journey into personal finance began when she signed up for her 401K and wanted to learn about additional options to plan for retirement. This eventually led to working as a financial advisor and completing the extensive education requirements for becoming a CFP® in 1998. She believes her experience as a young professional searching for unbiased advice enables her to better serve Gen XY professionals because she remembers what it was like being in their shoes. As a former homeschool parent and the wife of a federal employee, she is passionate about helping women, homeschool families, and federal workers plan wisely for a comfortable financial future. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking in Colorado, barbecuing with family, and working in her garden.

I work with two types of clients: small business owners who need financial clarity, and families who want to make smarter decisions with their wealth. For business owners, I act as a Fractional CFO—helping you understand your numbers, improve cash flow, plan for taxes, and make better strategic decisions. Most owners don’t fail because of a lack of effort—they struggle because they’re making big decisions without a clear financial framework. That’s where I come in. For families, I serve as a long-term financial partner. Whether you're approaching retirement, building wealth, or navigating a major life transition, I help you align your investments, tax strategy, and long-term goals into one cohesive plan. At the end of the day, my job is to help you see clearly, act confidently, and build a life that actually works—not just one that looks good on paper.

I believe that everyone should have access to a professional advisor who understands their needs and can help them achieve the lifestyle they desire. As a financial advisor, I am dedicated to learning about your personal goals and using them to build a retirement plan tailored to your unique situation. NexJenn Financial Services was founded in response to the demand for financial planning from my tax clients. Often squeezed between spending for their kids’ education, caring for an elderly relative and saving for their own retirement, many were anxious about their financial future. I have enjoyed helping my clients find a balance and focus on building a strong financial future. I am a CPA® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER Professional®, as well as a Retirement Income Certified Professional®. Additionally, I am a member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors and the XY Planning Network. In my spare time, my husband and I volunteer at a homeless shelter. I also love to bike and travel and am an aspiring photographer. I have been married for 30 years and together with my awesome husband, we’ve raised three awesome kids.

I'm a fiduciary & CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER living in Indianapolis, Indiana but serving clients nationwide. For years I've helped individuals and families plan for retirement and other imporant financial decisions. In college, I studied economics with a concentration in finance. After college, I worked for large wealth management firm in Indiana and then a boutique financial advising office specializing in retirement planning. That firm was later acquired and after a few years working for the acquiring firm I left to start WealthGuides. As an advisor I've worked with clients age 22 to 92. While I've worked with a wide range of people, I've always found my passion was with working with people to create a plan for retirement. As an advisor I provide guidance to my clients on taxes, their investment portfolios, estate planning, & charitable giving amongst others areas. I show people where they can save on taxes and I give clarity and strategies for how my clients can maximize the potential for what they can spend on themselves and give to others. On the personal side I'm a runner, a reader, a cat dad, and a traveler. I also enjoy sipping on a nice glass of wine or whiskey.

I am a seasoned technology professional and an entrepreneur based in Silicon Valley. I have experience starting and running a software company that was venture-funded and subsequently acquired by a public company. During my high-tech career, I got intrigued by money matters such as savings, investments, insurance, taxes in order to achieve my family's financial goals. Out of curiosity, I spent time reading and researching various aspects of personal finance. I realized that there are a growing number of financial options available with increasing complexity in these choices. My passion towards financial planning ultimately resulted in pursuing formal education in financial planning, subsequently completing the CFP Board requirements to be a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Professional. I launched Encover Personal Finance in 2018, primarily to help technology professionals achieve their financial life goals based on my own experience. I believe in serving clients honestly and transparently in a conflict-free manner. https://www.encoverpersonalfinance.com/about