CFP®-certified advisors focused on factor investing / smart beta in Connecticut

Kristin Manna is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors and holds a Series 66 designation. She has one year of industry experience, including roles at Park Avenue Securities, Guardian Life Insurance Company, and Consolidated Planning Holdings, Inc. Prior to entering the financial industry, she worked in education for eight years. Outside of advising, Kristin is an author and publisher of a basketball coaching notebook and works as a math tutor for high school students. Park Avenue Securities serves a broad retail client base with a range of brokerage and advisory services, utilizing proprietary and third-party investment strategies across various account types and investment vehicles.

Solomon Dayan is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with 14 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has been with J.P. Morgan Securities since 2012, also working with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. since 2011. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to 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.

Edward Blatz is a Senior Resident Director and Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He specializes in working with high net-worth families and closely-held businesses, focusing on estate and wealth management strategies. Edward partners closely with clients’ tax advisors and estate planning attorneys to provide a comprehensive approach to managing both financial and personal aspects of their lives. His services include performance assessment, personalized guidance, and periodic reviews to help clients progress toward their individual financial goals. Edward joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 1985 and has over 40 years of experience developing tailored financial solutions that consider clients’ risk tolerance, time horizon, liquidity needs, and investment objectives. His areas of expertise encompass college education planning, divorce transition planning, employee benefits, executive compensation, family wealth management, managing new wealth, investment strategies, and retirement income. Edward holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Adelphi University and has earned several professional designations, including CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). Edward is also a member of The Blatz-Rooney Group, which was named to the 2024 Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams" list. Outside of his professional work, he has personal interests in golfing, reading, and tennis.

Richard Kos is a CFA® charterholder and registered investment adviser with five years of industry experience. He is the president of Kos Consultants, an educational institutional consulting and marketing services firm unrelated to securities, which he has operated since 2007. Kos serves as the sole advisor at Sursum Financial LLC, based in Madison, CT. Sursum Financial is a single-advisor independent firm providing discretionary and non-discretionary asset management, financial planning, and consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, business owners, family offices, and select institutional and charitable organizations. The firm combines proprietary and third-party research, typically favoring a longer-term buy-and-hold approach while allowing tactical adjustments, and offers performance-based fee arrangements to qualified clients.

Elaine Biersack is a financial advisor with Round Rock Advisors LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and five years of industry experience. She previously worked for Greenwich Investment Management, Inc. for ten years before joining Round Rock Advisors in 2023. Round Rock Advisors serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, trusts, and institutional investors with investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm employs multiple internal teams using fundamental, long-term analysis and offers access to independent sub-advisors and specialized investment strategies, including management of an Australian-registered micro-cap fund.

Joseph Hage is a financial advisor at Financial Trust Asset Management Chartered with 39 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at Citigroup, Cetera Investment Advisers, Regions Bank, and Bb&T Investments. He is a part-owner of Financial Trust Research Partners, LLC, where he conducts and guides investment research. Financial Trust Asset Management Chartered manages approximately $115 million for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional plans, offering discretionary portfolio management, model licensing, and retirement plan consulting. The firm uses a multidisciplinary investment approach that combines quantitative, fundamental, and technical analysis across proprietary models and collaborates with affiliated CPA and insurance entities.

Tiffany Stoner is a CFP® professional with 15 years of industry experience. She is currently with Avier Wealth Advisors and has previously worked at Badgley Phelps Wealth Managers, Brighton Jones, Charles Schwab & Co., and Fidelity Brokerage Services. Avier Wealth Advisors provides investment management and financial planning for individuals, families, and various business entities. The firm emphasizes diversified portfolios using institutional-class, low-cost mutual funds and ETFs, supported by academic factor research and ongoing due diligence of third-party sub-advisers.

Ryan Paul is a CFP® with 13 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC since 2016. His prior experience includes roles at Morgan Stanley from 2014 to 2016. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in tax preparation and accounting activities. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving a diverse client base, including individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and specialized consulting, employing a strategic investment process that combines passive and active management guided by an internal Investment Committee.

Keith Johnson is a financial advisor at Associated Investment Services, Inc. with 12 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Securities America Advisors and Securities America Inc. He has been with Associated Investment Services since 2017. Associated Investment Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individual investors, small corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable institutions. The firm offers model portfolio and separately managed account programs through third-party managers and its affiliate Kellogg Asset Management, delivering advisory services via the Envestnet/NFS platform with a predominantly non-discretionary investment approach.

Pranay Dureja is a financial advisor at Dorsey, Wright & Associates, LLC with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Nasdaq, Merrill, and Bank of America. Outside of finance, he is a co-founder and partner of Studio Suzuki, a small record label promoting and distributing local musical artists. Dorsey, Wright & Associates provides discretionary investment management to individual investors and offers research, model licensing, and advisory services to institutional and professional clients. The firm’s investment approach is based on technical analysis, utilizing Point & Figure charting and relative strength methods across multiple asset classes.

Sarah Currier Barrella is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 26 years of industry experience. She is currently with Santander Securities LLC and Santander Bank, NA, having previously worked at TD Bank and Citizens Securities, Inc. Barrella holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Santander Securities LLC provides investment advisory and related services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, charitable organizations, retirement plans, and institutional clients. The firm offers wrap-fee advisory programs and financial planning services, delivering investment advice through the FMAX managed-account platform with discretionary portfolio management and ongoing suitability reviews.

Elanna Gould is a CFP® professional with five years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors. Her prior work includes roles at PepsiCo and The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Center. She also maintains an independent insurance agency representing various insurance companies. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a diverse clientele including individual investors, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, portfolio management, and access to third-party sub-advisers through multiple account platforms.

Ethan Siekkinen is a financial advisor with Plante Moran Financial Advisors, holding a Series 65 designation and beginning his advisory career in 2023. Prior to joining the firm, he worked at J Wilson Wealth Management and has experience outside finance with Rizzo Lawn Care. Plante Moran Financial Advisors provides investment advisory, financial planning, and estate planning services to a diverse client base including individual investors, charitable organizations, corporations, and trusts. The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation, manager selection, and uses a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis supported by a proprietary equity market valuation model.

Thomas Mcintire is a CFP® with 33 years of experience in the financial services industry, currently affiliated with Raymond James Financial in Irving, TX. His prior roles include positions at Cadent Capital, LLC, Insurance Planners & Advisors Group, and The Guardian Life Insurance Company. He serves as a board member and finance committee member for the Dallas Rotary Club Foundation, overseeing investments and supporting the foundation’s philanthropic efforts. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individual investors, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, charitable organizations, and municipalities. The firm provides financial planning and non-discretionary investment consulting, emphasizing tailored strategies developed through client collaboration and supported by extensive research and asset-allocation analysis.

Jace Hart is a CFP® professional with eight years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Leo Wealth, LLC since 2023. His prior roles include positions at LPL Financial LLC and Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC. Leo Wealth provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, trusts, institutions, and retirement plans. The firm employs a combination of diversified ETF model portfolios and systematic single-stock models, utilizing sub-advisors and third-party managers to implement specialized strategies.