Independent advisors focused on retired 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.

Omar Esparza is a financial advisor with VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. in Saginaw, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 17 years of industry experience. He has been with VOYA Financial Advisors since 2014. VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. provides investment advisory, brokerage, financial planning, and retirement plan services to a diverse client base including individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and plan sponsors. The firm offers a range of advisory programs that combine model portfolios and manager-driven sleeves, supporting both discretionary and non-discretionary investment approaches.

Daniel Esquirell is a CFP® professional with 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC since 2022 and previously worked for Asset Planning Services, Ltd for 15 years. Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC provides wealth management and comprehensive financial planning to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, foundations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and corporations. The firm employs an open-architecture, multi-manager investment approach combining passive and active strategies within a tax-sensitive, disciplined process.

William Hurt is a financial advisor at U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors, LLC with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors since 2021. Prior to that, he was associated with USCA Securities LLC and USCA RIA LLC. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors, LLC provides wealth management and financial planning to individual investors, family offices, institutions, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm manages approximately $7.28 billion in assets and employs a combination of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis, utilizing external managers and various investment vehicles to serve a diverse client base.

Jeffrey Meenes is a CFP® and Series 66-registered advisor with 14 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Meenes Wealth Partners and has been involved with Blueprint Financial Planning, LLC since 2010. Meenes Wealth Partners is an independent firm offering flat-fee, fiduciary wealth management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals and families without a net-worth minimum. The firm emphasizes asset allocation based on Modern Portfolio Theory and employs a primarily non-discretionary approach, using retainer and project-based pricing instead of percentage-of-assets fees.

Scott Pinheiro is a Senior Consultant with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, bringing extensive experience to his role since joining the firm in 2015. He has been involved in the financial services industry since 1979. Scott holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Thomas Edison State University and professional designations including Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), and Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA) from the American College of Financial Services. Scott specializes in working with executives and retirees from major banks and insurance companies, managing client accounts typically ranging from $500,000 to $5,000,000. His expertise encompasses a disciplined financial process tailored to clients’ unique situations, including college education planning, family wealth management, retirement income, tax minimization, and socially responsible investing. As a Senior Portfolio Advisor, he also builds and manages customized investment strategies utilizing Merrill model portfolios and third-party investments. In addition to his professional work, Scott is committed to community involvement through his participation with the local Optimist Club. He resides near Princeton, New Jersey with his wife of 40 years and their Yorkshire terrier. Personal interests include cooking, fishing, golfing, reading, and traveling.

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.

Edwina Martin is a financial advisor at Waverly Advisors, LLC with two years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at 9258 Wealth Management for five years and Teradata Corp for eleven years. In addition to her advisory role, she serves as assistant director of tax planning at 9258 Tax and Planning. Waverly Advisors, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise adviser serving individuals, corporations, retirement plans, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and fiduciary services, employing a combination of centralized and customized investment strategies across traditional and alternative asset classes.

Craig Mcdaniel Jr. is a financial advisor with Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC in Columbia, SC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Capital Investment Group, Inc. and The McDaniel Corporation since 2012. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in life insurance sales and serves as an independent agent for annuities and related products. Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and supervisory services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers customized investment management through discretionary mandates, third-party managers, and private-label model portfolios, using a blend of analytical methods with ongoing portfolio monitoring.

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.

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.