CFP®-certified advisors focused on young families in Florida

William Soltow is a financial advisor at Smith & Wyatt with 12 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Smith & Wyatt since 2022, following previous roles at CoreCap Advisors and Cambridge Investment Research. Outside of advisory work, he is the founder of Frontier Wealth Management and acts as an independent insurance agent. Smith & Wyatt provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, and corporations. The firm emphasizes discretionary portfolio management using mutual funds and ETFs, with tailored strategies based on various analytical methods and client-specific objectives.

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.

Rafael Rosenthal is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Miami, FL, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing 17 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, and Wells Fargo Clearing. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals and institutional clients with a wide range of advisory programs, including tailored financial planning and estate planning strategies. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and employs structured planning tools and analyses to support client outcomes.

Stephen Harris is a financial advisor at Fisher Investments with a Series 65 designation. He has worked at Fisher Investments since 2023 and previously was involved with FIBA Basketball and East Stroudsburg University. Fisher Investments serves a global mix of institutional and private clients, providing discretionary portfolio management across equity, fixed-income, and blended mandates. The firm uses a centralized investment policy committee and employs tax-aware processes and defensive tactics to manage risk and positioning.

Gary Conicella is a financial advisor with MassMutual Investors Services in St. Augustine, FL, holding a Series 63 designation and possessing 34 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at MetLife Securities Inc. and Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, where he worked for over two decades. He is also involved in an outside insurance business, focusing on life, fixed annuities, and disability products. MassMutual Investors Services is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser providing financial planning and asset management services to individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm emphasizes collaborative, annual financial planning engagements supported by firm-approved analytical tools and offers a range of planning programs including estate settlement and employer-sponsored planning.

Garrett Dahm is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he has been providing financial guidance since 2017. He specializes in developing strategies and offering advice tailored to the short- and long-term financial objectives of individuals, families, and businesses. As a qualified Portfolio Manager, Garrett manages discretionary Personalized and Defined Strategies that may include individual stocks and bonds, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management model portfolios, and third-party investment options. His areas of focus include family wealth management, services for endowments, foundations, and non-profits, liquidity management, retirement planning, portfolio management, tax minimization, and strategies for sports and entertainment clients. Garrett earned a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. He completed his high school education at Prospect High School and attended Harper College without earning a degree. Outside of his professional role, Garrett has a background in classical guitar, having performed solo and with orchestras worldwide since the age of four. Notably, he performed in multiple cities in Australia during the opening ceremonies of the 2000 Olympics. He lives in Mt. Prospect with his wife Tanya and their son Jace. His personal interests include golfing, ice hockey, practicing guitar, and spending time with his family.

Jon Bernier is a CFP® and ChFC® with 23 years of experience in financial advising. He has been with TandemGrowth Financial Advisors, LLC in Alpharetta, GA since 2000. TandemGrowth Financial Advisors serves individuals, high net worth households, trusts, and estates with comprehensive wealth management and financial planning, offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management alongside retirement-plan oversight and account aggregation tools. The firm uses a strategic, long-term investment approach across equity-risk spectrums, incorporating mutual funds, ETFs, independent managers, and alternative investments, and provides unique services such as a NextGen program and healthcare planning partnerships.

WHY JERRY CHOSE TO BE A FINANCIAL PLANNER: His lack of financial literacy was not by choice. It was because personal finance was not taught in school or in his community. As a first-generation wealth builder, Jerry's money journey has been shaped by a profound understanding of both cultural and financial expectations. His experiences have uniquely positioned him to empathize with the challenges faced by first-generation families, inspiring a distinctive approach to financial guidance. His moment of profound solitude occurred during his transition from the Marine Corps back to civilian life. In uniform, Jerry felt in control, with camaraderie, financial stability, and a consistent salary. However, the day he left, all that stability vanished giving way to a cascade of emotions - depression, anxiety, and fear. Jerry, who had grown up facing financial hardships, relying on food stamps, and public aid, knew it was time to stop merely talking about wanting to build wealth and start acting. The realization struck deep: He needed to make a difference not just for himself, but for others facing similar issues. Motivated by a desire to help his family and friends, Jerry decided to be the guide he wished he'd had. He obtained his license, college degree, and joined a firm not only to enhance his life but the lives of other 1st-time wealth builders. After a few years of helping high net worth individuals grow their assets, Jerry felt the firm wasn't built to help families like his. In 2024, Jerry took the leap and launched Confianza Wealth Management as a guide for aspiring wealth builders. Jerry is on a mission to empower 1st-time wealth building families. Jerry wants to bridge the financial planning accessibility gap by helping these millennial families take control of their financial futures.

David Martula is a CFP® professional with 21 years of industry experience. He has been the sole advisor at Fee-Only Financial Planning since 1991. Fee-Only Financial Planning serves individual clients, including high-net-worth households, by providing financial planning and discretionary portfolio management. The firm emphasizes a low-cost, buy-and-hold investment approach using no-load mutual funds, tailoring recommendations to clients’ goals and life stages.

Ai Mendoza is a Planning Consultant at Fidelity Investments, where she collaborates with clients and their families to develop financial plans aimed at achieving their goals. She has held this role since 2022. Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Ai worked as a Private Client Banker at JP Morgan Chase from 2019 to 2022, gaining experience in client financial services and banking. Outside of her professional career, Ai enjoys family activities, fishing, social events with friends, gardening, and outdoor adventures.

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.