Large-firm financial advisors working with young families in Tempe, AZ

Teresa Bear is a financial advisor with Brookstone Capital Management LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 17 years of industry experience. She has worked with Brookstone Capital Management since 2008 and operates a tax and accounting services sole proprietorship outside of market hours. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser providing fee-based asset management and financial planning to a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, charitable organizations, sovereign wealth funds, and banking institutions. The firm offers discretionary investment management primarily through model portfolios, unified managed accounts, and separately managed accounts, and supports a large advisor network with back-office and turnkey asset management platform services.

Fernando Vazquez is a Series 66 credentialed financial advisor with one year of industry experience. He currently works at Edward Jones in Tempe, AZ. Prior to joining Edward Jones, he spent five years at Intel and six years at Arizona State University. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee strategies, access to separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard.

Michael Ball is a financial advisor with Cross State Financial Group LLC in Tempe, AZ, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and bringing 31 years of industry experience. He has held roles at several firms, including United Planners Financial Services and his own Ball Financial Group, LLC. Outside of advising, he is involved in the sale of stamps through A To Z Stamps, LLC. Cross State Financial Group serves individuals, charities, and retirement plans, managing approximately $166.8 million in discretionary assets through a team of nine advisors. The firm employs fundamental analysis with tactical asset allocation and offers both model and customized portfolios with discretionary management and client-imposed restrictions.

Stephen John is a financial advisor at Tortoise Wealth Management in Tempe, AZ, holding a Series 66 designation with 11 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Northsight Wealth Management, LLC and First Financial Equity Corporation. His firm offers fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals and institutional clients, managing approximately $11.2 million for about 56 clients. Tortoise Wealth Management employs a tactical allocation strategy across a wide range of investment instruments and provides qualified retirement plan consulting with ERISA Section 3(21) fiduciary services and participant education.

Ariel Gonzalez Jr. is a ChFC® credentialed advisor at Signal Advisors Wealth, LLC with over a decade of experience in the financial industry. He previously operated Ariel Gonzalez Financial Services LLC and Wealth For You Financial LLC. Based in Tempe, AZ, he has been with Signal Advisors Wealth since 2026. Signal Advisors Wealth operates a turnkey asset management platform serving independent RIAs, co-branded investment adviser representatives, and their retail clients. The firm employs a primarily top-down, tactical asset allocation approach supported by fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis, while maintaining advisor responsibility for client relationships and suitability.

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.

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 an Investment Consultant currently working at Fidelity Investments since 2022. In this role, she focuses on understanding each client's unique financial needs and providing professional guidance and tailored solutions to help clients make informed financial decisions and pursue their goals. Prior to her current position, Ai worked as a Private Client Banker at JP Morgan Chase from 2019 to 2022. Her experience includes assisting clients with their investment and banking needs. Outside of her professional work, Ai enjoys family activities, fishing, social events with friends, gardening, outdoor adventures, and painting.

Welcome and thank you for taking a moment to read more about Bolt Financial Group and Shaun Carney, CFP®! Shaun Carney is the Co-Founder of Bolt Financial Group, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM and serves as the firm’s Wealth Advisor. Shaun has over seven years of experience in the financial services industry. Responsible for establishing and maintaining client relationships, Shaun finds immense satisfaction in helping individuals better prepare for retirement. Prior to forming his own firm, Shaun served in the United States Air Force and worked with Edward Jones. After earning his Master of Science degree in Cost Analysis, Shaun went on to obtain his CFP(R), Series 7 and 66 securities licenses. As a member of the Air Force Reserve, Shaun continues to fly C-17s in service to the United States of America. When he isn’t helping people plan for retirement, and piloting C-17s, Shaun is an avid golfer, traveler, husband, and father to three children. Always eager to help others and give back in any way that he can, Shaun regularly volunteers with the Reserve Officers Association and the Knights of Columbus.

Jeffrey Park is a financial advisor at Merrill with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Merrill and affiliated firms since 2011, including roles at JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities. Outside of his advisory work, he is a sole owner and co-owner of family rental properties in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

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.

Wesley Pool is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at JPMorgan Securities LLC for seven years. Outside of finance, he has been involved with #TagMeBro LLC and Fry Street Public House. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions.

Willie Myles is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2016, previously serving at Axa Advisors and MSI Financial Services. Outside of advising, he is a co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for Alpha Light Fund Inc., a nonprofit focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a range of clients including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement consulting, and asset management through a network of representatives and third-party managers. The firm offers various investment vehicles and ERISA fiduciary services, relying on third-party program sponsors and an affiliation with a publicly traded parent company.