Top financial advisors working with young families in Virginia Beach, VA

Olga Alexander is a financial advisor at Merrill with a Series 66 license and four years of industry experience. She has worked at Merrill since 2019 and at Bank of America since 2022. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved as a general partner and managing member of Crestline Holdings LLC, which manages rental properties in Virginia Beach. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations with various model-based and discretionary investment strategies.

Kecia Dilday is a financial advisor with First Command Advisory Services in Virginia Beach, VA, holding the ChFC® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. She has 12 years of industry experience, having worked with First Command-affiliated firms since 2014. First Command Advisory Services, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, corporate, and charitable clients, with a focus on active-duty service members and their families. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning and multiple wrap-fee asset management programs, utilizing a centralized Investment Management Team and Wealth Portfolio Managers to design and manage model portfolios with discretionary authority.

Matthew Budde is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management in Virginia Beach, VA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with six years of industry experience. Prior to his current role at Thrivent, he worked in real estate with eXp Realty LLC and O'Brien Realty. Outside of advising, he has experience as a landlord. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients, focusing on holistic, goal-based analyses and written recommendations across various financial planning topics without implementing the recommendations directly.

James Albert is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Virginia Beach, VA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and offering 26 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Mass Mutual Investors Services and MICG Investment Management, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he is a part owner of a family HVAC business. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm provides various financial planning and investment management services through a large network of advisors, utilizing diverse strategies and operational tools.

Dawn Peters is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with 27 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials. Her prior experience includes roles at J.P. Morgan Securities, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., and Lincoln Financial Advisors Corporation, as well as operating her own advisory practice. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, including both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth households. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a range of advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds.

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.