Jared Elson

James Ward is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with four years of experience in financial advising. He is the principal of J Ward Financial, an independent firm based in Morgan Hill, CA. In addition to his financial advisory work, Ward is an attorney specializing in estate planning and elder law and owns businesses in real estate and insurance. J Ward Financial provides discretionary investment management and financial planning primarily to high-net-worth individuals, families, and their trusts. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes asset allocation based on a comprehensive risk analysis and employs third-party platforms and advisers to manage client portfolios.

Brenda Friederich is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 21 years of industry experience. She is the sole advisor at Abundit Wealth in San Jose, CA, and has worked previously with Mariner Independent Advisor Network and RNP Advisory Services. In addition to her advisory work, she is a licensed insurance agent in California and has been involved in insurance sales since 2003. Abundit Wealth provides financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, and wealth management services primarily to individual clients and pension or employee benefit plans. The firm constructs broadly diversified, long-term portfolios using institutional mutual funds and ETFs, employing a small- and value-tilt approach, and offers pension consulting and participant-level advice under ERISA.

Michael Garber is a CFP® with eight years of industry experience and the principal of Michael Garber Financial Planning, an independent advisory firm. He has worked at Keysight Technologies, Inc. since 2014 in an internal organizational consultant role focused on sales skills development. Michael Garber Financial Planning serves individuals and families through a fee-only, independent model offering comprehensive financial planning, investment consulting, tax preparation, estate-plan review, risk management, and small-business planning. The firm emphasizes a long-term, cost-minimizing investment approach using passive vehicles and operates on a retainer- and project-based fee structure without discretionary trading authority or acceptance of commissions.

Todd Smith is a financial advisor at Silicon Valley Wealth Management Solutions, Inc. in San Jose, CA, with 23 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with his current firm since 2012. In addition to advisory services, he works as an insurance agent, assisting clients with life and health insurance as well as annuities. Silicon Valley Wealth Management Solutions is an independent registered investment adviser that provides asset management, pension consulting, and financial planning to individuals, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, and corporate entities. The firm focuses on non-discretionary portfolio supervision and pension consulting, serving a broad client base including high-net-worth individuals and plan sponsors.

Vaishali Desai is a Series 65 credentialed advisor with Desai Wealth LLC in San Jose, CA. She has one year of experience in investment management and previously worked at Genentech, eMarketingOperations, and Cisco. Outside of her advisory role, she teaches Pilates on a part-time basis. Desai Wealth LLC provides discretionary investment management and retirement plan advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, endowments, foundations, and government entities. The firm emphasizes fundamental analysis with a long-term investment approach and offers a range of retirement-plan services, including fiduciary consulting and ERISA-related support.

Daniel Mc Court is a financial advisor at Financial Planning Associates with Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 37 years of industry experience. He has worked at Financial Planning Associates since 1985 and previously operated Surf City Coffee Co., Inc. for 17 years. Mc Court is also a practicing Enrolled Agent, offering tax preparation and advice as part of a separate business. Financial Planning Associates provides financial planning and referral services to individual and small business clients, focusing on developing client Risk Profiles and recommending third-party investment managers rather than managing assets directly.