Michael Moss Jr.

Kartik Patel is a financial advisor at Simplify Investments with eight years of industry experience and holds a Series 65 designation. He also serves as president of Data Express Inc., an information technology consulting firm where he provides business analysis and strategic advice to clients, including those in the financial sector. Prior to founding Data Express, he worked at Tech Karma Inc. for six years. Simplify Investments is an independent, fee-only registered investment adviser serving private individuals, families, and small businesses. The firm employs a fundamentally driven, value-oriented investment approach focused on U.S.-traded stocks, ETFs, and bonds, maintaining a concentrated portfolio and making limited quarterly changes.

Bryan Thomas is the sole advisor at Financial Solutions, LLC in Oak Hill, VA, holding a Series 65 designation with seven years of industry experience. He has worked at Financial Solutions since 2018 and concurrently serves as Vice President at Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc., specializing in commercial real estate services. Financial Solutions provides comprehensive financial planning to individuals and families, covering areas such as cash flow, retirement, education funding, estate and tax considerations, and risk management. The firm emphasizes a long-term, passive investment approach with fundamental analysis, offering written financial plans and educational workshops while clients retain full discretion over implementation.

Sunil Pai is a CFA® charterholder and the sole advisor at Proforza Advisors LLC, with 16 years of industry experience. He has led Proforza Advisors since its founding in 2012. Pai is also the managing member of Quantworks, LLC, a now dormant investment-related business. Proforza Advisors provides fee-based investment management primarily to institutional clients such as pension funds and endowments, as well as high net worth individuals. The firm utilizes a systematic, quantitative Active Risk-Based investing (ARBi) methodology that employs algorithms to construct and actively rebalance portfolios of liquid ETFs and stocks.

John Herr is a financial advisor with Alpha Strategies Corporation in Sterling, VA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and having 21 years of industry experience. He has been with Alpha Strategies Corporation since 2010. The firm provides discretionary portfolio management and integrated financial planning to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporations. Alpha Strategies manages approximately $47.9 million across about 86 client accounts, employing modern portfolio theory to construct diversified portfolios with both traditional and alternative investments, and retains all portfolio management in-house.

Jitin Singhal is a CFA® charterholder with 15 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at E J Financial Corp., where he has worked since 2004. Prior to his current role, he spent 14 years at Farmer Mac. Singhal also serves as Senior Director of Portfolio Analytics and Strategy at Sallie Mae. EJ Financial Corporation provides investment advisory, finance, and technology consulting to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm manages approximately $1.9 million across six portfolios and employs a research approach combining quantitative and economic analysis, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary advisory relationships.

As a member of the financial independence community, I understand the value of quality fee only advice catering to the complex and "nontraditional" route we are taking to life. I have built a "lifestyle" practice, where I can serve clients, maintain my balanced lifestyle with two girls, pursue my hobbies and travel. I primarily work with clients on an ongoing retainer basis, charged with a monthly billing arrangement. For legacy (separated) clients or family of clients, I offer hourly based planning. I also prepare tax returns and manage assets, both of which I charge a separate fee for. After graduating from University of Maryland, College Park, I worked in public accounting doing tax preparation and consulting for high net worth individuals, estates and trusts. I changed careers into financial planning in 2013, working mainly with clients pursuing a traditional retirement path, including attorneys, physicians, executives and families with wealth. After working for a large planning firm in the DC area, I launched my firm in 2018. I am a CFP® and CPA. Given my background, I specialize in tax planning, retirement planning and frugality!