Morgan Smith Jr.

Frederick Pearson is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with 15 years of industry experience. He operates as a self-employed advisor through his independent firm, Pearson, Frederick, Norman Jr., based in Poway, CA. His firm provides discretionary portfolio management primarily for individual investors, focusing on IRA accounts. The investment strategy centers on income through dividend-paying stocks and ETFs, with a smaller allocation to growth equities managed under a strict money-management framework.

John Malaney is the principal advisor at Engineering Financial Independence, Inc., holding a Series 65 designation with three years of industry experience. He also works as a Program Manager at General Atomics, a role he has held since 2012. Engineering Financial Independence, Inc. provides portfolio management and financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, combining fundamental analysis, modern portfolio theory, and quantitative methods. The firm offers written Investment Policy Statements and free educational content such as newsletters and blog posts, with an investment approach that includes equity recommendations and options strategies.

Earl Wong is a financial advisor at Spirit Global Investment Advisors, LLC with 14 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Spirit Global since 2013. Outside of his advisory role, he manages One Road Media Ventures, focusing on developing and distributing global media projects with an emphasis on partnerships in Asia. Spirit Global Investment Advisors serves family offices, ultra-high-net-worth individuals, and institutional investors with integrated wealth management, combining public-market portfolio management, alternative fund access, and institutional-grade digital asset services. The firm employs a manager-of-managers approach with significant allocations to alternatives and digital assets, primarily targeting sophisticated and institutional mandates.

John Goodrich is a CFP® and ChFC® with 25 years of experience in financial advising. He has been the principal of Goodrich Financial Group, LLC in Escondido, CA since 2006. Outside of advising, he owns a single-family townhouse rental property in San Diego. Goodrich Financial Group provides discretionary investment supervisory services to individuals, high-net-worth individuals, and select corporate clients. The firm employs a blend of asset allocation and multiple analytical methods, using both long- and short-term strategies and active instruments such as options and margin transactions.

Christopher Ward is the sole advisor at Ward Capital Management LLC in Escondido, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 26 years of industry experience. He has led Ward Capital Management since 2014. Ward Capital Management provides discretionary and non-discretionary asset management and financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, retirement plans, and institutional clients such as pension plans, charities, and small businesses. The firm employs a concentrated stock model combined with corporate and municipal bonds, and offers specialized retirement plan services including ERISA Section 3(21) fiduciary advice and benchmarking through third-party administrators.

Jane Edmondson is the principal of JLE Wealth Management, LLC, an independent advisory firm based in San Diego, CA. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has 24 years of industry experience. Ms. Edmondson is the majority owner of EQM Indexes, LLC, a company that licenses indices used as benchmarks for exchange-traded products. JLE Wealth Management serves a small roster of individuals, high-net-worth, and occasional institutional clients with discretionary investment management and integrated financial planning. The firm employs a quantitative, bottom-up model for stock selection, incorporating proprietary factors, risk controls, and the use of options and leverage.