Steven Johnson

Richard Kos is a CFA® charterholder and registered investment adviser with five years of industry experience. He is the president of Kos Consultants, an educational institutional consulting and marketing services firm unrelated to securities, which he has operated since 2007. Kos serves as the sole advisor at Sursum Financial LLC, based in Madison, CT. Sursum Financial is a single-advisor independent firm providing discretionary and non-discretionary asset management, financial planning, and consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, business owners, family offices, and select institutional and charitable organizations. The firm combines proprietary and third-party research, typically favoring a longer-term buy-and-hold approach while allowing tactical adjustments, and offers performance-based fee arrangements to qualified clients.

With family at the center of everything I do, I help you build, manage, and protect your wealth—so your loved ones inherit clarity, not chaos. As a family wealth advisor specializing in estate planning, my work goes beyond documents. I help families align their estate plan with their retirement strategy, tax decisions, and investments—so everything works together as one coordinated plan. Too often, I meet families in the middle of avoidable situations: messy estate settlements, unexpected tax bills, unclear wishes, and financial decisions made under pressure. What should be a time of support turns into confusion, conflict, and costly mistakes. I built my firm to change that. Through thoughtful estate planning, retirement planning, tax strategy, and investment management, I help families stay organized, intentional, and prepared—so when the time comes, everything is handled the way you intended. If you’re worried your family might one day have to untangle a financial mess—or you’ve seen it happen and want to do better—let’s talk. Schedule a free 30-minute consultation and start building a legacy your family will be proud of.

Dennis O'Connor is the sole advisor at Brae Head, Inc. in Essex, CT, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials with 21 years of industry experience. He has been with Brae Head, Inc. since 1997. Brae Head, Inc. provides fee-only, discretionary portfolio management and basic financial planning to individuals, families, trusts, businesses, and retirement plans, including charitable organizations. The firm uses a disciplined, systematic investment process based on Modern Portfolio Theory and actively manages diversified equity and fixed-income portfolios, serving a relatively small client base with approximately $82 million in assets under management.

Evan Wax is the principal advisor at Wax Asset Management LLC in Madison, CT, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 14 years of industry experience. He has led Wax Asset Management since 2011. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as an independent board member at Servotronics, Inc. Wax Asset Management LLC provides discretionary investment supervisory services to individual and high-net-worth clients, managing approximately $107.8 million across about 74 accounts. The firm employs a combination of fundamental and cyclical analysis, utilizing strategies including short sales and options writing, and conducts quarterly portfolio reviews with direct management of client assets.

Douglas Kartsen is a CFA® charterholder with 19 years of industry experience. He is the principal of DAK Financial Services, LLC, an independent advisory firm he has led since 2016. His prior experience includes roles at Fortis Capital Advisors, LLC, Northstar Wealth Partners LLC, and LPL Financial. He is also a licensed insurance agent, authorized to sell fixed insurance and annuity products. DAK Financial Services provides individualized investment management and comprehensive financial planning primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm combines fundamental and technical analysis in its investment approach, using both passive and active strategies, and operates as a solo independent adviser without custody of client assets.

Gregory Guidone is a CFP® with 41 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at East Guilford Financial Services LLC since 2021. He previously worked at Bannon, Ohanesian & Lecours, Inc. for 14 years and has been involved with East Guilford Financial Services since 2001. In addition to his advisory role, he is a licensed independent insurance agent in Connecticut, selling life, medical, disability, and long-term care insurance, a practice he has maintained since 1982. East Guilford Financial Services LLC is an SEC-registered independent investment adviser managing approximately $193 million for about 301 clients, including individuals, pension plans, charities, and businesses. The firm employs an asset-allocation approach using mutual funds, ETFs, and other securities, with portfolios reviewed regularly and investment restrictions accommodated when feasible.