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.

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!

John Rathnam is the sole advisor at Rathnam Capital, LLC, an independent firm based in Bluemont, VA. He holds the CFA® designation and Series 65 license, with 21 years of industry experience. Rathnam has led Rathnam Capital since its founding in 2010. Rathnam Capital serves individual and high-net-worth clients, managing approximately $81 million across about three dozen households. The firm provides discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting, utilizing customized asset allocation strategies and third-party sub-advisers to address a range of investment needs.

Eric Norberg is the principal of EAN Equity Financial Services LLC, an independent firm based in Leesburg, VA. He holds the CFP® and ChFC® designations and has 11 years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked at PKS Investment Advisors LLC for one year. In addition to his advisory work, Norberg provides CPA tax preparation and small life insurance sales through his firm. EAN Equity Financial Services offers personalized financial planning and investment management to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm employs a combination of strategic and tactical asset allocation using both active and passive investment vehicles and fundamental security analysis, and maintains a tax-preparation practice alongside its advisory services.

David Pickei is the sole advisor at Reye Partners Asset Management LLC in Leesburg, VA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 24 years of industry experience. He has been with Reye Partners since 2005. Reye Partners Asset Management provides discretionary, separately managed investment management and portfolio consulting services primarily for individual clients and trusts. The firm serves both high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth clients, emphasizing portfolio composition, due diligence, diversification, and capital preservation through a manager-of-managers approach.

Kevin Bernard is the principal of Pivot Capital Management, LLC in Ashburn, VA, holding Series 65 and Series 66 licenses with 10 years of industry experience. He has held roles at several firms, including Avantax Insurance Agency and Solomon Edwards, and currently leads an accounting and consulting practice as Director of Assurance and Federal Practice at IBS Management & Consultancy Services, LLC. Bernard is also the managing member and CEO of a bookkeeping and tax preparation firm and maintains a real estate referral affiliation. Pivot Capital Management, LLC provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management and standalone financial planning services to individuals, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm employs a multi-method investment process incorporating fundamental and technical analysis and manages a range of investment types according to client objectives.

Bryan Lohr is a financial advisor at Present Value Financial Services LLC with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with his current firm since 2018 following a period of semi-retirement. Present Value Financial Services LLC serves individuals and families across income levels, offering comprehensive financial planning, investment management, tax preparation, and financial education. The firm employs a bottom-up fundamental analysis approach combined with capital market theory to create diversified, cost-conscious portfolios and emphasizes financial education through public seminars and workshops.

Robert Allen is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with 22 years of industry experience. He has been the principal at Allen Investment Management since 2014. Allen Investment Management serves individual investors, foundations, charitable organizations, businesses, and pension/profit-sharing plans by providing discretionary investment supervisory services combined with integrated financial planning. The firm emphasizes a value-oriented, long-term investment approach supplemented by active sector rotation or limited short-term trades and manages roughly $27.1 million in discretionary client assets across approximately 41 client relationships.

Tihomir Yankov is a financial advisor at Tobi, Inc. with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has a legal background, having worked at Buckley LLP and Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe prior to joining Tobi. Yankov is also a licensed attorney, though he does not offer legal services to his clients. Tobi, Inc. provides an algorithmic subscription platform featuring animated educational videos and account-aggregation dashboards designed to improve investment literacy and assist with retirement, custodial accounts, and debt management. The firm combines model allocations based on modern portfolio theory with discretionary portfolio management and a wrap fee program, serving individual users without account minimums.

Jonathan Maula is a financial advisor with Castle Hill Capital LLC in Gainesville, VA, holding a Series 65 designation and 10 years of industry experience. He has been with Castle Hill Capital since 2016 and previously worked at Smay Investments Ltd from 2015 to 2016. Castle Hill Capital LLC is an independent investment adviser offering discretionary portfolio management and personalized financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and small businesses. The firm provides services including business and retirement planning, employer plan consulting, and participant education, using a combination of fundamental and technical analysis with both active and passive investment strategies.

Mark Helm is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, with 22 years of experience in financial advisory. He has been the sole advisor and founder of Helm Financial Advisors, LLC since 2003. Helm Financial Advisors, LLC is a fee-only, state-registered firm providing holistic financial planning and investment advisory services primarily to individuals and families. The firm employs a retainer and project fee model, offers integrated tax preparation and IRS representation, and focuses on non-discretionary advice with client-approved trading.

Bradley Piesco is a CFP® and ChFC® with 16 years of experience in financial advisory services. He has been the principal of Magpie Consulting LLC since 2007. Magpie Consulting LLC provides asset management and financial planning services to individual investors, including both high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth clients. The firm emphasizes IPS-based risk modeling and downside analysis, offering primarily ETF-based portfolios managed mostly on a non-discretionary basis.

Melanie Brophy is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 12 years of experience in the financial services industry. She has worked at Next Play Financial Solutions, LLC since 2018 and previously spent five years with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Next Play Financial is an independent, fee-only advisory firm serving individual and high-net-worth clients with investment management and comprehensive financial planning. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes passive strategies using diversified index funds and ETFs, supplemented by fundamental analysis and select third-party managers.

Rahul Aggarwal is the sole advisor at Aris Alpha LLC, holding a Series 65 designation with one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Accenture Federal Service and several other firms. Aris Alpha LLC provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals and high-net-worth clients, employing fundamental analysis and a long-term trading approach. The firm offers a broad range of investment options and manages accounts on a discretionary basis, tailoring strategies to each client’s risk tolerance and objectives.

Jessie Rancourt is a financial advisor at Opportunity Cost Investors LLC with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has previously worked at Harris Miller Miller & Miller, UFA, Inc., Signature Flight Support, and the Federal Aviation Administration. Outside of advisory work, he owns Opportunity Cost Media, a company that produces finance-related content on YouTube. Opportunity Cost Investors LLC is a solo registered investment adviser providing discretionary portfolio management to retail clients, focusing on a fundamental, value-oriented investment approach that emphasizes concentrated portfolios of deeply discounted, high-quality businesses.

Phillip Bour is a CFP® professional with 21 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Bour Group, an independent financial planning firm based in South Riding, VA. Bour retired from active practice in 2011 but continues to provide financial planning services through his firm. Bour Group serves individuals and couples across various life stages, offering comprehensive financial planning advice without managing client assets. The firm emphasizes long-term, buy-and-hold investment strategies focused on asset allocation and diversification, and provides clients with written plans and limited implementation support.

John Vyge is a CFP® professional with 21 years of experience in financial planning. He founded Bold Financial Planning in 2004 and currently operates as the sole advisor at Hillebrand Financial Planning LLC in Ashburn, VA. Hillebrand Financial Planning LLC provides fee-only financial planning and investment management services to individuals, trusts, and small businesses. The firm emphasizes a strategic, core-and-satellite investment approach using passive index and ETF exposures, offers various engagement models including project-based planning and educational workshops, and manages approximately $60.9 million in assets across 37 clients.

Tarif Homsi is a financial advisor at Noorvest with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at JPMorgan Securities, UBS Financial Services, and Spire Wealth Management. Noorvest provides fee-based investment management and financial planning primarily for individual clients, including high-net-worth individuals, as well as trusts, estates, and certain business entities. The firm specializes in socially responsible Islamic investing, using qualitative halal and financial screens to construct portfolios that comply with specific ethical guidelines.

David Berish is the sole advisor at The Dienekes Corporation, an independent registered investment adviser based in Purcellville, VA. He holds a Series 65 designation and has 15 years of industry experience. Berish has led The Dienekes Corporation since 2008. The Dienekes Corporation provides discretionary portfolio management services focused on customized strategies for individual clients. The firm manages a concentrated client base and draws on Berish’s extensive background in fixed-income markets, including prior roles as a bond trader in New York and London and a director at a bank.