Thomas specializes in wealth management and financial planning with an emphasis in retirement distribution and tax planning.  Having started his career as a FINRA registered rep and life insurance agent, Thomas dropped his FINRA registrations and kept his series 65 registered Investment Advisor Representative status to transition his practice into a fee based fiduciary model.  Not only is Thomas a CFF, he is also “Ethics Approved” by the IARFC and is one of only a handful of financial advisors in Texas to receive the coveted “Best Financial Advisor” by the National Association of Senior Advocates.

Thomas utilizes a “top-down” approach to planning that not only evaluates risk tolerance, but also closely examines goals, passions, and pitfalls to prepare for and hedge against the things that can derail a retirement plan. With asset protection, long-term care needs, Medicaid planning, and estate preservation strategies Thomas is known as more than a builder of nest eggs, his clients also consider him the weaver of safety nets.  Thomas and his wife live in Pecan Plantation Southwest of Fort Worth, TX and they enjoy spending their spare time teaching STEM education to underserved youth and competing in combat robotics competitions.

Peter Pavlakis is President and Founder of Avenue Wealth Management and has provided thirty years of comprehensive wealth management services and personalized financial planning advice to affluent clients throughout the country. Most of his experience was working with clients in New York City but he is now currently residing in Dallas, Texas. He is a sought after wealth advisor who enjoys educating clients on estate preservation, retirement income strategies and succession planning strategies for business owners.

Mr. Pavlakis holds his FINRA Series 7, Series 63, Series 66 and the State of Texas Life, Accident and Health and Variable Annuity Insurance Licenses as well as the State of Texas Property and Casualty insurance license. He is married to his wife Angela and they have two grown children Nicholas and Alejandra.

Joseph N. Mecha MA- Leadership.

Licensed Agent Life and Health, MDRT Member

Certified Financial Fiduciary

What quality of yours makes you best suited to what you do?

I love helping people – it brings me so much joy to see someone happy and fulfilled. I try to incorporate that into my daily tasks – doing my part to help be transparent to the client and be understanding of their needs.

 How should people think about their wealth?

When you have trusted advisors looking out for you – the only worry should be what do I want to do with my wealth and how can I make this world better than how I found it.

 Favorite Quote or Personal motto

Don’t worry, be happy!

 How do you spend your time outside of work? 

With my family – I especially love to fly with my husband (who’s a pilot!)

 What accomplishments are you most proud of? 

Paying off my student loan debt and saving for my first home.

 Education and Licenses:

• George Mason University – BS Business Management
• Virginia Notary Public Commission
• Medallion Signature Guarantee

Scott Marion left a consulting manager position at a blue-chip Fortune 100 company to become a financial advisor because he finds higher value in protecting families from financial calamity and preparing them to accommodate future cash needs.

As a Certified Financial Fiduciary®, Scott is required to put your needs first and do the right thing for each person he has the privilege of serving. Scott thoroughly researches and carefully presents financial plans to meet his clients’ needs at whatever stage they find themselves - whether it’s debt elimination, saving for college and retirement, or investment strategies to build your financial dreams and goals.

Scott is also a SmartAsset SmartAdvisor residing in and serving Knoxville, Tennessee and the surrounding areas. He firmly believes you must understand where your money is going, instead of wondering where it went. 

An accredited Wealth Management Specialist and National Social Security Advisor, he is uniquely qualified to guide SSA/SSI and SSDI recipients through the complexities of the federal Social Security Administration’s benefits programs.

Scott’s passion is helping people protect their ability to make money and to grow their assets with an eye toward complete and lasting financial freedom. “I help those who are seeking to build wealth learn the secrets of reaching their dreams more quickly than they might think, and I help those who have attained great wealth enjoy and preserve it”.  No matter where you find yourself today you can trust Scott based on his character and integrity to get you where you want to be financially. “I’m in this with you,” says Scott. “I want to be on the journey with you and to coach you through it. I help make the complex, simple.”

Scott currently resides in Knoxville, Tennessee and is committed to serving the community with his great ideas and strategies. He and his wife Nada have triplets; two boys and one girl.  Scott enjoys outdoor activities, and family activities with the kids.

David Hyden, having worked with hundreds of clients since his start in the financial services industry in 1986, has seen firsthand how the vast majority of Americans lack financial literacy and Retirement Planning skills, especially with regard to the Distribution Phase of retirement.

As more and more companies have moved away from offering Defined Benefit Retirement Plans (Pensions) and replaced with Defined Contribution Retirement Plans (401k’s) this has shifted the burden of informed financial decision making from the employer and Plan Manager to those least qualified to make those decisions, the employee.

Accumulation of assets over a lifetime is complicated. Even more complex is Decumulation, or the Distribution of those assets. In the Distribution Phase one must consider many factors, including Longevity, Taxes, Social Security, Market Risk, Inflation, Survivorship and the rising cost of Healthcare and Long-Term Care.

These are the areas where David has focused his expertise, education, and credentials. In addition to extensive training and study he currently holds Certified Financial Fiduciary® (CFF®) and National Social Security Adviser® (NSSA®) designations and is an Authorized College Funding Adviser.

He brings a passion for helping people identify, achieve and protect their retirement lifestyle dreams. As a CFF® professional, David has completed extensive training and experience requirements and is held to the highest moral, ethical and professional standards in the financial services industry. He understands the complexities of the changing financial climate and will always make recommendations that are in his client’s best interests.

David has lived in the McKinney area since 1996. He is married to Valerie Hyden and has 3 grown children. When he is not working, David enjoys spending time with family and friends, and plays bass part time for his church worship team.

Brent Anderson is into his fifth decade of providing excellent financial advice, having moved straight into this field after graduation from UCSB in 1970.  The breadth of his expertise extends from life and health insurance, Medicare and Social Security planning, to long term care strategies, and investment strategies for both accumulating wealth and for the distribution of wealth after retirement, to satisfy lifestyle needs and desires, as well as legacy plans.

All the many changes in the equity markets, the bear markets as well as the bull markets, have added to the wisdom gained over the experience of so many years in the business.

His creative and expert uses of life insurance have already created millions of dollars for policy beneficiaries, with hundreds of millions currently in force for future generations.  One unique area of expertise is in creating tax-free retirement income for healthy, younger professionals.

He’s served in an executive capacity for several industry organizations, is currently on the board of the Santa Barbara Estate Planning Council, and has served as president of that organization in the past, as well as the past president of the local chapter of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors.  He’s served as a board or advisory member of many local charities, and is the past president of the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara and is currently the President of the local Barbershop Harmony chapter.  In that last capacity he is well known as a barbershop quartet performer and entertainer.

He has been the featured speaker at local, regional, and even world-wide industry meetings, being twice featured as a keynote speaker at South Africa’s National Financial Industry convention.

His educational degrees, in addition to a BS in Environmental Biology from UCSB, includes the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) degrees from The American College, and also in 2020, the Certified Financial Fiduciary (CFF) designation.

His office is located in downtown Santa Barbara and he is happy to personally, and safely, meet clients there, or anywhere, usiing digital technology.  He can be reached at 805-569-7666 or by email brent@andersonfs.com

Since 1988 Jorge has been providing his clients guidance and valuable financial solutions. He is the Founder and President of Link Financial Group, Inc. in South Florida. He is an active member of the National Ethics Association and has earned his qualification as a Certified Financial Fiduciary, CFF.

He offers an extensive menu of services to meet the needs of clients in varying stages of life. He provides a high level of expertise in retirement safe-money options for pre-retired and retired individuals. He works closely with all clients to help them understand all of the resources available, potentially avoid paying unnecessary taxes, help increase lifetime retirement income, and avoid simple mistakes that could cost their beneficiaries thousands of dollars. 

He also offers assistance with small business 401(k) planning, life insurance, long term care, college savings programs, retirement planning strategies, and overall wealth preservation strategies. Jorge resides in MIami, Fl with his wife and two children. He is also involved with charities such as St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and The Ronald McDonald House.

Nguyen Tran has worked in financial services since 2004. To better service his clients, he started Win Wealth Solutions in 2016 as an independent financial planning firm that partnered up with some of the best firms and solutions providers across multiple industries.

Backstory: Nguyen and his family fled Vietnam when he was a baby. His family spent 2 years in a Philippine refugee camp before making their way to America. Like most immigrants, Nguyen's parents hoped for a better life for their children. His father was an orphan at around 12 years old after witnessing the violent death of his mother, while his father died 10 years before; due to an illness. Perhaps, with better health care, they would still be alive. As a first-generation immigrant, he hopes to hear your story, hopes and dreams. His purpose is to help find a better solution to your situation. Life can change on a dime; he will provide that ear to listen, and help you show off your resiliency to adapt to those changes. His willingness to utilize technological innovations will help deliver a unique blend of expertise and care to you, your family, and your community. He will seek out learning, so he can provide you with a more effective solution.

Nguyen was raised in Modesto, California with his three brothers and one sister. Growing up with an autistic brother taught him patience, fortitude, and perseverance. He attended Calpoly Pomona, majoring in Finance and Marketing. He lived in Newport Beach after college until getting engaged and moving to Los Angeles in 2018. He now resides in the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles with his wife and 2 kids. He values having an active lifestyle, running, biking, and beach flag football leagues. He has ran marathons and completed several bike races. He enjoys tinkering with the latest computer & AV tech, power tools, and gardening.

Bob began his career in Financial Services in 1979, after spending over 7 years as a

College Financial Aid Administrator. With a bird’s eye view of the financial

circumstances of a cross-section of the population, it was an easy transition in engaging

prospects in discussing their financial needs. Being a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill, with

a Degree in Math Education, and teaching math for 5 years (part-time)  at the local community college,

the "educator" basics have endured in making the financial arena aware of the instruments, strategies, and individual

applications available.  Bob has conducted agenttraining within the insurance industry

for decades. His Graduate Degree in Guidance &Counseling provides a unique background

in fostering his genuine financial counseling approach, opposed to “selling” financial services.

Bob has more than 4 decades in assisting thousands of clients. He lives in Charlotte,

with his wife Beth. He has 2 children—one an attorney, and the other who also

provides financial services—and four grandchildren. Bob stays abreast of changes in

the financial services industry, and maintains an affiliation with the top carriers, allowing

him to find the best values available for his loyal clientele. That’s why they stick with

him—honesty, objectivity, maintaining personal contact, and providing first-class service

for the best interests of his valued clients!

Email: bob@benchmarkigroup.com

Address: 2401 Sardis Roah North, Suite 110 Charlotte, NC 28227

Phone: (Office) (704) 527-3993 (Cell) (704) 641-2510

Fax: (704) 527-7371