As Vice President of Retirement Strategies at Finance of America, Steve leads the education and training programs for financial professionals about the strategic use of home equity within a comprehensive financial plan.

Steve’s career in financial services spans over 37 years, where he’s served as an investment analyst, educator, and an independent wealth advisor since 1994. His  practice often incorporates home equity strategies to help safeguard and enhance retirement and legacy objectives for his clients.

Steve is recognized as a subject expert source and interviewed by media outlets including the TheStreet, MarketWatch, and many others. He is a frequent speaker at both national and regional professional conferences.

Jamie P. Hopkins is the Chief Executive Officer of Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors and Chief Wealth Officer of WSFS and Bryn Mawr Trust. Jamie is also the author of the new best seller, Your Retirement Sketchbook.

Jamie is a graduate of Temple University School of Law, where he received his LL.M., and Villanova University School of Law, where he earned his juris doctorate. Hopkins earned a master’s degree in financial planning from The American College of Financial Services and a master’s degree in business administration from Villanova University.

A Wall Street Journal best-selling author, educator, and executive speaker, Jamie serves on numerous advisory boards around the financial services industry and formerly as a national trustee member of NAIFA. Jamie is also the founder and president of the 501(c)(3) non-profit, FinServ Foundation and was named as a top 10 Investopedia 100 Top Financial Advisor for 2023.

Bonnie Treichel, JD, is the Founder of Endeavor Law and Founder and Chief Solutions Officer of Endeavor Retirement, where she helps advisors and plan sponsors navigate ERISA compliance, governance, and retirement plan strategy. A nationally recognized speaker and award-winning thought leader, she is co-author of Your Retirement Sketchbook and serves on the Board of the FinServ Foundation. She was awarded InvestmentNews 40 Under 40 in 2023, the ABA’s On the Rise - Top 40 Young Lawyers Award in 2022.

Amy Mullen, CFP® is President of Money Quotient, Inc., an organization founded in 2001 that teaches financial professionals how to bring science to the art of relationship. In this role, Amy conducts training, provides individualized consulting, and frequently presents at national financial industry conferences on the benefits and effectiveness of a values-based approach to financial planning, understanding clients' financial motivations and how to guide them through change, and creating long-lasting client-planner relationships. All programs and consulting provide a multi-disciplinary, evidence-based approach to financial planning that take into consideration both the practical and emotional aspects that promote financial well-being and life-satisfaction. Outside of the office, Amy enjoys hikes, photography, live music, and cooking.

Crystal Alford-Cooper, CFP®, CDFA™, CRC®, currently serves on the board of directors for the Financial Planning Association® (FPA®), the leading membership organization for CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals and those engaged in the financial planning process.

Always interested as a child in saving and investments, Alford-Cooper recently rejoined Law & Associates Wealth Management and Planning as Director of Financial Planning after previously being with the firm for almost 20 years. She loves talking to everyone and likes to say that she has “no sense of stranger danger.” Her appreciation for others, blended with her lifelong passion for financial wellness, has made helping others forge a path to a sound financial future a way of life for Alford-Cooper.

Alford-Cooper has been a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner since 1996; having graduated from the College of Financial Planning’s CFP® program.  She is also a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®) and a Certified Retirement Counselor (CRC®).  She is a registered representative with Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. and holds the designation of Investment Management Consultant from Raymond James’ Institute of Investment Management Consulting (IIMC). She holds a Maryland license for life, health and variable life insurance.  She also has held an adjunct faculty position at Howard Community College.

Alford-Cooper has served in several key leadership roles.  Her previous board volunteer involvement includes the CFP Board Council on Education (Committee Member), Financial Planning Association of Maryland (Chair 2018), Association of African American Financial Advisors (Past President) and Howard County Police Foundation (Director). Alford-Cooper is also a graduate of Leadership Howard County’s Leadership Premier program and a women’s ministry team leader for her church in Columbia.

Raised by a phenomenal single Mom, Alford-Cooper remains inspired and proudly carries on her Mom’s legacy – her love for family. She loves spending time with her husband and best friend, Dennis.  Both are proud parents to a son serving in the United States Navy. 

Thomas Drapala, RSSA is Director of Strategic Partnerships for Registered Social Security Analysts. RSSA is the leader in Social Security training and education for financial and insurance professionals. Tom has extensive Social Security knowledge including the most difficult cases to ensure agents and advisors receive top notch education, technology, marketing, and support through the RSSA Social Security Program. Tom has a Masters in Financial Management from LIU Post and lives on Long Island with his wife and two young children.

Matt Reiner, The FutureProof Advisor, is a visionary leader and innovator in the financial advisory space, dedicated to shaping the future of wealth management. As the Managing Partner of Capital Investment Advisors, Matt has leveraged his over 15 years of industry experience to transform how hundreds of financial advisors serve their clients and grow their businesses.

His expertise has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, InvestmentNews, Business Insider, and WealthManagement.com. Matt is a multi-bestselling author, speaker, and host of the FutureProof Advisor Podcast. He’s been named one of InvestmentNews 40 under 40 in 2021. Under his leadership, Capital Investment Advisors achieved top 1% growth organically, expanding from $800M at the peak of the 2008 crash to $8.1B AUM (as of December 2025), with five offices across major U.S. cities. Matt is passionate about empowering financial advisors to build firms that scale rapidly, grow exponentially, and deliver unique, personalized client experiences daily—making a lasting impact on their clients and the industry at large.

Rich Arzaga, CFP®, CCIM, is a respected financial advisor with a passion for real estate investments. With a professional yet approachable style, Rich brings clarity and guidance to his clients' real estate matters, helping them navigate options and develop strategies that align with their interests and goals.

 Drawing on his extensive expertise, Rich provides valuable advice on various real estate topics, including buy-sell-hold strategies, tax-deferred and highly appreciated tax reduction strategies, real estate succession planning, and rental property cash flow analysis.

 His exceptional knowledge and real estate strategies have earned him recognition in business and finance publications such as the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Newsweek, Kiplinger, and The Journal of Financial Planning. As an esteemed adjunct professor at UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz Personal Financial Planning programs, Rich has been Honored for his excellence in teaching.

As the Founder and CEO of The Real Estate Whisperer™ Financial Planning and Education, Rich is an advice-only financial advisor who operates on a flat-fee structure. By focusing solely on providing client-centered financial advice and not managing investments, he ensures his undivided attention to his clients' needs.

Rich's ideal clientele comprises real estate investors, business owners, sole proprietors, business executives, and affluent families who seek expert guidance. With his vast experience, Rich has held senior-level positions for 18 years across various entrepreneurial, high-growth, and Fortune 500 companies. Notably, as Senior Vice President of a technology startup in the Denver Tech Center, he played a pivotal role in the successful sale of the business for $326M.

Rich's educational background is equally impactful, as he graduated with distinction from the Personal Financial Planning Program at UC Berkeley and holds a BA from San Jose State University. He also pursued Graduate Studies in Management at Northwestern University J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Residing in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Rich serves clients nationwide, leveraging his expertise and personalized approach to help them achieve their financial goals and make informed real estate decisions.

As Vice President of Retirement Strategies at Finance of America, Steve leads the education and training programs for financial professionals about the strategic use of home equity within a comprehensive financial plan.

Steve’s career in financial services spans over 37 years, where he’s served as an investment analyst, educator, and an independent wealth advisor since 1994. His  practice often incorporates home equity strategies to help safeguard and enhance retirement and legacy objectives for his clients.

Steve is recognized as a subject expert source and interviewed by media outlets including the TheStreet, MarketWatch, and many others. He is a frequent speaker at both national and regional professional conferences.

Jamie P. Hopkins is the Chief Executive Officer of Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors and Chief Wealth Officer of WSFS and Bryn Mawr Trust. Jamie is also the author of the new best seller, Your Retirement Sketchbook.

Jamie is a graduate of Temple University School of Law, where he received his LL.M., and Villanova University School of Law, where he earned his juris doctorate. Hopkins earned a master’s degree in financial planning from The American College of Financial Services and a master’s degree in business administration from Villanova University.

A Wall Street Journal best-selling author, educator, and executive speaker, Jamie serves on numerous advisory boards around the financial services industry and formerly as a national trustee member of NAIFA. Jamie is also the founder and president of the 501(c)(3) non-profit, FinServ Foundation and was named as a top 10 Investopedia 100 Top Financial Advisor for 2023.

Mary Beth Franklin is one of the country’s leading experts on Social Security and Medicare.

An award-winning journalist and Certified Financial Planning professional, Mary Beth offers in-person and online seminars about Social Security, Medicare and retirement income planning. She is a former contributing columnist on retirement issues for Investment News, a publication for financial advisors. Mary Beth is the host of the public television program, Social Security & You. Her ebook, Maximizing Social Security Benefits, is available for purchase at her website www.MaryBethFranklin.com.

Editor and Publisher recognized Mary Beth’s On Retirement column in Investment News with an EPPY award for best business blog of 2021. In 2016, the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement honored Mary Beth with a Hero Award for her efforts to improve retirement security for women. She is also serves on the CFP Board’s Women’s Initiative Council, which focuses on improving gender and racial diversity in the financial services profession.

Previously, Mary Beth served as the tax and retirement editor for Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine and editor of Kiplinger’s annual Retirement Planning Guide. Earlier in her career, Mary Beth was a Capitol Hill reporter for United Press International. She is a frequent guest on numerous radio and television programs and previously hosted her own podcast, The Retirement Repair Shop, for seven seasons.

Robert Sofia is the CEO of Snappy Kraken, a marketing company exclusively serving financial advisers. During the past decade, Robert has supported thousands of companies across the spectrum of financial services including solo advisers, ensembles, family offices, broker dealers, custodians, TAMPs insurance companies, and more.

Robert has received countless accolades for his work, has authored two best-selling books, and has been published hundreds of times in Forbes, INC Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, FOX Business, Huffington Post, Business Insider, Investment News, Financial Planning, Wealth Management, Journal of Financial Planning, ThinkAdvisor, and others.

Augustus Christensen is the Founder and CEO of Share Scoops, a client communication platform for financial advisors, and someone who has actually sat where advisors sit. He spent his early career in J.P. Morgan’s Private Bank, where he served as an outsourced CIO and portfolio manager, working with complex families, endowments, and foundations, before turning his focus to how real people process financial information.

Over the last six years, he scaled social media accounts, newsletters, and an interactive education app into a top finance resource online, reaching millions of people each month by translating real-time news and financial complexity into plain language. Along the way, he polled thousands of people every week, building a behavioral map of how people react to the economy, what questions they actually ask about money, and what builds genuine trust. That research now powers Share Scoops, which helps advisors and institutions, including platforms as large as Chase Wealth Management, turn their expertise into clear, consistent communication across email and social media without having to become full-time marketers or content creators.

Rick Kahler, MS, CFP®, CFT-I™, CeFT® is a pioneer in integrating financial planning and psychology. Rick is a founder of financial therapy and was recognized for his pioneering work in that field by InvestmentNews in 2019 with their annual Innovator Award and in 2018 by the Insiders Forum with their annual Iconoclast award. He is a founding board member and Past-Chair of the Financial Therapy Association. In 2020 he became one of the first Certified Financial Therapist-Level I (CFT-I™) and a Certified Internal Family Systems™ Practitioner in 2021. In 2021 he also founded IFS Informed Financial Therapy™.