Stephanie J. Lee, CFP®, founded East Rock Financial Services, a financial planning and wealth management firm. She gained cultural knowledge as a director for a global financial analytics firm, working with bankers in 17 countries on portfolio optimization. Stephanie volunteers on the Board of Directors for California Jump$tart, a nonprofit dedicated to improving K-12 financial education. She is a jazz bassist and rock violinist who has performed on 22 recordings, and she is an official voter for the Grammy Awards. She has a B.S. in Applied Math from Yale and an MPA from USC. Stephanie has spoken at many FPA conferences, has appeared on CNBC, and has been quoted by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Kiplinger, and the BBC.

Matthew Berlin focuses his practice on all aspects of estate planning, trust administration and related tax matters, including FATCA compliance and offshore informational reporting.  Matthew’s clients consist of individuals and families living throughout the U.S. and abroad, as well as the offshore and onshore entities they create or control to manage and pass on wealth.

Matthew advises on buy-sell agreements, insurance trusts, irrevocable defective grantor trusts, installment sales, charitable lead and remainder trusts, Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (Walton GRATS), Qualified Personal Residence Trusts, and related techniques to reduce taxation and to ensure continuity in business planning and family control.

As a fiduciary for scores of trusts, estates and charitable foundations, Matthew has extensive experience managing and administering assets, including disposition of or investment in commercial and residential real estate, fine art, intellectual property and marketable securities. He provides legal counsel and representation in all phases of trust and estate administration and related tax reporting.

As a family and property lawyer, Matthew develops and drafts prenuptial agreements, co-tenancy agreements and domestic and business partnership agreements. He advises concerning the retention and disposition of family property, jointly acquired real estate and other joint enterprises involving the equitable division or shared use of property interests. Part of his practice also entails creation of conservation restrictions and agricultural easements to promote the conservation or preservation of rural agrarian traditions while reducing property and estate tax exposure and ensuring continued family ownership.

Matthew’s probate practice includes litigation services in connection with proof of wills, reform and interpretation of testamentary and trust instruments, and undue influence or incompetency.

Additionally, Matthew is President Emeritus of DeSoto Securities Company, a privately held company in Chicago, IL established in 1923.  The Company operates a portfolio of securities for the benefit of a distinguished, high-net worth family.

Mr. Pon is a Certified Financial Planner, Certified Public Accountant, Personal Financial Specialist, and Accredited Estate Planner in Redwood Shores, CA.   

Mr. Pon has been practicing since 1986.  He provides the latest advanced tax and financial planning strategies to financial planners so they can be knowledgeable with their clients.

Mr. Pon received his BS in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley and MS in Taxation from Golden Gate University in San Francisco.

Mr. Pon is a long time member of the Financial Planning Association and speaks frequently to the San Francisco and Silicon Valley Chapters.

Carol Marak, Author, Speaker, Founder of the Elder Orphan Facebook Group, and former family caregiver. Her book, SOLO AND SMART, A Roadmap for a Supportive and Secure Future is based on Carol’s own plan as a single senior facing the retirement years alone. Caregiving was her wake-up call and it revealed what’s needed when planing a secure future. Carol is a native Texan and lives in a highly active Dallas urban area. 

Carol has appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, PBS, NPR, AARP, USNews, American Society on Aging, local newspapers throughout the U.S. and radio shows.

George Fernandez is professional business coach and consultant specializing in the insurance and financial services industry.

With 36 years of experience in retail banking, lending, property & casualty, wealth management, product management and financial technology platform management, George is uniquely positioned to bring objectivity to his clients’ business objectives. In addition to developing and maintaining hundreds of client and advisor resources used to grow and support their business, George has helped hundreds of advisors and several firms with the financial planning related technology selection, vendor management, deployment, and user adoption.

George has held numerous volunteer positions within FPA and the FPA of Greater Kansas City, including CLC Development Committee member, OneFPA Transition Task Force member, and president and chair of the board of directors for his local chapter.

George Fernández, MBA, CFP®, currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Financial Planning Association® (FPA®)and is the board liaison for the NexGen Community

Bob Veres is editor and publisher of the Inside Information guide to trends and innovations in the profession, author of The New Profession, and for 20 years was a contributing editor and columnist for Financial Planning magazine. As a journalist, he has won several national awards, including the Jesse H. Neal Award from the American Business Media group, considered the most prestigious editorial honor in the field of specialized journalism, and the Azbee Award of Excellence from the American Society of Business Press Editors.

Over his 40-year career in the financial services world, Mr. Veres has worked as editor of Financial Planning magazine; as a contributing editor to the Journal of Financial Planning; as a columnist and editor-at-large of Investment Advisor magazine; and as editor of Morningstar’s advisor web site: MorningstarAdvisor.com. He is a sought-after speaker for many of the planning world’s most important professional conferences.
In addition, Mr. Veres co-produces the Insider’s Forum conference for independent financial advisory firms.

Mr. Veres has been named one of the most influential people in the financial planning profession by Investment Advisor magazine and Financial Planning magazine, was granted the Special Achievement Award for service to the profession by the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, and the Heart of Financial Planning Distinguished Service Award from the Denver-based Financial Planning Association.

In addition to his professional activities, Mr. Veres has authored five novels: Song of the Universe, The Root of All Evil, Conversations With My Daughter, South of Maya and The Galactic Taxi Service.