Credentials
At Guidance Wealth Advisors, we are committed to delivering the highest level of service to our clients by continuously enhancing our expertise and earning industry designations, enabling us to offer a broader range of services to our community. Nick Guida and Samantha Baghal are licensed Investment Adviser Representatives (IAR) of Guidance Wealth Advisors, which means that they are held to the fiduciary standard. When Nick or Samantha is acting as your investment advisor, they are required by law to have their clients’ best interest as their top priority.
To learn more about our licenses and certifications, read on.
To become an Investment Advisor Representatives, Nick and Samantha were required to pass the Series 65 exam. The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) Investment Law Examination is administered by FINRA. Investment advisor representatives must be registered with a Registered Investment Adviser as well as with the appropriate authorities in their state. Investment Adviser Representatives charge fees for their services.
Their primary responsibilities include providing investment-related advice, but other responsibilities can include:
Making recommendations on various securities
Managing client accounts, including discretionary accounts, and monitoring administrative issues
Advisory services
Supervision of other investment advisor representatives
Nick’s CRD # is 6382447
Sam’s CRD # is 8190040
This history can be found on www.brokercheck.com
Investment Advisor Representatives are held to the fiduciary standard. A fiduciary advisor has a legal and ethical obligation to put their clients’ needs and interests first. That means helping clients make decisions in their best interests and above the interests of the advisor. We have always kept the fiduciary standard at the core of our firm and our mission to our clients.
The fiduciary duty owed by an investment advisor includes all of the following obligations and more:
- Duty to only give disinterested advice that is in the best interest of the client;
- Duty to provide thorough written disclosures of potential or actual conflicts of interest through the Form ADV and advisory agreement;
- Duty to maintain strict confidentiality;
- Duty to avoid fraud and misconduct; and
- Duty to make full disclosure of all fees and expenses owed by the client.
If a fiduciary advisor fails to meet any of these standards, they may be personally liable for any damages caused to their client. In contrast, nonfiduciary advisors, or those who are held to the less stringent “suitability standard,” are not required to act in their clients’ best interests. They are not required to disclose the same level of information to their clients and do not necessarily have to recommend products that best fit their clients’ situations.
The National Producer Number (NPN) is a unique NAIC identifier assigned to individuals and business entities engaged in insurance-related activities regulated by a state insurance department. The NPN is used to track those individuals and business entities on a national basis.
The firm’s NPN # is 20394529
Nick’s NPN # is 16364478.
Sam’s NPN # is 21725932
Heather’s NPN # is 21108352
Life and Health insurance license permits you to begin selling and retaining life and/or health insurance policies within a specific state. It qualifies you as a life insurance agent legally able to explain, sell, and process that line of insurance. Both of these types of insurance lines protect a claimant from loss relating to medical situations or death. Life insurance license permits you to sell annuities, term, and cash value (commonly called whole or universal) Life insurance. A life and health insurance license enables you to sell these life insurance products, plus policies that provide protection for medical expenses, loss of income due to a disability, and the need for long-term care.
Nick’s Producer # is 613342
Samantha’s Producer # is 3002035062
Heather’s Producer # is 1178158
Nick is a Certified Exit Planning advisor (CEPA). A CEPA is a professional who specializes in helping business owners develop a plan for transitioning out of their businesses. The Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) designation is for financial advisors and other professionals (attorneys, business brokers, Certified Public Accountants, etc.) who wish to support business owners with exit planning. –
This program, developed by the Exit Planning Institute (EPI), helps advisors provide comprehensive exit planning solutions to business owners. The Value Acceleration Methodology, a proprietary framework developed by EPI, focuses on three major components: value growth, value protection, and value transfer.
To obtain the CEPA designation, advisors undergo rigorous training and must pass a proctored exam. The CEPA is the most widely accepted and recognized exit planning program in the world. With this certification, a CEPA can help business owners figure out their goals on a professional, financial, and personal level.
CEPA certified professionals have greater knowledge of exit planning than a traditional financial advisor. They can help ensure business owners are prepared in the event of an unplanned event like disability, divorce, or death.
Judy Kim is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (LSSBB) practitioner, certified in advanced process improvement methodologies. She brings a disciplined, data-driven approach to optimizing workflows, enhancing cross-functional collaboration, improving client service delivery, and building scalable systems that support consistency, efficiency, and long-term growth across complex advisory environments.
BBB is a standards-based, nonprofit organization with a local Board of Directors. It works to advance business trust. BBB believes businesses and nonprofits that embrace trust as a core principle in their organization will see growth in employees, customers, community, and their bottom line. Businesses and charities are invited to apply for Accreditation and work collaboratively with local BBB staff to provide transparent information for consumers who are looking for businesses they can trust. BBB Accreditation is approved by the board of directors, and Guidance Wealth Advisors is proud to join businesses across North American and BBB to advance marketplace trust through standards for ethics and integrity.
To become an Investment Advisor Representatives, Nick and Samantha were required to pass the Series 65 exam. The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) Investment Law Examination is administered by FINRA. Investment advisor representatives must be registered with a Registered Investment Adviser as well as with the appropriate authorities in their state. Investment Adviser Representatives charge fees for their services.
Their primary responsibilities include providing investment-related advice, but other responsibilities can include:
Making recommendations on various securities
Managing client accounts, including discretionary accounts, and monitoring administrative issues
Advisory services
Supervision of other investment advisor representatives
Nick’s CRD # is 6382447
Sam’s CRD # is 8190040
This history can be found on www.brokercheck.com
Investment Advisor Representatives are held to the fiduciary standard. A fiduciary advisor has a legal and ethical obligation to put their clients’ needs and interests first. That means helping clients make decisions in their best interests and above the interests of the advisor. We have always kept the fiduciary standard at the core of our firm and our mission to our clients.
The fiduciary duty owed by an investment advisor includes all of the following obligations and more:
- Duty to only give disinterested advice that is in the best interest of the client;
- Duty to provide thorough written disclosures of potential or actual conflicts of interest through the Form ADV and advisory agreement;
- Duty to maintain strict confidentiality;
- Duty to avoid fraud and misconduct; and
- Duty to make full disclosure of all fees and expenses owed by the client.
If a fiduciary advisor fails to meet any of these standards, they may be personally liable for any damages caused to their client. In contrast, nonfiduciary advisors, or those who are held to the less stringent “suitability standard,” are not required to act in their clients’ best interests. They are not required to disclose the same level of information to their clients and do not necessarily have to recommend products that best fit their clients’ situations.
The National Producer Number (NPN) is a unique NAIC identifier assigned to individuals and business entities engaged in insurance-related activities regulated by a state insurance department. The NPN is used to track those individuals and business entities on a national basis.
The firm’s NPN # is 20394529
Nick’s NPN # is 16364478.
Sam’s NPN # is 21725932
Heather’s NPN # is 21108352
Life and Health insurance license permits you to begin selling and retaining life and/or health insurance policies within a specific state. It qualifies you as a life insurance agent legally able to explain, sell, and process that line of insurance. Both of these types of insurance lines protect a claimant from loss relating to medical situations or death. Life insurance license permits you to sell annuities, term, and cash value (commonly called whole or universal) Life insurance. A life and health insurance license enables you to sell these life insurance products, plus policies that provide protection for medical expenses, loss of income due to a disability, and the need for long-term care.
Nick’s Producer # is 613342
Samantha’s Producer # is 3002035062
Heather’s Producer # is 1178158
Nick is a Certified Exit Planning advisor (CEPA). A CEPA is a professional who specializes in helping business owners develop a plan for transitioning out of their businesses. The Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) designation is for financial advisors and other professionals (attorneys, business brokers, Certified Public Accountants, etc.) who wish to support business owners with exit planning. –
This program, developed by the Exit Planning Institute (EPI), helps advisors provide comprehensive exit planning solutions to business owners. The Value Acceleration Methodology, a proprietary framework developed by EPI, focuses on three major components: value growth, value protection, and value transfer.
To obtain the CEPA designation, advisors undergo rigorous training and must pass a proctored exam. The CEPA is the most widely accepted and recognized exit planning program in the world. With this certification, a CEPA can help business owners figure out their goals on a professional, financial, and personal level.
CEPA certified professionals have greater knowledge of exit planning than a traditional financial advisor. They can help ensure business owners are prepared in the event of an unplanned event like disability, divorce, or death.
Judy Kim is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (LSSBB) practitioner, certified in advanced process improvement methodologies. She brings a disciplined, data-driven approach to optimizing workflows, enhancing cross-functional collaboration, improving client service delivery, and building scalable systems that support consistency, efficiency, and long-term growth across complex advisory environments.
BBB is a standards-based, nonprofit organization with a local Board of Directors. It works to advance business trust. BBB believes businesses and nonprofits that embrace trust as a core principle in their organization will see growth in employees, customers, community, and their bottom line. Businesses and charities are invited to apply for Accreditation and work collaboratively with local BBB staff to provide transparent information for consumers who are looking for businesses they can trust. BBB Accreditation is approved by the board of directors, and Guidance Wealth Advisors is proud to join businesses across North American and BBB to advance marketplace trust through standards for ethics and integrity.