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Kunal Bharatkumar Patel

Advisor at Merit Financial Advisors — Fuquay Varina, NC

Updated today

Credentials

Series 66

Experience

4 years

Location

Fuquay Varina, NC

Merit Financial Advisors logo

Merit Financial Advisors

Multi-team

Total advisors

284

Across 91 offices

Clients per advisor

71 High

Avg AUM per client

$897,421 High

HNW client ratio

22% Typical

About

Kunal Patel is a financial advisor at Merit Financial Advisors with three years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, LPL Financial, and Fidelity Investments. Outside of advising, Patel has experience in insurance services and real estate rental. Merit Financial Group, LLC is an SEC-registered advisory firm managing approximately $10.6 billion and serving a diverse client base that includes individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a long-term, diversified investment approach using model portfolios and customizable strategies, supported by a central investment team and oversight committee.

Client services

Based on Merit Financial Advisors

Financial planning Portfolio management Pension consulting Selection of other advisers Educational seminars or workshops

Expertise

Based on Merit Financial Advisors

Options & derivatives strategies Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business ownership considerations

Occupation focus

Based on Merit Financial Advisors

Founder/Business Owner Retired Executive

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Fee options

Fixed

Financial planning fees can be flat fees, typically not exceeding $100,000, often prorated and payable monthly or quarterly

Percentage

$0 - $100,000: 1.50% $100,000 - $250,000: 1.25% $250,000+: 1.00%

Project-based

Up to $100,000 total for financial planning services; specific hourly rate not stated

Subscriptions

Ongoing financial planning fees payable annually, quarterly, or monthly; specific amounts not stated

Location

See office

Fuquay Varina, NC

Fuquay Varina NC

Advisors at this office

1

Most active in

Colorado · North Carolina

Work history

4 years of industry experience

Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments

2024 - Present • 2 years

Albany, NY

Merit Financial Advisors

2023 - Present • 3 years

Greenwood Village, CO

LPL Financial

2023 - 2024 • 1 year

Greenwood Village, CO

DoorDash

2022 - 2023 • 1 year

San Francisco, CA

EJS Wealth

2022 - 2023 • 1 year

Colorado Springs, CO

United Planners Financial Services

2022 - 2023 • 1 year

Scottsdale, AZ

EPCO 3 Way

2021 - 2024 • 3 years

Fayetteville, NC

Fidelity Investments

2021 - 2022 • 1 year

Durham, NC

University of North Carolina in Wilmington

2020 - 2024 • 4 years

Wilmington, NC

First Bank

2020 - 2021 • 1 year

Wilmington, NC

NextHome CapeFear

2019 - 2021 • 2 years

Wilmington, NC

Camp Timberline

2018 - 2018 • 1 year

Estes Park, CO

TD Bank

2016 - 2018 • 2 years

Wilmington, NC

Cape Fear Community College

2015 - 2020 • 5 years

Wilmington, NC

Disclosures

Exclamation point means they have disclosures of this type. Check mark means no disclosures of this type were found.

Business activities & affiliations

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Christopher F

Series 65

New Hill, NC

Confiance Financial LLC

Christopher Fauchier Nobles is the President and Chief Compliance Officer of Confiance Financial LLC and holds a Series 65 designation. He has experience in investor communications and back-office technology platforms through his executive role at BetaNXT and a prior tenure at Mediant Communications Inc. Confiance Financial provides discretionary investment management and comprehensive financial planning to individual clients, including high-net-worth individuals. The firm uses a fundamental, primarily long-term investment approach and incorporates diversified mutual funds, ETFs, and individual securities, while also employing third-party independent managers to execute strategies.

General retirement planning Income planning General tax planning Wealth management Cash flow / budgeting
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Michael M

Series 65

Holly Springs, NC

BFWM LLC

Michael Mccall is a financial advisor at BFWM LLC in Holly Springs, NC, holding a Series 65 credential with industry experience beginning in 2022. His prior work includes roles at Buffalo Finances Inc., Site Services, and EVA Garland Associates. BFWM LLC is an independent registered investment adviser offering discretionary managed accounts, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm employs a personalized, multi-strategy investment approach that incorporates asset allocation, dollar-cost averaging, and technical analysis, tailored to client time horizons and risk tolerances.

Annuities
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David E

Series 63, Series 65

Cary, NC

Artifex Advisory Group, Inc.

David Elliott is a financial advisor at Artifex Advisory Group, Inc. in Cary, NC, with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has operated as a sole proprietor since 2013. In addition to his advisory work, Elliott is also a licensed insurance agent involved in insurance sales. Artifex Advisory Group provides fee-based investment management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm manages portfolios on a discretionary basis using both fundamental and technical analysis and offers ERISA-plan services including fiduciary responsibilities and participant education.

Annuities General tax planning General estate planning guidance College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
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Steven L

Series 65

Holly Springs, NC

Lewis and Associates Capital Advisors, LLC

Steven Lewis is the principal of Lewis and Associates Capital Advisors, LLC, an independent advisory firm based in Holly Springs, NC. He holds a Series 65 designation and has 17 years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked at Formulafolio Investments, LLC and Brookstone Capital Management, LLC, and he is also involved with Financial Greenhouse, LLC, where he supervises insurance product recommendations. Lewis and Associates Capital Advisors provides asset management and financial advice to a diverse client base, including individuals, trusts, corporate pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a combination of modern portfolio theory and various analytical approaches to build customized portfolios and offers pension consulting, educational seminars, and insurance advice as part of its services.

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Life insurance needs analysis
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Charles G

Series 63, Series 65

Cary, NC

Wellness Financial Associates LLC

Charles Galt is the sole advisor at Wellness Financial Associates LLC in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 21 years of industry experience. He has operated Wellness Financial Associates since 2015 and also owns Wellness Security LLC, an insurance agency offering accident, health, disability, and life insurance products, as well as fixed and indexed annuities. Wellness Financial Associates LLC provides financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan consulting services to individuals, plan sponsors, corporations, and other business entities. The firm emphasizes asset allocation based on value, safety, and quality principles, focusing on risk control and loss avoidance, with a notable specialization in 401(k) and pension plan consulting.

General retirement planning
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Lance H

CFP®

Fuquay Varina, NC

Signature Resources LLC

Lance Hope Gill is a CFP® professional with 20 years of experience in the financial industry. He is currently the sole advisor at Signature Resources LLC and has held roles at United Community Bank and Seaside Capital Management, Inc. Gill also serves as a fiduciary officer and investment analyst at United Community Bank in Orlando, Florida. Signature Resources LLC provides asset management and portfolio supervision to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, and business entities. The firm utilizes a combination of fundamental analysis and technical methods, offering both strategic and tactical asset allocation with client-specific restrictions and periodic rebalancing.

Active portfolio management
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