Michael Steven Nies

Ben Loughery, CFP® (CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™) and CRPC™ (Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™) (Pronounced Lockery) Atlanta Fee-Only Fiduciary Financial Planner Lock Wealth Management is led by Ben Loughery, CFP®, CRPC™, who spent 10+ years at Capital Group and Invesco before founding the firm. Ben specializes in helping people five to ten years from retirement, recent retirees, and business owners turn their savings into dependable, tax-smart retirement income. That includes Roth conversion planning, Social Security timing, tax-efficient withdrawal strategies, and an investment portfolio that reflects your current stage of life. Designations: CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC™) Education: CFP® education at the University of Georgia; B.S. in Finance, University of Dayton Service & Affiliations: Board Member (Public Relations Chair), Financial Planning Association of Georgia; NAPFA Associate Member; XY Planning Network member; pro bono financial planning volunteer Outside of work, you’ll find me walking on the Atlanta Beltline near Bobby Jones, cooking, exploring new restaurants, waterskiing and wake surfing at Clear Lake, Indiana, and staying active such as going to a Lion Chaser workout or Atlanta's new gym, Carbon Performance.

William is the Founder at LKL Advisors in Atlanta, GA. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been working in the finance space since 2017. Under a single, transparent fee structure that beats the 1% model, LKL Advisors provides comprehensive financial planning, portfolio management, access to private investments, equity comp planning, tax strategy, estate planning (will and trust creation included), and more, primarily for mid-career corporate professionals.

Here's the final version: Kurt Brucker is a CFP® and Series 66-registered advisor with eight years of experience in financial planning. He founded Brucker Wealth in 2025 after nearly eight years at Oxygen Financial, where he worked with hundreds of clients and built a planning practice grounded in relationships, not transactions. His path to advising started with an internship doing stock research for an RIA. He enjoyed the investment side of it, but realized he was more drawn to the people than the portfolio analysis. That instinct has shaped everything since. Growing up, Kurt watched his parents navigate both success and hardship at different points in their lives. That perspective is part of what makes him effective in this seat. He understands that a financial plan has to hold up under pressure, not just favorable conditions. Brucker Wealth serves Christian couples and professionals who want a planning relationship where faith is part of the conversation. Kurt prays with clients, helps them define what faithful stewardship looks like in their specific season, and works with them to identify finish lines so they can live generously rather than just accumulate. On the investment side, portfolios are built around what clients actually believe in: broadly diversified across asset classes, with selective exposure to thematic opportunities where conviction and evidence align. Planning covers investments, taxes, estate, and insurance as one connected picture. He is based in Atlanta, Georgia, where he lives with his wife and two daughters.

Simon partners with successful individuals to deliver solutions across banking, credit, investments, and planning. Beyond just portfolios, Simon advises clients on business ownership and transitions, family governance, philanthropy, and other aspects of wealth that have often have a greater and longer-lasting impact than performance. Before joining Bank of America Private Bank, he was an Executive Director at J.P. Morgan Private Bank.

Charles Steele is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license, with 20 years of experience in the financial industry. He has worked at Kestra Advisory, Kestra Investment Services, and Cambridge Investment Research prior to founding Steele Advisory LLC. Steele is also a licensed insurance agent, spending a limited amount of time on insurance sales and implementation. Steele Financial Studios provides discretionary investment management, comprehensive financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, businesses, and plan sponsors. The firm emphasizes fundamental analysis and a long-term investment approach, incorporating low-cost mutual funds, ETFs, individual securities, and unaffiliated independent managers, with a notable focus on pension and retirement plan consulting.

Gregory Smarr is the sole advisor at Smarr Financial Services Inc. in Atlanta, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with 20 years of industry experience. He has operated Smarr Financial Services since 2004. Outside of advisory work, he has been involved in selling various insurance products through multiple agencies. Smarr Financial Services provides financial planning and investment supervisory services to individuals, high net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities. The firm also functions as an insurance agency, offering life, disability, long-term care, group life and health products, and fixed annuities. Its investment approach emphasizes fundamental analysis and long-term buy-and-hold strategies supplemented by moderate trading across a range of asset classes.