Michael Ernest Spears

Curtis Cone is a financial advisor at Cone Advisory Group, Inc. with 39 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Symmetry Partners and AlphaStar Capital Management. Outside of advising, he manages several real estate-related business interests. Cone Advisory Group, Inc. serves individual and high-net-worth clients as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, providing portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting. The firm emphasizes mutual funds, ETFs, model portfolios, and third-party money managers in its investment approach.

Curtis Cone Jr. is a Series 65-licensed advisor at Cone Advisory Group, Inc. in Ayden, NC, with one year of experience in the financial industry. His work history includes roles at Cone Advisory Group since 2018 and prior experience at Skylight Inn BBQ and East Carolina University. Cone Advisory Group, Inc. serves individual and high-net-worth clients as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, managing approximately $17.3 million for around 200 clients. The firm provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting, with an investment approach that emphasizes mutual funds, ETFs, and the use of third-party managers through model portfolios and co-advisory arrangements.

Charles Foss is a financial advisor with Gradient Investments, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 17 years of industry experience. He has been with Gradient Investments since 2015 and also leads The Foss Agency Inc., where he serves as president and insurance agent. His outside business activities include managing insurance services through The Foss Agency. Gradient Investments, LLC provides discretionary investment management to a wide range of clients including individuals, high-net-worth clients, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a proprietary investment framework and offers various model and custom portfolios managed primarily on a discretionary basis.

Aaron Futral is a financial advisor with Credit Union Investment Services in Kinston, NC, holding Series 65 and Series 63 credentials and with 10 years of industry experience. He has served in various roles since 2013, including as Financial Advisory Services District Manager at State Employees' Credit Union and as an agent with SECU Life Insurance Company. Futral also holds a position as a trust representative with Members Trust Company. Credit Union Investment Services primarily serves North Carolina resident individual investors and a limited number of trust clients, providing non-discretionary portfolio management, asset allocation advice, and retirement and financial planning. The firm emphasizes a long-term, goals-based approach using low-cost index mutual funds and ETFs, with investment representatives as salaried employees of the parent credit union.

Mark Conway is a financial advisor with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and over 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Cambridge since 2016 and also operates his own firms, Conway & Co Inc., an insurance agency, and a real estate brokerage where he serves as broker-in-charge. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, offering comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through a network of independent professionals. The firm provides a range of investment solutions including proprietary model strategies and access to unaffiliated portfolio managers, with both discretionary and non-discretionary options tailored to client objectives.

Justin Hardee is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 15 years of industry experience. He has worked in various capacities within Wells Fargo entities since 2014. Outside of his advisory role, Hardee holds ownership interests in several real estate-related business ventures in Greenville, NC. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network serves individuals, trusts, and institutional clients by offering a broad range of investment and financial planning services, including specialized planning for business owners, sports and entertainment professionals, and clients with unique needs. The firm uses proprietary research and tools to develop tailored recommendations, with clients deciding how to implement them.