Mark Coffey is the sole advisor at Hickory Financial Group, LLC in Hickory, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 32 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Avenir Private Advisors LLC and Kovack Securities Inc. Outside of advisory work, he owns a duck hunting guide service and a marine construction company. Hickory Financial Group is an independent investment adviser serving individuals, families, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm primarily employs an equity-oriented strategy using sector- and factor-weighted ETFs and individual stocks, combining fundamental and technical analysis with ongoing portfolio monitoring and rebalancing.

Herman Brunson is a financial advisor with Balance Investments in Statesville, NC, holding Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Balance Investments since 2014, serving as the firm's sole advisor. Balance Investments is an independent registered investment adviser managing approximately $2.7 million in client assets. The firm provides investment management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and businesses, utilizing a core-satellite investment approach with portfolios tailored to clients' goals and risk tolerance.

Michael Loeb is a financial advisor at Argosy Investors with eight years of industry experience and a Series 65 credential. He has worked at several firms, including Magnolia Wash Holdings, von Drehle Corporation, Ally Financial, and Broyhill Asset Management. Outside of advisory work, he serves as M&A Director for Whistle Express, a privately held car wash company. Argosy Investors provides discretionary investment management through separately managed accounts, focusing on a value-oriented strategy with a bottom-up fundamental analysis approach. The firm typically manages a concentrated portfolio aimed at long-term growth and special-situation opportunities, serving qualifying individuals and entities.

Shawn Fleming is a financial advisor with Professional Wealth Management Services LLC in Statesville, NC, holding the ChFC® designation and a Series 65 license. He has 18 years of industry experience and has been with Professional Wealth Management Services since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, Shawn is independently licensed in life, accident, and health insurance and provides limited insurance agent services as part of comprehensive financial planning. He is also engaged in general business and management consulting. Professional Wealth Management Services LLC serves individuals and trusts with fee-only financial planning and discretionary portfolio management. The firm emphasizes suitability and tailored strategies, managing approximately $136 million for about 60 clients through a two-advisor team.

William Kearney is a financial advisor at Crown Private Wealth, LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 credential and has worked at firms including Virtue Capital Management, Horter Investment Management, and Integrated Financial Concepts LLC, where he is also the owner. Kearney is a co-founder and insurance agent at Crown Insurance Advisors, a fixed insurance agency serving retail clients. Crown Private Wealth, LLC provides discretionary asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services primarily to individuals and high-net-worth clients. The firm manages approximately $47.7 million in discretionary assets for about 133 clients and employs both fundamental and technical analysis, including option strategies and the use of margin, to guide portfolio management.

John Foard is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 25 years of experience in the financial industry. He is a co-founder and managing partner of Crown Advisors, LLC, which oversees Crown Private Wealth, LLC and Crown Insurance Advisors, LLC. He also owns Foard Wealth Management, LLC, a financial industry consulting business. Crown Private Wealth, LLC provides discretionary asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services primarily to individuals and high-net-worth clients. The firm manages approximately $47.7 million in discretionary assets and employs fundamental and technical analysis in portfolio management, including option writing and the use of derivatives.

Brittney Miller is a CFP® professional with nine years of industry experience, currently serving at Thayer Financial, L.L.C. She has worked at multiple firms including Bragg Financial Advisors Inc and RBC Capital Markets, LLC. Miller holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. Thayer Financial serves individuals, charitable organizations, and employer-sponsored retirement plans, providing discretionary investment management, financial planning, and pension consulting. The firm emphasizes goal-aligned portfolios with a long-term focus and offers educational seminars alongside integrated ancillary services such as tax preparation and estate-document assistance.

John Stevenson is a financial advisor with Professional Wealth Management Services LLC in Statesville, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with 22 years of industry experience. He has been with Professional Wealth Management Services since 2007. Outside of his advisory role, John is independently licensed in life, accident, and health insurance and also engages in general business and management consulting. Professional Wealth Management Services LLC provides fee-only financial planning and discretionary portfolio management primarily for individuals and trusts. The firm emphasizes tailored investment strategies based on detailed risk assessments and offers a wrap fee program that includes bundled asset allocation and trade execution services.

James Deporre is a financial advisor at Hammerhead Financial Strategies, LLC with 20 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Hammerhead since 2021. He is also president of Shark Investing, Inc., which operates a subscription-based website offering daily stock market articles and related content. Hammerhead Financial Strategies is a discretionary registered investment adviser serving primarily high-net-worth individuals and family offices. The firm employs an active, opportunistic investment approach using proprietary trading methodologies focused on higher-volatility equities, ETFs, and tactical asset allocation.

I’m Deaton Smith and I am the founder of Thayer Financial, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, a West Point graduate and OEF Veteran. I named Thayer Financial after the founding father of West Point because I envision my company as something bigger than me. It embodies the same values and principles of my time at West Point and in the Army: Duty, Honor, Integrity, and Loyalty. These values are at the very core of everything I do and stand for. The existing business model is drowning in a sea of “trust me” salespeople all riddled with major conflicts of interest and complicated financial products that pay exorbitant commissions. This is why I created my own firm. My values and beliefs did not line up with any of these major firms and I knew that there had to be a better way to serve my clients. That’s why I launched a fee-only Registered Investment Adviser that is legally obligated to work as a fiduciary 100% of the time. I don’t accept commissions, referral fees, kickbacks, free vacations, or marketing dollars from insurance companies or investment companies. The only way I get paid is directly from my clients for the services that I provide, which allows my clients to weigh the true cost of the advice they are receiving.

Donald Masters is a financial advisor at Masters Tax and Financial Planning LLC in Statesville, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with five years of industry experience. He has previously worked at Centaurus Financial Inc. and HD Vest Investment Services, and he owns a Certified Public Accountant firm, Donald M Masters CPA PC. Masters Tax and Financial Planning LLC primarily serves high-net-worth individuals, families, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations, offering discretionary portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, and tax-efficient investment strategies. The firm emphasizes long-term, tax-aware portfolios and provides related professional services through its principal’s separate CPA practice.

Timothy Bain is a financial advisor at Spark Asset Management Group with 31 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Spark since 2010. Outside of his advisory work, Bain teaches music lessons and is involved in a music-related business as a corporate secretary and part owner. Spark Asset Management Group provides asset management, retirement planning, and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm primarily manages assets through tactical, trend-following model portfolios that combine algorithmic trend indicators with technical and fundamental research, utilizing ETFs alongside strategic allocation and custom portfolios.

Mary Masters is a financial advisor at Masters Tax and Financial Planning LLC with 26 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments and Cetera Advisors. Mary is also a licensed insurance agent, offering insurance products on a limited basis. Masters Tax and Financial Planning LLC serves high-net-worth individuals, families, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations. The firm focuses on long-term, tax-aware portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning, incorporating fundamental, technical, and macroeconomic analysis.

Adam Smith is a financial advisor at Fortress Private Ledger, LLC with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Bank of America and Merrill Lynch from 2018 to 2024. Fortress Private Ledger advises individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth individuals and employer-sponsored retirement plans, offering financial planning, portfolio management, and specialized Qualified Opportunity Zone advisory services. The firm employs a dynamic investment approach combining trend identification, technical and fundamental analysis, and utilizes a mix of ETFs, individual securities, and mutual funds.

Matthew Ellis is a financial advisor at Fidelis Capital with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 licenses. Prior to joining Fidelis Capital Partners in 2022, he worked at Wells Fargo Bank and Wells Fargo Clearing Services from 2017 to 2022, and at Merrill Lynch from 2012 to 2017. Ellis serves as a board member of Centerstone Military Services, a nonprofit organization based in Nashville, Tennessee. Fidelis Capital Partners provides investment advisory and related services to individuals, family offices, trusts, estates, philanthropic organizations, and business entities. The firm employs a model-driven investment process that combines quantitative, fundamental, technical, and economic analysis to inform portfolio decisions and offers a range of services including portfolio management, financial planning, and business consulting.

Andrew Rader is a CFP® with 13 years of experience in financial advising. He is currently with Sollinda Capital Management LLC and has previously worked at Capital Investment Group, Inc. and PNC Investments. Outside of advising, he is the owner of an LLC focused on residential rental property. Sollinda Capital Management provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and profit-sharing plans, and also serves as a sub-advisor to other registered investment advisers. The firm employs multiple proprietary investment strategies and primarily manages accounts on a discretionary basis with an emphasis on allocation and risk management.

Nina Lloyd is President and CEO of Opus Financial Advisors, Inc. in Statesville, NC, with 14 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Opus Financial Advisors since 2012, including a prior role at FSC Securities Corporation. Outside of her advisory work, she is owner and president of Lloyd Grading and Utilities, Inc., a corporation involved in non-investment activities. Opus Financial Advisors serves individual and institutional clients, including high net worth individuals and retirement plans, providing portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs an asset-allocation driven approach and offers a range of advisory services through both discretionary and non-discretionary strategies.

James Staples is a CFP® with 42 years of experience in financial advising. He is president of Opus Financial Advisors, Inc. and has worked with the firm since 1982. Prior to joining Osaic Wealth, Inc. in 2023, he spent 40 years at FSC Securities Corporation. Staples serves on the boards of local nonprofit organizations, including Children’s Homes of Iredell County and the Iredell Statesville Schools Bible Association. Opus Financial Advisors serves individual and institutional clients, including high net worth individuals and pension plans, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement consulting. The firm employs an asset-allocation driven approach with a variety of managed portfolio options and combines advisory services with licensed activities such as real estate brokerage and accounting.

Janna Deegan is a financial advisor at Opus Financial Advisors, Inc. in Statesville, NC, with 10 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Opus Financial Advisors since 2015, including roles at Osaic Wealth, Inc. and FSC Securities Corp. Deegan is also a licensed insurance agent and a North Carolina notary public. Opus Financial Advisors serves individual and institutional clients, including high net worth individuals and pension plans, providing portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement consulting. The firm employs an asset-allocation driven approach with advisor-managed portfolios and access to third-party money managers, combining advisory services with licensed activities such as real estate brokerage and accounting.

David Van Horn is a financial advisor at Sollinda Capital Management LLC with 24 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at Capital Investment Group, Inc. and Charter Financial Group, LLC. His role at Sollinda began in 2023. Sollinda Capital Management provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and profit-sharing plans, offering tailored investment programs across several proprietary strategies with an emphasis on allocation and risk management.