Amber Schiffert is a financial advisor and co-founder at TARA Wealth with eight years of industry experience. She holds Series 63, Series 65, and Series 7 licenses. TARA Wealth is a women-owned fiduciary advisory firm, bringing something unique to wealth management: advisors who share your perspective, understand your life transitions, and have no financial incentive other than helping you succeed. TARA Wealth was founded to set a higher standard — one built on trust, independence, and a genuine commitment to the women and families they serve. TARA Wealth financial advisors are happily located in San Diego, CA, and Raleigh, NC, and serve clients nationally.

Amanda DeCesar is a CFP® professional with 19 years of industry experience. She co-founded TARA Wealth in 2023 with Amber Schiffert. Her prior experience includes roles at MML Investors Services and J.P. Morgan Securities. TARA Wealth is an RIA serving individual and high-net-worth clients, couples, and businesses, providing Total Wealth Management, discretionary investment management, and comprehensive financial planning. The firm primarily uses a passive investment approach with index mutual funds and ETFs, delivering financial planning as an ongoing engagement and managing accounts both discretionarily and non-discretionarily.

Joseph Stover is a financial advisor at Reliance Financial Group, Inc. in Durham, NC, holding the PFS™ designation and Series 65 license with 22 years of industry experience. He has been with Reliance Financial Group since 1999. Reliance Financial Group is an independent firm providing discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting to individual investors, retirement plans, and charitable organizations. The firm emphasizes asset allocation and model-based portfolios, combining fundamental security analysis with long-term investment strategies and periodic rebalancing.

Jennifer Lazarus is a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) and holds a Series 65 license with 15 years of industry experience. She has been the sole advisor at Lazarus Financial Planning, an independent firm based in Durham, NC, since its founding in 2005. Lazarus Financial Planning is a fee-only advisory firm serving individuals, couples, trusts, small businesses, and retirement plans. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning and discretionary investment management, with a focus on socially responsible investing and a documented planning process that emphasizes asset-class allocation, diversification, and client-approved policy implementation.

Cooper Taylor is a CFA® charterholder with one year of experience at Sounding Line Wealth Management, LLC. Prior to founding Sounding Line, he worked four years at Salem Investment Counselors, Inc., and held investment roles at the University of Michigan Investment Office and Indiana University. Sounding Line Wealth Management is an independent registered investment adviser providing discretionary portfolio management services primarily to individuals and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a blended investment approach that integrates various analytical methods and offers individualized portfolio management with accounts custodied at Schwab Institutional.

Thomas Figgatt is a CFP® with eight years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Portolan Financial Planning LLC in Durham, NC. He previously worked at Bank of America from 2015 to 2017 before founding Portolan Financial Planning in 2017. Portolan Financial Planning LLC offers personalized investment advisory and comprehensive financial planning, including tax preparation services. The firm serves individual clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, small businesses, and provides retirement plan consulting, utilizing a primarily technical analysis approach with strategic asset allocation and tax-management techniques.

Courtney Bauke is a financial advisor at Capital Consulting & Investment Group LLC with a Series 65 credential. Bauke has been with Capital Consulting & Investment Group since 2019 and has prior independent advisory experience dating back to 2014. In addition to advisory work, Bauke provides accounting and tax services, real estate advisory, mortgage consulting, and insurance planning through a separate business. Capital Consulting & Investment Group LLC offers investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, families, business owners, and institutional clients. The firm provides personalized, non-discretionary advice across a range of planning areas and investment types, while clients retain final authority over transactions.

Lyle Finley Jr. is a CFP® with 31 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with RJ20, Inc. He has worked at Wells Fargo Bank and Wells Fargo Clearing for three years and served 14 years in the North Carolina National Guard. RJ20, Inc. provides non-discretionary investment guidance and educational tools to participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans through an online platform. The firm delivers participant-level advice using a proprietary modeling process and emphasizes education with a year-long financial wellness program and online workshops.

Steven Thorpe is the sole advisor at Pragmatic Portfolios, LLC, an independent registered investment adviser based in Durham, NC. He holds a Series 65 designation and has 15 years of industry experience. Thorpe has managed Pragmatic Portfolios since 2010 and previously worked at MCNC for 24 years. Pragmatic Portfolios provides portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals, families, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and select corporations or small businesses. The firm emphasizes broadly diversified, low-cost passive investments with strategic asset allocation and tax-efficient strategies, and offers client education through complimentary seminars and workshops.

Brian Marshburn is a CFP® professional with 21 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Brevity & Associates, an independent firm he has been with since 2013. His prior experience includes roles at Anthem Wealth Management and Abiding Wealth Advisors, as well as operating Marshburn Properties, LLC. Marshburn also works as an independent insurance agent. Brevity & Associates serves individuals, businesses, trusts, foundations, and charitable organizations by providing discretionary portfolio management and standalone financial planning across retirement, estate, tax, education, and insurance areas. The firm emphasizes equity-focused allocations using mutual funds, ETFs, stocks, and bonds within a buy-and-hold framework, and occasionally employs options, REITs, and private placements to enhance diversification.

Adam Vega is a CFP® professional with 16 years of industry experience. He is the principal advisor at Avance Private Wealth LLC and has previously worked at Goldman Sachs, Gladstone Wealth Partners, Mercer Allied Company, CETERA Advisor Networks, and Girard Securities. In addition to advising, he is involved in insurance sales, dedicating approximately 10% of his time to this activity. Avance Private Wealth LLC serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, and business entities. The firm manages portfolios primarily on a discretionary basis, utilizing modern portfolio theory, fundamental analysis, and charting techniques, and offers a broad range of investment instruments alongside pension consulting and insurance products.

I didn't set out to become a financial advisor. I spent 18 years in the music industry as a recording and touring audio engineer. What I saw again and again were hardworking, independent people — musicians, artists, freelancers, and other creative professionals — who wanted the same things everyone wants: stability, a plan, a better financial future. But because their income was unconventional, they felt like the financial industry wasn't designed for them. Honestly, they were right. So in 2019 I launched my business, got my CFP® designation, and built a practice specifically for people who've spent their lives and careers outside the mainstream. I work with artists, musicians, authors, and other independent-minded professionals with unconventional careers and the financial complexity that comes with them. I offer two types of services: financial planning and investment management. Financial planning means identifying the two or three things that would make the biggest difference in your financial life right now and building a clear, actionable plan around them. Investment management means taking that completely off your plate — so you never have to think about it, worry about it, or wonder if you're doing it right. The work behind the scenes is rigorous. The experience on your end should feel like talking to someone who genuinely gets it. I live in Durham, NC with my family and our dog Yoshi. I have a degree in mathematics and grew up on a farm in Michigan. The through line: I've always figured things out on my own terms — and I have a lot of respect for people who do the same. If any of this resonates, I'd love to connect.

John Bland is a financial advisor with Diversified Investment Services LLC in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 24 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Blackridge Asset Management LLC and Commonwealth Financial Network. Bland is also a licensed insurance agent offering insurance product sales alongside his advisory services. Diversified Investment Services LLC provides portfolio management and financial planning to individual and high-net-worth clients, utilizing a range of analysis methods and investment strategies. The firm offers discretionary management, regular portfolio monitoring, and quarterly reporting, with portfolios that may include mutual funds, ETFs, fixed income, real estate funds, annuities, and non-U.S. securities.

Ohan Kayikchyan is a CFP® professional with seven years of industry experience. He is the principal of Alohana Financial, LLC, a fee-only registered investment adviser based in Durham, NC. His prior experience includes roles at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC, Wells Fargo Clearing, and Wells Fargo Bank NA. Alohana Financial provides investment management and financial planning services to individuals and high-net-worth clients, employing an asset-allocation approach grounded in Modern Portfolio Theory. The firm uses a combination of passive and active investment vehicles and offers ESG customization upon client request.

Gary Balunas is a financial advisor with Unlimited Timing Service Inc in Creedmoor, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 24 years of industry experience. He has worked at Unlimited Timing Service since 2007 and also has a long tenure with Comprehensive Asset Management beginning in 2003. In addition to advisory work, he is registered as an insurance agent in Florida. Unlimited Timing Service Inc provides discretionary portfolio management primarily for high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, and pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm applies a market-timing approach with daily portfolio reviews and manages accounts on the Interactive Brokers platform, operating as a solo practitioner model where the principal assumes full responsibility for investment decisions within agreed client guidelines.

Lucid Wealth Planning ("LWP") was founded to improve the lives of others by helping clients make better-informed financial decisions in both their daily lives and long-term plans. We believe our impact provides added security, confidence, and overall joy in the lives of our clients. Given our focus on clients that strive to improve the world around them, such as Health Care Professionals and Academic professors, we anticipate the ripple effect of betterment to be limitless. Education: B.S.B. degree in Finance Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®), and Certified Student Loan Professional (CSLP®), and Behavioral Financial Advisor (BFA®) Experience: The completion of over 800 comprehensive financial plans for individuals and families since joining the industry in 2006. This includes specialized areas such as student loan analysis, estate planning, tax planning, portfolio management, and cash flow strategizing (to name a few). As a financial planner, my main goal is to help you make well-informed decisions on all financial matters, not just what investments are right for you. I'll always listen to your concerns, devise the best strategy, and treat your financial goals with the same care and interest I devote to my own. I look forward to being your trusted advisor and expert resource as you build a secure, and confident financial life.

Lisa Hodges is a financial advisor at Shift to Impact with six years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and has worked in marketing consulting and advisory services prior to her current role. Hodges leads Shift to Impact, an independent firm based in Durham, NC. Shift to Impact is a fee-only financial planning firm serving individuals and families who seek to align their finances with social justice and environmental values. The firm emphasizes values-based investing and offers comprehensive planning, guidance on charitable giving and employee benefits, as well as educational workshops and speaking events, without managing client portfolios or exercising trading discretion.

Cody Peck is a financial advisor at Limber Capital LLC, holding a Series 65 designation with seven years of industry experience. Prior to founding Limber Capital, he worked at Ankura and Bloomberg. His career has focused on independent portfolio management since 2019. Limber Capital LLC provides discretionary portfolio management to individual clients, emphasizing a proprietary, value-oriented investment approach. The firm manages equities, fixed-income securities, ETFs, and long-term options (LEAPS) for a small client base, utilizing a solo advisor model without employing leverage or margin trading.

Matthew Sweeney is a CFA® charterholder and the sole advisor at Molokai Investments. He has held roles at Thales Management Inc, Radeas LLC, Luma Capital LLC, and Stetson University, with a combined professional history dating back to 2015. Molokai Investments is an investment management firm providing portfolio and private fund management along with financial planning and individual consultation services to pooled vehicles, institutional, and organizational investors. The firm employs a bottom-up, fundamental-analysis approach focused on total return through concentrated equity positions and long-term holdings, and it uses detailed valuation procedures and offers performance-based compensation for certain funds.

Shrey Patel is a CFA® charterholder and the sole advisor at Ataraxis Capital, LLC in Durham, NC, with experience beginning in 2016 across several firms including Boyer Value Group and Thor Equities Group. He currently holds a salaried position as a senior investment analyst at Thor Equities Group, where he performs research and analysis. Ataraxis Capital provides discretionary and non-discretionary asset management and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients, utilizing a multi-method investment approach that includes fundamental and technical analysis, options, and margin. The firm manages approximately $840,000 in assets across two client accounts and offers performance-based fee arrangements for qualified clients.