Patrick Riley is a financial advisor at Optimal Planning LLC in Concord, NC, with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has led Optimal Planning LLC since 2016. Outside of advising, Riley is also an insurance agent with Wealth Management of the Carolinas. Optimal Planning LLC provides investment management, financial planning, and educational seminars to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and businesses. The firm primarily employs a passive investment approach using index mutual funds and ETFs, incorporating fundamental and cyclical analysis to guide allocation decisions.

Seth Waller is a financial advisor at Falcon Financial with 16 years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. He has worked at Trident Insured LLC and Falcon Investment Strategies, LLC. Outside of advisory services, he is involved in managing a youth baseball organization where he has coached and overseen the team. Falcon Financial provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm manages approximately $85.6 million in client assets and employs a diversified investment approach that includes fundamental and technical analysis, tactical tilts, and option strategies.

Stephen Gegorek II is a financial advisor at Falcon Financial with 11 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments and Strategic Planning Group. Outside of advisory work, he is the sole owner of Metolius Capital, a holding company unrelated to investments, and a part-owner of The Gegorek Group, a business consulting company. Falcon Financial serves individual investors, retirement and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses, managing approximately $101 million. The firm provides portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting, employing a range of investment strategies tailored to client objectives and risk tolerance.

John Harris is a financial advisor at WMC Capital Management, LLC with nine years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked previously at Brookstone Capital Management and Wealth Management of the Carolinas, where he serves as president of a separate insurance business focused on fixed insurance products. WMC Capital Management provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to individual and institutional clients, utilizing primarily passive investment strategies with an emphasis on asset allocation and periodic rebalancing. The firm also offers educational seminars on personal finance and manages accounts according to individualized investment policy statements.

Leo Theriault is a financial advisor at Family Wealth Partners Concord, Inc with 11 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and is based in Concord, NC. Family Wealth Partners Concord, Inc provides individualized investment advisory, financial planning, and wealth coaching to individuals and businesses. The firm emphasizes asset allocation and a Free Market Portfolio approach, offering fee-based advice and acting as a co-advisor on managed asset programs through Matson Money.

Charles Parks is a financial advisor with C F Parks Inc in Salisbury, NC, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and bringing 42 years of industry experience. He has worked at Commonwealth Equity Services, Inc. for 30 years and has been involved with C F Parks Inc since 1988. Parks is also president of Parks Financial Services, Inc., an accounting and tax services firm. C F Parks Inc serves individuals, families, trusts, estates, and small businesses, managing approximately $85.7 million for about 192 clients. The firm uses proprietary model portfolios tailored to client goals and risk tolerances, focusing on equities, ETFs, and select mutual funds, and provides discretionary investment management alongside financial planning and affiliated accounting services.

Keith Laibson is a financial advisor at Family Wealth Partners Concord, Inc with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Matson Money, Inc., MML Investors Services, Inc., and Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company. In addition to advising, he provides financial planning and sells life, disability, and long-term care insurance when needed by clients. Family Wealth Partners Concord, Inc offers individualized investment advisory, financial planning, and wealth coaching to individuals and businesses. The firm follows a fee-based model, emphasizing asset allocation and a Free Market Portfolio approach, and manages client assets on a non-discretionary basis without taking custody or voting client proxies.

Luann Barnes is a financial advisor at WMC Capital Management, LLC with 13 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Brookstone Capital Management and Beatty Financial Group. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved with Mount Moriah Lutheran Church, where she is authorized to submit trade instructions for the church’s brokerage account. WMC Capital Management provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth individuals, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm primarily uses passive investment strategies focused on asset allocation and periodic rebalancing, complemented by fundamental and technical analysis.

Russ Adams is a Series 65 licensed advisor with Falcon Financial in Salisbury, NC, and has three years of industry experience. Prior to joining Falcon Investment Strategies, he worked in real estate and as a professional golfer and caddie. He is also an independent licensed insurance agent specializing in life, health, and Medicare insurance. Falcon Financial provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm manages approximately $85.6 million in assets and employs a diversified investment approach that includes fundamental, technical, cyclical, and charting analysis, with regular portfolio reviews and tactical adjustments.

Jeffrey Vaughn is a financial advisor with Synergy Investment Group, LLC in Kannapolis, NC, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 designations and over 31 years of industry experience. He has worked with StoneX Securities Inc. since 2012 and Synergy Investment Group since 2010. Vaughn is also involved in insurance sales through Synergy Insurance Group and serves as president of Vaughn Wealth Management Inc. Synergy Investment Group, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management and tailors investment strategies using a mix of mutual funds, ETFs, equities, and fixed income based on clients’ financial profiles and risk tolerance.

David Smith is a financial advisor with Thomas Smith and Associates, Inc. in Salisbury, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and bringing 23 years of industry experience. He has been with Thomas Smith and Associates since 2003. Outside of his advisory role, he is a partner in Second Creek Development, a family office managing private family investments. Thomas Smith and Associates provides discretionary investment advisory and portfolio management services primarily to high-net-worth individuals and trusts. The firm manages fully diversified portfolios with an emphasis on tax and cost efficiency, serving a small number of clients with tailored investment approaches.

Kenneth Miller is a financial advisor with Integrated Financial Strategies, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 38 years of industry experience. He has worked at Integrated Financial Strategies since 2015 and also operates Miller Financial Inc., an insurance agency focusing on life, health, and group insurance sales. Integrated Financial Strategies is a registered investment adviser serving individual clients, corporations, and business entities with portfolio management, retirement income planning, and financial planning services. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, and charting analysis to construct diversified portfolios and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary management alongside web-based consulting and wrap fee programs.

Jacob Hardy is a financial advisor at Credit Union Investment Services with 17 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked with organizations including State Employees' Credit Union, SECU Life Insurance Company, and Members Trust Company. Hardy also serves as a Financial Advisory Services District Manager at State Employees' Credit Union. Credit Union Investment Services serves individual investors and trust clients in North Carolina, providing non-discretionary portfolio management, retirement and financial planning, and a wrap-fee program. The firm emphasizes a goals-based, long-term planning approach using primarily low-cost, index-based mutual funds and ETFs, with salaried representatives who do not exercise trading discretion over client accounts.

Ryan Mesimer is a financial advisor at Advisory Alpha, LLC with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Gradient Advisors LLC and Bostian Retirement. In addition to his advisory role, he owns Northridge Wealth Advisors, providing financial, education, and consulting services, and is a licensed insurance agent involved in the sale of fixed insurance products. Advisory Alpha serves a diverse retail client base including individual and high-net-worth investors, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and specialty solutions such as retirement plan services and donor-advised funds. The firm also acts as a subadvisor or co-advisor for other registered investment advisors and employs a broad range of managed portfolio strategies overseen by an internal Investment Team.

Graham Martin is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor at Principal Advised Services with two years of industry experience. He has held multiple roles within the Principal Financial Group family, including positions at Principal Bank, Principal Life Insurance Company, and Principal Securities, Inc. Outside of finance, he has experience working with Newsong Church (Ardent Faith Ministries) and in retail through The Bakery Shoppe. Principal Advised Services provides investment advice and related services primarily to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients, offering both non-discretionary recommendations and a discretionary investment management program called SimpleInvest. The firm operates as part of the Principal Financial Group, leveraging proprietary tools and affiliated entities to support its advice and investment solutions.

Joshua South is a financial advisor with Credit Union Investment Services, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 11 years of industry experience. He has worked at Members Trust Company since 2016 and has been affiliated with State Employees’ Credit Union in various capacities since 2007, including roles related to financial advisory and life insurance services. Credit Union Investment Services serves primarily individual investors in North Carolina, providing non-discretionary portfolio management, retirement and financial planning, and a wrap-fee program. The firm emphasizes low-cost, index-based mutual funds and ETFs, fixed-income products, and a goals-based, long-term planning approach, with salaried advisers who provide recommendations while clients retain final decision authority.

Ernest Hatley is a financial advisor with Credit Union Investment Services, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 37 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Lincoln Investment Planning and operating his own firm, Hatley Financial, as well as providing financial advisory and insurance services through various affiliated entities. Outside of finance, he owns a computer setup and service business assisting small businesses with their computer systems. Credit Union Investment Services serves individual investors and trust clients in North Carolina, offering non-discretionary portfolio management and financial planning with a focus on low-cost, index-based mutual funds and ETFs. The firm’s representatives are salaried employees of the parent credit union, and clients retain final decision authority over their accounts.

Philip Miller is a financial advisor at Prosperity Wealth Management, Inc. in Concord, NC, with 21 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at several firms, including Fortune Financial Services, Integrated Financial Strategies, and his own Miller Insurance & Financial Services. Miller also has an outside insurance appointment and performs fee-based advisory work through Integrated Financial Group. Prosperity Wealth Management serves individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as trusts, estates, and pension/profit-sharing plans, offering asset management, financial planning, consulting, and referrals to third-party money managers. The firm manages approximately $442 million for around 1,600 clients and employs a multi-method investment process with ongoing oversight of recommended managers.

Clifford Sorel is a financial advisor with Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 39 years of industry experience. His prior firms include Arco Capital Partners LLC, Saybrus Partners, and Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. He is a member of the Salisbury Rotary Club. Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and supervisory services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers customized investment solutions through discretionary mandates, third-party managers, and private-label model portfolios, with ongoing monitoring and quarterly reviews.

Jeremy Bryant is a financial advisor with Brookwood Investment Group, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 14 years of industry experience. He has worked at multiple firms including Redwood Private Wealth LLC, Prosperity Capital Advisors, and Regal Investment Advisors LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as president of Breese Financial Group, LLC, an insurance sales and marketing business, and is involved in managing insurance sales at Redwood Tax Specialists. He also works as a sales representative for online legal and estate planning services. Brookwood Investment Group is a multi-advisor registered investment adviser managing over $1 billion for more than 3,100 clients. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services, utilizing a range of investment strategies and supplemental third-party services.