Elizabeth Younts is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network, holding a Series 66 designation and six years of industry experience. She has worked at Sterling Financial Group, Lincoln Investment, USI Insurance Services, and Wells Fargo Insurance Services. Outside of her advisory role, she serves as a trustee for a family member’s trust. Commonwealth Financial Network supports a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors, providing a range of advisory programs, technology, and operational support while allowing advisors discretion in portfolio construction through various investment and insurance products.

Johnny Rutledge is a financial advisor with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC and holds the Series 66 designation. He has 18 years of industry experience, including roles at LPL Financial since 2014 and Independent Advisor Alliance since 2016. Outside of his advisory work, Rutledge is a part-owner of Red Key Ventures, an entertainment business. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans. The firm provides asset management, financial planning, and retirement consulting, using both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management approaches along with various analytical techniques and technology platforms.

Mary Bennett is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 36 years of industry experience. She has been with Janney since 2003 and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Outside of her advisory role, she volunteers with USO North Carolina, assisting with greeting and preparing food for U.S. armed forces and their families. Janney Montgomery Scott is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, estates, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and municipal clients, offering a range of brokerage, financial planning, and advisory services.

Jin Mei is a financial advisor with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Mei has one year of industry experience, with previous roles at LPL Financial, Primerica, Robeco, Franklin Templeton, and Natixis. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans. The firm provides asset management, financial planning, wealth coaching, and retirement plan consulting, utilizing various portfolio management strategies and technology platforms to support clients’ financial goals.

John Kirwan is a financial advisor with United Planners' Financial Services of America and holds Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 licenses. He has 40 years of industry experience and has worked with Carolina Motorsports MGT. LLC and Carolina Sports Officials, among other roles. Outside of finance, he works part-time as a CDL driver for SFL Transportation. United Planners Financial Services serves a broad range of clients, including individuals, corporations, charitable organizations, retirement plans, and institutional clients. The firm operates an open-architecture platform using multiple custodians and third-party money managers and offers both fee-based and commission-based options through its network of 477 independent Investment Advisor Representatives.

Philip Stacks is a financial advisor with Janney Montgomery Scott in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he owned and operated Clear Cut Investments, an e-commerce business specializing in health supplements sold on Amazon and eBay. Before entering the financial industry, he worked in the fitness retail sector. Janney Montgomery Scott is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a wide range of clients, including individuals, families, trusts, and institutional investors, offering brokerage services, financial planning, and multiple advisory programs supported by both in-house and third-party portfolio management.

Michael Fitzgerald is a financial advisor at Eagle Strategies (NY Life) with 13 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been affiliated with Eagle Strategies since 2017. Fitzgerald also operates under the Parker Financial Group and Parker Financial and Insurance Solutions names, focusing on brokering non-registered insurance products. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individual investors and institutional sponsors, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm offers a range of program types and emphasizes tailoring recommendations to client objectives, with the majority of its assets managed on a non-discretionary basis.

Michael Smith is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF based in Matthews, NC, holding a Series 66 credential and bringing 21 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2014. Outside of his advisory role, he is a part-owner of a vacation property that is rented when not in use by the owners. TIAA-CREF’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and other entities, often serving clients with ties to TIAA‑administered retirement plans. The firm offers a range of advisory services including model-based and customized portfolio management under a fiduciary standard.

Kathryn Bunn is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 29 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at several firms including Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC and Truist Advisory Services. Outside of her advisory role, she volunteers with Animal Resource Friends in Mebane, NC, assisting with pet food donations and distribution. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves individuals, families, trusts, estates, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, and municipal clients, offering brokerage services, financial planning, and advisory programs supported by in-house and third-party portfolio management.

Alyssa Carrera is a financial advisor with Janney Montgomery Scott in Charlotte, NC. She holds a Series 66 designation and has one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Janney, Alyssa held various roles outside of finance, including positions at Aritzia and the Center for Advanced Ortho and Sports Medicine. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large enterprise firm managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base with brokerage services, financial planning, and advisory programs, combining in-house portfolio management with third-party managers across multiple platforms.

Shaun Foster is a financial advisor at Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. with four years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 registrations and has worked in various roles at Bankers Life and its affiliated entities since 2024. Prior to joining Bankers Life, he held positions at ADP Inc, Quasar Distributors, LLC, Horizon Investments LLC, Brighthouse Financial, Mariner Finance, and Autobell Carwash. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. primarily serves mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals through discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a blend of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to create tailored asset allocations and manages portfolios across a range of securities with periodic rebalancing and performance reviews.

Jennifer Vaughan is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. based in Charlotte, NC. She holds Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and has eight years of industry experience. Vaughan has worked with Bankers Life Securities Inc. since 2017 and Bankers Life & Casualty since 2015. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser that primarily serves mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals through discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan consulting. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to develop tailored asset allocations and manages portfolios across various securities with periodic rebalancing and performance reviews.

Denis Moulton Jr. is a financial advisor with Fifth Third Securities, Inc. in Matthews, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 27 years of industry experience. He has been with Fifth Third Securities since 2000. Fifth Third Securities provides brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate and business clients, and institutional investors. The firm offers multiple discretionary managed-account programs and combines third-party portfolio managers, strategist portfolios, and advisor-managed sleeves, with features such as direct indexing and optional tax-overlay services.

Joseph Baumgartner is a financial advisor at RBC Rochdale, LLC with 16 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked at New York Life insurance company for 14 years before joining CNR Securities, LLC. RBC Rochdale serves a diverse client base including high net worth individuals, investment companies, corporations, and government entities. The firm employs a multi-strategy investment process combining quantitative screening, statistical modeling, and fundamental analysis, and offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management along with sub-advisory and model delivery services.

Robert Hopkins is a CFP® and ChFC® with 21 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with Schwab Wealth Advisory and has previously worked at Charles Schwab, Northwestern Mutual, Brighthouse Financial, Allstate Life Insurance, and MetLife Investors. He is based in Waxhaw, NC. Schwab Wealth Advisory provides non-discretionary fiduciary investment advice to clients enrolled in the Schwab Wealth Advisory program, offering financial reviews, retirement planning, and investment recommendations using Schwab’s asset allocation models and research tools. The firm operates as an internal advisory unit within the Schwab ecosystem and does not directly charge clients fees, distinguishing its service model from many other wealth managers.

Dung Nguyen is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations with eight years of industry experience. His prior work history includes roles at Wells Fargo and Wells Fargo Clearing Services. He has been with Truist Advisory and Truist Investment Services since 2021. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships with third-party platform arrangements and employs AI-enabled tools and supervisory oversight in its investment processes.

Brian Guild is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. based in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing 11 years of industry experience. He has been associated with Bankers Life entities since 2008 and serves as president of BGUILD Financial, an LLC he oversees. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals through discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management and retirement plan consulting. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to create tailored asset allocations and manages portfolios across a broad range of securities aligned with clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Terry Estes is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional affiliated with Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC, with 26 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Edward Jones for over two decades and has held roles at Freedom Street Partners and Raymond James Financial Services. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a board member for the Union County Community Shelter, where he organizes fundraising events. Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC is a large SEC-registered RIA managing approximately $36.7 billion in assets. The firm serves a broad client base including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, offering diverse investment advisory and financial planning services with both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management options.

Charles Dixon is a financial advisor with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC and LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. for seven years. Dixon is also involved with KDX Partners LLC, an investment company structured for tax and investment purposes. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans, offering asset management, financial planning, and retirement consulting services. The firm combines a network model of advisory representatives with access to brokerage services through LPL Financial and technology-driven estate planning platforms.

Noel Simons is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked previously at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Advisors. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a broad client base including individuals, families, trusts, estates, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and municipal clients, offering a variety of brokerage, financial planning, and advisory services.