Carrie Pedersen is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 10 years of industry experience. She previously worked at The Fidelity Bank and LPL Financial from 2015 to 2022. Outside of her advisory role, she serves on the finance committee at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and businesses, employing a range of portfolio management strategies and financial planning. The firm emphasizes IAR-led assessments and combines fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis in portfolio allocation.

Thomas Pemberton is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Raleigh, NC, holding the ChFC® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 29 years of industry experience, including roles at Principal Mutual Life Insurance Co. and Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America. He also sells non-Guardian life long-term and short-term disability insurance products through an outside Guardian Insurance business. Primerica Advisors serves a broad retail client base, offering brokerage and advisory services, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm utilizes a variety of proprietary and third-party investment strategies and platforms to manage accounts across multiple asset classes.

Michael Taylor is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 credential with seven years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company, Bank of America, Merrill, Edward Jones, and Murphy Family Ventures. He serves on the Board of Directors for the University of North Carolina Wilmington Seahawk Club, assisting in organizational decision making for their athletic student aid initiatives. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm’s investment process integrates fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis, offering a range of portfolio management solutions and financial planning tailored to varied client needs.

Neal Brincefield is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. He has been with Primerica Advisors and Guardian Life Insurance Company since 2015. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a special consultant for Alternate Strategy Consulting LLC, leading efforts related to the Living Balance Sheet. Primerica Advisors operates as part of Park Avenue Securities LLC, serving a broad retail client base with both brokerage and advisory services, including financial planning and retirement-plan consulting. The firm offers proprietary and third-party investment programs and supports a range of account services such as lending solutions and donor-advised funds.

Lynne Mulligan is a financial advisor with Money Concepts Capital Corp and holds a Series 66 designation. She has 5 years of industry experience and previously worked at Drenen Financial Services, Inc. for 18 years. Money Concepts Advisory Service provides investment advisory, financial planning, and consulting services to a diverse client base including individual investors, pension plans, trusts, estates, and corporations. The firm manages approximately $4.07 billion in client assets through model-driven and asset-allocation approaches, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary programs supported by third-party managers and technology platforms.

James Appleby is a CFP® certified financial advisor with 21 years of industry experience. He has worked at Truist Advisory Services since 2018, including leadership roles at Truist Investment Services and Bb&T Securities. Appleby serves as a local board member for Beginnings, a nonprofit focused on education and assistance for children with hearing loss. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary manager arrangements and AI-enabled equity research tools.

Dustin Thornton is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with two years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at First Citizens Bank and Exchange Bank. Outside of his advisory duties, Thornton co-owns rental properties with his spouse. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm employs a comprehensive client assessment process and offers a range of investment solutions including portfolio management and tax-aware services.

Christopher Kriak is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. He holds a Series 66 designation and has eight years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at LPL Financial, Mass Mutual Investors Services, and PNC Investments. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm uses a client-centered process combining fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to manage portfolios across various asset classes.

Anna Fagan is a wealth advisor at CWM, LLC with 24 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Cetera Wealth Services, LLC, infinex Investments, Inc., and Community Bank of Tri County. In addition to her advisory role, she is also an insurance agent selling life insurance, annuities, and long-term care products. CWM, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser that serves individuals, high-net-worth families, foundations, endowments, corporations, and institutional clients through a network of more than 600 advisors. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan services, employing model portfolios overseen by an in-house Investment Committee and utilizing various tools and third-party sub-advisors.

Robert Hill is a CFP® affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network and has one year of industry experience. He is co-owner of Cardinal Hill Wealth Management, LLC, a private entity engaged in securities, advisory, and insurance business. Prior to his current roles, he worked at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Premier Inc. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their retail and institutional clients. The firm provides advisory programs, technology, and compliance support, offering a range of portfolio management options including discretionary model portfolios and personalized indexing strategies.

Brian Thornton is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 23 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Truist Advisory Services since 2021. Prior to that, he was employed at BB&T Investments and BB&T Securities. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by third-party platforms and AI-enhanced research, to deliver asset allocation, fiduciary support, and manager selection services.

Craig Scheuerman is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 14 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Clearing, Wells Fargo Advisors LLC, and Wells Fargo Bank NA, spanning from 2011 to 2021. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital portfolio offering that uses algorithm-driven risk assessments and delegated portfolio management via mutual funds and ETFs.

Jessica Alpers is a financial advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC and holds a Series 65 designation. She has five years of industry experience, having worked previously at WealthShield Partners, LLC, The Atlantic Group, LLC, and Goldman Sachs Personal Financial Management. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services provides financial planning, asset management, and retirement-plan consulting for individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages over $122 billion in assets using diversified, risk-class based allocations that combine passive and active managers, supported by an internal Investment Committee.

Deborah Wright is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has seven years of industry experience. Her prior work includes positions at First Citizens Bank, HPW Towne Mortgage, and Caldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm employs a client process centered on financial needs assessment and uses a combination of fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to allocate assets across various investment types.

Robert Williams IV is a financial advisor at Commonwealth Financial Network with 26 years of industry experience. He has held roles at NEXT Financial Group, Inc. and currently leads Williams Wealth Management, a private firm through which he conducts securities, advisory, and insurance business. Williams holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. Commonwealth Financial Network serves a national network of nearly 2,900 advisors and manages approximately $212.7 billion in client assets. The firm offers a comprehensive adviser-support platform with discretionary and nondiscretionary managed-account programs, access to third-party asset managers, retirement consulting, and custody services.

Andrew Orr is a CFP® with 13 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services. He has held previous roles at Wells Fargo Advisors and Suntrust Advisory Services. Orr is based in Raleigh, NC. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships with third-party platform and manager arrangements to deliver its services, including its AMC Advantage manager-selection program.

Kimberly Carstens is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc., holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 20 years of industry experience. Her previous roles include positions at USAA Financial Advisors, USAA Investment Management Company, and USAA Financial Planning Services from 2008 to 2020. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals—including high-net-worth clients—pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm employs a client-focused process that combines fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to manage portfolios across various asset classes.

Matthew Malone is a CFP® with 26 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services since 2021. His prior experience includes roles at BB&T Bank, BB&T Investments, and BB&T Securities. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by third-party platform and manager arrangements, and integrates services across its affiliated entities.

Michael Mc Grady is a financial advisor with Transamerica Retirement Advisors, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and 12 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at LPL Financial and Ameriprise Financial in various capacities. Transamerica Retirement Advisors serves participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans and IRA owners through managed advice programs and investment education services, relying on Morningstar Investment Management for portfolio construction and oversight. The firm operates at scale with a large client base and primarily manages non-discretionary assets.

Samuel Welch is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with three years of industry experience. Prior to joining First Citizens Investor Services in 2025, he worked at Fidelity Investments for two years. First Citizens Investor Services serves individuals—including high-net-worth clients—pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and businesses, providing advisory and brokerage services through investment adviser representatives and third-party portfolio managers. The firm employs fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to allocate assets across various investment vehicles and offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services.