Rodney Steve is a financial advisor with Merrill, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and possessing 22 years of industry experience. He previously worked at The Vanguard Group for 18 years and spent two years at Drexel University. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a board member for Caterpillar Ministries, contributing to strategic planning and organizational governance. Merrill, along with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to fiduciary clients of Bank of America through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm offers a range of model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Erik Johnson is a CFP®-certified financial advisor at LPL Financial with 27 years of industry experience. He previously worked at SCF Investment Advisors, Inc. and Scf Securities, Inc., and has been associated with LPL Financial and its predecessor entities for over two decades. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that serves individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a broad range of services including financial planning, model portfolio programs, and institutional platforms, leveraging proprietary research and third-party subadvisors.

Gary Samuelson is a financial advisor at Thrivent Investment Management with 15 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans since 2011. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients through a network of Financial Advisors. The firm offers holistic, goal-based analyses and allows clients to combine planning with managed-account programs, while maintaining separate planning and investment services.

Thomas Harding is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor at Edward Jones with five years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2020 and previously worked at Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. from 2010 to 2019. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets through a network of over 23,700 advisors and offers a range of investment strategies, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee programs, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds.

Djibril Diallo is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 credentials. He has one year of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he held positions at Wells Fargo Bank, The UPS Store, NorthStone Masonry, and pursued studies at Lenoir-Rhyne University and Mineral Area College. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm that provides investment advisory services, financial planning, wrap-fee programs, and retirement plan consulting to individual, corporate, and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and combines brokerage and advisory solutions supported by research from Wells Fargo Investment Institute and third-party data sources.

Charles Ketner is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Salisbury, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 35 years of industry experience. He has worked at Equitable Advisors and its predecessor, AXA Advisors, LLC, since 1999. Equitable Advisors serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, charitable organizations, and other institutional clients. The firm provides financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and various asset-management programs through a network of Investment Adviser Representatives, offering both proprietary and third-party advisory solutions.

Brian Fisher is a financial advisor at Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. He holds the Series 65 designation and has been in the industry since 2026. Prior to joining Raymond James, he worked at Foresight Sports for four years and IZEA for eleven years. Fisher is a minority owner of Neoteric Brewing, a brewery based in Huntersville, NC. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and institutions. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary planning and uses analytical tools such as risk profiling and probability modeling to support client goals.

Cameron Hunt is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in Concord, NC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 registrations and has approximately two years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides investment consulting and advisory services mainly to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors, focusing on asset-allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting through its Institutional Consulting Services program. The firm combines quantitative asset-allocation modeling with centralized due diligence and applies an ESG eligibility framework in its investment recommendations.

Diana Decuir is a financial advisor with Merrill in Concord, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. She has worked at Bank of America and Merrill Lynch since 2022, with an additional sixteen years at Bank of America prior to that. Merrill, along with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, offers managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm provides model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Davis Whitley is a financial advisor with MML Investors Services, LLC, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses, with 42 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Metlife Securities Inc. for 40 years before joining MassMutual Life Insurance Company and Mass Mutual Investors Services. Outside of advising, he serves as a North Carolina notary public and operates a health and group insurance sales business. MML Investors Services, LLC is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser affiliated with MassMutual that provides comprehensive financial planning and asset management services to individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers collaborative, annual financial planning engagements using firm-approved tools and supports event-driven planning services such as estate settlement and divorce planning.

James Richardson III is a CFP® professional affiliated with Edward Jones, where he has worked since 2000, accumulating 25 years of industry experience. Based in Kannapolis, NC, he holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets with a nationwide network of more than 23,700 financial advisors and offers a range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies alongside affiliated mutual funds and other services.

Daniel Brown is a Benefits & Planning Consultant in Executive Services at Fidelity Investments, where he has worked since 2022. In this role, he helps clients understand complex strategies, financial topics, and tools to support their financial goals. His professional experience includes positions as a Financial Advisor at The Vanguard Group from 2020 to 2021, a Client Relationship Consultant at TIAA from 2018 to 2020, a Senior Financial Consultant at TIAA from 2016 to 2018, and a High Net Worth Investment Consultant at The Vanguard Group from 2008 to 2016.

William Matyi Jr. is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with 20 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Voya Investment Management and Prudential Investment Management Services. Outside of advisory work, he manages investment properties in Davidson, NC. Ameriprise offers a retirement-income planning service focused on clients approaching or in retirement who meet specific asset thresholds, providing written recommendations on income sources, Social Security options, and tax-efficient withdrawal strategies. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax analysis to deliver tailored, non-discretionary retirement income plans through a centralized consulting team.

Nathan Friesz is a financial advisor at Merrill with a Series 66 designation and less than one year of industry experience. Prior to his advisory role, he worked at Bank of America and has several years of experience in the food service industry. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

Kevin Fogg is a financial advisor at Fidelity with Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and four years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at The Vanguard Group, Cardinal Financial, and New Rez. Before entering financial services, he spent 14 years at Macy's Inc. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC provides investment management and advisory services to a broad client base, including retail and institutional investors, utilizing a process that combines fundamental research with quantitative analysis and algorithmic portfolio construction. The firm is also noted for its role as a commodity pool operator, advisory services to registered investment companies, and use of AI and systematic methodologies in portfolio management.

Marshall Ward is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Edward Jones since 2019. Prior to joining Edward Jones, he was involved with JFL Enterprises Inc d/b/a Failure Free Reading from 2011 to 2019. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies, including separately managed accounts and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard.

Ronald Smith is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Concord, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 48 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. since 1978. Outside of his advisory role, he owns and manages a commercial financial services rental property. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients across a wide spectrum, offering a range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies and affiliated financial products. The firm operates under a fiduciary standard and is notable for its extensive retail advisor network and additional affiliated services.

Joseph Russell is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Huntersville, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and one year of industry experience. Before joining Equitable Advisors, he worked at DoorDash and held roles with NYLIFE Securities LLC and New York Life. Equitable Advisors provides financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and asset-management programs to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, charitable organizations, and other institutional clients. The firm utilizes a variety of advisory models and third-party asset managers to tailor investment solutions to client needs.

Benjamin Shbeeb is a financial advisor at Edelman Financial Engines based in Huntersville, NC, holding a Series 65 designation. He has been with Edelman Financial Engines since 2026 and has prior experience operating two businesses, Create to Connect LLC and Shbeeb Weddings. Edelman Financial Engines provides technology-enabled investment advisory and financial planning services to individual investors, retirement-plan participants, and institutional clients. The firm combines a committee-driven modeling process with planner delivery and online tools, offering diversified model portfolios and long-term investment strategies.

Bart Knight is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Davidson, NC, holding the Series 66 designation with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Edward Jones in 2026, he worked at Lowes Home Improvement for 18 years and has been involved with TimberEdge Designs LLC since 2004. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. It offers a range of advisory programs and investment solutions, supported by a large network of financial advisors and branch offices across the nation.