Patrick Hipkens is a CFA® charterholder with nine years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services since 2021. He previously worked at The Vanguard Group, Inc. for four years and has held roles at Insights Global and Cardinal Financial LLC. Truist Advisory Services offers investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a combination of traditional research and AI-enabled tools for investment management and provides ongoing client reviews and reporting.

Kaye Tahiliani is a financial advisor at Savant Wealth Management with 17 years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. Before joining Savant in 2026, she worked at Exencial Wealth Advisors, LLC, Willingdon Wealth Management, and TIAA-CREF. She is also an equity partner of less than 5% at Exencial Wealth Advisors. Savant Wealth Management serves individuals, families, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and high-net-worth clients with comprehensive wealth management, portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm uses an investment approach that combines evidence-based, model-driven asset allocation with a range of actively managed strategies and supports its services with affiliated accounting, legal, and trust entities.

Daniel Schwartz is a financial advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 18 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Nuveen Asset Management, LLC and ClearBridge Investments LLC, among other firms. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a board member for the Academy of IT at Cox Mill High School and co-owns a Code Ninjas franchise in Concord with his wife. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm employs a strategic investment approach combining passive and active management, supported by an internal Investment Committee and research focused on factor premiums such as value and momentum.

Andrew Breasure is a CFP® professional with four years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Truist Advisory Services. His background includes roles at North Carolina State University and Steward Wealth Strategies. Outside of his advisory work, he is president of Tau Properties, Inc., a nonprofit housing corporation affiliated with Pi Kappa Phi at NC State, where he oversees housing operations and alumni engagement. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm integrates traditional research with AI tools and offers services through its affiliation with Truist Financial, combining extensive bank and broker-dealer relationships.

Stuart Moffitt is a financial advisor at Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. with three years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked within various Bankers Life entities since 2020. In addition to his advisory role, he is a licensed agent for Bankers Life & Casualty, specializing in Medicare, long-term care, life insurance, and annuity products. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals with discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan services. The firm utilizes a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to craft tailored asset allocations, offering both wrap and non-wrap programs through Pershing as custodian and Bankers Life Securities, Inc. as broker-dealer.

Josh Vanepps is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Troutman, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and eight years of industry experience. He previously worked at Empower Financial Services, Inc., Iredell Health System, Whole Foods, and Carolins Healthcare System. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and participants, as well as Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage clients. The firm’s integrated model combines proprietary and third-party methodologies focused on long-term portfolio returns and regular rebalancing within plan lineups selected by plan sponsors.

Alexander Cohen is a financial advisor at &PARTNERS with a Series 66 designation and five years of industry experience. Prior to joining &PARTNERS in 2024, he worked at Wells Fargo Clearing for three years and held roles at Amazon Fulfillment Services and The UPS Store. He also has a background in education, having worked at Clemson University and Pine Lake Preparatory. &PARTNERS serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers investment management and financial planning services using a combination of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis, with portfolios managed directly by advisors or through third-party managers.

James Koester is a financial advisor with Brookstone Capital Management LLC in Concord, NC, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Brookstone in 2023, he worked at JDM Financial, Secure Asset Management, Capital Financial Services, and Concorde Asset Management. He is also involved with JD Mellberg Financial, focusing on annuities and life insurance for retirees and those planning retirement. Brookstone Capital Management provides fee-based asset management and financial planning to a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and trusts. The firm utilizes strategic and dynamic asset allocation models, a turnkey asset management platform, and sub-advisory relationships to deliver its investment solutions.

Sarah Rhodes is a financial advisor at &PARTNERS with 14 years of industry experience. She holds Series 66 and Series 63 licenses. Prior to joining &PARTNERS in 2026, she worked at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Bank NA for a combined 12 years. &PARTNERS serves a diverse range of clients including high-net-worth individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm offers investment management, financial and tax planning, and retirement-plan consulting through a combination of proprietary and third-party strategies, utilizing fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis.

William Dunlop Jr. is a financial advisor at First Command Advisory Services with one year of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. His prior work includes service with the City of New York Fire Department and Centennial Security Integration. First Command Advisory Services is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, corporate, and charitable clients, with a particular focus on active-duty service members and their families. The firm offers financial planning and various wrap-fee asset management programs managed by a centralized Investment Management Team and Wealth Portfolio Managers.

Tonya Guffey is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. with two years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Fifth Third Securities since 2022, as well as at Fifth Third Bank since 2018. Prior to that, she was employed at PNC Bank from 2015 to 2018. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and institutional investors through its Passageway Managed Account Program. The firm offers multiple discretionary managed-account options and features such as direct indexing and tax-overlay services, operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fifth Third Bank.

Brent Hann is a financial advisor with OSAIC Institutions, Inc., holding Series 65 and Series 63 credentials and bringing 11 years of industry experience. His career background includes roles at Wells Fargo Clearing, Linden Thomas & Company Securities, The Smith Companies/Capitas Financial, and AXA Distributors, among others. OSAIC Institutions, Inc. serves individuals—including high-net-worth clients—ERISA retirement plans, trusts, estates, and corporate clients through a network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers customized advisory services, financial planning, ERISA plan services, and access to alternative investments and lending solutions, operating a hybrid adviser/broker-dealer model with both discretionary and non-discretionary accounts.

Patricia Godfrey is a financial advisor with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and seven years of industry experience. She also serves as Senior Manager of Sales Operations at Veritas Technologies, LLC, a data information technology firm. Godfrey is a 50% owner of Blackbridge Financial, LLC, a DBA associated with her work at Independent Advisor Alliance. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans. The firm offers asset management, financial planning, wealth coaching, and retirement plan consulting, utilizing a network model of advisory representatives supported by sub-advisors and third-party platforms.

Dylan Thurman is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Mooresville, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials with four years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at TIAA and First Citizens Bank. First Citizens Investor Services serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities by providing advisory and brokerage services that include portfolio management, financial planning, and tax-aware strategies. The firm emphasizes IAR-led client assessments and applies various analytical methods to manage portfolios across multiple asset classes.

Kevin Spence is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 26 years of industry experience and holds the Series 66 designation. His prior roles include positions at TIAA CREF Individual & Institutional Services, Cary Street Partners, Luxon Asset Management, and HSBC Technology & Services USA. He serves as a FINRA arbitrator, contributes scholarly articles on regulatory compliance, participates as a speaker at financial services industry conferences, and is a council member of the Securities Industry Continuing Education Programs. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as certain retail clients. The firm offers integrated services tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, focusing on long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing within plan sponsor-chosen investment lineups.

George Bowery is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Cornelius, NC. He holds a Series 66 designation and has 14 years of industry experience. Bowery has worked with SunTrust Advisory Services and related entities since 2014. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to individuals, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation strategies and manager selection through the Envestnet platform, supporting clients with ongoing research, monitoring, and reporting.

Franklin Mcelroy is a financial advisor at Kestra Advisory with 34 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Mcelroy is co-owner and manager of BMH Investment Group, LLC, where he is involved in business decisions and client management. He also serves on the boards of Beers & Burpees and the CLT Foundation, both charitable organizations serving the greater Charlotte area. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a wide range of institutional and individual clients. The firm offers fiduciary services, plan design and compliance testing, and access to multiple management platforms, serving clients including large institutional investors and sovereign wealth funds.

Tod Wells is a CFP® with 33 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at &PARTNERS since 2024. His prior experience includes roles at Wells Fargo Clearing from 2001 to 2005 and again from 2016 to 2024, as well as Merrill from 2005 to 2011. He is also a partner in DWM, LLC, a non-investment-related entity. &PARTNERS serves a diverse client base that includes high-net-worth individuals, institutional clients, and charitable organizations. The firm offers investment management, financial and tax planning, and retirement-plan advisory services, utilizing a combination of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis along with both proprietary and third-party strategies.

Corie Basham is an Investment Advisor Representative at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Fifth Third Securities since 2026. Prior to that, she worked at Fifth Third Bank, Randstad, and Enterprise Rent a Car. Fifth Third Securities serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional accounts through both advisory and brokerage services. The firm offers various managed account programs via the Passageway platform, utilizing third-party portfolio managers, and provides a range of investment options from mutual funds and ETFs to separately managed accounts and direct indexing.

Matthew Fortenberry is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors, holding a Series 66 designation and eight years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Prudential-related firms, Wells Fargo Clearing Services, and AXA Advisors. Equitable Advisors serves individual clients—including both non‑high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals—along with pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and various asset management programs, utilizing a range of third-party asset managers and proprietary advisory models.