Jessica Hope Buckner is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Columbia, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having nine years of industry experience. She has worked with Valic Financial Advisors since 2018 and has prior experience at Colonial Life and Mass Mutual Investors Services. Outside of her advisory role, she is also an agent involved in non-securities insurance products through AGIA. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and unified managed account solutions. The firm manages approximately $29.2 billion across a large client base supported by over 1,200 advisors, utilizing technology and centralized model solutions.

Gary Kurtz is a financial advisor with D.A. Davidson & Co. in Lexington, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 31 years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at Truist Advisory Services, Truist Investment Services, Inc., BB&T Securities, LLC, and BB&T Investment Services, Inc. D.A. Davidson & Co. provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including employer-sponsored retirement plans, individual and high-net-worth investors, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers a range of services such as ERISA retirement plan advisory, wrap fee programs, equity research, and comprehensive financial planning, operating under fiduciary standards consistent with the Advisers Act and ERISA.

William Mason is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with 21 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC. His prior experience includes roles at First Community Bank, LPL Financial, Mason Insurance Agency LLC, and AllState Insurance Company. He provides investment advisory services through Independent Advisor Alliance, an independent RIA firm based in Columbia, SC. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans, offering asset management, financial planning, wealth coaching, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a network model of advisory representatives and integrates multiple portfolio management strategies and technology platforms to support client services.

Stokes Shealy Jr. is a CFP® professional with 30 years of industry experience, currently serving at Truist Advisory Services since 2019. His prior experience includes roles at BB&T Securities and Wells Fargo Advisors. Outside of his advisory work, Shealy is involved in several community organizations, including a past presidency of the Rotary Club of Forest Acres and leadership roles in local business and charitable groups. Truist Advisory Services offers investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary manager arrangements supported by AI-enabled research and inter-affiliate integration.

Alexander Lewis is a financial advisor with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC and holds a Series 66 designation. He has nine years of industry experience and has also been affiliated with LPL Financial, LLC since 2016. Outside of his advisory roles, he provides tax preparation services through a related business activity. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base, including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans. The firm offers a range of services such as asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, employing both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management with the use of various investment strategies and technology platforms.

William Addison is a financial advisor with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC and holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials. He has 13 years of industry experience, including roles at LPL Financial and First Community Bank. Addison is also a commissioned notary public in Columbia, South Carolina. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans, offering services such as asset management, financial planning, and retirement consulting. The firm employs a network model with numerous advisory representatives and utilizes various portfolio management strategies alongside technology platforms to support client needs.

Nicholas Sherrer is a financial advisor at Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC with a Series 66 designation. He has held roles at Independent Advisor Alliance, LPL Financial LLC, and Sage Financial Systems, among others, with work experience spanning various positions since 2014. Outside of finance, his background includes employment in education and retail sectors. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, and charitable organizations, providing asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management approaches and integrates technology platforms to enhance client services.

Kevin Kelly is a financial advisor with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has six years of industry experience, including prior roles at Hergenroeder Financial Advisors and LPL Financial. His background also includes work outside finance at The Flipside Restaurant and Grill Marx Steak House and Raw Bar. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans. The firm offers a range of services such as asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, leveraging both discretionary and non-discretionary strategies and technology platforms to support client needs.

Shada Jasper is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Empower, Shada worked at Operation HOPE for six years and held positions at BB&T (now Truist) from 2016 to 2020. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management services primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, offering integrated solutions through Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms. The firm focuses on long-term portfolio returns, annual rebalancing, and savings rates, serving a large participant base with a higher client-to-advisor workload than many peers.

Angela Thames is a CFP® with 28 years of experience in the financial services industry. She is currently with &Partners, LLC, having joined in 2024, and previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Advisors. &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 options for discretionary and non-discretionary account management.

Rollie Roberts is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Columbia, SC, holding a Series 66 credential and 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at Agia since 2022 and AIG Retirement Advisors since 2009. Roberts is a silent partner in his wife's real estate business but has no active management role in those activities. Valic Financial Advisors is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA-member broker-dealer serving primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients, as well as employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm provides wrap programs, portfolio management, and financial planning services through a large network of advisors and implements discretionary unified managed accounts using third-party UMA model managers.

Hunter Walters Mccarthy is a financial advisor with Centaurus Financial, Inc. in Lexington, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Centaurus Financial since 2015. In addition to his advisory role, he is involved in non-investment business activities related to marketing, branding, and administrative support through COLA Wealth Advisors and Mantei & Associates. Centaurus Financial, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base including individuals, families, small businesses, corporations, trusts, and foundations. The firm offers financial planning and portfolio management through platforms like CLASSIC Plus, employing a variety of analytical approaches and providing both discretionary and non-discretionary arrangements.

Stephen Cooper is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and nine years of industry experience. He previously worked for Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Bank over a ten-year span. Outside of finance, he serves as President of the Mallard Creek Crossing Homeowners Association in Charlotte, NC. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management services primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to selected retail clients. The firm integrates its services with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, offering point-in-time financial plans and managed account solutions within plan lineups chosen by sponsors.

Gregory Wallace is a financial advisor at Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. with 12 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has worked with Bankers Life Securities, Inc. since 2016 and Bankers Life and Casualty since 2010. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a unit field trainer and insurance agent and is pursuing certification as a Ramsey Solutions financial coach to assist others with basic financial education. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals through discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to tailor portfolios to clients' goals, risk tolerances, and time horizons.

Erika Lewis is a financial advisor at First Command Advisory Services with two years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked within multiple entities of the First Command organization as well as roles outside the financial industry, including at Omega Fi and Second Avenue Animal Hospital. First Command Advisory Services, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, corporate, and charitable clients, with a focus on active-duty service members and their families. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning and wrap-fee asset management programs managed by a centralized Investment Management Team and Wealth Portfolio Managers.

William Spires is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network, based in Columbia, SC, where he has worked for 15 years. He also serves as Vice President and Co-Owner of CalmWater Advisors, LLC. Spires has 13 years of industry experience. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser with a national network of approximately 2,900 advisors, managing around $212.7 billion in client assets. The firm offers a comprehensive adviser-support platform that includes managed-account programs, access to third-party asset managers, retirement consulting, and custody services.

Frank Subasic is a financial advisor with Janney Montgomery Scott in Columbia, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 30 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Clearing, First Citizens Investor Services, and Wells Fargo Advisors LLC. 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 diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, offering a range of brokerage, financial planning, consulting, and advisory services.

Jonah Palmer is a financial advisor at Centaurus Financial, Inc. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been in the industry since 2023. Prior to joining Centaurus Financial, he worked at Cola Wealth Advisors, Target, Publix, Miso Sushi, and Chapin-Irmo Recreational Facilities. Centaurus Financial, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base including individuals, families, businesses, trusts, and foundations. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management through the CLASSIC Plus platform, retirement-plan consulting, and specialized advisory services, using a mix of analytical approaches and discretionary and non-discretionary management arrangements.

Thomas Brunson is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Columbia, SC, with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked with First Citizens Bank and First Citizens Investor Services since 2007. 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 client process centered on comprehensive financial assessments and utilizes fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to manage diversified portfolios across equities, fixed income, mutual funds, and ETFs.

Brandon Foster is a CFP® with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Columbia, SC. His prior experience includes roles at Truist Advisory Services and BB&T, where he worked in various capacities from 2013 through 2024. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm emphasizes IAR-led assessments and employs a mix of fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to manage portfolios across equities, fixed income, mutual funds, and ETFs.