Patrick Traverse is a CFP®-credentialed financial advisor with 14 years of industry experience, currently with Savvy since 2026. His prior experience includes roles at Belpointe Services LLC, Belpointe Asset Management, and Money Concepts Capital Corp. He also serves as a director for MC Business Consulting, where he provides business consulting services to help small business owners systematize their finances. Savvy provides investment and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, businesses, ERISA plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines primarily index-based, long-term strategies with active equity portfolios and tax-aware direct indexing, leveraging technology platforms and third-party sub-advisers to customize investment plans based on client objectives, risk tolerance, and time horizon.

Thomas Winkler is a financial advisor at Aptus Capital Advisors, LLC with 20 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked previously at Hartford Funds Management Company, Thornburg Investment Management, and Virtus Investment Advisers, among others. Outside of his advisory role, he is a member of an interior design consulting business. Aptus Capital Advisors manages approximately $14.47 billion on a discretionary basis, serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, and registered investment companies. The firm employs a model-driven approach primarily through actively managed ETFs, combining technical and fundamental analysis to pursue market upside while seeking to limit major drawdowns.

Kristin Manna is a financial advisor at Guardian Life with one year of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Consolidated Planning Holdings, Inc. and Charleston County School District. Outside of her advisory role, she is an author and publisher of books including The Basketball Coach's Notebook and works as a math tutor for high school students. Guardian Life’s subsidiary, Park Avenue Securities LLC, offers brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm provides tailored client solutions through a combination of advisor-led discretionary management, model-based strategies, and access to proprietary and third-party platforms.

Erin Zumwalt is a financial advisor with First Command Advisory Services, holding Series 65 and Series 63 credentials. She has experience as a former US Navy service member, serving from 2002 to 2023. Outside of her advisory work, she is involved with Word of Mouth Catering. First Command Advisory Services, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser that serves individuals, corporate, and charitable clients, with a focus on active-duty service members and their families. The firm offers financial planning and multiple wrap-fee asset management programs managed by a centralized Investment Management Team and Wealth Portfolio Managers.

Johnny Strickland is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services and holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. He has 22 years of industry experience, including roles at SunTrust Advisory Services, SunTrust Investment Services, and SunTrust Bank since 2015. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary manager relationships and incorporates AI-enabled research tools alongside traditional methods in its investment process.

Howard Hartley is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with four years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked previously with Northwestern Mutual and Wells Fargo. His career also includes roles outside finance, such as positions at Pure Fishing and Nolan Transportation Group. 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 and non-discretionary consulting, supported by AI-enabled research tools and inter-affiliate integration to deliver its AMC Advantage manager-selection program.

Kirk Paulsen is a financial advisor with Money Concepts Capital Corp in Mt. Pleasant, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 37 years of industry experience. He has been with Money Concepts Capital Corp since 2013. Outside of his advisory role, he is the owner of River Oak Partners LLC, an investment-related business. Money Concepts Advisory Service (MCAS) serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporations, managing approximately $3.33 billion across about 14,700 clients. The firm utilizes a blend of model portfolios, advisor-designed portfolios, and third-party sub-advisers, employing fundamental and technical analysis along with modern portfolio theory to guide asset allocation and account rebalancing.

Mary Chapman is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network in Mt. Pleasant, SC. She holds the CFP® designation and has 17 years of experience in the industry. Prior to her current role, she was with Securian Financial Services, Inc. for two years. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of about 2,900 advisors and hundreds of thousands of clients. The firm offers a broad adviser-support platform including managed-account programs, access to third-party asset managers, and a range of investment options, acting as both a wrap-fee program sponsor and back-office provider.

Sean Thompson is a financial advisor at Prime Capital Financial with three years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Fidelity Investments and Private Client Services. Prime Capital Financial is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, corporations, and retirement plans through asset management, financial planning, and family office services. The firm employs a mix of discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies, supported by affiliated tax advisory and specialized reporting services.

Brandon Grimm is a financial advisor with Equity Services, Inc. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has 22 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Equity Services in 2025, he worked for Mass Mutual Investors Services and Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company for ten years. He is also the managing director of Hudnall Capital Advisors, an insurance-related business. Equity Services, Inc., operating as ESI Financial Advisors, provides financial planning, consulting, and asset management to individuals, corporations, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm offers multiple advisory platforms, often utilizing third-party asset managers and model portfolios with a combination of long-term strategies and options for shorter-term trading.

Mathew Emmert is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has previously worked at Gambit Securities, Inc. and JBJ Investment Partners, LLC. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, institutions, and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach that incorporates low-cost indexing, buy-and-hold strategies, and selective private market exposure.

Trey Taylor is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional at NewEdge Advisors with one year of experience in the industry. He previously worked at Forvis Mazars Wealth Advisors, LLC and Johnson and Johnson Insurance. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a network of independent advisers. The firm offers a range of portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services, utilizing a variety of program structures that combine in-house manager selection with third-party strategies and technology tools.

Adam Bonner is a financial advisor at NewEdge Advisors with 12 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Cabot Lodge Securities, Apollon Wealth Management, South State Bank, and LPL Financial. Outside of NewEdge, he is actively involved with Apollon Wealth Management, where he works on investment advisory and model portfolio management. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension plans, corporations, trusts, and charitable organizations through a network of independent advisers. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and consulting services, utilizing both in-house and third-party strategies with a focus on due diligence, technology tools, and recently incorporating artificial intelligence in certain operations.

Benjamin Decker is a financial advisor with Guardian Life in Mt Pleasant, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and possessing 16 years of industry experience. He has been with Guardian Life since 2013. Outside of advising, he performs as a musician providing entertainment for corporate and private events and is involved in apparel design and sales. Guardian Life’s subsidiary, Park Avenue® Wealth Management, offers brokerage and advisory services to individuals, corporations, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm blends advisor-led discretionary management with model-based strategies, providing customized financial planning, consulting, and access to proprietary and third-party investment solutions.

Nicholas Patterson is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. His background includes various roles in education and a current position at Truist Investment Services, Inc. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary approaches, supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools, and is noted for its inter-affiliate integration and related operating structures.

Marc Levy is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network, bringing 43 years of industry experience. He previously worked for Mass Mutual Investors Services for 16 years before joining Commonwealth in 2015. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of nearly 2,900 advisors and a diverse client base. The firm provides a wide range of managed account programs, third-party asset manager access, and custody services, supporting advisors in portfolio implementation through both internal models and external platforms.

Douglas Buchan is a CFP® with 17 years of experience in the financial advisory industry. He currently works at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC and has held prior roles at Bam Management, Buckingham Strategic Wealth, Main Street Financial Solutions, and Tilson Financial Group. Focus Partners Wealth, LLC serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients, offering a range of wealth management and advisory services. The firm’s investment approach combines active and passive strategies within an enhanced open architecture framework, utilizing both fundamental and quantitative analysis alongside specialized tools such as trend-following and options overlays.

Richard Sauls is a CFA® charterholder with 11 years of industry experience. He is currently an advisor at Farther Finance Advisors, LLC and previously worked at Acanza Investment Group and Exeter Venture Group. Outside of financial advising, he serves on the board of Rise IT Solutions, an IT services and HR outsourcing company. Farther serves individual investors, trusts, and estates through a technology-driven advisory platform combined with direct client meetings. The firm’s investment approach is based on Modern Portfolio Theory, utilizing bespoke and algorithmic model portfolios with automatic rebalancing and a focus on ETFs, mutual funds, equities, and fixed income.

Andrew Ciappa is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 38 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. His prior work includes roles at Truist Advisory Services, Truist Investment Services, and BB&T Securities. Janney Montgomery Scott is a large broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a wide range of clients and provides brokerage, financial planning, consulting, and advisory programs through a combination of in-house portfolio management and third-party managers.

Aaron Schluep is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group based in Charleston, SC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 21 years of industry experience. Since 2014, he has been associated with Gwfs Equities, Inc. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to certain retail brokerage clients. The firm’s integrated approach combines proprietary and third-party methodologies focused on long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing.