Ryan Mathis is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 26 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2005. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers a fiduciary standard across its advisory services and acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund while operating within a vertically integrated structure that utilizes affiliated funds.

Justin Howie is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Cary, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and seven years of industry experience. His previous roles include positions at Fidelity Investments and Fidelity Brokerage Services, where he worked from 2016 to 2021. Outside of his advisory work, he owns a men's clothing website and works as an Uber driver. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage clients. The firm’s integrated model supports point-in-time financial plans and optional managed account solutions, emphasizing long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing.

Robert Leggett III is a financial advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC, holding CFP® and CFA® designations and more than 27 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at WealthShield Partners, LLC and Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments. Leggett is a 50% owner of WealthShield Insurance LLC, a business involved in insurance product sales with limited active duties. 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 and employs a diversified investment approach combining passive and active management with quantitative, momentum, and fundamental analysis overseen by an internal Investment Committee.

Tyler Mills is a CFP® professional with eight years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with Empower Advisory Group and Empower Financial Services, having previously worked at Personal Capital Advisors Corporation, T. Rowe Price, Bank of America, and Merrill Lynch. Mills is based in Durham, NC. 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 emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and integrates its services with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Michael Krisko is a CFP® professional with 23 years of industry experience, currently advising clients at Commonwealth Financial Network since 2013. He also spent a year at Ameriprise in 2013. Outside of his advisory role, he owns Michael Krisko, Inc., which conducts securities and insurance business. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,900 advisors and managing over $212 billion in client assets. The firm offers a wide range of managed-account programs, third-party asset manager access, and custody services, supporting both individual and institutional clients.

Cody Jeffcoat is a CFP® professional with 21 years of industry experience, currently advising at Truist Advisory Services. He has held roles with Suntrust Investment Services and Suntrust Advisory Services since 2014. Outside of finance, he owns and operates a pottery business. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a blend of discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

John Netherton is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 11 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Truist Advisory Services since 2016 and Truist Investment Services since 2015. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in agricultural activities through his sole proprietorship, Netherton Outdoors, which includes farming mushrooms and harvesting honey. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary approaches, supported by third-party platforms and manager arrangements, with an emphasis on inter-affiliate integration.

Ruijuan Hong is a financial advisor at Transamerica Financial Advisors with Series 66 licensure and one year of industry experience. Prior to her current role, she worked at World Financial Group Insurance Agency and has experience leading Hey Cream Inc as well as ongoing involvement with Shanghai PingYe Advertising Co., Ltd. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm provides both advisory and broker-dealer services, offering a range of proprietary and third-party model portfolios with discretionary and non-discretionary program options.

Lance Dobler is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with TIAA-CREF, based in Durham, NC. He has six years of industry experience, including roles at TIAA since 2012 and TIAA-CREF since 2025. Outside of his advisory work, Dobler owns and operates Diamond Glove Care LLC, a local business providing baseball and softball glove relacing and break-in services for youth players. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm provides both point-in-time planning services and ongoing portfolio management under a fiduciary standard.

Ryan Cook is a CFP® and ChFC® with 15 years of industry experience. He has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 2010 and also works as an agent with Agia. Outside of his advisory role, he owns a home in Nebo, North Carolina, which he rents out seasonally. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-based individual investors, including high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet UMA models for portfolio construction.

Bernard Rosen is a financial advisor with TLG Advisors, Inc. in Cary, NC, holding the ChFC® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 49 years of industry experience, including roles at The Leaders Group Inc and MassMutual Life Insurance Company. He also owns Rosen Executive Benefits Group, which focuses on individual life insurance sales. TLG Advisors, Inc. serves a diverse client base that includes individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and institutional investors. The firm emphasizes investment supervisory services and portfolio management through fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory, offering both sub-advised accounts and a direct-to-consumer digital program called Starlight Portfolios.

Rameet Singh is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with 11 years of industry experience. Prior to joining TIAA-CREF, he worked at Edward Jones and JP Morgan Securities. Outside of finance, he operates a portrait and family photography business. TIAA-CREF’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing TIAA-administered employer retirement plan relationships. The firm provides a range of advisory services including customized portfolio management and acts as adviser to donor-advised funds.

Brian Futch is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Truist Investment Services since 2005 and with Truist Advisory Services since 2016. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as president of a rental property management business where he oversees tax and insurance responsibilities. 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 along with AI-supported research and inter-affiliate integration.

Lemuel Kornegay III is a financial advisor with Money Concepts Capital Corp in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and possessing 32 years of industry experience. He has worked with Money Concepts Capital Corp since 2015 and with Paladin Financial Services, Inc. since 2000, where he serves as president of a non-investment related business focused on checking accounts and Medicare and health insurance. Outside of his advisory role, Kornegay is a co-host of WHIG TV's "The Live Morning Show," serves on the IARFC Board of Directors, volunteers with the Wake County Board of Elections, and holds the position of Sergeant At Arms for the West Raleigh Rotary Club. Money Concepts Advisory Service provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm employs a variety of managed programs and account structures, using fundamental and technical analysis alongside modern portfolio theory to manage roughly $3.33 billion across approximately 14,700 clients.

Monsef Ouchou is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Fidelity Investments and several other firms. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage account holders, using an integrated service model tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Albert Waisanen Jr. is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with two years of industry experience. He previously worked at Fidelity Personal and Workplace Advisors and Group Insurance Analysts/GIA Risk Management. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a board member for The Park Homeowners Association Inc., where he participates in budget decisions and community meetings. TIAA-CREF’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected through employer retirement plans. The firm separates one-time planning services from ongoing portfolio management and acts as adviser to donor-advised funds while operating within a vertically integrated group.

Ming Zeng is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors in Morrisville, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 14 years of industry experience. He has worked at Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012 and previously worked at SweetDeal4You from 2012 to 2020. Zeng is also engaged in the sales of insurance and non-insurance products for companies affiliated with Transamerica Financial Advisors. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base, including individual investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm provides both advisory and broker-dealer services through proprietary model portfolios and access to third-party money managers, offering discretionary and non-discretionary program options.

Dianxia Wang is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 22 years of industry experience. She has worked at Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012 and has affiliations with Clearwater Benefits and World Financial Group. Wang is also the owner of WT Evergreen Company, which operates as a pass-through entity related to her World Financial Group business. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm provides both advisory and broker-dealer services through proprietary and third-party model portfolios, with options for discretionary and non-discretionary management.

Victor Navarroli is a financial advisor with United Planners Financial Services of America, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 32 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc. for 12 years and has operated his own practice since 1993. Navarroli serves as a board member at large for Festa Italiana of North Carolina, a nonprofit event organization. United Planners Financial Services serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, charitable organizations, retirement plans, and institutional clients. The firm operates both as a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, offering financial planning, portfolio management, and brokerage solutions through an open-architecture platform utilizing multiple custodians and third-party money managers.

Darryl Lindsey is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 36 years of industry experience. He has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 2007 and also serves as an agent with Agia, focusing on non-securities insurance products. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants, offering discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services.