Michael Schultz is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Birmingham, AL, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and bringing 39 years of industry experience. He has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 1986 and also holds an agent position 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. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet UMA models for portfolio construction.

Brittnei La Rue is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. in Greensboro, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. Her background includes roles at Bankers Life and Casualty, Bankers Life Securities, TD Bank, and Glens Falls National Bank. Outside of advising, she is involved with the Rotary Club of Wilmington and is a candidate for the New Hanover County School Board. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management and consulting primarily for mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals. The firm focuses on customized asset allocation, periodic rebalancing, tax efficiency, and a blend of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis in portfolio management.

Mark Harbaugh is a financial advisor with Cerity Partners LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and 12 years of industry experience. He worked at UBS Financial Services from 2014 to 2026 before joining Cerity Partners. Harbaugh serves as trustee for multiple family trusts, overseeing asset management, tax filings, and distributions according to trust terms. Cerity Partners advises a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, and institutions, offering customized wealth management services and access to specialized investment strategies such as private market solutions.

Timothy Mellon is a financial advisor with Osaic Advisory Services, LLC, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 63 and Series 65 licenses, with 32 years of industry experience. He has worked at firms including Triad Advisors, Kestra Financial Services, and Green Valley Financial, where he is a managing partner. Mellon also serves on the board of directors for N.C. Grange Mutual and is involved in financial education as an instructor at Alamance Community College and Guilford Tech Community College. Additionally, he owns a farm business, Hedge Farm, LLC. Osaic Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise firm serving a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, corporations, charitable entities, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm employs a variety of investment strategies and offers services such as representative-managed programs, third-party manager and wrap programs, retirement plan consulting, and access to alternative investments.

Santos Rivera Vasquez is a financial advisor at Brookstone Capital Management LLC with a Series 65 credential and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Brookstone, he worked in various roles at Panda Express and Amerilife. Brookstone Capital Management provides fee-based asset management and financial planning services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, and other entities. The firm utilizes strategic and dynamic asset allocation models, including proprietary investment strategies and a mix of ETFs, mutual funds, and options-enhanced strategies.

John Brownlow III is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Greensboro, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 30 years of industry experience. He has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 1999 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. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models for portfolio construction and management.

Braxton Towery is a financial advisor at Valic Financial Advisors with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Agia, Cru, and Vector Marketing Corporation. In addition to his advisory role, he is an agent involved in non-securities insurance products. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients, as well as employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services through a large network of advisors and utilizes centralized technology and unified managed account solutions.

Amy Lawson is a financial advisor at Brookstone Capital Management LLC with 12 years of industry experience and holds a Series 65 designation. She has worked at Brookstone Capital Management since 2022 and concurrently since 2017 at Retirement Wealth Advisors. Lawson also owns Lawson Financial Group, Inc., where she provides insurance and divorce financial consulting services. Brookstone Capital Management offers fee-based asset management and financial planning to a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and trusts. The firm employs strategic and dynamic asset-allocation models and uses a variety of investment vehicles, including proprietary funds, ETFs, and options-enhanced strategies.

Judy Hill is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Greensboro, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 24 years of industry experience. She previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing and BB&T Securities before joining Truist. Truist Advisory Services offers investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to individuals, corporations, plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a combination of traditional research and AI-enabled tools to guide client investments.

Brendan Stringer is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with 10 years of industry experience. He is currently with Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC, where he has worked since 2022. His prior roles include positions at Commonwealth Financial Network, Clarendon Wealth Management, AMERIPSE Financial Services, Inc., and Ethos Financial Partners. Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC provides wealth advisory, consulting, standalone financial planning, retirement-plan platform services, and outsourced chief investment officer services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm combines asset-allocation modeling with third-party independent managers, employing both active and passive strategies across public and private asset classes.

Fred Liles Jr. is a ChFC® credentialed financial advisor with 38 years of industry experience. He has been with VALIC Financial Advisors since 2003 and also holds Series 63 and Series 66 registrations. Outside of financial advising, he owns agricultural land which generates revenue through rental agreements and occasional timber sales. 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. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models for portfolio construction and management.

Matthew Barham is a financial advisor at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. with three years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. His prior roles include positions at Credit Union Investment Services and SECU Brokerage Services. Outside of finance, Barham has worked in a variety of other fields including education and retail. Mercer Global Advisors serves individuals, families, small business owners, plan sponsors, foundations, non-profits, and endowments, providing comprehensive investment advisory services along with financial, tax, retirement, and estate planning. The firm uses a globally diversified, risk-appropriate investment approach grounded in Modern Portfolio Theory and offers a range of portfolio solutions implemented through ETFs, index funds, separate account managers, and private funds.

Preston Lewis is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Greensboro, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing three years of industry experience. His background includes roles at Truist Investment Services, BB&T Scott & Stringfellow, and Allen Tate Realtors. Truist Advisory Services offers investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm combines traditional research with AI-enabled tools and provides ongoing client reviews and reporting.

Jeffrey Chowning is a financial advisor at Davenport & Company LLC in Greensboro, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with 24 years of industry experience. He has been with Davenport since 2009. Davenport serves individual and institutional clients, providing a range of services including asset management, brokerage, and investment banking. The firm organizes its asset management around portfolio manager teams and offers advisory programs across multiple investment strategies, including mutual funds and separately managed accounts.

James Peters is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Greensboro, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 30 years of industry experience. He has worked at Valic Financial Advisors since 1997 and is also an agent for 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. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models for portfolio construction.

Korbin Wayton is a financial advisor at Equity Services, Inc. with five years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked with National Life Group and Norwich University. Wayton serves as a trustee for the Norwich Global Initiative, selecting recipients for study abroad scholarships. 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 and frequently uses third-party asset managers and model portfolios, combining long-term strategies with options for shorter-term trading and specialized instruments.

Christopher Steinl is a financial advisor at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC with five years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 designations. Prior to joining Beacon Pointe Advisors in 2026, he worked at Wells Fargo Securities for six years in two separate periods. Beacon Pointe Advisors provides wealth advisory, consulting, financial planning, retirement plan services, and outsourced chief investment officer services to individual and institutional clients. The firm employs a combination of asset-allocation modeling and third-party independent managers, utilizing both active and passive strategies across public and private asset classes.

Caelan Canady is a financial advisor at Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. with three years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been associated with various entities under Bankers Life since 2017. In addition to his advisory role, he works as an insurance agent specializing in Medicare supplements, advantage plans, long-term care, and life insurance for retirement-aged individuals. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. primarily serves mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals through discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan consulting. The firm utilizes a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to tailor asset allocations and manage portfolios aligned with clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Michael Randleman is a financial advisor at LPL Enterprise with six years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. His prior work includes roles at Prudential Insurance Company of America and Pruco Securities, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in direct sales through a health-related multi-level marketing business. LPL Enterprise provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individual and high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, banks, and charitable entities. The firm typically employs model-driven investment approaches, offers financial planning and access to third-party asset managers, and facilitates insurance product sales through affiliated entities.

Samuel Bettinger is a financial advisor at OSAIC in Greensboro, NC, holding a Series 66 designation. He has one year of industry experience, with prior roles including work at Buckle and Camp Ridgecrest For Boys. Outside of finance, he has experience in the food service industry with Nonna Teresa Eatery. OSAIC serves a diverse client base, including retail and institutional investors, retirement plan sponsors, charities, and corporate clients. The firm offers a range of brokerage and advisory services through a multi-advisor platform, emphasizing model-based asset allocation and portfolio optimization supported by various analytical tools.