James Spirko is the principal advisor at Sovereign Financial Group in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and 65 licenses with 20 years of industry experience. He has led Sovereign Financial Group since 2005. Sovereign Financial Group provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients through three service programs: Investment, Legacy, and Wealth Management. The firm manages accounts on a discretionary basis, issues tailored Investment Policy Statements, conducts periodic reviews, and coordinates with tax, estate, and insurance professionals at higher service levels.

Carolyn Larsen Wieber is a financial advisor at CLW Financial Planning LLC in Raleigh, NC, with 14 years of industry experience. She holds the PFS™ designation and previously worked at Paraklete Financial and Steward Ingram & Cooper PLLC. In addition to financial advising, she owns a CPA practice that provides tax compliance and consulting services for small business owners and their families. CLW Financial Planning LLC is an independent, fee-only advisory firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and small businesses. The firm integrates discretionary investment management with comprehensive financial planning and tax preparation, using a Modern Portfolio Theory approach focused on long-term, diversified allocations primarily through passive mutual funds and ETFs.

Pomeroy Smith II is a financial advisor at Bison Wealth Management, LLC in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with 10 years of industry experience. He has worked at Bison Wealth Management since 2018 and previously at Pathway Wealth Management, LLC from 2016 to 2019. Bison Wealth Management provides discretionary asset management primarily to individuals, high net worth clients, and trusts, focusing on customized portfolios and active asset management. The firm uses both fundamental and technical analysis to guide asset allocation, emphasizing capital appreciation alongside asset preservation.

Peter Platt is the sole advisor at Platt Investment Counsel, LLC, an independent firm based in Cary, NC. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has 12 years of industry experience, having led his firm since 2013. Platt Investment Counsel provides discretionary portfolio management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm employs a tactical asset allocation approach using a proprietary model, managing portfolios primarily with exchange-traded funds and no-load mutual funds, and offers institutional-style custodial and reporting services uncommon among similar independent advisers.

Nicholas Faulkner is a CFP® certificant with seven years of experience in the financial services industry. He is the sole advisor at Testament Wealth Management and has prior experience with firms including Dimensional Fund Advisors and Beacon Financial Strategies Corp. Testament Wealth Management provides wealth management and comprehensive financial planning services to individuals and high-net-worth clients, as well as retirement plan consulting to employers and plan sponsors. The firm employs a fee-only approach, combining passive and active investment vehicles within individualized asset-allocation strategies, and offers both ongoing portfolio management and limited-scope planning without imposing account minimums.

Mitchel Krause is a financial advisor at Other Side Asset Management, LLC in Raleigh, NC, with 29 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated for 11 years before founding his current firm in 2018. In addition to advisory services, he is a licensed insurance agent involved in the sale of various insurance products. Other Side Asset Management provides investment advisory and financial consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and charitable organizations. The firm offers tailored portfolio management and planning services, employing a range of methods including asset allocation, technical analysis, and both long- and short-term trading, with at least quarterly account reviews.

Thomas Kelly III is a CFP® with five years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Kelly Investment Management, LLC in Raleigh, NC. His prior work includes roles at Curi Capital, TD Ameritrade, and Scottrade. Kelly Investment Management, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, families, and small-business owners. The firm offers managed accounts and written investment strategies tailored to client objectives, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary arrangements and employing techniques such as asset allocation and technical analysis.

Jim Wyatt is a Series 65 licensed financial advisor with 17 years of industry experience. He is the principal of Wyatt Financial L.L.C. and also owns Wyatt Family Office, L.L.C., where he provides tax and planning services, spending up to 30% of his time on this practice. His career includes over two decades as a CPA through his own firm, Jim K Wyatt CPA. Wyatt Financial L.L.C. is an independent, single-advisor registered investment adviser managing approximately $39 million for about 56 clients. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management to individuals and various institutional clients, using customized investment policies and a range of securities including equities, mutual funds, ETFs, REITs, and bonds.

Jose Maldonado is the principal of CIMA Financial, an independent advisory firm based in Raleigh, NC. He holds a Series 66 designation and has nine years of industry experience. Prior to founding CIMA Financial, he worked at firms including First Command and MassMutual. In addition to his advisory role, Maldonado serves as president of enFe Business Advisors, providing business coaching and consulting, and is a founding partner of Golden Arrow Properties LLC. CIMA Financial offers fee-only investment management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and business owners. The firm’s approach is based on modern portfolio theory, utilizing a blend of passive and active investments, and includes services such as business planning, retirement strategies, and tax and risk management.

Mark Vitek is a CFP® professional with 23 years of experience in financial advising. He has been the principal of NC Money Management, Inc. since 1996 and also manages his own CPA firm, Mark Vitek, CPA, PA, which he founded in 1982. He divides his time between his CPA practice and his advisory business. NC Money Management, Inc. serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses with discretionary portfolio management and financial planning. The firm integrates fundamental, technical, and charting analysis to tailor investment strategies and is notable for its affiliation with the principal’s CPA practice, providing tax-preparation support and consulting services uncommon among independent advisors.

John Huber is a financial advisor at Saber Capital Management LLC with 13 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Saber Capital Management since 2012, following eight years at CJB Real Estate & Investments. Saber Capital Management provides discretionary investment management to individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth individuals, through separately managed accounts and private pooled investment vehicles. The firm employs a bottom-up, fundamental value-investing approach with a focus on concentrated holdings and a long-term horizon, and it offers features such as performance-based compensation and a subscription newsletter for clients.

Cristof Ensslin is a financial advisor at Pine Ridge Wealth LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Simple and Aligned LLC and Pine Ridge Creative, LLC, as well as running mindful FX UG for over a decade. Pine Ridge Wealth LLC is a state-registered, fee-only investment adviser serving individuals, families, nonprofits, foundations, and businesses. The firm focuses on long-term, passive, tax-aware portfolios primarily using index-tracking ETFs, guided by a scenario-based process and historical analysis, and offers a structured onboarding process along with educational initiatives such as Project Mindful Money.

Leonard Brooks is the sole advisor at Brooks Financial of North Carolina, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 28 years of industry experience. He has worked with firms including Cetera and H.D. Vest Advisory Services. Brooks also owns a tax preparation and filing service and serves as an agent for a property and casualty insurance agency. Brooks Financial of North Carolina provides financial planning and non-discretionary portfolio management primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, offering retirement-plan services and insurance planning. The firm manages accounts with client-confirmed trades and uses both fundamental and technical analysis, disclosing a fiduciary duty for retirement advice and incorporating AI tools under supervision.

Edward Fulbright is the principal and sole advisor at Fulbright Financial Consulting, PA in Durham, North Carolina. He holds the PFS™ designation and Series 63 license, with 10 years of experience in financial advising and over 40 years managing his CPA firm, Fulbright & Fulbright, CPA, PA, where he provides accounting, tax, and management consulting services. Fulbright Financial Consulting is a fee-only advisory firm serving individual investors, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm employs a Functional Asset Allocation approach that integrates interest-earning assets, real estate, and equities, and emphasizes low-cost index funds and ETFs, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary services.

David Brodie is the principal of Brodie Wealth Management and holds a Series 66 designation. He has one year of experience in financial advisory roles and has worked at Osaic Advisory Services and Osaic Wealth. He also operates Brodie CPA PLLC, a CPA firm based in Cary, NC, where he serves as principal. Brodie Wealth Management provides wealth management, financial planning, and asset management services to individual and institutional clients. The firm offers tailored investment strategies across traditional and alternative asset classes and provides retirement plan advisory services, leveraging its affiliation with an in-house accounting practice for tax and estate planning support.

Ryan Bannister is a financial advisor at 1Up Financial Advisors LLC in Cary, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with three years of industry experience. Prior to founding 1Up Financial Advisors, he worked at Duke University Hospital and Carr, Riggs & Ingram. Bannister is also a member of Oak City Investment Group, LLC, a real estate investment company. 1Up Financial Advisors LLC provides investment management and financial planning primarily for individual clients, offering tailored portfolio management, written financial plans, and both ongoing and hourly planning engagements. The firm integrates accounting services such as in-house tax preparation and bookkeeping, along with educational seminars and consulting for content creators, combining passive and active investments with strategic asset allocation.

Are you passionate about preserving our Earth, upholding corporate responsibility, and contributing to a just society? If so, you’re in the right place. Do you find yourself thinking: “Where does all my money go, and how can I support causes I care about?” “I want to invest, but I refuse to support fossil fuels or the weapons industry.” “What do we need to do now that we’ve had a baby?” “How do I navigate my company benefits or start a Roth IRA?” “Am I doing the right things?” I see financial planning as a medium to facilitate long-lasting change—not just a way to accumulate “more.” My practice, Just Advising, is an advice-only space designed for environmentally and socially conscious people who want clear guidance without the baggage of commissions, high fees, or someone else managing your money. When we work together, you’ll walk away with guidance while feeling understood and empowered. My first question is not, “how much do you have?”; Instead, it’s “what do you want?” To paraphrase John F. Kennedy, ask not what you can do for money—ask what your money can do for you. Outside of the office, you can usually find me rock climbing (attempting to) or making a great (depending on the day) cup of coffee.

Rupa Pereira is a CFP® with four years of experience and the principal of FWJ Planning LLC in Apex, NC. She also owns FWJ Tax LLC, a tax planning and preparation business. Her prior roles include tax counseling with VITA and work with XY Planning Network. FWJ Planning LLC provides fee-only financial planning services focusing on project-based and comprehensive plans for individuals, households, and small businesses. The firm does not offer investment management or custody services and emphasizes passive, low-cost fund recommendations for client-implemented portfolios.

Stephen Reh is the sole advisor at Reh Wealth Advisors LLC in Raleigh, NC. He holds the CFP®, CFA®, and Series 66 designations and has 21 years of industry experience. Prior to founding his firm in 2010, he worked at PerTronix for 18 years. Outside of his advisory work, he is an independent contractor for a golf course design company and serves as president of a design business. Reh Wealth Advisors LLC provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and employee benefit plan consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and employer-sponsored plans. The firm emphasizes a goals- and risk-based asset allocation approach, primarily using passive management with index funds and ETFs, and offers retirement-plan consulting services including plan design support and fiduciary oversight.

Jesse Bradin is a financial advisor with J Bradin Financial LLC in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and nine years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at Gradient Investments, JD Melberg Financial, Appreciation Financial, and Finely Finished. Bradin is also a licensed life insurance agent affiliated with his firm. J Bradin Financial LLC is a state-registered, solo investment adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning, investment management, insurance review, and educational seminars, using a discretionary model investing approach alongside possible third-party manager recommendations.