James Spirko is the sole advisor at Sovereign Financial Group in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations with 21 years of industry experience. He has been with Sovereign Financial Group since its founding in 2005. Sovereign Financial Group provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients through programs that include portfolio management, financial planning, and coordination with tax, estate, and insurance professionals. The firm is notable among solo independent advisors for sponsoring a wrap-fee program and focuses client intake mainly on its Wealth Management offering.

Lyle Finley Jr. is a CFP® professional with over 31 years of experience in the financial industry. He currently serves as the sole advisor at RJ20, Inc. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Bank, Wells Fargo Clearing, and Cic Advisers, LLC. Finley also served 14 years in the North Carolina National Guard. RJ20, Inc. provides non-discretionary investment guidance and educational tools to participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans through an online platform. The firm acts as an ERISA fiduciary focused on participant-level advice, using proprietary modeling and established analytical methods to deliver recommendations electronically without exercising investment discretion or holding custody of client assets.

Carolyn Larsen Wieber is a PFS™ credentialed financial advisor with 15 years of industry experience. She founded CLW Financial Planning LLC in 2018 after prior roles at Paraklete Financial and Steward Ingram & Cooper PLLC. In addition to her advisory work, she owns a CPA practice providing 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 combines discretionary investment management based on Modern Portfolio Theory with comprehensive financial planning and integrated tax preparation services.

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.

Steven Thorpe is the sole advisor at Pragmatic Portfolios, LLC, an independent registered investment adviser based in Durham, NC. He holds a Series 65 designation and has 15 years of industry experience. Thorpe has managed Pragmatic Portfolios since 2010 and previously worked at MCNC for 24 years. Pragmatic Portfolios provides portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals, families, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and select corporations or small businesses. The firm emphasizes broadly diversified, low-cost passive investments with strategic asset allocation and tax-efficient strategies, and offers client education through complimentary seminars and workshops.

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® professional with seven years of experience in the financial services industry. He is the sole advisor at Testament Wealth Management, an independent firm based in Cary, NC. His prior roles include positions at Dimensional Fund Advisors, Beacon Financial Strategies Corp, and Mutual of Omaha. Testament Wealth Management provides wealth management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals and high-net-worth clients, as well as retirement plan consulting for employers and plan sponsors. The firm offers both ongoing portfolio management and project-based planning without imposing a minimum account size, using a combination of passive and active investment vehicles tailored to client goals.

Thomas Kelly III is a CFP® professional with five years of industry experience, currently operating Kelly Investment Management, LLC in Raleigh, NC. His prior experience includes roles at Curi Capital, TD Ameritrade, and Scottrade. Kelly Investment Management, LLC provides investment advisory services and financial planning to individuals, families, and small-business owners, with a focus on tailored advice based on client objectives and risk tolerance. The firm offers both discretionary and non-discretionary managed accounts, written investment strategies, and fixed-fee standalone planning services without commissions or referral fees.

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 a financial advisor with CIMA Financial in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and nine years of industry experience. He has worked at firms including First Command Financial Planning and MassMutual Life Insurance Co. In addition to advising, Maldonado is president of EnFe Business Advisors, a business coaching and consulting firm, and a founding partner of Golden Arrow Properties LLC, a rental and short-term rental property business. CIMA Financial provides fee-only investment management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and business owners. The firm employs a modern portfolio theory approach with strategic asset allocation, combining passive and active investments, and offers planning advice covering retirement, tax, risk management, and business exit strategies.

Adam Vega is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 16 years of industry experience. He is the founder of Avance Private Wealth LLC and has previously worked at firms including Goldman Sachs, Gladstone Wealth Partners, and Mercer Allied Company. Vega is also licensed to sell insurance products, dedicating approximately 10% of his time to this activity. Avance Private Wealth LLC provides portfolio management, financial planning, and pension consulting primarily for high-net-worth individuals and retirement plan clients. The firm manages accounts on a discretionary basis using a combination of modern portfolio theory, fundamental analysis, and charting, and offers a broad range of investment products including complex alternatives.

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.

Leonard Brooks is a financial advisor with Brooks Financial of North Carolina, LLC in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and with 28 years of industry experience. He has worked at firms including Cetera and H.D. Vest Advisory Services before founding his current firm. Brooks also owns a tax preparation and filing service and acts as an agent managing small commercial property insurance through Alpha Risk Management Services. Brooks Financial of North Carolina provides financial planning and non-discretionary portfolio management primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, along with retirement-plan services such as profit-sharing and 401(k)/403(b) planning. The firm offers insurance planning, retirement rollovers, participant education, and tax preparation, managing accounts with client-confirmed trades and tailored asset-allocation strategies based on fundamental and technical analysis.

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.

I didn't set out to become a financial advisor. I spent 18 years in the music industry as a recording and touring audio engineer. What I saw again and again were hardworking, independent people — musicians, artists, freelancers, and other creative professionals — who wanted the same things everyone wants: stability, a plan, a better financial future. But because their income was unconventional, they felt like the financial industry wasn't designed for them. Honestly, they were right. So in 2019 I launched my business, got my CFP® designation, and built a practice specifically for people who've spent their lives and careers outside the mainstream. I work with artists, musicians, authors, and other independent-minded professionals with unconventional careers and the financial complexity that comes with them. I offer two types of services: financial planning and investment management. Financial planning means identifying the two or three things that would make the biggest difference in your financial life right now and building a clear, actionable plan around them. Investment management means taking that completely off your plate — so you never have to think about it, worry about it, or wonder if you're doing it right. The work behind the scenes is rigorous. The experience on your end should feel like talking to someone who genuinely gets it. I live in Durham, NC with my family and our dog Yoshi. I have a degree in mathematics and grew up on a farm in Michigan. The through line: I've always figured things out on my own terms — and I have a lot of respect for people who do the same. If any of this resonates, I'd love to connect.

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® and Series 65 credentialed advisor with four years of industry experience. She is the principal of FWJ Planning LLC and also owns FWJ Tax LLC, a tax planning and preparation business. Pereira has worked with the XY Planning Network and served as a VITA Tax Counselor. FWJ Planning LLC offers fee-only financial planning services to U.S. individuals, households, and small businesses, focusing on project-based and comprehensive plans without providing investment management or custody services. The firm employs a variety of analytical methods for investment recommendations, typically favoring passive, low-cost funds, and clients implement these through their chosen custodians.

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.