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 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.

William Newcomb is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 16 years of experience in financial advising. He founded Newcomb Financial Advisors, LLC in Chapel Hill, NC, where he has been the sole advisor since 2010. Newcomb Financial Advisors is an independent, fee-only firm serving individuals, trusts, estates, and small businesses with financial planning and investment management. The firm employs a core-and-satellite investment approach focused on strategic asset allocation, managing approximately $13.9 million across 14 clients, primarily on a discretionary basis.

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.

John Bland is a financial advisor with Diversified Investment Services LLC in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 24 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Blackridge Asset Management LLC and Commonwealth Financial Network. Bland is also a licensed insurance agent offering insurance product sales alongside his advisory services. Diversified Investment Services LLC provides portfolio management and financial planning to individual and high-net-worth clients, utilizing a range of analysis methods and investment strategies. The firm offers discretionary management, regular portfolio monitoring, and quarterly reporting, with portfolios that may include mutual funds, ETFs, fixed income, real estate funds, annuities, and non-U.S. securities.

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.

Bert Bennett IV is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 15 years of industry experience. He is the principal of West Fork Wealth Management LLC, an independent firm he joined in 2024 after working at Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated and Morgan Stanley. Outside of his advisory role, Bennett teaches summer camp at Carolina Friends School in Durham, NC. West Fork Wealth Management provides discretionary asset management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth families, non-profits, endowments, trusts, small businesses, and estates. The firm manages portfolios tailored to clients’ investment goals and risk tolerance, employing fundamental, technical, cyclical analysis, and modern portfolio theory.

Ohan Kayikchyan is a CFP® professional with seven years of industry experience. He is the principal of Alohana Financial, LLC, a fee-only registered investment adviser based in Durham, NC. His prior experience includes roles at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC, Wells Fargo Clearing, and Wells Fargo Bank NA. Alohana Financial provides investment management and financial planning services to individuals and high-net-worth clients, employing an asset-allocation approach grounded in Modern Portfolio Theory. The firm uses a combination of passive and active investment vehicles and offers ESG customization upon client request.

Benjamin Birken is a CFP® with 18 years of industry experience, currently serving as the principal advisor at Pisces Financial Advisors, LLC in Chapel Hill, NC. He previously worked at Woodward Financial Advisors, Inc. for 12 years and holds a leadership role at Holistiplan, LLC, a financial services software company, where he is Vice-President for Customer Success and Engagement. Pisces Financial Advisors provides comprehensive financial planning and discretionary investment management to individuals, families, high-net-worth clients, and small businesses. The firm’s investment approach focuses on strategic asset allocation using low-cost, diversified mutual funds and ETFs with attention to diversification, cost control, and tax efficiency.

Gary Balunas is a financial advisor with Unlimited Timing Service Inc in Creedmoor, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 24 years of industry experience. He has worked at Unlimited Timing Service since 2007 and also has a long tenure with Comprehensive Asset Management beginning in 2003. In addition to advisory work, he is registered as an insurance agent in Florida. Unlimited Timing Service Inc provides discretionary portfolio management primarily for high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, and pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm applies a market-timing approach with daily portfolio reviews and manages accounts on the Interactive Brokers platform, operating as a solo practitioner model where the principal assumes full responsibility for investment decisions within agreed client guidelines.

Christopher Harp is the sole advisor at CH Capital Management, an independent registered investment adviser based in Chapel Hill, NC. He holds a Series 66 designation and has 22 years of industry experience, having led CH Capital Management since 2010. CH Capital Management provides discretionary investment management and financial planning services to individuals, families, trusts, endowments, charitable organizations, and pension or profit-sharing plans. The firm typically serves clients with substantial assets and combines a solo advisor model with institutional-style client relationships, outsourcing operational functions to third-party providers.

John Underhill is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 12 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Acorn & Oak Wealth Management, where he has worked since 2021. Prior to this, he was with Northwest Asset Management and Edward Jones. Outside of advisory work, he is a cofounder of Good Barrels of the Triangle, a nonprofit that organizes events to raise funds and awareness for local nonprofits. Acorn & Oak Wealth Management is a fee-only, state-registered firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation using both passive and active strategies, manages institutional mandates, and incorporates third-party tools for portfolio implementation and digital custody.

Kathleen Scharl is the principal advisor at Scharl Advisory Services, Inc. in Durham, NC, holding CFP® and Series 63 designations with 23 years of industry experience. She has led her independent practice since 1989. Outside of advising, she is involved in tax preparation, bookkeeping, and small business consulting through Scharl & Associates, Inc., primarily during tax season. Scharl Advisory Services, Inc. provides fee-only financial planning and investment management to individuals and small businesses, focusing on retirement, tax, cash-flow, education funding, and estate planning. The firm employs a strategic, core-and-satellite asset allocation using no-load or low-load funds, and operates on fixed and hourly fees rather than asset-based charges.

Brian Bunn is a CFA® and CPA based in Raleigh, NC, with eight years of industry experience. He has been the principal of Brian B. Bunn CPA, PLLC since 2018, following prior roles in tax and accounting consulting and at CU Capital Market Solutions. He offers tax and accounting services alongside financial advising through his firm. Brian B. Bunn CPA, PLLC provides portfolio management and financial planning services in addition to tax and accounting, serving a diverse client base including pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, charitable organizations, small businesses, and high-net-worth individuals. The firm employs a combination of cyclical, fundamental, and quantitative strategies to construct diversified portfolios and typically seeks discretionary authority to implement Investment Policy Statements.

Lisa Hodges is a financial advisor at Shift to Impact with six years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and has worked in marketing consulting and advisory services prior to her current role. Hodges leads Shift to Impact, an independent firm based in Durham, NC. Shift to Impact is a fee-only financial planning firm serving individuals and families who seek to align their finances with social justice and environmental values. The firm emphasizes values-based investing and offers comprehensive planning, guidance on charitable giving and employee benefits, as well as educational workshops and speaking events, without managing client portfolios or exercising trading discretion.

Thomas Tolley is the managing member of Tolley Financial Group, LLC, an independent investment advisory firm based in Raleigh, NC. He holds Series 65 and 66 licenses and has 15 years of industry experience, including nine years at Copperleaf Capital, LLC. Tolley Financial Group manages approximately $122 million for about 170 clients, serving individuals, high-net-worth investors, and pension and profit-sharing plan sponsors. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, using a mix of fundamental and technical analysis and both passive and active investment instruments.

Matthew Choplin is a financial advisor with Innovest Strategies LLC in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 65 designation and 12 years of industry experience. Prior to founding Innovest Strategies in 2025, he worked for Private Wealth Management of North Carolina for 12 years. Outside of his advisory role, Choplin is a partner in a tax and management consulting firm and holds an active real estate license, working as a listing and selling agent on weekends. Innovest Strategies LLC provides comprehensive asset management, retirement plan consulting, and financial and tax planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and pension or profit-sharing plans. The firm employs a range of investment strategies including fundamental and technical analysis, managing portfolios with ETFs, mutual funds, individual securities, and conservative cash instruments, while also offering tax, accounting, and real estate services under separate agreements.

Aditya Mahajan is a Series 65 credentialed advisor at ADI Mahajan CPA PC with experience spanning several roles in tax and accounting since 2018. He has worked at LESLIE MERRITT INC dba TAX AND QB GURU and held positions at various educational institutions prior to focusing on integrated CPA and investment advisory services. ADI Mahajan CPA PC provides integrated CPA and fee-only investment advisory services to individuals, trusts, family structures, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm combines tax expertise with investment management, utilizing IPS-driven asset allocation along with tax-aware strategies such as asset location and tax-loss harvesting to support long-term portfolio management.

Kent Fisher is a CFP®, CFA®, and Series 63 licensed advisor with 16 years of industry experience. He currently leads Southern Investment Management Collective LLC, an independent firm he joined in 2023. Previously, he worked at Mutual Advisors, LLC and Old Peak Finance. Southern Investment Management Collective provides portfolio management and investment advice to individual and high-net-worth clients, tailoring strategies based on each client’s goals, tax situation, time horizon, and risk tolerance. The firm uses a combination of fundamental analysis, quantitative techniques, and modern portfolio theory to construct diversified portfolios and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary services.