Kurt Hollar is a financial advisor at Verity Asset Management with 29 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been associated with multiple entities under the Verity name since 1997. His prior experience includes work with The Leaders Group DBA Simplicity Investments and Verity Investments, Inc. Verity Asset Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individual, corporate, institutional clients, and other advisers. The firm employs a model-driven investment approach focused on tactical asset allocation across diverse asset classes, offering discretionary portfolio management, retirement-plan advisory, and financial planning services.

Mitchell Ludwig is a CFP® professional with seven years of industry experience, currently associated with UNITED PLANNERS' FINANCIAL SERVICES of AMERICA. His prior work includes roles at OSAIC, FSC, Wealthcare Capital Management LLC, and The Family Firm. He is also involved as an Associate Partner in Carolina Wealth Partners, a marketing entity based in Raleigh, NC. United Planners Financial Services is a national wealth-management enterprise serving a broad client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers advisory and brokerage services through independent Investment Adviser Representatives and employs a mix of custodians and third-party managers to implement client strategies.

Kenneth Bollinger is a CFP® with 30 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC since 2026. His prior roles include positions at Emerald Investment Partners, LLC, Niagara International Capital Limited, and Principal Financial Company. In addition to his advisory work, he is involved as a healthcare benefits insurance agent with Triangle Insurance & Benefits Insurance Agency. 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 through a large advisor network and employs a diversified investment process blending passive and active strategies supported by an internal Investment Committee.

Cody Wagner is an advisor with FIFTH THIRD SECURITIES, Inc. based in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials. He has experience working at Fifth Third Securities since 2026 and has previous roles at Fifth Third Bank, Truist, and Wells Fargo dating back to 2016. FIFTH THIRD SECURITIES, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutions through investment advisory and brokerage services. The firm offers multiple program types and third-party portfolio managers on its Passageway platform, combining advisor-guided strategies with advanced portfolio management techniques.

Julie Knight is a CFP® with 15 years of industry experience and is currently an advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott. Her prior experience includes roles at Morgan Stanley Private Bank and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. She volunteers with the Estate Planning Council of the Lehigh Valley and is involved as a member and volunteer with Lehigh Valley Aging in Place. Janney Montgomery Scott is a large enterprise firm managing approximately $110 billion in client assets, serving a diverse client base with brokerage, financial planning, consulting, and advisory programs. The firm combines in-house and third-party portfolio management and offers custody and trustee services through a subsidiary trust company.

Kyle Scott is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Raleigh, NC. He holds the ChFC® designation and has four years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked at firms including NYLIFE Securities LLC and New York Life Insurance Co. Outside of advising, he is the owner of KTNDJE Publishing and has authored a book titled *Killing Chaos: Making Relationship Decisions That Lead to Less Drama*. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base, including individual investors and institutional plan sponsors, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm emphasizes tailored recommendations and delivers advice through multiple program types, with the majority of its assets managed on a non-discretionary basis.

Whitney H Ill is a CFP® professional with three years of industry experience, currently serving at Creative Planning. Prior to joining Creative Planning, Whitney worked at Collective Wealth Partners and GRID 202 Partners. Outside of financial advising, Whitney is involved in entrepreneurial ventures including ownership in an ecommerce business and a quick-service restaurant franchise. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base ranging from individuals to institutions. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach emphasizing low-cost indexing, tax-loss harvesting, and selective private market exposure while managing approximately $295.6 billion in client assets.

Kevin Berry is a financial advisor at Brookstone Capital Management LLC with 13 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 65 designation and has worked at Brookstone Capital Management since 2022. His prior experience includes roles at Security Financial, Retirement Wealth Advisors, FormulaFolio Investments, and Secure Financial Solutions. Outside of his advisory work, he owns and operates Security Financial, providing insurance sales and investment advisory 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 utilizes strategic and dynamic asset allocation models, a turnkey asset management platform, and a variety of investment strategies, serving both direct clients and other advisory programs.

Diane Bonner is a Certified Financial Planner® with 22 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC since 2025. Her prior experience includes roles at Arky & Miller Financial Group, Wells Fargo Clearing, and Truist Investment Services. Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC is a multi-team SEC-registered firm providing wealth management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services to individuals, families, businesses, and institutions. The firm’s investment approach focuses on customized, primarily long-term portfolios utilizing ETFs, mutual funds, and other securities, supported by an extensive network of advisors and sub-advisory arrangements.

April Van Nieuwland is a Series 66 licensed advisor at Sanctuary Advisors, LLC with four years of industry experience. She previously worked with Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC and Capital Investment Group, Inc., and has also held positions outside the financial industry, including roles at Starbucks and Mellow Mushroom. Sanctuary Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations, through a network of over 400 independent advisers. The firm offers a range of portfolio management options and delivers advice via dually licensed advisers who develop their own investment strategies under firm supervision.

Daniel Knox is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 23 years of industry experience. He has worked at VALIC Financial Advisors since 2002 and has been associated with Agia since 2022, where he acts as an agent for 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, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models for portfolio construction and management.

Kenneth Shores is a CFP® and ChFC® with 24 years of industry experience. He is currently with First Command Advisory Services and has previously worked at firms including The Huntington Investment Company, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, and J.P. Morgan Securities. First Command Advisory Services serves individuals, corporate, and charitable clients with a focus on active-duty service members and their families, offering financial planning and wrap-fee asset management programs managed through a centralized investment team and wealth portfolio managers.

James Contino is a CFP® professional with 33 years of experience in the financial industry. He is affiliated with Valic Financial Advisors and has worked at AIG Valic since 2003 and Agia since 2022. Outside of advisory work, he is involved in non-securities insurance product sales. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and discretionary unified managed accounts through a large network of advisors, utilizing centralized technology and model solutions to manage roughly $29.2 billion in assets.

Gary Gaulden is a CFP® professional with 33 years of experience in financial advising. He currently works with Osaic Advisory Services, LLC and has previously held roles at Securities America, Inc., Arbor Point Advisors, and Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. He also operates a satellite office for client services in Atlantic Beach, NC under Gaulden & Associates. Osaic Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise adviser serving a wide range of clients, including high-net-worth individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporate and charitable entities, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm offers various managed programs, retirement plan consulting, and access to alternative investments, utilizing both fundamental and technical analysis and partnering with multiple platform providers.

Jeffrey Marko is a financial advisor at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked previously at DMJ & Co., PLLC, where he is a partner, and Dixon Hughes Goodman, LLP. He serves on the finance committee of Housing for New Hope, a nonprofit organization. Beacon Pointe Advisors provides investment advisory and consulting services to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a manager-driven investment approach using third-party platforms and sponsors proprietary investment vehicles and private funds.

John Eason II is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with four years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Fidelity Investments, Equitable Advisors, and served in the U.S. Navy Reserve for 15 years. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC manages approximately $110 billion in client assets and serves a diverse clientele including individuals, families, trusts, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and municipal clients. The firm offers a range of brokerage, financial planning, and advisory services supported by both in-house and third-party portfolio management.

Robert Scholes is a CFP® and CFA® with six years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Allworth Financial, L.P. Prior to joining Allworth Financial in 2025, he worked at Investors Trust Company, Cook Wealth Management Group, Park Avenue Securities, and Guardian Life Insurance Company. Before his financial advisory career, he spent nine years at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Allworth Financial serves a broad client base including individuals, high-net-worth investors, pension plans, trusts, corporations, and charitable organizations, offering a range of financial planning and portfolio management services. The firm employs both quantitative and qualitative analysis to create customized investment strategies and provides educational content through various media.

Tao Zhang is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors in Morrisville, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 11 years of industry experience. His background includes roles with World Financial Group, Inc., International Medical Group, and HCC Medical Insurance Service. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as president of an IT consulting firm and works as a part-time driver for Lyft. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a broad client base including individual investors, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, offering a range of advisory and broker-dealer services through proprietary and third-party investment models.

Benjamin Summers is a CFP® professional with 22 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Independent Financial Partners. His prior roles include positions at IFP Securities, LLC, LPL Financial, Truist Investment Services, and Banc of America Investment Services. In addition to his advisory work, Summers is involved in the sales and service of fixed insurance products through firms such as Crump Life Insurance Services and The Pinnacle Group. Independent Financial Partners offers investment advisory, financial planning, trust, and retirement-plan services through a nationwide network of independent advisers. The firm supports a multi-advisor platform serving individual, charitable, corporate, and high-net-worth clients, with a notable focus on retirement-plan advisory and pension consulting services.

Tonja Womble is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 23 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been with SunTrust Advisory Services since 2016 and SunTrust Investment Services, Inc. since 2013. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches alongside third-party manager arrangements and AI-enabled research tools.