Clayton Thornton is a financial advisor with NewEdge Advisors in Summerville, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 18 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Forvis Mazars Wealth Advisors LLC, FORVIS Wealth Advisors LLC, Dixon Hughes Wealth Advisors LLC, and Edward Jones. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm provides a range of services including portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party managers, and employs centralized due diligence alongside technology tools to support advisors and clients.

Laura Werner is a Vice President and Private Wealth Advisor at OSAIC Institutions, Inc. with 17 years of industry experience. She previously held roles at Huntington National Bank and FineMark National Bank & Trust. She is licensed with Series 63 and Series 65 designations. OSAIC Institutions, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, ERISA retirement plans, trusts, estates, and corporate clients. The firm offers customized advisory services through a network of investment adviser representatives and features a hybrid adviser/broker-dealer structure with a focus on both discretionary and non-discretionary assets.

Erica Smith is a CFP® professional with 12 years of industry experience, currently serving at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC. She has previously worked with Charleston Investment Advisors and The Wealth Management Alliance. Outside of financial advising, she owns and operates Smitten Handcrafted Designs, a jewelry business. 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-focused approach, utilizing proprietary due diligence and asset allocation models to implement client strategies.

Frank Pugliese is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services based in Mt Pleasant, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 14 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Mass Mutual Investors Services, MassMutual Life Insurance Company, and MetLife Securities Inc. He is also the owner of Trinity Wealth Partners, a non-investment-related business. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and active-duty military personnel. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager solutions through various adviser and promoter arrangements.

Samuel Marshall is a financial advisor at D.A. Davidson & Co. with 10 years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. He previously worked at Edward Jones for eight years before joining D.A. Davidson. D.A. Davidson & Co. provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including retirement plans, individual investors, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers a range of services such as ERISA retirement plan advisory, comprehensive financial planning, and a private wealth program for high-net-worth clients, all operating under fiduciary standards.

Edward Kotak Jr. is a financial advisor at Equity Services, Inc. with 13 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 licenses. Prior to joining Equity Services, he worked at National Life Group and New York Life Insurance Company. Outside of his advisory role, Kotak serves as CEO of Island Wealth Solutions Inc. Equity Services, Inc., operating as ESI Financial Advisors, provides financial planning, consulting, and asset management services to individuals, corporations, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm offers multiple advisory platforms, frequently utilizes third-party asset managers, and combines long-term investment strategies with options for shorter-term trading.

Gary Knode is a financial advisor at AE Wealth Management, LLC with one year of experience in the industry. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been involved with Safe Harbor Financial/Safe Harbor Wealth since 2013, where he serves as president and manages insurance and annuity sales along with retirement planning for clients. AE Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, trusts, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers model portfolio solutions, discretionary asset management, financial planning, ERISA plan services, and self-directed brokerage support through a platform that integrates AEWM-managed, third-party, and advisor-managed models.

John Jeffords is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 50 years of industry experience. He has worked at Truist Advisory Services and Truist Investment Services since 2021, with prior roles at Bb&T Securities, Scott & Stringfellow, and J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, LLC. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers services such as asset allocation, fiduciary support, and a third-party manager selection program, implementing advice through discretionary and non-discretionary approaches supported by AI-enabled research tools.

John Merritt is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 13 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations and previously worked at TIAA-CREF, TD Ameritrade, and Scottrade. Merritt is based in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, foundations, and corporations. The firm manages approximately $295.6 billion in client assets and employs a financial-planning-led investment approach that emphasizes low-cost indexing, buy-and-hold strategies, and selective private market exposure.

James Amick Jr. is a financial advisor with J.W. Cole Advisors, Inc., holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 31 years of industry experience. He has worked at J.W. Cole Advisors since 2019 and previously held roles at Independent Financial Partners and LPL Financial. Outside of his advisory work, Amick serves as chair elect of the Poplar Grove Townhome Owners Association board and is a trustee of the Jamie Lynn Amick Trust. J.W. Cole Advisors is an SEC-registered firm that serves individuals, charities, corporations, and retirement plans through a national network of over 400 independent investment adviser representatives. The firm provides portfolio management, fee-based financial planning, access to third-party managers, and multiple managed account solutions utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches.

Walter Lewis is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 63 license. He has five years of experience in financial advisory, currently working with Truist Advisory Services since 2021. His prior experience includes roles at Bb&T Bank/Truist Bank and Bank of America. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporations, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships with consulting services and utilizes third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools to support client investment decisions.

Mark Taylor is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in North Charleston, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 1999 and has also worked with Agia since 2022. Outside of advisory work, he is involved as a member managing small self-storage facility operations. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-based 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 to construct client portfolios.

Cooper Grady is a CFP® and ChFC® with four years of industry experience. He is affiliated with Stratos Wealth Partners, Ltd. and previously worked at LPL Financial LLC, Advisor Group, Marathon Financial Group, Robert Gorman, and Northwestern Mutual Investment Management. Stratos Wealth Partners, Ltd. is an enterprise advisory firm with approximately 379 advisors and $18.6 billion in assets under management, serving individuals, retirement plans, corporations, nonprofits, and institutional clients. The firm employs an IAR-driven model with an open-architecture investment approach that integrates multiple third-party platforms and managers, offering customized portfolio management and a range of financial planning services.

David Kornegay is a CFP® professional with over 32 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Valic Financial Advisors since 2011 and holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. In addition to his advisory role, he is a commissioned notary in South Carolina. Valic Financial Advisors 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 to construct client portfolios.

Kevin Newell is a CFP® with four years of experience at Creative Planning and one year at SBK Financial. Prior to his financial advisory career, he spent eight years in high school and college settings. He is based in Charleston, SC. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, pension plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach emphasizing low-cost indexing, buy-and-hold strategies, and selective private market exposure, managing approximately $295.6 billion in client assets across more than 1,100 advisors.

Ryan Shannon is a financial advisor at Prime Capital Financial with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Park Avenue Securities, Guardian Life Insurance Company, and Principal Securities Inc. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with PCRM, LLC, which focuses on the sale and service of fixed-insurance products. Prime Capital Financial is an SEC-registered firm serving individuals, trusts, corporations, and retirement plans with services including asset management, financial planning, qualified retirement plan sponsor and trustee services, and third-party manager selection. The firm employs a variety of investment strategies and offers family office services alongside tax planning through an affiliated accounting subsidiary.

Jadyn Graham is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with one year of industry experience, currently affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network in Mt. Pleasant, SC. Prior to joining Commonwealth, Graham has held positions at several firms including Cummings Wealth Management Group and Wildes Financial Strategies. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,900 advisors and managing roughly $212.7 billion in client assets. The firm provides a broad adviser-support platform including managed account programs, access to third-party asset managers, retirement consulting, and custody services.

Jeffrey Lansink is a Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) with 29 years of industry experience. He has worked at Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC since 2015 and has been affiliated with LPL Financial since 2004. Lansink operates out of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and is engaged in roles connected to both his registered investment advisor business and his LPL Financial activities. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans. The firm delivers asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting through a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, utilizing model portfolios, sub-advisors, and various analytical techniques, supported by technology platforms to enhance service delivery.

Daniel Russler Jr. is a financial advisor at Sequoia Financial Group, L.L.C. with 22 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously served as Chief Investment Officer at Family Asset Management, LLC. Sequoia Financial Advisors offers wealth planning, investment management, retirement-plan advisory, and consulting services to a diverse client base including individuals, family offices, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm combines model portfolios and custom solutions, utilizing a range of investment vehicles and regular portfolio reviews conducted by an Investment Policy Committee.

Edward Pinnell III is a financial advisor with Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Benjamin F. Edwards, he served four years at MRHFM, LLC and has six years of military service in the United States Marine Corps. He currently serves as a reservist in the Marine Corps, assisting with recruiting efforts at high schools and universities in the Charleston, SC area. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers a range of services including advisory programs, financial planning, investment management consulting, and brokerage services, combining proprietary strategies with third-party models and providing custody and clearance services.