Kymona Thomas is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 11 years of industry experience. She holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has worked at firms including Wells Fargo Clearing, LPL Financial, and Vanguard Marketing Corporation. She is currently based in Huntersville, NC. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, pension plans, and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach that emphasizes low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies for long-term goals, supplemented by direct indexing, tax-loss harvesting, and selective private market investments.

Nicole Jackson is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF and holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. She has nine years of industry experience, having worked previously at Vanguard and Metlife. Nicole has also worked outside the financial sector, including a role at DoorDash. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers model portfolio and customized portfolio management under a fiduciary standard within a vertically integrated structure.

Edward Hurley is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 registrations and bringing 22 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA and TIAA-CREF since 2002. Outside of his advisory work, Hurley operates a portrait and event photography business. TIAA-CREF’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing discretionary management, using model portfolios and customized strategies under a fiduciary standard.

Rhea Foster is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF, holding Series 63 and Series 66 registrations and bringing 19 years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Merrill, Bank of America N.A., and PNC Investments before returning to TIAA-CREF in 2023. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals connected through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans, as well as trusts, estates, and small retirement plans. The firm provides both point-in-time planning and ongoing portfolio management through model and customized portfolios, and it acts as investment adviser to the TIAA Donor Advised Fund sponsored by Charityvest.

Scott Gershon is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 15 years of industry experience. He has held his current role since 2014 and holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with pre-existing ties through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers both one-time planning services and ongoing portfolio management, including customized and model-based investment options.

Ingrid Clay is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with four years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 credential and has worked at firms including Wells Fargo Clearing Services and Amazon. Outside of her advisory role, she owns an online e-commerce business and volunteers as a notary public for her church. TIAA-CREF provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and institutional clients, often serving those connected to TIAA-administered retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning services and ongoing portfolio management through model and customized portfolios.

Kevin Antol is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 22 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA since 2007 and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He is based in Charlotte, NC. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans. The firm operates within a vertically integrated structure and serves clients often connected through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans.

Richard Pucciarelli is a financial advisor at Brookstone Capital Management LLC with 16 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Brookstone since 2010 and Carolina Retirement Resources since 2003. In addition to his advisory role, he is also an insurance agent. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser that provides fee-based asset management and financial planning through a turnkey asset management platform and wrap-fee program. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, charitable organizations, other registered investment advisers, sovereign wealth funds, and banking institutions, offering discretionary investment management via various account types and model portfolios.

Kim Richards is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 19 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked with TIAA-CREF and related entities since 2012, with prior experience at Signature Consultants. Outside of her advisory role, Richards is the studio director of a Pilates studio, where she manages business operations and client relationships. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers tailored investment solutions including model and customized portfolios and acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Stuart Thomas is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Park Avenue Securities LLC, Guardian Life Insurance Company, and Equity Services Inc. He served six years on active duty in the United States Army. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans, as well as trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans. The firm separates one-time planning services from ongoing portfolio management, using model and customized investment strategies within a vertically integrated structure.

Angela Lessor is a CFP® with 16 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors. Her prior roles include positions at Journey Strategic Wealth LLC, Bleakley Financial Group LLC, LPL Financial, and Northwestern Mutual Investment Management. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse range of individual and institutional clients, utilizing a multi-manager approach that includes affiliated and third-party managers, with capabilities in discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting.

Benjamin Siersma is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2002. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans. The firm also serves as adviser to a donor-advised fund and operates within a vertically integrated group using affiliated funds.

Taylor Brown is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 14 years of industry experience. Brown has been with TIAA-CREF since 2012. Outside of financial advising, Brown works part-time as a real estate agent and transaction coordinator for residential properties. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals—often those connected through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans—as well as trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing portfolio management, operating within a vertically integrated group that includes affiliated funds and a donor-advised fund advisory service.

Deanna Moss is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and with 12 years of industry experience. Prior to joining TIAA-CREF in 2023, she worked at Bestow, Moss Agency, Freedom Financial Advantage, and LPL Financial. Outside of her advisory role, she is the president of Moss Chemical Company, LLC, a business serving individual consumers and restaurants, and she owns Just In Time Restoration, LLC, a residential construction and restoration company. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals with existing TIAA retirement plan relationships, as well as trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing portfolio management using model or customized portfolios managed under a fiduciary standard.

Jamison Holt is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Harrisburg, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 25 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF and its predecessor TIAA since 2003. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers a combination of model portfolio and customized portfolio management under a fiduciary standard within a vertically integrated structure that includes affiliated funds and donor-advised fund services.

Michael Smith is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. in Kannapolis, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 27 years of industry experience. He has been with Fifth Third Securities since 2012. Fifth Third Securities provides brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and institutional investors. The firm offers multiple discretionary managed-account programs and combines third-party portfolio managers, strategist portfolios, and advisor-managed sleeves, with features such as direct indexing and tax-overlay services.

Clacy Hysong is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with 15 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2010. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm operates within a vertically integrated group and offers both model-based and customized portfolio management options.

Stephen Honea is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with 16 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2010. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm also acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund and offers a range of advisory services within a vertically integrated structure.

Robert Flynn is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group who holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has 22 years of industry experience. He previously worked at TIAA-CREF and TIAA from 1997 to 2022 before joining Empower Financial Services in 2023. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and retail brokerage clients. The firm’s integrated approach leverages proprietary and third-party methodologies focused on long-term portfolio returns and is closely tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Justin Balmer is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at First Command Advisory Services and related entities. Outside of finance, he is involved with Easton D LLC, a company performing manual labor tasks, and Decadence Popcorn LLC, a retail popcorn business in Concord, NC. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services provides financial planning and managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected to employer retirement plans administered by TIAA. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing discretionary management, utilizing model and customized portfolios under a fiduciary standard.