Joseph Diamond is a CFP®-certified financial advisor at VALIC Financial Advisors with 30 years of industry experience. He has been with VALIC since 1997 and also has an affiliation with Agia starting in 2022. Outside of his advisory work, he serves on the advisory board for Campus Outreach Charleston, participates in the Global Impact Committee of East Cooper Baptist Church, is a notary providing services to VALIC clients, and volunteers as a director for the Colson Fellows ECBC affiliate. VALIC Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients, as well as employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services through a large network of advisors, utilizing discretionary unified managed accounts and various wrap programs supported by centralized technology and model-driven solutions.

James Lasher is a ChFC® credentialed financial advisor with 23 years of industry experience, currently practicing at Eagle Strategies (NY Life) in Charleston, SC. He has worked with Eagle Strategies since 2009 and has been affiliated with New York Life and its related entities since 2005. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a board member for the Unionville Recreation Association, a local youth sports organization. Eagle Strategies serves a broad range of individual and institutional clients, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services through a large network of affiliated advisors. The firm offers multiple program types tailored to client objectives, with a significant focus on non-discretionary assets and fiduciary advisory roles for retirement investors.

Peter Koehler is a financial advisor at Goldman Sachs Wealth Services with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Goldman Sachs and The Ayco Company, L.P./Mercer Allied. He returned to Goldman Sachs Wealth Services in 2021 after previously working there from 2002 to 2005. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services provides financial planning and portfolio management to a broad client base, including individual investors, executives, plan sponsors, and institutional clients. The firm utilizes strategic allocation models, manager selections, and both discretionary and non-discretionary implementations, leveraging integrated capabilities across the Goldman Sachs ecosystem.

Randy Thompson is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group, holding a Series 66 designation and 13 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Merrill from 2013 to 2022, Bank of America in 2022, and GWFS Equities, Inc. since 2022. 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 certain retail brokerage account holders. The firm’s approach integrates proprietary and third-party methodologies focused on long-term portfolio returns and includes both point-in-time financial plans and optional managed account solutions.

Marie Hadwin is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 14 years of industry experience. She is currently with NewEdge Advisors, having joined in 2026, and previously worked at firms including Forvis Mazars Wealth Advisors, DHG Wealth Advisors, Bank of America, Merrill, and UBS Financial Services. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a network of independent adviser representatives. The firm provides a broad range of services, including portfolio management, financial planning, retirement consulting, and access to various advisory programs, supported by centralized due diligence and technology-enabled solutions.

Brandy Benton is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with Creative Planning, bringing two years of industry experience. She previously worked at JBJ Invest for eight years before joining Creative Planning, where she has been since 2022. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base that includes high-net-worth individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, and institutional 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.

Merriweather Mule is a CFP® professional with four years of industry experience, currently serving at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC. Prior to joining Beacon Pointe Advisors, Mule worked at CornerCap Wealth Advisors for four years. In addition to advisory duties, Mule is an agent involved in the sale of life, health, and accident insurance products through Beacon Pointe Insurance Services, LLC. Beacon Pointe Advisors provides wealth advisory, financial planning, and outsourced chief investment officer services to a diverse client base including individual investors, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm employs a combination of asset allocation modeling and third-party independent managers across public and private asset classes.

Lawrence Weissman is a CFA® charterholder affiliated with Cerity Partners LLC, where he has worked since 2014. He has five years of industry experience and previously spent one year at Ladenburg Thalmann Asset Management Inc. He holds the Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses. Cerity Partners advises a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, families, institutions, and pooled investment vehicles, managing approximately $166.2 billion in assets as of December 2025. The firm focuses on customized wealth management through client-specific investment profiles, combining quantitative screening, manager selection, and access to alternative and private market solutions.

James Stehr is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory Services, LLC, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Citigroup Global Markets, Paragon East Advisors, and RBI Capital Management. Stehr also serves as an Assistant Vice President with NFP, supporting client services and business development within their Private Client Group. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to institutional and individual clients, including large plan sponsors. The firm offers fiduciary services, plan design, compliance testing, and a variety of investment solutions, serving a diverse client base that includes sovereign wealth funds and other large institutional investors.

Jonathan Hutson is a CFP® professional with eight years of industry experience, currently serving at First Command Advisory Services. He has been with First Command in various roles since 2018 and is also affiliated with the College of Charleston. First Command Advisory Services is an SEC-registered investment adviser focused on serving individuals, corporate, and charitable clients, with particular attention to active-duty service members and their families. The firm provides financial planning and multiple wrap-fee asset management programs, utilizing a centralized Investment Management Team to manage model portfolios and third-party manager selections.

Zahric Labat is a financial advisor with Equity Services, Inc. in Charleston, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having one year of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at National Life Group, Cetera Wealth Services, LLC, and Avantax Investment Services Inc. Outside of advising, he has been involved with several entrepreneurial ventures, including Start My University LLC and Toyo Japanese Sushi Bar and Hibachi. Equity Services, Inc., operating as ESI Financial Advisors, provides financial planning, consulting, and asset management services to a broad client base that includes individuals, corporations, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm offers multiple advisory platforms, frequently utilizing third-party asset managers and combining long-term strategies with options for shorter-term trading.

Scott Soenen is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. with 20 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has worked at firms including TD Bank, Truist Investment Services, Wells Fargo, and Northwestern Mutual. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. serves individuals—including high-net-worth clients—pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities, offering advisory and brokerage services through Investment Adviser Representatives and third-party Portfolio Managers. The firm’s approach integrates fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to manage portfolios across a range of asset types.

Joseph Mcquaid is a financial advisor with Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and 21 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Imprint Wealth LLC, Eudaimonia Partners, WealthShield LLC, and New York Life Investment Management LLC, among others. Outside of financial advising, he is involved in personal coaching and business consulting through Expedition Ascend and Ascend Consulting Group LLC and holds a minority ownership stake in Imprint Growth Partners. Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC is a multi-team SEC-registered advisory firm serving individuals, families, trusts, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm offers wealth management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services using primarily long-term, customized portfolios that incorporate ETFs, mutual funds, and other investment vehicles.

Zachary Howes is a financial advisor with Transamerica Retirement Advisors, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing 11 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Transamerica Life Insurance Company since 2020 and Edward Jones from 2017 to 2019. Transamerica Retirement Advisors serves participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans and IRA owners by offering managed advice programs and investment education services. The firm’s approach incorporates proprietary software and model portfolios provided by Morningstar Investment Management, focusing on asset allocation, contribution guidance, and retirement planning through both discretionary and non-discretionary programs.

Justin Greene is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with four years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 designations and previously worked at Prime Capital Investment Advisors, Nylife Securities, New York Life Insurance, and Edward Jones. Outside of his advisory work, he owns The Lowcountry Dugout, LLC, where he coaches and provides instruction to youth baseball players. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, along with Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage account holders. The firm emphasizes long-term portfolio returns through integrated financial planning and managed account solutions tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Joshua Coward is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in North Charleston, SC, holding a Series 66 designation and 11 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Cummings Wealth Management Group, Commonwealth Financial Network, and Mass Mutual Investors Services. Outside of advising, he serves as a notary public in South Carolina, providing document signing services to clients without charge. 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 and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models to construct client portfolios.

Walter Pate Jr. is a CFP® professional with 29 years of experience in financial advising. He is currently with Truist Advisory Services and has previously worked at BB&T Securities, Bank of America, and Merrill. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as President of the Charleston Area Citadel Club, a nonprofit focused on fundraising to support Citadel-related causes. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, implementing advice through a combination of discretionary manager relationships and consulting supported by third-party platforms and manager arrangements.

Isaac Wood is a financial advisor with Equity Services, Inc. (ESI Financial Advisors) holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 14 years of industry experience. His prior firms include Nationwide Investment Services Corporation, Fiduciary Wise, and National Life Group. He is also the founder of The Woodpile Co., a nonprofit ministry based in Johns Island, SC. Equity Services, Inc. provides financial planning, consulting, and asset management to individuals, corporations, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm operates as both a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser, offering multiple advisory platforms that combine long-term strategies with options for shorter-term trading and specialized instruments.

William Gaines Sr. is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 12 years of industry experience. He has been with Commonwealth Financial Network since 2016 and previously worked at Pathway Wealth Partners. Gaines also engages in fixed insurance sales on a limited basis. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,900 affiliated advisors and managing about $212.7 billion in client assets. The firm offers a comprehensive adviser-support platform that includes managed-account programs, third-party asset manager access, retirement consulting, and custody services.

Kirk Matenaer is a CFP® professional with two years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Farther. He previously worked at Capasso Planning Partners and Franklin & Associates. Outside of his advisory role, he offers insurance as a broker or agent through various insurance companies, including an affiliated firm. Farther provides discretionary investment management and related advisory services primarily to individual investors, trusts, and estates, utilizing a web and mobile platform along with in-person meetings. The firm’s investment approach is based on Modern Portfolio Theory, employing proprietary model portfolios, algorithmic rebalancing, and a range of investment vehicles including ETFs, mutual funds, equities, and fixed income.