Joseph Vaughn is a financial advisor at Guardian Life with three years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. Prior to joining Guardian Life in 2026, Vaughn worked at LPL Financial from 2023 to 2026. Guardian Life operates through Park Avenue® Wealth Management, serving individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers a mix of advisor-led discretionary management and model-based strategies, incorporating proprietary programs and third-party platforms, with tailored client relationships and access to insurance products and alternative investments.

Nicholas Todd is a financial advisor at Guardian Life with a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. He previously worked at Park Avenue Securities and has a background that includes roles at Clemson University and involvement in marketing. Outside of his advisory work, he provides basketball lessons and serves on the board of the Charlotte Clemson Club Alumni Association and the Lake Norman Young Professionals networking group. Park Avenue Securities LLC, part of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, offers brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a combination of advisor-led discretionary management and model-based strategies while providing access to proprietary programs, third-party advisory solutions, and integrated lending options.

Nicole Cope is a financial advisor at Schwab Wealth Advisory with 21 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at several firms including Charles Schwab & Co., Ally Invest Advisors, TD Ameritrade, Ameriprise, and Russell Investments. Schwab Wealth Advisory, Inc. provides non-discretionary fiduciary investment advice, financial planning, and wealth management consultations primarily for clients enrolled in the Schwab Wealth Advisory program and certain Charles Schwab & Co.-referred clients. The firm’s approach uses Schwab’s asset-allocation models and research tools to tailor recommendations based on clients’ goals and risk tolerance, with trade execution requiring client authorization.

Patrick Bobbins is a financial advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC, holding Series 66 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 19 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Carroll Financial Associates, Cetera Advisor Networks, LPL Financial, and various units within the Wealth Enhancement group since 2021. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services manages over $122 billion in assets and serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm employs a diversified investment approach that blends passive and active management, supported by an internal Investment Committee and a range of implementation tools and program options.

Christopher Garrett is a CFP® with 11 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently an advisor at Creative Planning and has previously worked at TMF Investments, Motley Fool Wealth Management, and The Vanguard Group. Garrett holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $217 billion in assets and employs a financial planning-led investment approach that emphasizes low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supplemented by advanced portfolio techniques and a range of retirement plan services.

Michael Jones is a ChFC® with 15 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Brookstone Capital Management LLC. He has worked at APR Financial LLC since 2011 and also operates an LLC that provides life and health insurance, including Medicare-related health insurance and long-term care insurance, as well as fixed and fixed indexed annuities for qualified accounts. Brookstone Capital Management offers fee-based asset management and financial planning services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, and other business entities. The firm uses a mix of strategic asset-allocation models and investment products, including proprietary ETFs and mutual funds, to implement client portfolios through discretionary management and sub-advisory relationships.

Grant Goodwin is a financial advisor with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC and LPL Financial, holding Series 65 and Series 66 credentials and 24 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Bank of America and Merrill Lynch. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans, offering asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a network model of advisory representatives and utilizes various portfolio management strategies and technology platforms to support client services.

Jeffrey Collins is a financial advisor with Guardian Life and holds a Series 66 designation. He has 15 years of industry experience, including roles at Park Avenue Securities, Independent Advisor Alliance, LPL Financial, and Edward Jones. He is based in Charlotte, NC. Guardian Life’s subsidiary, Park Avenue Securities LLC, provides brokerage and advisory services to individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers a range of financial planning, consulting, and investment management solutions, combining advisor-led discretionary management with model-based strategies and digital advisory platforms.

Dennis Myers III is a financial advisor with Guardian Life and Park Avenue Securities, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. He has worked at both firms since 2004. In addition to his advisory role, he is involved in insurance activities beyond those offered by Guardian Life. Park Avenue Securities LLC, a subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, corporations, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers tailored client relationships through advisor-led discretionary management and model-based strategies, integrating proprietary programs, third-party platforms, and a digital advisory solution.

Meghan Mclain is a financial advisor at Goldman Sachs Wealth Services with 14 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC since 2021, following a decade at The AYCO Company, L.P./Mercer Allied. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services offers financial planning, investment management, and advisory support to a wide range of clients, including high-net-worth individuals, corporations, and institutions. The firm combines centralized investment resources with tailored client solutions and operates within a large integrated financial group providing diverse services and products.

Clay Thompson is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 30 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation as well as Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. His previous roles include positions at GWFS Equities, Inc. and Prudential Insurance Company of America. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, offering services integrated with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms. The firm emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing in its planning approach and serves a large participant base relative to its advisor headcount.

Robert Russo is a financial advisor with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 24 years of industry experience. He has been associated with LPL Financial since 2007. Outside of financial advising, he owns a restaurant called Philly's Phinest (Lee's Hoagie House) and operates a technology business, We Handle Tech, LLC. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans. The firm offers a range of services such as asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, implementing portfolio strategies through discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by various analytical techniques and technology platforms.

Joel Gardner is a financial advisor at Guardian Life with eight years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at Park Avenue Securities and Guardian Life Insurance since 2017. Gardner also conducts outside insurance sales focused on fixed health, life, and annuities. Guardian Life, through its subsidiary Park Avenue Securities LLC, provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, retirement plan sponsors, and organizations. The firm offers a range of financial planning and consulting services, combining advisor-led discretionary management with model-based strategies and access to proprietary and third-party investment platforms.

Benjamin Murray is a financial advisor at Valic Financial Advisors with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and served in the United States Coast Guard for 20 years before entering the financial services industry. Murray is also appointed as an agent to sell non-securities insurance products for AGIA. 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.

Austin Lewis is a CFP® with 12 years of industry experience, currently advising at Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC in Charlotte, NC. His prior roles include positions at The Vanguard Group and AssetMark Financial Holdings. Outside of his advisory work, he is a managing partner and co-founder of Southpark Family Tax, a firm specializing in seasonal income tax preparation for individuals and families. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services provides financial planning, asset management, and retirement-plan consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages over $122 billion in assets and employs a diversified investment approach blending passive and active strategies, supported by an internal Investment Committee and a suite of implementation tools.

Darren Parson is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and bringing 21 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Wells Fargo Clearing, Merrill, and Banc of America Investment Services prior to joining Truist. He is based in Charlotte, NC. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines traditional research and AI tools in its advisory process and leverages its affiliation with Truist Financial and various broker-dealer and banking entities.

Kristen Gurney is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management in Clover, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing nine years of industry experience. She has worked with PNC Investments since 2016, following three years at TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through various model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital discretionary model portfolio that uses approved strategies implemented via mutual funds and ETFs with annual rebalancing.

Charles Stegall is a financial advisor with Guardian Life in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and over 35 years of industry experience. He has worked at Guardian Life since 1990 and at CP Advisory Services, Inc. since 1991. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in multiple business ventures including a financial advisory practice and a passive ownership interest in an HVAC installation company. Guardian Life’s Park Avenue Wealth Management offers brokerage and advisory services to individuals, retirement and corporate plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm integrates advisor-led discretionary management with model-based strategies and provides access to proprietary and third-party investment platforms, alongside various financial planning and consulting solutions.

Chason Trahan is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with nine years of industry experience, currently with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC. He has worked with multiple firms including Carroll Financial, Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, Dixon Wells, and LPL Financial. Trahan serves as trustee, executor, and guardian for immediate family member estates. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans through a network of hundreds of advisors. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and specialized retirement plan consulting, utilizing a strategic investment process that combines passive and active management guided by an internal Investment Committee.

Devin Stamp is a financial advisor with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and three years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at The Vanguard Group, LPL Financial, and several non-financial firms. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, and charitable organizations, offering asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting through a network model supported by technology platforms and a range of advisory services.