Thomas Burchhardt is a financial advisor with Equity Services, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and three years of industry experience. His prior work history includes roles at National Life Group, Mass Mutual Investors Services, MassMutual Life Insurance Co, Equitable Advisors, Joe Van Gogh, and Starrlight Meadery. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in business operations as the owner of TLB Strategies LLC, which focuses on assessing business strategic direction and growth of intangible capital. 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, combining long-term strategies with options for shorter-term trading, and utilizes both discretionary and non-discretionary management across a broad client base.

Christian Dilorenzo is a financial professional at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Cetera Investment Advisor and Cetera Wealth Services, LLC. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and businesses, utilizing portfolio management, wrap programs, model portfolios, and automated platforms. The firm emphasizes client assessments led by investment adviser representatives to determine financial needs and risk tolerance, employing a range of analytical methods to guide allocations across various asset classes.

John Thomas III is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and bringing six years of industry experience. He has worked with Truist entities since 2011 and currently serves as treasurer for a local business networking group focused on lead sharing and business growth. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporations, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting supported by advanced research tools and inter-affiliate integration.

Noah Gear is a CFP® professional with five years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Kestra Advisory. His prior roles include positions at Bank of America and Merrill. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to institutional and individual clients, offering fiduciary consulting, plan design, compliance testing, and advisor-managed accounts. The firm serves large institutional investors, including sovereign wealth funds, and utilizes multiple management platforms and third-party solutions within its supervisory framework.

Alan King is a CFP® professional with nine years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Commonwealth Financial Network since 2015. He is also co-owner of LifeTime Asset Management, a private entity involved in securities, advisory, and insurance business, and LifeTime Tax Management, which focuses on tax services. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser supporting a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors with a range of advisory programs and services, including wealth management and retirement plan consulting. The firm provides operational, trading, technology, compliance, and practice-management support while offering advisors discretion in portfolio construction and access to proprietary model portfolios.

Michelle Mcnamara is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with five years of industry experience. She is currently an advisor at Truist Advisory Services, where she has worked since 2025. Her prior experience includes roles at BB&T-Truist, Lincoln Investments, and Fidelity Capital Management. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships with non-discretionary consulting and employs AI-enabled tools alongside traditional research to support its investment decisions.

Frances Cronlund is a CFP® professional with 21 years of experience in financial advising, currently with Mariner. Her prior roles include positions at Integrity Alliance, Curi RMB Capital, Lion Street Financial, and First Citizens Bank. Mariner serves a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and corporations, offering customized investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm combines in-house research with third-party managers and provides integrated tax and accounting services alongside traditional portfolio management.

Grady Smith is an investment advisor representative with Principal Financial Services in Garner, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 registrations and nine years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Jones Advisors, Jones Insurance Agency, Hornor Townsend & Kent Inc, and Penn Mutual Life Insurance Co. He is also engaged in the sale of fixed insurance products such as life, disability, long-term care insurance, and fixed annuities. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager solutions.

Edward Parent Jr. is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. with 27 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has worked previously at LPL Financial, Independent Advisor Alliance, and Commonwealth Financial Network. He serves on the Finance Committee of Friendly Avenue Baptist Church. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and businesses, offering portfolio management, wrap programs, and financial planning. The firm emphasizes IAR-led financial assessments and employs various analytical methods to manage diversified investment portfolios.

Jazmine Stewart is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. She holds a Series 66 designation and has two years of industry experience. Prior to joining her current firm, she worked at Sage Rutty & Company, Inc. and Allstate. Outside of advisory work, she owns a natural skincare products business called Khyra Sapphire. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. serves individual, pension, charitable, and corporate clients through advisory and brokerage services, offering portfolio management, automated investing platforms, tax-aware strategies, and financial planning. The firm’s investment approach includes assessments of client needs and risk tolerance and utilizes a mix of fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis.

Robert Greer Jr. is a CFA® charterholder and Series 66 licensee with one year of experience in financial advisory. He currently works at Truist Advisory Services, where he has been employed since 2024. Previously, he spent 11 years at Bank of America. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools, to deliver its investment solutions.

H. Hughes is a CFP® professional with 14 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network. Their career includes five years at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. and multiple roles within Commonwealth Financial Network and Pathfinder Wealth Consulting. Outside of advisory work, Hughes is involved in fixed insurance sales through an activity called Cross Bridge. 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 about $212.7 billion in client assets. The firm offers a range of advisory support services including managed-account programs, third-party asset manager access, and custody services.

Brian Cook is a CFP® professional with 23 years of industry experience. He is currently with Cerity Partners Retirement Plan Consultants and previously worked at Cook Wealth Management Group LLC and LPL Financial, LLC. Cerity Partners Retirement Plan Consultants advises plan sponsors of defined contribution and defined benefit plans, providing ERISA fiduciary services, participant advice, plan design, and administrative support. The firm focuses on asset-allocation driven model portfolios, investment policy statements, and ongoing monitoring, serving a wide range of institutional clients with both discretionary and non-discretionary asset management.

Janet Pearson is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with 29 years of industry experience. She has been with First Citizens Investor Services in various capacities since 1994, except for a two-year period of unemployment from 2021 to 2023. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm employs a client-focused process that includes comprehensive financial assessments and a diversified investment approach across equities, fixed income, mutual funds, and ETFs.

Ashok Tapadia is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 31 years of industry experience. He has been with Primerica Advisors since 1999 and has concurrent roles with CP Advisory Services, Inc. and Guardian Life Insurance Company since 1993. Tapadia is also involved in insurance services beyond Guardian and has a real estate-related business activity with Fathom Realty. Primerica Advisors is part of an enterprise firm serving a broad retail client base, offering brokerage and advisory services along with financial and business consulting. The firm utilizes a range of investment strategies through proprietary and third-party platforms and supports various account-level services including lending solutions and donor-advised funds.

William Martin is a financial advisor at Commonwealth Financial Network with 10 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Fidelity Personal and Workplace Advisors and Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC. Martin is also affiliated with LifeTime Asset Management LLC. Commonwealth Financial Network serves a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their retail and institutional clients, providing a range of advisory programs and services including wealth management, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party asset managers. The firm supports advisors with operations, technology, compliance, and investment management resources.

Destiney Deschaines is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor at Primerica Advisors with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Primerica, she held roles at Guardian Life Insurance Company and Equitable Advisors. She is also a co-owner of J&D Cutter Row, LLC, a family business focused on real estate. Primerica Advisors serves a broad retail client base, offering brokerage and advisory services, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting through a variety of proprietary and third-party investment programs.

Stephanie Bruneau is a financial advisor with Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and six years of industry experience. She has worked with Ameritas and its affiliates since 2020 and was previously employed at 3D Systems for seven years. Bruneau is also a senior account executive at Boston 128 Insurancy Agency Inc., where she focuses on fixed annuities and insurance products. Ameritas Advisory Services provides fee-based investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to individuals, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of discretionary and non-discretionary programs, utilizing a platform that integrates in-house models, third-party managers, and partnerships with affiliated entities.

Thomas White is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Wendell, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and nine years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Empower Financial Services, Fidelity Investments, TIAA, and TD Ameritrade. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to IRA and retail brokerage clients. The firm’s integrated approach links planning and managed accounts with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Johnna Kendrick is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 16 years of industry experience. Her prior work includes positions at Edward Jones, BB&T Investments, and various entities within the First Citizens organization. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. serves individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients, offering advisory and brokerage services with a range of portfolio management and financial planning solutions. The firm’s approach combines fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis tailored through IAR-led client assessments.