Gideon Sims is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Cook Wealth, LLC. Sims serves in the U.S. Army Reserve as a cargo specialist. Cerity Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $126.9 billion in client assets, offering customized portfolios and a broad range of services including investment management, financial planning, tax and insurance support, and access to alternative and private-market investments.

Seth Large is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC with five years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® designation and Series 65 license. Prior to joining Cerity Partners in 2025, he worked at Cook Wealth Management Group LLC and Bluesky Wealth Advisors, LLC. Cerity Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, corporations, and institutional investors. The firm offers a range of services such as investment management, financial planning, tax and insurance support, and retirement plan services, with a focus on diversified asset allocation and access to alternative and private-market investments.

Bernard Rosen is a financial advisor at TLG Advisors, Inc. with 49 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses. His career includes roles at The Leaders Group Inc., MML Investors Services, MassMutual Life Insurance Company, and he is owner of Rosen Executive Benefits Group, a business focused on individual life insurance sales. TLG Advisors serves a broad client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, pension and retirement plans, and other institutional investors. The firm employs a manager selection and monitoring investment process grounded in fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory, and offers both managed accounts and a direct-to-consumer digital program called Starlight Portfolios.

Clay Jackson is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at Sanctuary Advisors, LLC since 2019, following previous roles at Bank of America and Merrill. Clay serves as a board member for the NC State Education Assistance Authority and the North Carolina Banking Commission, and he is a partner in the real estate investment firm Fish Hill & Jackson, LLC. Sanctuary Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm supports a broad range of investment strategies through more than 400 independent adviser representatives and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary account management.

Lemuel Kornegay III is a financial advisor with Money Concepts Capital Corp in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and possessing 32 years of industry experience. He has worked with Money Concepts Capital Corp since 2015 and with Paladin Financial Services, Inc. since 2000, where he serves as president of a non-investment related business focused on checking accounts and Medicare and health insurance. Outside of his advisory role, Kornegay is a co-host of WHIG TV's "The Live Morning Show," serves on the IARFC Board of Directors, volunteers with the Wake County Board of Elections, and holds the position of Sergeant At Arms for the West Raleigh Rotary Club. Money Concepts Advisory Service provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm employs a variety of managed programs and account structures, using fundamental and technical analysis alongside modern portfolio theory to manage roughly $3.33 billion across approximately 14,700 clients.

Amber Vaughn is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with two years of industry experience. Prior to joining First Citizens, she worked at Havoc Brewing LLC and Equitable Advisors. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm employs a client process focused on assessing financial needs, risk tolerance, and time horizon, utilizing fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis across various asset classes.

Jonathan Walker is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Cary, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and three years of industry experience. He has worked at Truist Investment Services and Truist Advisory Services since 2022 and was previously employed by Truist Bank for ten years. Outside of his advisory role, he manages a small beekeeping operation with his wife, producing honey, flowers, and produce. 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 and non-discretionary consulting, supported by AI-enhanced research and inter-affiliate integration with Truist Investment Services and Truist Bank.

Christopher Baker is a financial advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and eight years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Carroll Financial Associates, Inc., Prosperity Capital Group, Inc., and Asset Protectors & Advisors Inc. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm that serves individuals, trusts and estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and specialized retirement plan consulting, utilizing a strategic investment approach that combines passive and active managers and incorporates both quantitative and fundamental research.

Victoria Araj is a CFP® professional with two years of experience in financial advising. She is currently with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC and previously worked at Wealthshield Partners, LLC and Envestnet. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services provides financial planning, asset management, and retirement-plan consulting for individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages over $122 billion in assets and employs a diversified investment approach combining passive and active managers, supported by an internal Investment Committee and a range of implementation tools and services.

Stephen Shaffer is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 22 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at BB&T Investments and Bb&T Securities before joining Truist in 2018. Outside of his advisory role, he is a member of CABINLOT LLC, which manages a family vacation rental property. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Joseph Uradnik is a financial advisor with AE Wealth Management, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and 21 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and JDU Consulting. AE Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base that includes individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, trusts, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers a range of services such as model portfolio solutions, discretionary asset management, financial planning, and ERISA plan services through a platform-centered approach that integrates AEWM-managed and third-party models.

Robert Hartinger is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with 14 years of industry experience. He is currently with Sanctuary Advisors, LLC and previously worked at Bank of America and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith Incorporated. Outside of his advisory role, he serves on the golf committee for the Riley Rushin Foundation, a nonprofit supporting individuals with disabilities. Sanctuary Advisors, LLC offers investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm supports a wide range of portfolio management strategies and combines various analytical approaches while acting as a fiduciary under written agreements.

Barry Horne is a financial advisor with Janney Montgomery Scott in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 33 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney and Morgan Stanley Private Bank. Outside of advisory work, he manages a property business in Holly Springs, NC. Janney Montgomery Scott is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base, offering brokerage services, financial planning, consulting, and multiple advisory programs that combine in-house portfolio management with third-party managers.

Frederick Hight IV is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and totaling six years of industry experience. His career includes a long tenure at Wells Fargo Bank, NA, from 2001 to 2021, followed by a brief period at Wells Fargo Clearing before joining Truist Advisory Services in 2021. Truist Advisory Services offers 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 uses third-party platforms, including AI-enabled research tools, to support its investment and manager selection processes.

Louis Prosser is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Cary, NC. He holds a Series 63 designation and has 35 years of industry experience. He has been with Eagle Strategies since 2008 and also maintains roles with Nylife Securities Inc. and New York Life Insurance Company since 1999. Eagle Strategies serves individual and institutional clients by providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services through a large network of affiliated representatives. The firm offers multiple advisory program types and emphasizes tailoring recommendations to client objectives, with a significant portion of its assets managed on a non-discretionary basis.

Robert Dykes is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 16 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Bank of America, N.A. and Merrill from 2015 to 2018. First Citizens Investor Services serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities, providing advisory and brokerage services through investment advisor representatives and third-party portfolio managers. The firm employs a client process focused on financial needs assessment and diversified investment allocation, offering portfolio management, model portfolios, automated investing platforms, and tax-aware services.

Scott Lord is a CFP® professional with 31 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC. His prior roles include positions at Kingswood Capital Partners, LLC, WealthShield Partners, LLC, Niagara International Capital Limited, and Principal Financial Group. 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 combining passive and active management with quantitative, momentum, and fundamental analysis.

Mary Restrepo is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 18 years of industry experience. She has been with First Citizens Investor Services since 2012. First Citizens Investor Services provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals—including high-net-worth clients—pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm offers portfolio management, wrap programs, model portfolios, automated investing platforms, tax-aware services, and financial planning, focusing on IAR-led assessments to tailor asset allocation strategies.

Erick Barone is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 13 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Legacy Private Client Services LLC, Barone Financial Group, NYLIFE Securities LLC, and New York Life Insurance Company. He volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters of The Triangle, focusing on raising awareness of planned giving among donors. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individual and institutional investors, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm offers multiple program types tailored to client objectives and primarily manages assets on a non-discretionary basis within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

David Bean is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and three years of industry experience. His prior work includes positions at HomeTrust Bank, OSAIC Institutions, Inc., and Bankers Life Advisory Services. He is involved with Liberty University as a volunteer leadership team member. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm emphasizes IAR-led financial assessments and uses a combination of fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to manage portfolios across various asset classes.