James Hardison IV is a financial advisor with Stephens in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 46 years of industry experience. He has worked at Stephens since 2010, with prior experience at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney and Citigroup Global Markets. Hardison also serves on the board and finance committee of the Ronald McDonald House of Winston Salem. Stephens provides investment advisory and wealth management services to a broad client base, including individuals, pension plans, foundations, and government entities. The firm offers services such as financial planning, portfolio management, private equity, and institutional equity research, utilizing both bottom-up security selection and top-down fixed-income duration management strategies.

Andrew Dilz is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with three years of industry experience. He has worked at Fifth Third Wealth Advisors since 2021 and was previously employed at Fifth Third Bank from 2015 to 2021. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC offers discretionary investment management, separately managed account access, performance reporting, and financial planning to a diverse client base, including individuals, trusts, pension plans, charitable organizations, governmental entities, and institutional investors. The firm employs tailored strategic asset allocation frameworks and typically manages portfolios on a discretionary basis, utilizing third-party managers, affiliated model strategies, and ongoing advisor oversight.

Eric Smith is a CFP® professional with one year of industry experience, currently serving at Ritholtz Wealth Management. His prior work includes roles at Corient Services LLC, CIPW Service Company, and Brightworth. Outside of financial advising, he has experience with Miami Ice Snowcones, a business he was involved with for five years. Ritholtz Wealth Management advises individual and institutional clients, offering comprehensive portfolio management and financial planning services. The firm uses a goal-based investment approach that incorporates behavioral finance principles, diversified ETFs, tactical overlays, and alternative investments, supported by both advisor-led services and digital platforms.

Matthew Mc Nabb is a financial advisor with IP Financial Advisory Services LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Innovation Partners LLC, The Vanguard Group, Inc., Park Avenue Securities, and Guardian Life Insurance. IP Financial Advisory Services LLC primarily serves individual retail clients, focusing on comprehensive portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services. The firm employs a range of analytical approaches and offers personalized portfolio construction with discretionary management, catering mainly to non–high-net-worth investors and retirement plan participants.

Christopher Oden is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with nine years of industry experience, currently with Arkadios Wealth Advisors in Charlotte, NC. His prior roles include seven years at The Vanguard Group and four years at BB&T. Outside of his advisory work, he owns Oden Enterprises LLC, a financial services business. Arkadios Wealth Advisors is a multi-team SEC-registered firm that serves individuals, trusts, businesses, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm creates customized investment plans using a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, deploying portfolios through various internally managed solutions and selected third-party managers.

Toya Pollard is a financial advisor with Principal Advised Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 12 years of industry experience. She previously worked at Wells Fargo Advisors and Wells Fargo Clearing before joining Principal Financial Services and Principal Life Insurance Company. Pollard also holds a position as Assistant Vice President for Advice, Education & Sales at Principal Bank, focusing on the sales of bank deposit products. Principal Advised Services provides investment advice and related services primarily to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients, offering both nondiscretionary recommendations and a discretionary investment management program called SimpleInvest. The firm leverages proprietary models and third-party methodologies within the Principal Financial Group family, supporting integrated access to affiliated products and services.

Christian Cancello is a financial advisor with 49 Financial in Charlotte, NC. He holds a Series 65 designation and has one year of experience in the financial industry. Prior to joining 49 Financial, he held positions at Resurgent Capital Services and Indaco Greenville. 49 Financial serves a diverse client base including retail and high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, and retirement plans, providing financial planning, retirement-plan consulting, and investment management. The firm emphasizes a disciplined, long-term diversified asset allocation approach and offers tiered fractional family office services.

Austin Portelance is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with eight years of industry experience. He is currently with Kestra Private Wealth Services, LLC and Kestra Investment Services, LLC, having joined in 2024 following six years at Edward Jones. In addition to his advisory role, he is involved with Destination Wealth Advisors, where he creates and executes financial plans and manages client assets. Kestra Private Wealth Services, LLC provides investment advisory services through a network of independent advisors and multi-advisor teams, serving both individual and institutional clients with a broad range of investment products and specialized offerings. The firm oversees advisor recommendations while allowing flexibility within an approved product menu.

Jason Rindskopf is a financial advisor with Signal Advisors Wealth, LLC, holding a Series 65 credential and six years of industry experience. He has worked at several firms, including AE Wealth Management, Advisory Alpha, and Financial Independence Group. Rindskopf is also the author of the book *Survive the Crash*. Signal Advisors Wealth provides investment management and financial planning services to retail clients and independent registered investment advisers through its Signal Platform TAMP. The firm employs a top-down, macro-environmental investment approach with tactical asset allocation and sector rotation, serving individual, high-net-worth, family, and business clients.

Devin Young is a financial advisor with Principal Advised Services in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and currently in their first year in the industry. Prior to joining Principal, Young held positions at Goldman Sachs and several other companies across diverse industries. Principal Advised Services provides investment advice and related services primarily to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients, offering both nondiscretionary recommendations and a discretionary wrap-fee investment management program called SimpleInvest. The firm integrates proprietary and third-party methodologies and operates within the Principal Financial Group family, enabling access to a range of affiliated products and services.

Bryant Trombly is a financial advisor with Kestra Private Wealth Services, LLC, holding the Series 66 designation and bringing 16 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Bank of America, Merrill, and Morgan Stanley spanning over a decade. Outside of his primary advisory role, he is a partner at Destination Wealth Advisors and serves as an adjunct instructor facilitating online graduate classes. Kestra Private Wealth Services provides investment advisory services through a network of independent advisors and multi-advisor teams, managing approximately $13.45 billion in client assets. The firm offers access to a broad range of investment products and specialized services, serving both individual and institutional clients.

Ryan Whitley is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with 18 years of industry experience, currently practicing with RFG Advisory, LLC. He has worked with firms including Waddell & Reed Inc. and Navipath Financial, where he is also involved as an owner and financial advisor. RFG Advisory is a multi-team registered investment adviser with approximately 178 advisors managing around $8 billion for over 17,000 clients. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and a range of investment strategies, serving individuals, institutions, and retirement plans with both active and passive approaches.

Oliver Gooden is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 66 license with 19 years of industry experience. He is currently affiliated with CG Advisory Services and has previously worked at Geneos Wealth Management, Wealth Advisory Group, and Steben & Company Inc. Gooden also works as a registered assistant for the Wealth Advisory Group. CG Advisory Services is an SEC-registered adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management through proprietary and customized models, along with financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and fiduciary advice, using a combination of fundamental and technical research and AI tools to support investment decisions.

Rachel Posner is a financial advisor at Cornerstone Wealth with 21 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked with multiple firms, including Mutual Securities, Inc. and Signature Investment Advisors, LLC. Outside of her advisory role, she also engages in gig work related to food delivery. Cornerstone Wealth Group is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, trusts, employer plan sponsors, other advisers, and corporations. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and related services, utilizing model-based portfolios with a range of investment vehicles and an investment committee that oversees asset allocation and rebalancing.

John Walker is a financial advisor at Stephens in Charlotte, NC, with 43 years of industry experience. He has worked at Stephens since 2003 and previously spent 11 years at Merrill. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as an Innovative Club Advocate for Rotary District 7680, supporting the formation of new clubs and participating on several committees. Stephens provides investment advisory and wealth management services to a wide range of clients, including individuals, pension plans, foundations, corporations, and government entities. The firm employs both bottom-up security selection and top-down fixed-income duration management and offers an integrated broker-dealer and investment banking platform.

Katherine Grzeszczak is a financial advisor at Stephens in Charlotte, NC. She holds a Series 66 designation and has experience working at Stephens and Barings. Prior to her financial industry roles, she has diverse work experience including positions in healthcare, hospitality, and education. Stephens provides investment advisory and wealth management services to a wide range of clients, including individuals, pension plans, foundations, corporations, banks, insurance companies, and government entities. The firm employs multiple investment committees and programs, combining bottom-up security selection with top-down fixed-income duration management.

Matthew Moyzis is a financial advisor at Cornerstone Wealth with 18 years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® and Series 66 designations and has worked at firms including Gratus Capital, The Vanguard Group, and Robert Baird & Co. Cornerstone Wealth Group is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, trusts, employer plan sponsors, other advisers, and corporations. The firm uses model-based portfolios that incorporate ETFs, mutual funds, equities, bonds, and, when appropriate, alternative investments managed by third-party managers, and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary solutions.

Joshua Kight is a financial advisor with Principal Advised Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and 18 years of industry experience. He has been with Principal Advised Services since 2022 and has held roles at Principal Financial Services and Principal Life Insurance Company since 2016 and 2012, respectively. Principal Advised Services provides investment advice and related services primarily to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients through nondiscretionary recommendations and a discretionary, wrap-fee investment management program called SimpleInvest. The firm integrates third-party and proprietary models, serving clients within the Principal Financial Group family and other retail clients.

Ryan Asher is a financial advisor at Prosperity Capital Advisors in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 credential with four years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Sovereign Financial Group, CG Advisor Network, Curran Financial Partners, and Mass Mutual. Prosperity Capital Advisors provides financial planning, consulting, and discretionary investment management to individual investors, corporate clients, charitable organizations, and retirement plan sponsors. The firm employs a model-driven, multi-sleeved investment approach using core risk-based portfolios and specialized strategies, and it offers a range of intermediary services including TAMP, sub-advisory, and Fund Strategist roles.

William Allen II is a financial advisor at Cary Street Partners with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 66 and Series 63 designations and has been with Cary Street Partners since 2015. Cary Street Partners serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, trusts, retirement plans, and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of investment and financial planning services, utilizing proprietary strategies, third-party managers, and AI tools to support portfolio management.