Connor Crayne is a financial advisor at Modera Wealth Management, LLC in Charlotte, NC, with two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Modera in 2026, he worked at Trinity Wealth Securities, LLC and Florida Financial Advisors (DBA Tristate Financial Advisors) from 2024 to 2026. He previously served nine years in the U.S. Navy. Modera Wealth Management provides wealth management, portfolio management, retirement plan consulting, and financial planning to individuals, trusts, corporations, and plan sponsors. The firm emphasizes diversified asset allocation based on Modern Portfolio Theory and combines investment management with in-house accounting and tax services.

Wesley Hodges is a financial advisor at OneAscent Financial Services LLC with 11 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked previously at Securities America Advisors and Securities America, Inc. Hodges is also a licensed insurance agent who occasionally sells term life insurance for client convenience and holds an ownership position in Pure Tax LLC. OneAscent Financial Services LLC is a multi-team registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and institutions through multiple advisory teams. The firm offers a range of asset management and financial planning services utilizing individualized asset-allocation strategies and model-based platforms, with additional services including outsourced CIO, CCO support, and donor-advised fund technology.

Clinton Townsend is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 65 license, with 7 years of industry experience. He is currently with Bragg Financial Advisors, Inc., where he has worked since 2023, following a seven-year tenure at Laurel Wealth Advisors, LLC. Bragg Financial Advisors, Inc. is a family-owned, SEC-registered investment adviser managing over $4.6 billion for individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and investment-company clients. The firm focuses on strategic asset allocation, diversification, and long-term holdings, offering discretionary portfolio management and managed-account services, including sub-advisory roles for mutual funds.

Kenneth Samuelson Jr. is a financial advisor with ValMark Advisers, Inc. in Charlotte, NC, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses, with 40 years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at Kestra Investment Services, American Financial Management Group, and IFG/Russell Advisors. He is owner and president of The Morehead Group, Inc., an insurance sales and consulting business, and serves as chairman of the Charlotte Estate Planning Council. ValMark Advisers, Inc. provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services to individuals, plan sponsors, and institutions through a network of approximately 280 advisors. The firm emphasizes diversified, goal-based portfolios using mutual funds, ETFs, and third-party managers, supported by proprietary platforms and a range of advisory and sub-advisory services.

Wales Dixon IV is a financial advisor with Principal Advised Services, holding a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Principal Life Insurance Company and Principal Financial Services, as well as positions outside the financial industry. Dixon also provides one-on-one investment advice to retirement plan participants as a Retirement Consultant. Principal Advised Services delivers investment advice and related services primarily to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients, offering a combination of non-discretionary recommendations and a discretionary investment management program supported by proprietary models and third-party methodology.

Barrett Gray is a financial advisor at Earned Wealth Advisors, LLC with two years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Dimensional Fund Advisors and Choreo, LLC. Earned Wealth Advisors serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and employer-sponsored retirement plans, with a focus on doctors, dentists, and their practices. The firm offers financial planning, discretionary wealth management, and retirement-plan advisory services, utilizing independent investment managers and model portfolios guided by an internal Investment Strategy Committee and third-party consultants.

Matthew Pratt is a ChFC® credentialed financial advisor with 21 years of industry experience, currently serving at Arkadios Wealth Advisors since 2020. He previously worked at Triad Advisors, Inc. from 2014 to 2020. Pratt is also involved in financial services through his roles in Thompson Pratt Capital Management, LLC, and Pratt Investments, LLC. Arkadios Wealth Advisors provides investment and wealth management services to individuals, trusts, businesses, and retirement plans, utilizing a variety of managed accounts, third-party money managers, and financial planning. The firm supports advisors with an internal portfolio team and offers an integrated operating model combining advisory services, brokerage execution, and portfolio management.

Paxton Wood is a financial advisor with USAA Investment Services Company, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 12 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Ally Invest Advisors, Ally Invest Securities LLC, and The Vanguard Group. He also holds director-level roles in business line risk at Ally Invest Advisors and Ally Bank, assisting with third-party risk management and new product assessment. USAA Investment Services Company provides retirement-focused advice and referral services primarily to USAA members and individual investors, offering a Retirement Income Strategy Report and facilitating referrals to third-party broker-dealers and advisers. The firm operates mainly as a referral intermediary without managing client assets or charging percentage-of-assets fees.

Derek Hernquist is a financial advisor at Aptus Capital Advisors, LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has been with Aptus since 2018. Prior to that, he worked at Strategic Index Advisors and Adhesion Wealth Advisor Solutions. Aptus Capital Advisors manages approximately $14.47 billion on a discretionary basis and provides advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, and registered investment companies. The firm employs primarily ETF-based strategies using both technical and fundamental analysis and offers a range of portfolio management and consulting services.

Thomas Clark is a financial advisor at Altitude Capital Management LLC in Charlotte, NC, with one year of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has prior experience at the Clark Agency, Horace Mann Investors, Horace Mann Companies, and Liberty Mutual Insurance. Clark is also involved in insurance sales as an agent, dedicating up to 30% of his working time to this activity. Altitude Capital Management LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals and high net worth clients. The firm employs tailored strategies that include asset allocation, dollar-cost averaging, and technical analysis, managing $103.6 million in discretionary assets under a multi-team structure.

John Helmers is a financial advisor at 49 Financial in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 65 credential. He has one year of experience in the industry and previously worked at Forward Wealth Management, Rinse N Repeat, and Aptive. Outside of advisory roles, he is also a licensed fixed insurance agent. 49 Financial serves individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth individuals and retirement plans, offering comprehensive financial planning, advanced planning, and investment management. The firm utilizes a disciplined, long-term diversified asset allocation strategy and provides tiered fractional family office services.

Michael Komara is a ChFC® with 32 years of industry experience and currently serves at Blueprint Financial Advisors. His prior roles include positions at Solas Wealth, Prudential Insurance Company of America, and Merrill. He serves as treasurer and board member of Grow Holdings, a church-affiliated organization focused on investment oversight. Blueprint Financial Advisors is a multi-advisor SEC-registered firm managing approximately $1.4 billion in assets. The firm provides portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement consulting to individuals, trusts, pension and ERISA plans, and nonprofits, using a proprietary strategic-and-tactical investment framework to manage globally diversified portfolios.

Audrey Blanke is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 10 years of industry experience. She is currently with Choreo, LLC and has previously worked at firms including Robert W. Baird and Carolinas Investment Consulting LLC. Choreo serves a diverse client base ranging from individuals to institutional investors and offers a range of advisory services including portfolio management, financial planning, and outsourced CIO consulting. The firm employs a strategic, quantitative investment process and provides specialized services such as 1031 exchange advisory and Deferred Sales Trusts™ consulting.

Ryan Zutter is a CFP® professional with 19 years of experience in the financial industry. He has worked at Ally Invest Advisors since 2021 and previously spent 12 years at Robert W. Baird & Co. His background includes roles at Ally Invest Securities LLC beginning in 2020. Ally Invest Advisors serves a broad retail client base, including both individual and high-net-worth clients, by providing discretionary portfolio management through web-based automated services and advisor-led guidance. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based investment process with model portfolios across multiple risk tiers, combining passive and actively managed ETFs and utilizing digital automation to manage a large volume of client accounts.

Marcus Anderson is a financial advisor with Merit Financial Advisors in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 22 years of industry experience. He has held roles at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, LPL Financial, and Uvest Financial Services Group. Anderson is also licensed to provide fixed insurance advice tailored to client needs. Merit Financial Group is a multi-team SEC-registered advisory firm serving individual investors, retirement plans, ESOPs, and institutional clients. The firm employs a long-term, diversified asset allocation strategy managed through centrally coordinated models and supports both discretionary and non-discretionary accounts.

Jennifer Muckley is a CFP® certificant with six years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Bragg Financial Advisors Inc since 2018. Prior to joining Bragg, she worked for three years at Wells Fargo Bank dba Abbott Downing. Bragg Financial Advisors, Inc. is a family-owned SEC-registered investment adviser managing over $4.6 billion for individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and investment-company clients. The firm focuses on strategic asset allocation with broad diversification and periodic rebalancing, offering discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and managed-account services.

Kamden Gaines is a financial advisor at Ally Invest Advisors with nine years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at Ernst & Young LLP and The Vanguard Group, Inc. Gaines supports both Ally Invest Securities and Ally Invest Advisors as Director of Client Services, overseeing customer support for self-directed and advisory clients. Ally Invest Advisors provides discretionary portfolio management primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients through web-based and virtual solutions, offering ETF-based Robo Portfolios and advisor-delivered Personal Advice services. The firm uses model portfolios based on Modern Portfolio Theory with multiple risk tiers and focuses on retail and high-net-worth individuals.

Jeremy Fisher is a financial advisor at Choreo, LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with 13 years of industry experience. He has been with RSM US Wealth Management LLC since 2012. Choreo provides investment and advisory services to a diverse client base including individual investors, family offices, endowments, foundations, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation and diversified model portfolios managed by a centralized team and overseen by an Investment Committee.

Isaiah Smith II is a financial advisor with Integrity Advisory Solutions, holding Series 63 and 65 licenses and bringing 11 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Integrity Advisory Solutions in 2025, he worked at AlphaStar Capital Management, LLC for five years and Regal Investment Advisors LLC for four years. He also serves as Senior Vice President of Annuity Sales at The Assurance Group, where he is involved in training and mentoring agents. Integrity Advisory Solutions serves individual, trust, estate, corporate, and business clients through a network of approximately 100 independent advisors, managing about $1.1 billion in client assets. The firm offers a range of services including portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and uses both fundamental and technical analysis supported by various asset allocation strategies and third-party platforms.

Michael Ziemer is a CFP® professional with 23 years of experience in the financial advisory industry. He has worked at Modera Wealth Management, LLC since 2023 and previously spent 19 years at Parsec Financial Management, Inc. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a board member for Ziemer Funeral Homes. Modera Wealth Management, LLC provides fiduciary, fee-only advisory services to a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm employs an allocation-driven investment approach based on Modern Portfolio Theory and offers a range of services including portfolio management, retirement plan consulting, financial planning, and tax-related services.