Clinton Townsend is a CFA® charterholder with six years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Bragg Financial Advisors Inc. He previously worked at Laurel Wealth Advisors, LLC for seven years. Townsend is based in Charlotte, NC. Bragg Financial Advisors is a family-owned, multi-advisor firm that provides financial planning and discretionary portfolio management to individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and occasionally investment companies. The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation, broad diversification, and periodic rebalancing, and operates a Small Cap Value Managed Account Program along with sub-advisory services to 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 with a Series 65 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining 49 Financial, he worked at Forward Wealth Management and Rinse N Repeat. He also has experience in fixed insurance sales. 49 Financial serves a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, and fractional family office services, employing a model-driven, long-term diversified investment approach.

Michael Komara is a financial advisor at Blueprint Financial Advisors with 32 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation and securities licenses Series 65 and Series 63. His prior roles include positions at Solas Wealth, The Prudential Insurance Company of America, and MKD Wealth Coaches, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as treasurer and board member for Grow Holdings, an affiliate of Grow Church, where he reviews investment accounts for policy compliance. Blueprint Financial Advisors is a multi-advisor firm offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting to individuals, trusts, pension plans, and nonprofit entities. The firm employs a strategic-and-tactical investment approach based on price-driven trend-following and momentum rules, managing approximately $1.4 billion in client assets.

Audrey Blanke is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with nine years of industry experience. She is currently with Choreo, LLC and has previously worked at firms including Robert W. Baird and ATLATL Advisers. Choreo provides investment and advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, family offices, endowments, and corporate clients. The firm focuses on strategic asset allocation and diversified model portfolios, managing assets through separately managed accounts, registered and private funds, and specialized consulting services.

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 Series 66-credentialed financial advisor with 22 years of industry experience. He has worked at Merit Financial Advisors since 2016 and previously at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments and LPL Financial, LLC. Merit Financial Advisors is a multi-team registered investment adviser with over 260 advisors serving approximately 20,000 clients across 66 offices. The firm offers coordinated wealth management services and employs a long-term, diversified investment approach overseen by an internal committee, allowing advisors to customize portfolios using fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis methods.

Jennifer Muckley is a CFP® professional with six years of industry experience. She has been with Bragg Financial Advisors, Inc. since 2018 and previously worked at Wells Fargo Bank dba Abbott Downing from 2015 to 2018. Based in Charlotte, NC, she is part of a team of 15 advisors. Bragg Financial Advisors is a family-owned, multi-advisor firm that offers financial planning and discretionary portfolio management to individuals—including high-net-worth clients—charitable organizations, corporations, and investment companies. The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation, broad diversification, and periodic rebalancing, and is notable for its role as a sub-advisor to small-cap value and value mutual funds, as well as its dedicated Small Cap Value Managed Account Program.

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.

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.

Sarah Khan is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with Ally Invest Advisors in Charlotte, NC, where she has worked since 2021. She has five years of industry experience, including six years at Grant Thornton prior to joining Ally Invest. Khan also holds a regulatory oversight role supporting compliance functions across Ally Invest Advisors and Ally Invest Securities. Ally Invest Advisors serves a broad retail client base with discretionary portfolio management that combines automated and advisor-led services. The firm employs a model-driven investment approach based on Modern Portfolio Theory, utilizing ETFs across multiple risk tiers and strategy variants while integrating digital tools for portfolio management and reporting.

Lewis Kayes is a CFA® charterholder with 19 years of industry experience. He is currently with Cary Street Partners and has previously worked at Exencial Wealth Advisors and Willingdon Wealth Management Inc. Lewis is based in Charlotte, NC. Cary Street Partners serves a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, corporations, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm provides comprehensive portfolio management, financial planning, and access to proprietary strategies supported by AI tools and a range of affiliated services.

Katherine Burak is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 15 years of industry experience. She has worked at The Vanguard Group, Inc. for nine years and Cleary University for six years before joining Choreo, LLC. Choreo, LLC serves a diverse client base including individual and high-net-worth investors, family offices, and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory services from portfolio management to outsourced CIO solutions. The firm employs a systematic investment process combining strategic asset allocation and quantitative screening to manage portfolios using various investment vehicles and specialized advisory services.