Vance Anderson is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and six years of industry experience. His career includes positions at BB&T Securities and Bernard Robinson & Co, as well as two years at Campbell University. He also serves as an adjunct instructor in accounting at Wake Technical Community College. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation, fiduciary support, and manager-selection programs, utilizing a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary approaches supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Daniel Knox is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 23 years of industry experience. He has worked at VALIC Financial Advisors since 2002 and has been associated with Agia since 2022, where he acts as an agent for non-securities insurance products. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models for portfolio construction and management.

Haley Mckenna is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. and affiliated firms, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 12 years of industry experience. She has worked at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. and currently has roles at SVB Wealth, LLC and First Citizens Asset Management, Inc. in addition to her position at First Citizens Investor Services. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides investment advisory, brokerage, and licensed insurance services to individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a combination of strategic and tactical asset-allocation approaches and offers portfolio management, financial planning, and tax-aware services.

James Contino is a CFP® with 32 years of industry experience, currently serving at Valic Financial Advisors in Durham, NC. He has been with AIG Valic since 2003 and has held a position with Agia since 2022, where he is involved in non-securities insurance products. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-based individual investors, including high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet UMA models and operating at a large scale with over 1,200 advisors.

Travis O'quinn is a Series 66 credentialed financial advisor with 23 years of industry experience. He is currently with Truist Advisory Services and has previously worked with BB&T Securities, SunTrust Advisory Services, and Truist Investment Services. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as Chair of Finance and Trustee for St. Peter Church, a nonprofit faith-based organization. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting supported by third-party platform arrangements.

Gary Gaulden is a CFP® with 33 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with OSAIC Advisory Services, LLC. His prior roles include positions at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., Arbor Point Advisors, and Securities America, Inc. He operates a satellite office in Atlantic Beach, NC, through Gaulden & Associates. OSAIC Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base that includes individuals, pension plans, corporations, and nonprofit organizations. The firm provides a range of services such as investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, utilizing multiple program models and offering access to alternative investments and affiliated capabilities.

Edward Harris is a CFP® with 27 years of industry experience, currently serving at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. since 2019. His prior experience includes roles at BB&T and Valic Investment Services Company. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. offers investment advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and pension plans. The firm combines client goal assessments with risk- and outcomes-based asset allocation, discretionary management, and third-party managers, supported by integrated banking resources through its affiliation with a bank holding company.

Jeffrey Marko is a financial advisor at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked previously at DMJ & Co., PLLC, where he is a partner, and Dixon Hughes Goodman, LLP. He serves on the finance committee of Housing for New Hope, a nonprofit organization. Beacon Pointe Advisors provides investment advisory and consulting services to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a manager-driven investment approach using third-party platforms and sponsors proprietary investment vehicles and private funds.

John Eason II is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with four years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Fidelity Investments, Equitable Advisors, and served in the U.S. Navy Reserve for 15 years. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC manages approximately $110 billion in client assets and serves a diverse clientele including individuals, families, trusts, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and municipal clients. The firm offers a range of brokerage, financial planning, and advisory services supported by both in-house and third-party portfolio management.

Robert Scholes is a financial advisor at Allworth Financial, L.P. in Durham, NC, with six years of industry experience. He holds the CFP®, CFA®, and Series 63 credentials. Prior to joining Allworth Financial in 2025, he worked at Investors Trust Company, Cook Wealth Management Group, Park Avenue Securities, and Guardian Life Insurance Company. Scholes also spent nine years at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Allworth Financial is a fee-based SEC-registered adviser serving individuals, qualified retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm implements customized portfolios using a range of model strategies and employs third-party sub-advisers, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary asset management and financial planning services.

Tao Zhang is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and bringing 11 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at World Financial Group, Datalenty Inc., and International Medical Group, where he provides IT consulting and insurance services. Outside of advisory work, he is also involved in ride-sharing as a Lyft driver. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations, offering both advisory and broker-dealer services with access to proprietary and third-party investment models.

Benjamin Summers is a CFP® professional with 21 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with Independent Financial Partners, where he has worked since 2019, following eight years at LPL Financial. Summers is also involved in the sale and service of fixed insurance products, including life insurance, disability, long-term care, and annuities. Independent Financial Partners provides investment advisory, financial planning, trust, and retirement-plan services through a nationwide network of independent advisors. The firm offers a decentralized advisory model with a focus on retirement-plan advisory and pension consulting, serving a wide range of clients including individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and high-net-worth investors.

Tonja Womble is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 23 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been with SunTrust Advisory Services since 2016 and SunTrust Investment Services, Inc. since 2013. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches alongside third-party manager arrangements and AI-enabled research tools.

David Bellia is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and bringing 14 years of industry experience. His prior work includes positions at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Advisors. He also acts as an insurance agent specializing in life, annuities, disability, long-term care, health, and group benefits. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and active-duty U.S. military personnel abroad. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions.

Shenghao Song is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors in Morrisville, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and nine years of industry experience. He has been associated with Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2015 and is also involved in language translation services through Fluent Language Solutions and provides bookkeeping, accounting, and tax consulting services via Melody Song, CPA. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a broad client base including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations, delivering advisory and brokerage services primarily through model portfolios and third-party managers across multiple program platforms.

Sophia Yacobi is a financial advisor at Sanctuary Advisors, LLC with a Series 66 credential and no prior industry experience. Her work history includes diverse roles outside of finance, such as positions at Dirty Vegan and Outer Banks Brewing Station. Sanctuary Advisors, LLC serves individuals, corporations, pension plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a large network of advisors. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment solutions, retirement plan advisory services, and access to various managed account platforms.

Troy Fairbank is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Durham, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. He has been with First Citizens Investor Services since 2008. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. offers investment advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, pension plans, and business entities. The firm uses a client-focused approach that combines risk- and outcomes-based asset allocation, discretionary or non-discretionary management, and third-party managers, supported by automated model portfolios and tax-aware services. Its affiliation with a bank holding company provides integrated banking resources and operational relationships distinct from many independent RIAs.

Ryan Ferguson is a CFP® professional with 10 years of industry experience. He is currently with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc., where he has worked since 2022. Prior to this, he was employed at LPL Financial LLC and UBS Financial Services Inc. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides investment advisory, brokerage, and insurance services to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm employs both strategic and tactical asset-allocation approaches and offers portfolio management through model portfolios, separately managed accounts, and an automated Guided Investing platform.

David Wilder is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with TIAA since 2007. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as an elder and committee member on financial matters at Triangle Grace Church and is treasurer of the Voyager Academy Booster Club. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers a range of discretionary management options alongside planning services and acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Amber Mc Neill is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF based in Durham, NC, holding a Series 65 designation. She has been with TIAA-related firms since 2015. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans. The firm provides both point-in-time planning and ongoing portfolio management, operating within a vertically integrated structure that includes affiliated funds and donor-advised fund services.