Margarite Lynch is a financial advisor with Merit Financial Advisors in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having nine years of industry experience. She previously worked at LPL Financial, LLC, and Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments. Outside of her advisory role, she serves as a suite attendant at the Bank of America Stadium for the Carolina Panthers. Merit Financial Group is a multi-team SEC-registered advisory firm that serves individual investors, employer-sponsored retirement plans, ESOPs, and institutional clients. The firm focuses on long-term, diversified asset allocation using centrally managed model portfolios and employs an internal investment management team alongside third-party managers and sub-advisers.

Michael Mahoney is a financial advisor at Coastal Bridge Advisors with 32 years of industry experience. He previously worked at firms including Trinity Point Wealth, LLC, Morgan Stanley Distribution, Inc., and Voya Investment Management CO. LLC. Mahoney serves as Treasurer for American Legion Post 503 and the Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Investment & Wealth Institute committee. Coastal Bridge Advisors provides financial planning, consulting, and wealth management services to individuals, family offices, trusts, estates, foundations, and qualified retirement plans. The firm uses a goal-based, fundamental analysis approach and constructs diversified portfolios, often incorporating external managers and specialized advisory services.

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.

William Smiley is a financial advisor at Coastal Bridge Advisors with eight years of industry experience. He previously worked at TrinityPoint Wealth, LLC, and Penland Legacy Advisors. He serves on the board of directors for the Winthrop University Foundation, providing volunteer leadership in community outreach and university engagement. Coastal Bridge Advisors offers financial planning, consulting, and wealth management services to individuals, family offices, trusts, estates, foundations, and qualified retirement plans. The firm employs a goal-based, fundamental analysis approach to construct diversified portfolios and provides specialized advisory services including retirement plan consulting and HSA investment management.

Mitchell Roth is a CFP® professional with eight years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with Sovran Advisors, LLC and holds a Series 66 license. His prior experience includes positions at The Vanguard Group, LPL Financial, Equitable Advisors, and Ameriprise Financial Services. Sovran Advisors serves individuals, corporations, and retirement plan sponsors by providing financial planning, advisory services, and portfolio management across various program types. The firm employs both active and passive investment strategies and utilizes multiple custodial platforms to support its clients' diverse objectives.

Alaina Sanders is a Series 65 licensed financial advisor with Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC and has two years of industry experience. She is also affiliated with Belmont Capital Advisors. Outside of advisory work, she manages Zebra Home Solutions and related entities involved in real estate holdings and operations. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plan participants, trusts, estates, charities, and businesses. The firm employs a broad investment toolkit and an open-architecture platform to implement tailored strategies with continuous monitoring and periodic rebalancing.

James Beam is a financial advisor with Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC, holding the Series 63, 65, and 66 designations and bringing 28 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Sollinda Capital Management LLC and Capital Investment Group, Inc. He serves as chairman of the Cherryville ABC Board of Directors, overseeing operations related to controlled spirit sales in Cherryville, NC. Capital Investment Advisory Services provides portfolio management and supervisory services to a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, and institutional accounts. The firm offers tailored investment programs with a focus on discretionary management and employs fundamental, technical, and charting analyses across various investment strategies.

Brendan Grady is a Series 65 licensed advisor at Gibbs Wealth Management, LLC with 11 years of industry experience. He has worked at multiple firms, including FormulaFolios, Gradient Investments, Clarity Financial Group, and Questar Asset Management. Outside of his advisory role, he is also an insurance agent and holds seminars on fixed insurance products through his business, Grady Group, Inc. Gibbs Wealth Management provides discretionary investment advisory services to individual and high-net-worth clients through an advisor-directed Model Management program that utilizes third-party platforms and strategists. The firm focuses on selecting and monitoring model portfolios based on clients’ financial situations, goals, and risk tolerance rather than constructing proprietary portfolios.

Nickles Spryn is a CFP® with 19 years of industry experience, currently serving at Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC. His prior roles include positions at Vanguard Advisers, Inc., Old Point Trust & Financial Services, and Wells Fargo Advisors. He is also an insurance agent with Belmont Capital, focusing on life and long-term care annuities. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC (operating as Fusion Investment Advisors) provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm employs an open-architecture investment platform utilizing both fundamental and technical analysis across a broad range of asset types.

Tyler Reller is a CFP®-credentialed financial advisor at Principal Advised Services with seven years of industry experience. He has held roles at Principal Securities, Principal Life Insurance Company, and Wells Fargo Clearing Services. In addition to his advisory work, he serves as a financial counselor at Principal Bank, where he is responsible for sales of bank deposit products. Principal Advised Services provides investment advice and related services primarily to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients. The firm offers both non-discretionary recommendations and a discretionary investment management program, leveraging a combination of third-party tools and proprietary models while benefiting from its affiliation with the Principal Financial Group.

Jason Craig is a financial advisor at Prospera Financial Services, Inc. with 24 years of industry experience. He has held positions at Prospera since 2013, following prior roles at TCA Financial Group, LLC, Wells Fargo Clearing, and Banc Of America Investment Services, Inc. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations. Prospera Financial Services is a multi-team advisory firm with 271 advisors managing approximately $14.4 billion in client assets. The firm serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities, offering financial planning and portfolio management through multiple advisory programs and platforms.

Jeffrey Hillesland is a financial advisor at Merit Financial Advisors in Charlotte, NC, with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Merrill for eight years. Merit Financial Group is a multi-team SEC-registered advisory firm serving individual investors, employer-sponsored retirement plans, ESOPs, and institutional clients. The firm focuses on long-term, diversified asset allocation with a combination of internal management, third-party managers, and customizable model portfolios.

Shaun Moynihan is a financial advisor at Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC with 22 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Dempsey Lord Smith, LLC, Kalos Management, Kalos Capital, and Belmont Capital Advisors. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and corporate clients. The firm provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning through a flexible investment approach that incorporates internally developed asset allocation models and both fundamental and technical analysis.

Aaron Ruen is a financial advisor with Principal Advised Services, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 11 years of industry experience. He has worked at Principal Financial Services, Principal Life Insurance Company, and Wells Fargo in various roles since 2010. In addition to his advisory work, he provides one-on-one investment advice specifically for Principal retirement plan participants at benefit events. Principal Advised Services offers investment advice and related services primarily to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients, combining third-party tools like Morningstar with proprietary models. As part of the Principal Financial Group, the firm integrates bank products, proprietary funds, and model services through affiliated entities to deliver non-discretionary recommendations and discretionary investment management.

Ryan Robinson is a financial advisor with Principal Advised Services, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and six years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at Principal Financial Services and Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC. Principal Advised Services offers investment advice and related services primarily to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients, using a blend of third-party methodologies and proprietary models. The firm is part of the Principal Financial Group family, providing integrated access to affiliated products and services.

Michael Santos is a financial advisor with Gibbs Wealth Management, LLC in Pineville, NC. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has been in the industry since 2026. His prior experience includes roles at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company and the Armed Forces. Gibbs Wealth Management provides discretionary investment advisory services to individual and high-net-worth clients through third-party model portfolios and a Model Management program. The firm focuses on selecting and monitoring model portfolios based on clients’ financial situations, goals, and risk tolerance rather than constructing proprietary portfolios.

Natalia Ruiz is a financial advisor with Principal Advised Services in Dallas, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and having nine years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Clearing Services and Wells Fargo Bank. She currently serves as a retirement consultant, providing one-on-one investment advice to Principal retirement plan participants. Principal Advised Services offers investment advice and related services primarily to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients, combining third-party tools and proprietary models to deliver both non-discretionary recommendations and a discretionary investment management program called SimpleInvest. The firm is part of the Principal Financial Group family, integrating affiliated products and services with robust governance and supervision.

Christopher Shaw is a financial advisor with NFSG Corporation in Belmont, NC, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 credentials and 19 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Newbridge Financial Services Group, Pruco Securities LLC, Prudential Insurance, and Kalos Capital Inc. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as treasurer and bookkeeper for a nonprofit supporting disabled veterans through powered paragliding and is the head varsity soccer coach at South Point High School. NFSG Corporation provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm constructs diversified portfolios using a range of investment instruments and supports its advisors with internal portfolio management, research, and third-party asset manager arrangements.

Richard Myrick is a Series 65-licensed advisor with First Advisors National, LLC. He has been with the firm since 2026 and has over a decade of experience working with Virtual SC and the Clover School District. First Advisors National provides investment management, asset allocation advice, and retirement plan consulting primarily to individual clients, including ERISA plan participants. The firm manages approximately $506.8 million in discretionary assets and implements client strategies through third-party money managers, employing tactical and strategic asset allocation methodologies.

Connor Emmert is a financial advisor at Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC with eight years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has worked at firms including Ameriprise, Modern Woodmen of America, NerdWallet, Fisher Investments, Merrill, and Bank of America. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC, operating under Fusion Investment Advisors, provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning for individuals, pension and profit-sharing plan participants, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm uses an open-architecture platform with internally and independently created asset allocation models, employing a broad investment toolkit and continuous monitoring to implement tailored investment strategies on a discretionary basis.