Jacqueline Williams is a financial advisor at Felicity Financial LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials with three years of industry experience. Her previous roles include positions at The Vanguard Group and Huntington National Bank. Outside of advisory work, she is involved in tax preparation consulting and owns an independent publishing company. Felicity Financial LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, foundations, and corporations. The firm follows a holistic, goals-based approach emphasizing long-term strategies with tactical adjustments and offers discretionary portfolio management as well as educational offerings.

Kristina Schuler is a financial advisor at Allied Oak Wealth, LLC with seven years of industry experience. She holds the Series 65 designation and has worked previously at Paradiem, LLC, Hancock Whitney Investment Services, Inc., and Edelman Financial Engines. Outside of her advisory role, she is an independent contractor distributor for Young Living Essential Oils. Allied Oak Wealth, LLC is a registered investment advisor serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and estates. The firm employs a long-term, fundamental-analysis approach to portfolio construction, primarily using exchange-traded funds and individual stocks, and generally manages accounts on a discretionary basis.

Timothy Dukes is the sole advisor at Dukes Financial Group, LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 22 years of industry experience. He has worked with various insurance carriers since 2003 and has led Dukes Financial Group since 2009. Dukes Financial Group provides investment supervisory services and financial planning primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients, using a long-term, asset-class driven approach with a focus on non-discretionary management and in-house asset oversight. The firm prepares individualized Investment Policy Statements and offers fixed-fee financial planning, managing approximately 20 client relationships.

James Harper is the sole advisor at Harper Capital Partners in Charlotte, NC. He holds a Series 65 designation and has 23 years of industry experience. He has been with Harper Capital Partners since 1999. Harper Capital Partners provides discretionary wealth and portfolio management services to high-net-worth individuals, families, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm employs an opportunistic investment approach that combines fundamental and technical analysis across a broad range of instruments, tailoring portfolios to clients’ risk tolerance and financial needs.

Carson McLean, CFP®, is the founder of Altruist Wealth Management, a flat-fee, fee-only fiduciary firm serving clients nationwide. With over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry, Carson is committed to helping individuals and families navigate financial complexity with transparent, fiduciary advice—free from the constraints of traditional asset-based fees. Before founding Altruist Wealth Management, Carson was a Regional Director at Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA), where he partnered with fiduciary wealth management firms to implement evidence-based investment strategies and enhance their financial planning practices. His approach prioritizes financial independence, tax-efficient strategies, and personalized, goals-based planning tailored to each client’s needs. Carson lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife, Ellen, and their four children—Davy, Frank, Lewis, and Margot. As a parent of child loss, he is deeply committed to advocacy and research for Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC). He serves as president of Frank McLean Forever, a nonprofit dedicated to his son’s legacy, and sits on the board of directors for the SUDC Foundation. Carson holds a BA from Loyola University Chicago and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He completed his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ education at Wake Forest University.

Scott Daily is the sole advisor at SCD Capital, Inc. in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 31 years of industry experience. He has led SCD Capital since 2009. SCD Capital provides discretionary investment management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and related entities, including management of a private pooled investment vehicle. The firm uses a top-down investment approach combining technical charting, cyclical analysis, and fundamental research, with the ability to hold long and short positions across various securities and implement option strategies tailored to client objectives.

Yash Deshpande is a financial advisor at Aureus Capital in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with four years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at Experis US Inc., Digital Intelligence Systems, LLC, Belk, Inc., and Walmart Inc. Aureus Capital is an independent firm providing discretionary portfolio management and financial planning primarily for individual clients, high-net-worth individuals, and trusts. The firm employs a combination of fundamental and technical analysis, incorporating options strategies and margin usage within a long-term, income-oriented approach tailored to each client’s goals and risk tolerance.

Most of my clients are corporate professionals and families between 30 and 55 who have built a successful career and are starting to ask a different question: what should that success actually make possible? Sometimes the answer is stepping away for a while to care for a child or a parent. Sometimes it is a sabbatical, a pivot into a different field, or a business of their own. Sometimes it is staying exactly where they are and continuing to work because they want to, not because they have to. Different answers, same work underneath: figuring out what your version would require, and building toward it on purpose rather than by default. That work usually starts at a specific moment. Equity comp that quietly became a concentrated position. A promotion that changed the tax picture and the hours. A package with a short window on it. A parent who needs help the same year tuition starts. Those decisions either build optionality or spend it, and most get made in the first ninety days without anyone pricing the tradeoff. I spent more than two decades in wealth management at large banks before starting Present Day. I am working through a version of this myself: raising a family, helping parents, and deciding what comes after a long corporate chapter. I hold the CFP® certification, studied economics and psychology at UNC–Chapel Hill, and have an MBA from Duke. You can hire me for planning and advice, have me manage the investments, or take what we build and implement it yourself. There is no investable-asset minimum. Fees are flat-dollar or asset-based and disclosed in writing before any engagement begins.

Kathy Stanley is the founder and sole advisor of Sentry Consulting, Inc. in Charlotte, NC, with 24 years of industry experience. She holds the CFP® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. In addition to her advisory role, she maintains active life, long-term care insurance, and real estate broker licenses, which she uses to assist clients with related discussions. Sentry Consulting serves individual clients across various life stages, providing personal financial planning and investment management on a project or ongoing basis. The firm emphasizes appropriate asset allocation, limited trading to manage tax and transaction costs, and discretionary portfolio management.

Mallory Warren is a CFP® with eight years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Aerden LLC. Her prior roles include positions at Fidelity Investments and The Vanguard Group. Outside of her advisory work, she operates a digital financial-education practice. Aerden LLC provides fee-only, advice-only financial planning to individuals and families through one-time engagements focused on either specific questions or comprehensive plans. The firm does not manage client assets but emphasizes long-term strategic asset allocation based on Modern Portfolio Theory, fundamental fund analysis, and considerations of diversification, cost, and taxes.

Darrin Leaks is a financial advisor at TierOne Capital, LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with two years of industry experience. He previously worked at Bank of America Corporation for 21 years. TierOne Capital provides financial planning, investment management, and tax preparation services to a diverse range of clients, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm emphasizes individualized investment programs that combine active and passive strategies with tax considerations and integrates tax planning and return preparation alongside investment advice.

John Patterson is a financial advisor with Michelangelo Partners, LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Michelangelo Partners since 2011. Michelangelo Partners provides ongoing portfolio management and investment supervisory services to individual and high-net-worth clients, focusing on equities, fixed income, ETFs, and government securities. The firm employs a combination of charting, fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, applying both long-term and short-term trading strategies, including options writing, with portfolios constructed and monitored according to documented risk tolerances and time horizons.

Fawzi Jaber Hyder is a CFA® charterholder and financial advisor at Mike Adams Financial Advisors, Inc. with three years of industry experience. He has held academic positions at Lenoir-Rhyne University, Lebanese American University, and the University of Central Florida, and currently serves as an assistant professor of finance at Lenoir-Rhyne University. Outside of advising, he is president of The Mike Adams Group, Inc., a holding company specializing in asset management and financial services. Mike Adams Financial Advisors, Inc. is an independent registered investment adviser providing discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and institutions. The firm uses cyclical and fundamental analysis alongside modern portfolio theory, implementing long-term trading and derivative strategies, and manages a small, specialized client base including non-U.S. clients.

Edin Cuskovic is the principal of Maximum Advisory, an independent registered investment adviser based in Huntersville, NC, with 14 years of industry experience. He holds the CFA® designation and Series 65 license. In addition to his work as a financial advisor, Edin owns and serves as president of Maximum Accounting and Tax Services LLC, which provides accounting and tax services in North Carolina. Maximum Advisory offers comprehensive financial planning and discretionary investment management to individuals, businesses, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a process centered on written Investment Policy Statements and combines Modern Portfolio Theory with passive and active strategies, emphasizing ongoing client relationships and coordinated advisory services.

Tyler Durham is a financial advisor at Roundtable Planning & Investments in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 65 designation. He has prior experience at Ernst & Young, Bank of America, and Jabian Consulting before joining his current firm in 2025. Roundtable Investment Services, LLC is a fee-only registered investment adviser serving individuals and high-net-worth clients with discretionary investment management and ongoing financial planning. The firm employs a combination of fundamental and cyclical analysis alongside Modern Portfolio Theory, blending passive and active strategies to build diversified portfolios.

Tammy Goodman is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with 13 years of industry experience. She founded Tammy Goodman Financial, LLC in 2019 and previously worked at Premier, Inc., M HOLDINGS SECURITIES, Inc., and Barry, Evans, Josephs & Snipes. Her firm serves individual clients and offers integrated financial planning, discretionary investment management paired with ongoing planning, and consulting services on executive compensation and workplace benefits to businesses and other financial advisors. Tammy Goodman Financial operates on a fee-only basis and employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based investment approach favoring passive, low-turnover strategies tailored to client risk tolerance and time horizons.

William Howard is a CFP® and ChFC® with 22 years of experience in financial advising. He has led Durant Wealth Management Advisory Services since 2014 and also operates Howard Financial Tax Service, which prepares tax returns for 50 to 70 clients. In addition to his financial advisory work, he is involved in a construction business specializing in custom decks and small projects. Durant Wealth Management Advisory Services provides portfolio management and financial planning to individual and high-net-worth clients, primarily using ETFs and mutual funds supplemented by fixed income, real estate funds, annuities, and limited non-U.S. securities. The firm employs a long-term investment approach combining fundamental analysis and modern portfolio theory, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary management with regular client reporting.

Bryan Keller is the sole advisor at Social Impact Investments Inc. in Huntersville, NC, holding a Series 65 credential with eight years of industry experience. His prior work includes four years with Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont. Social Impact Investments Inc. manages portfolios primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, focusing on equities alongside fixed income, ETFs, and other securities. The firm emphasizes tailored investment strategies aligned with clients’ goals and risk tolerance, maintaining a small client base and explicit policies regarding client-imposed investment restrictions.

Phillip Whitley is a financial advisor with Whitley Financial, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and over 30 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Grove Point Investments, H. Beck, Sterne Agee, and Synergy Investment Group. He is also a licensed insurance professional, dedicating less than 10% of his business time to insurance activities. Whitley Financial provides discretionary investment management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and small businesses. The firm employs a primarily long-term investment approach using both fundamental and technical analysis to develop customized asset allocations, with accounts managed on a discretionary basis and reviewed at least annually.

Adwowa Afenyi Annan is a CFP® and Series 66 credentialed financial advisor with 23 years of industry experience. She is the principal of 3A Financial Group, LLC, an independent registered investment adviser based in Huntersville, NC. Annan has held roles at Alight Financial Solutions LLC and Alight Solutions (formerly AON Hewitt) since 2010. In addition to her advisory work, she provides tax services to clients and is an independent insurance agent. 3A Financial Group serves individuals, trusts, foundations, estates, and charitable organizations, managing approximately $17.1 million across about 26 client relationships. The firm employs a fundamentally driven, long-term asset allocation approach, primarily managing accounts on a non-discretionary basis with a focus on mutual funds, ETFs, and suitable insurance and annuity products.