Matthew Cook is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience. He is currently an advisor at NewEdge Advisors and has previously worked at Edward Jones, LPL Financial LLC, Greenstone Ventures LLC, and Blue Ridge Realty & Investments. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser that serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a network of independent investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a broad suite of services and multiple program structures, combining in-house manager selection with third-party model portfolios and advisor discretion, supported by centralized due diligence and technology tools.

Alice Scarborough is a financial advisor at Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. with 27 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at Stifel Nicolaus & Co Inc, Broyhill Asset Management, Wells Fargo Clearing, and BB&T Asset Management. She also serves as a Notary Public in Hickory, NC. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an integrated broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients through more than 500 advisors. The firm provides a range of services including wrap-fee advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, investment management consulting, brokerage services, insurance products, and certain M&A advisory services.

Charice Biggins is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Conover, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 21 years of industry experience. She has previously worked with First Citizens Investor Services and currently advises through Advised Assets Group, LLC and GWFS Equities, Inc. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and participants, as well as Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage account holders. The firm uses an integrated model linked to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms and focuses on long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing in its planning services.

Bailey Sigler is a financial advisor at TLG Advisors, Inc. with five years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked with The Leaders Group Inc. and Premier Planning NC Group. Outside of advisory services, he is also active as an independent insurance agent specializing in life insurance. TLG Advisors, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and institutional investors. The firm focuses on manager selection and portfolio monitoring using fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory, and offers both traditional and digital investment programs.

Grant Rembert is a financial advisor with Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc., holding a Series 66 credential and 11 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Stifel Nicolaus & Co Inc and Wells Fargo Clearing. Outside of his advisory role, he owns and operates Athletes Lab, LLC, a performance training facility, and serves as a director of Athletes Lab Foundation Inc., which provides scholarships for athletes. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is a full-service broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers a range of investment management and financial planning services, combining proprietary strategies with third-party models across discretionary and non-discretionary programs.

Keith Holtsclaw Jr. is a CFP® with 16 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services. His career includes roles at Truist Investment Services, Truist Bank, TD Ameritrade, and Scottrade. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a trustee on the Lenoir Rhyne University Alumni Board and as an associate trustee for the Piedmont Education Fund, where he is involved in alumni engagement and scholarship fundraising. He is also a partner in a company specializing in disposable children’s cups and dinnerware. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a combination of discretionary management and consulting supported by third-party platforms and research tools.

Louis Wetmore is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 15 years of industry experience. He currently works at Farther and previously held roles at Advisory Services Network, LLC and Omnistar Financial Group. Outside of advisory work, he is a certified court mediator operating a sole proprietorship under Wetmore Mediation. Farther provides discretionary investment management and advisory services primarily to individual investors, trusts, and estates through a web and mobile platform combined with in-person meetings. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach utilizing proprietary model portfolios and algorithmic rebalancing, with investment options including ETFs, mutual funds, individual equities, and fixed income.

Cassandra Smith is a financial advisor with NewEdge Advisors, holding a Series 65 designation and beginning her industry career in 2026. Her prior work experience includes roles at Dean Financial, Planet Fitness, and Family Video. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a network of independent investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a broad suite of services including portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party managers, utilizing centralized due diligence and technology tools to support advisor and client needs.

John Setzler is a financial advisor with TLG Advisors, Inc. based in Hickory, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 36 years of industry experience. He has held roles at The Leaders Group Inc, LifeBridge, Premier Planning Group NC, LLC, and Ameritas Life Insurance Corp and Ameritas Investment Corp. Setzler is also president of Premier Planning Group NC, LLC and Optimus Life Designs, both involved in insurance business and client consulting. TLG Advisors, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $2.0 billion in discretionary assets. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and institutional investors, offering investment supervisory services, financial and estate planning, ERISA fiduciary services, and a direct-to-consumer program called Starlight Portfolios.

Kathy Kuczenski is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing eight years of industry experience. She has worked at Truist Advisory Services and Truist Investment Services since 2021 and previously at Bbtis and Lincoln County Schools. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by third-party platform arrangements and an Equity Research team that employs AI-enabled tools.

Jody Delvechio is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Hickory, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 24 years of industry experience. He has been with LPL Financial since 2010 and previously worked at Edward Jones from 2008 to 2010. Outside of his advisory work, Delvechio is involved in managing rental office space in his local area. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolios, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms.

Steven Sparks is a financial advisor with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, holding a Series 66 designation and 26 years of industry experience. He has worked with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors and associated entities since 2016 and has been affiliated with Capital Concepts since 2004. Sparks serves as a board member of Hickory Christian Academy. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual and institutional investors such as pension and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, retirement-plan advisory, and wrap-fee programs through a network of thousands of financial professionals managing a multi‑billion dollar asset base across multiple platforms and custodians.

Todd Ashworth is a financial advisor with LPL Financial based in Hickory, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing 17 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. and Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC. Ashworth is a partner in Renaissance Financial Partners of NC, LLC, where he serves in an advisory capacity. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions through a large network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of financial planning, asset management, and institutional platforms, utilizing a combination of proprietary research models, third-party subadvisors, and customized investment strategies.

Beth Deal is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Hickory, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 33 years of industry experience. She has been with Ameriprise and its predecessor since 1992. Outside of her advisory role, she manages BRM Management Group, a business established to support her practice operations. Ameriprise offers a retirement-income planning service targeting individuals approaching or in retirement with substantial investable assets, combining research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to provide written recommendations. The firm serves a broad client base through advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions typical of large institutional firms.

Michael Durham is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Hickory, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 16 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2010. Outside of his advisory role, Durham serves as the head varsity golf coach at Hickory Christian Academy. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs and investment solutions. The firm is notable for its extensive national network of financial advisors and branch offices, as well as its affiliated capabilities including a trust company and proprietary mutual funds.

Christopher Johnson is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Hickory, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2012. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management and offers a range of advisory services including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds.

Metin Kurkcu is a financial advisor at Fidelity with 21 years of industry experience and a Series 66 designation. His prior experience includes roles at Bank of America, Merrill, Raymond James Financial Services, and the International Franchise Professionals Group. Fidelity's Strategic Advisers LLC, where Kurkcu is based, provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, employing a blend of fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction to manage diversified portfolios and fund advisory services.

Benjamin Ritchie is a financial advisor at Thrivent Investment Management with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at 84 Lumber, Ritchies Pressure, Jem Clean INC., and Kool Park Pool. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients, offering goal-based financial planning without discretionary portfolio management, and allows clients to combine planning with managed accounts under a consolidated billing option called “WealthPlan.”

Henry Wepner is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with nine years of industry experience, currently with Wells Fargo Advisors since 2023. He previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing from 2016 to 2023. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as Treasurer for the Newton Depot Authority in Newton, NC, where he participates in financial oversight, event planning, and community projects. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network is a large broker-dealer and registered investment adviser serving individuals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm offers a broad range of financial planning services tailored to clients who meet a net-worth threshold, utilizing Wells Fargo’s research and planning tools to develop personalized recommendations delivered through meetings and written summaries.

Sherrill Young III is a financial advisor at Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has worked at Raymond James since 2001, as well as at Resource Partners LLC from 2009 to 2019. He has maintained a long-standing association with MassMutual, formerly as a career agent. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning and investment consulting to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary advice using risk profiling and modeling tools, and supports its advisors through specialized programs and institutional consulting services.