Hovey Garvin is a financial advisor with Strategic Advisors, Inc. in Atlanta, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 31 years of industry experience. He served 30 years at Lamon & Stern, Inc. and is the owner and president of Pension Financial Services, a firm he manages alongside his advisory role. Garvin dedicates significant time to designing qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, including plan design, investment offerings, and employee communications. Strategic Advisors focuses on consulting retirement plan sponsors and investment committees, providing investment analysis, participant education, and enrollment support. The firm emphasizes fundamental analysis and delivers written reports quarterly, without exercising investment discretion, distinguishing itself through its participant-focused educational approach.

Casey Metcalf is a CFA® charterholder with 14 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor and owner of Metcalf Investment Management, LLC, an independent advisory firm he founded in 2020. Prior to establishing his firm, he worked at Aon Securities LLC and Aon Hewitt from 2013 to 2020. Metcalf Investment Management provides discretionary asset management, non-custodial investment advice, and retirement plan (ERISA) services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm customizes portfolios based on client objectives and constraints, employing a blend of fundamental, technical, charting, and cyclical analyses, and maintains a pension consulting practice that offers ERISA plan services and limited-scope 3(21) fiduciary functions.

Stephen Johnson is a financial advisor with Great Bay Wealth Management in Roswell, GA, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and bringing 40 years of industry experience. He founded Great Bay Wealth Management in 2017 after a brief tenure at Quest Capital Strategies, Inc. The firm provides discretionary investment management and advisory services to individuals, corporations, charitable organizations, and pension and profit-sharing plans, managing approximately $29.4 million in client assets. Great Bay Wealth Management emphasizes fundamental analysis to create diversified, goal-based portfolios primarily using mutual funds, ETFs, and fixed income, while also incorporating tactical strategies such as options, margin, ADRs, and bitcoin ETFs when appropriate.

Charles Lassiter is a CFP® professional and founder of Lassiter Financial Advisors, LLC in Marietta, GA, with 15 years of industry experience. He has led his independent advisory firm since 2010, having transitioned the majority of his prior client base to the new practice at its inception. Lassiter Financial Advisors, LLC provides financial planning and consulting services to individuals, trusts, and estates, focusing on recommending and monitoring third-party money managers. The firm serves primarily high-net-worth clients by evaluating manager firms, recommending allocations, and reviewing performance without exercising direct portfolio management.

John McKinney is the sole advisor at McKinney Asset Management Inc. in Atlanta, GA, with 14 years of industry experience. He has led the firm since 1997, operating it as an independent, owner-run practice. McKinney Asset Management offers customized investment management and financial planning to a diverse client base, including individuals, trusts, small businesses, charitable organizations, and pension plans. The firm employs a range of analytical methods and integrates third-party technology to deliver discretionary portfolio management and a formal Pension Consulting program.

Jeffrey Payne, Jr., CFP® is the sole advisor at Payne Financial Management, L.L.C. in Kennesaw, GA, with 22 years of industry experience. He has led his firm since 1999, holding the CFP® designation and Series 65 license. Payne Financial Management, L.L.C. serves individual clients, focusing on those planning for, transitioning into, or already in retirement. The firm provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services tailored to each client’s goals and risk tolerance, with an emphasis on client education and regular portfolio reviews.

Mark Kanakaris is the principal of Kanakaris and Associates in Woodstock, GA, holding a Series 65 credential with 13 years of industry experience. He has worked at Royal Fund Management, LLC since 2013 and operates his own tax planning and preparation business, Cherokee Tax Group. Kanakaris is also licensed to sell life, annuity, health, and disability insurance. Kanakaris and Associates manages approximately $7.5 million in discretionary assets for about 62 individual clients, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services. The firm uses a quantitative, rules-based investment process featuring model portfolios, covered-call strategies, sector momentum analysis, and may allocate assets to sub-advisers or third-party models.

Bryan Ellis is a financial advisor with Horizon Investment Counsel LLC in Marietta, GA. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 17 years of industry experience, including 10 years at Horizon Investment Counsel and its predecessor firm. In addition to his advisory role, Bryan operates a licensed insurance agency offering life, property, and casualty insurance products. Horizon Investment Counsel provides discretionary portfolio management through two equity-focused programs, serving moderate to high net worth individuals and various institutional clients. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes long-term ownership of high-quality companies purchased at reasonable prices, managing primarily common stocks with a defined sell discipline.

Christopher Brown is the sole advisor at Brown Capital Advisors, LLC in Marietta, GA, holding a Series 66 designation with 11 years of industry experience. He previously worked at LPL Financial LLC and Hennsler Financial before founding his current firm in 2018. Brown Capital Advisors provides discretionary portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, and CFO advisory services primarily to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and entrepreneurs or small-business owners. The firm manages approximately $16.7 million across about 20 client relationships, emphasizing fundamental analysis, asset allocation, diversification, and risk management, with the use of equities, ETFs, and select alternative investments. Its CFO advisory services to small businesses, combined with a willingness to utilize derivatives and complex investment vehicles, distinguish its offerings from many independent advisory firms.

Joel Smith is the principal and owner of Joel Smith & Associates, LLC, an independent investment advisory firm based in Atlanta, GA. He holds a Series 63 designation and has 27 years of industry experience, including 20 years at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a director for the FBI Georgia Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar and assists the Euharlee Police Department on weekends. Joel Smith & Associates provides financial planning, investment advisory, and consulting services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as charitable organizations, foundations, and municipalities. The firm offers both discretionary and non-discretionary investment management and emphasizes strategic asset allocation, diversification, and periodic rebalancing in its client portfolios.

Robert Samsel is a financial advisor at Fortress Capital with four years of industry experience. He holds the Series 65 designation and has worked at several companies, including Colgate Palmolive and Zep. Outside of advising, he is involved with Top Tier Trees, a separate business activity. Fortress Capital provides discretionary portfolio management primarily for high-net-worth individuals and entities, focusing on long-term capital growth through concentrated equity portfolios. The firm employs a performance-based compensation model for qualified clients and also offers limited financial planning reviews for employer-sponsored retirement accounts.

Troy Harmon is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 66 license, with three years of industry experience. He is the principal advisor at Due West Wealth Advisors LLC and serves as an adjunct professor at Kennesaw State University. Harmon is also the treasurer of the ASFIP Foundation, a nonprofit focused on financial education, and is CEO of A&E Investment Properties, Inc. Due West Wealth Advisors provides discretionary wealth management and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs fundamental analysis and a primarily long-term investment approach, managing portfolios that often include ETFs, equities, mutual funds, and options contracts.

Thomas Cloud is a CFP® and ChFC® with 21 years of experience in financial advisory services. He has worked at Eleven Two Fund Management for 12 years before founding Third Act Retirement Planning, Inc. in 2017, where he remains the sole advisor. Third Act Retirement Planning provides individualized financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, estate-planning consulting, and insurance guidance to individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and other entities. The firm manages approximately $30.4 million on a discretionary basis and offers modular and holistic planning services, utilizing a variety of investment strategies and ongoing portfolio monitoring.

Kenneth Brown is a financial advisor at Core Capital Markets, LLC in Atlanta, GA, with 30 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. and Dempsey Lord Smith, LLC. Brown is also the president of Core Capital Markets, LLC. Core Capital Markets provides model-based investment strategies primarily to registered platform providers and their advisers, with limited direct retail clients. The firm focuses on market efficiency and strategic asset allocation, using mutual funds and ETFs exclusively from Dimensional Fund Advisors to build diversified portfolios tailored to various investment goals.

Portia Ryan Gerton is the sole advisor at Transformation Wealth Management, LLC in Atlanta, GA, with 18 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. Beyond financial advising, she owns and operates Eye Design Interiors, LLC, an interior design business, and is involved with GroundForce Integrated Resources, Inc., a general freight company. Transformation Wealth Management is an independent, single-advisor firm offering investment management, financial planning, and consulting to individuals, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm combines discretionary portfolio management through SEI-sponsored programs with a substantial portion of non-discretionary assets and utilizes held-away account technology alongside third-party manager referrals.

Jamar Bates is a financial advisor with Bates Financial Group, LLC in Smyrna, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 13 years of industry experience. He has led Bates Financial Group since 2014. Outside of advisory services, he is involved with Bates Realty Group, Inc., which engages in residential and commercial real estate brokerage. Bates Financial Group provides financial planning, consulting, and educational seminars to a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm integrates advisory services with brokerage, insurance, and mortgage offerings, relying on third-party managers for investment guidance and emphasizing strategic and tactical asset allocation approaches.

Samuel Deane is a financial advisor at Rora Wealth, Inc. in Atlanta, GA, holding a Series 65 designation with four years of industry experience. Prior to founding Rora Wealth in 2018, he worked at Lincoln Financial Advisors and Transamerica Financial Advisors. Outside of his advisory role, he owns a media entity for which he is compensated for writing and public speaking. Rora Wealth, Inc. advises individual clients and families primarily in the technology sector, focusing on employees, executives, and startup founders. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning, employing diversified portfolios with ETFs, separate accounts, direct indexing, and option strategies, alongside access to an affiliated early-stage technology private fund.

Gary Hyde is a CFP® professional with 10 years of experience in financial services. He is the principal of Shepherd Financial LLC, an independent firm he has led since 2020. Prior to founding Shepherd Financial, he worked at Northwestern Mutual in various roles from 2015 to 2020. Outside of his advisory work, Hyde provides baseball instruction to children. Shepherd Financial LLC offers wealth management, discretionary portfolio management, and financial planning primarily to individuals, high-net-worth households, trusts, estates, and retirement plans. The firm’s investment approach is long-term and ETF-oriented, with additional use of individual securities and occasional shorter-term trades, and it combines individual wealth management with retirement plan consulting services.

Jonathan White is a financial advisor at Pearson Investment Management, LLC with nine years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at both Pearson Investment Management and AonHewitt since 2015. Pearson Investment Management provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and corporations, with a particular focus on corporate benefit plans and retirement arrangements. The firm’s investment approach integrates fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis across various asset classes and may include frequent trading and short sales, while also utilizing third-party managers and digital custody platforms.

Cass Chappell III is a financial advisor with Chappell Financial Group in Atlanta, GA, holding the CFP® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses. He has 30 years of industry experience, including over two decades with LPL Financial. Chappell also operates a fixed insurance and employee benefit planning business under his firm's name. Chappell Financial Group provides comprehensive written financial planning for individuals and small businesses, focusing on areas such as retirement, education funding, estate and long-term care planning, and insurance. The firm offers standalone plans without acting as an investment manager, allowing clients to implement recommendations through various providers.