Derek R. Johnson is a Managing Director and Senior Financial Advisor based in the San Jose, California Merrill Lynch Wealth Management office. In this role, he employs a disciplined process to deliver a personalized wealth management experience that takes into account each client's full financial picture. Derek works closely with individuals and business professionals to understand their values and priorities, enabling him to establish appropriate objectives, develop tailored strategies, and recommend solutions aligned with clients’ risk tolerance, time horizon, liquidity needs, and overall investment goals. He draws upon the comprehensive resources of Merrill Lynch to integrate all aspects of clients’ financial lives. With 26 years of experience as a financial advisor since joining Merrill Lynch in 1996, Derek specializes in areas including college education planning, corporate benefits and executive services, divorce transition planning, family wealth management strategies, and investment consulting for defined contribution plans. He conducts regular reviews with clients to monitor progress and adjust strategies as necessary in response to changes in their personal or business circumstances. Derek holds a Bachelor's degree in Finance from San Jose State University and has earned multiple professional designations including Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Benefits Consultant (RBC). His professional philosophy centers on developing one-on-one, personalized financial strategies designed to help clients pursue their long-term goals. In addition to his work, Derek is involved in community service, upholding Merrill’s tradition of volunteer participation. Outside of his professional and community activities, he enjoys spending time with family and friends as well as engaging in adventure sports, biking, boating, camping, horseback riding, surfing, traveling, billiards, and yoga.

Ludmila Baynard is a financial advisor with Merrill in Columbia, South Carolina, holding a Series 66 designation and nine years of industry experience. She has worked at Bank of America, N.A. since 2015, including her current role at Merrill since 2017. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program to a range of clients including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors. The firm uses model-based and discretionary investment strategies developed by internal and third-party managers, and offers services including trading, account administration, and custody support.

Joseph Floyd is a financial advisor at LPL Enterprise with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at The Prudential Insurance Company of America and Pruco Securities LLC. Floyd also served in the South Carolina Army National Guard for eight years. LPL Enterprise serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of financial planning, advisory, and brokerage services supported by an integrated platform that combines adviser programs with insurance sales and co-investment relationships.

Brad Blackburn is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Columbia, SC, holding CFP® and ChFC® designations and possessing 27 years of industry experience. He has been with LPL Financial since 2008. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in a retail venture connected to an aviation Facebook group called Carolina Aviators Network. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, financial planning services, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage solutions, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management approaches along with research and model portfolios.

Philip Mcmurray is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Columbia, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016, following seven years at Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, and has a 20-year tenure at Wachovia Bank, NA. Outside of his advisory role, he serves on the Budget & Finance Committee at Clinton First Baptist Church. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm providing investment advisory services, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage solutions to individual, corporate, and institutional clients. The firm manages significant assets and utilizes research from Wells Fargo Investment Institute and third-party sources to support its investment approach.

David Senn is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Columbia, SC, holding a Series 66 designation and 13 years of experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2012. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients, offering a range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies supported by a large network of financial advisors and branch offices across the United States.

William Oliphant Jr. is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with 46 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and previously worked at Janney Montgomery Scott for 11 years. Outside of advisory work, he is involved with Oliphant Woodlands LLC, which manages recreational acreage and hunting property. LPL Financial is a national SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, financial institutions, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a broad range of financial planning and advisory programs, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by research and model portfolios.

James Braun is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors in Columbia, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and bringing 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network LLC since 2010. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network is a large broker-dealer and registered investment adviser affiliated with Wells Fargo that offers investment and fee-based financial planning services to individuals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm provides a broad planning menu, including specialized services such as business-owner transition planning and special-needs analysis, using proprietary research and tools to develop tailored recommendations.

Kaarina Plotkin is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. She brings extensive experience in the financial services industry, with a focus on personalized attention and developing customized financial strategies tailored to the priorities of high net-worth individuals and families. Her areas of expertise include college education planning, executive compensation, family wealth management strategies, institutional investment consulting, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, tax minimization, and retirement income planning. Kaarina holds a Bachelor's degree from East Carolina University and has earned the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. She is affiliated with several professional organizations, including the Rolls Royce/Bentley Automobile Club, Valley Forge Signal Seekers Club, Purple Hearts Reunited, the Flight Simulator Association (FSA), and the Airplane Remote Control Organization (VFSS). Outside of her professional role, Kaarina is involved in community and philanthropic activities such as Smart Recovery Organization and has served as a board member for the American Technion Society and Temple Sholom in Broomall, Pennsylvania. She also engages in personal interests including antiquing, football, gardening, genealogy, ice hockey, photography, racquetball, and spending time with her family.

Cameron Prewitt is a financial advisor at Charles Schwab with 19 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Charles Schwab since 2017, previously at Scottrade from 2014 to 2017. Outside of his financial advisory role, he serves as a pastoral advisor on finances for Gethsemane Baptist Church and acts as treasurer for a healthcare services business run by his wife. Charles Schwab serves a large client base primarily composed of high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, offering a combination of non-discretionary and discretionary advisory services through its Schwab Wealth Advisory program. The firm integrates brokerage, custody, and advisory functions with a multi-asset, model portfolio investment approach.

Graham Bokinsky is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He focuses on helping clients develop personalized financial strategies tailored to their unique goals and changing market conditions. His areas of expertise include college education planning, divorce transition planning, executive compensation, family wealth management strategies, liquidity management, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, special needs planning strategies, and retirement income. Graham holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of South Carolina System and has earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) certification as well as the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. He works closely with clients one-on-one to create flexible wealth management strategies that encompass proper retirement planning and transgenerational wealth considerations. Outside of his professional role, Graham is a Christian, husband, and father who values spending time with his family. He enjoys hiking and reading, and actively participates in community volunteer organizations, following the Merrill tradition of community involvement.

Paul Vallee is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Columbia, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016 and previously spent seven years at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC and over two decades at Wachovia Bank, N.A. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm combines in-house research and third-party analytics to offer brokerage and advisory solutions across a broad range of financial products.

Larry Cobb is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He specializes in assisting clients with liquidity management, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, and retirement income. Larry's approach involves understanding what is most important to his clients and mapping out personalized financial plans to pursue their goals while addressing any gaps. He maintains ongoing relationships with clients to adjust plans as their situations change. Larry earned his Bachelor's Degree from Limestone University. He holds several professional designations, including Accredited Asset Management Specialist (AAMS), Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (AWMA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). Born and raised in Greenwood, South Carolina, Larry attended Greenwood High School, Piedmont Tech, and Lander University before transferring to Limestone University. He moved to Columbia, South Carolina, in 2016 with his wife. They have two sons and a third child on the way. Outside of work, Larry enjoys fishing, football, golfing, traveling, and spending time with his family.

Eric Group is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, serving clients primarily in the Columbia, South Carolina market. He focuses on comprehensive financial planning to help clients achieve their financial goals and maintain progress toward them as they approach retirement. Eric's areas of expertise include employee benefits planning, family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, liquidity management, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, and small business strategies. He holds professional designations such as Accredited Asset Management Specialist (AAMS), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). He earned a Bachelor's Degree from the University of South Carolina System. Outside of work, Eric's personal interests include baseball, cooking, fishing, football, gardening, golfing, and music.

Ladd Lumpkin is a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services with 30 years of industry experience. He has previously worked at Bank of America, N.A. and Merrill. Outside of his advisory role, he is the owner of Contential Properties, a for-profit LLC. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients with a range of brokerage and investment advisory services, combining institutional trading capabilities with wealth management offerings tailored through proprietary research and model-based asset allocations.

Brandon Briggs is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with four years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Davidson, Wren and DeMasters, P.A. from 2016 to 2020 before joining Ameriprise in 2021. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large advisory firm serving individual and institutional clients, offering a specialized Premier Retirement Income service that provides written recommendations and annual retirement-income planning advice focused on dependable income sources and tax-aware withdrawal strategies.

Natasha Jackson Gorham is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Sumter, South Carolina, holding a Series 63 designation and 29 years of industry experience. She has been with Ameriprise and its affiliate Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. since 1996. Ameriprise provides retirement-income planning services primarily for individuals with significant investable assets, combining research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver tailored, non-discretionary recommendations through a centralized consulting team. The firm offers a broad range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions typical of a large institutional provider.

Robert Whiteside is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Columbia, SC, holding the ChFC® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 46 years of industry experience, including over two decades with Equitable Advisors and its predecessor, Axa Advisors. Outside of his advisory role, he is a partner in Carolina Financial Advisors, LLC. Equitable Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning, retirement-plan support, and access to asset management through various third-party programs, utilizing a hybrid referral and implementation model that combines advisory and brokerage services.

Andrew Smith is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing based in Columbia, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and three years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Keller Williams Elite and Compass Realty. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting services. The firm combines extensive research and analytics with a broad range of brokerage and advisory solutions.

William Mathis is a financial advisor at Cetera with 29 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has been self-employed since 1986. Mathis has also worked at Cetera Wealth Services since 2013 and is an independent insurance agent specializing in disability, fixed annuities, and life/accident/health insurance. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that serves individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with a range of discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management services and access to third-party money managers, supporting over 10,000 advisors and $256 billion in assets under management.