Timothy Nugent is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 21 years of industry experience. He is currently with SVB Wealth and has previously worked at First Citizens Bank, Fidelity, Truist Investment Services, and Wells Fargo Clearing. SVB Wealth LLC provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm uses a documented due diligence process to select and monitor third-party managers and operates as a wholly owned, non-bank subsidiary of First Citizens Bank.

Edward Secrest is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with over 34 years of industry experience. He is currently with Summit Financial, LLC and has previously worked at Modern Capital Securities, Inc., Liberty Partners Financial Services, and LPL Financial, among others. Outside of advising, he is involved in product development and mentorship for Accessible AI, a firm building CRM solutions for managing 401(k) plans, where he holds an equity stake. Summit Financial, LLC is a multi-team advisory firm serving approximately 17,800 clients with $26.35 billion in assets under management. The firm offers a range of investment advisory and portfolio management programs, combining discretionary management with advisor-led consultative services.

Morgan Gojanovich is a financial advisor at Guardian Wealth Advisors, LLC in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 65 designation. He has industry experience beginning in 2025, with prior roles at a family office, Advisory Services Network / Olde Raleigh Financial Group, First Horizon Bank, and American Savings Bank. Guardian Wealth Advisors serves individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, trusts, and business entities by providing investment advisory, portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm uses ETFs and mutual funds within a systematic, quantitative framework combining fundamental and technical analysis, and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary management.

Rodger Isom is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with 10 years of experience in the financial industry. He has worked with Advisors Capital Management since 2023 and previously held positions at West Financial Services Inc. and 1st Portfolio Wealth Advisors. Advisors Capital Management provides discretionary portfolio management to a diverse client base, including individuals, employee benefit plans, and clients of unaffiliated broker-dealers and RIAs. The firm combines top-down macro analysis with bottom-up security selection across proprietary equity, fixed-income, and tactical strategies, managing over $8.1 billion in assets and serving nearly 18,000 clients.

Susan Whitfield is a Certified Financial Planner® with 22 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC in Raleigh, NC. She has held roles at Cic Advisers, LLC, Capital Investment Group, Inc., and Ballantyne Tax & Finance over the past two decades. Whitfield is the founder and owner of Ballantyne Tax & Financial, where she provides tax and financial planning services. Capital Investment Advisory Services offers portfolio management and supervisory services to individuals, corporations, retirement and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, foundations, and charitable institutions. The firm customizes portfolios to clients’ objectives and risk tolerance, managing the majority of assets on a discretionary basis through various investment strategies.

Jason Knight is a CFP® professional with 27 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Great Valley Advisor Group, LLC in Raleigh, NC. He has worked at Gaines Financial Group and LPL Financial since 2011. Outside of his advisory role, he provides non-variable insurance services including life, health, disability, and long-term care insurance. Great Valley Advisor Group is a multi-team SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, and trusts through personalized portfolio construction, ongoing oversight, and a combination of in-house strategies and third-party platforms. The firm supports a network of approximately 190 advisors and offers a range of investment management and financial planning services.

Wilson Li is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, currently serving as a financial advisor at Abacus Wealth Partners with two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Abacus Wealth Partners in 2024, he worked at Woodward Financial Advisors from 2021 to 2024. Abacus Wealth Partners provides financial planning, consulting, and investment management services to a diverse client base including individuals, families, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm employs an asset-class investing approach grounded in academic research, utilizing primarily no-load mutual funds, ETFs, and passive institutional funds, along with ESG screening and private pooled vehicles in client portfolios.

Kenneth Duncan is a financial advisor with First Citizens Asset Management, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 credentials and offering 30 years of industry experience. His prior roles include various positions at PNC Bank and its affiliates. First Citizens Asset Management provides model-based sub-advisory and direct investment advisory services to a range of clients including individuals, trusts, municipalities, and institutions, using global multi-asset class model portfolios that combine fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis.

Adam Coleman is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with six years of industry experience. He has worked at Compound Planning, Inc. since 2026 and previously held roles at Maia Wealth, Colorado Wealth Group, LLC, and Dell. Outside of his advisory role, he is a licensed insurance agent. Compound Planning, Inc. serves individuals, high-net-worth families, businesses, retirement plans, and financial intermediaries with discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and institutional advisory services. The firm offers a range of investment options, including direct indexing and alternative strategies, and operates as a fiduciary with risk-based model allocations tailored to client goals.

John Palko is a CFP® professional with 27 years of industry experience, currently serving at Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC since 2018. He previously worked at Bb&T Securities, LLC from 2013 to 2017. Outside of his advisory role, he is a general board member of the Matthews Area Chamber of Commerce. Capital Investment Advisory Services provides portfolio management and supervisory services to individuals, corporations, retirement plans, trusts, estates, foundations, and charitable institutions. The firm offers customized investment solutions through separately managed accounts, third-party asset managers, and financial planning services, managing most assets on a discretionary basis.

Robert Falconer is a financial advisor at Guardian Wealth Advisors, LLC in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with five years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at LPL Financial, MML Investors Services, Mass Mutual Life Insurance, and involvement with golf-related companies such as Titleist Golf Company and Eastward Ho Golf Club. Guardian Wealth Advisors serves individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, trusts, and business entities by providing investment advisory, portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a mix of fundamental and technical analysis within a systematic, quantitative framework and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary management.

Bryan Dearolf is a CFP® and ChFC® with three years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Mariner Independent in Raleigh, NC. Prior to joining Mariner Platform Solutions, he worked at Abundant Life Financial and CWM, LLC. He served in various capacities with the U.S. Navy from 2011 to 2023. Outside of financial advising, he teaches personal finance at Cary Christina School. Mariner Independent serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm offers a range of financial planning and investment management services supported by in-house and third-party resources, with access to alternative investments and affiliated business solutions.

Gavin Speck is a financial advisor at SEIA with a Series 66 credential and has recently begun his career in the industry. His work history includes positions at SES LLC and SEIA LLC since 2024, following his time as a student. SEIA serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, retirement plans, and institutional and charitable entities through a multi-team advisory platform with approximately 140 advisors. The firm’s investment approach blends strategic macro asset allocation with tactical adjustments, supported by both discretionary and non-discretionary management, and offers a range of financial planning and consulting services.

Trevor Nace is a financial advisor at SageSpring Wealth Partners in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 65 designation. Although new to the financial advisory industry, he has prior experience with firms such as Collector's Edge Minerals, Science Trends LLC, Forbes Media LLC, and Shell Exploration & Production Company. He has been involved with Science Trends LLC since 2019. SageSpring Wealth Partners manages approximately $8.5 billion for over 11,500 clients, serving a wide range of individual and institutional clients. The firm offers customized portfolios using fundamental and technical analysis, and provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and third-party manager oversight.

Phillip Neuhart is a financial advisor with First Citizens Asset Management, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 19 years of industry experience. He has been with First Citizens Asset Management since 2017 and also maintains roles with First Citizens Bank and First Citizens Investor Services. In addition to his advisory duties, he serves as a Portfolio Strategist for Institutional Business within his firm. First Citizens Asset Management provides model-based sub-advisory and direct investment advisory services to a range of clients including individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, and municipalities. The firm offers global multi-asset class model portfolios through various implementation frameworks, combining fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis with strategic asset allocation and ongoing risk management.

Charles Mahaffey is a financial advisor at Franklin Street Advisors, Inc. in Chapel Hill, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 16 years of industry experience. He has been with Franklin Street Advisors since 2010. Franklin Street Advisors, Inc. provides discretionary investment management and advisory services to a range of clients including individuals, pooled investment vehicles, pensions, trusts, non-profits, and governmental entities. The firm employs an open-architecture approach that combines in-house management with external managers, guided by a quarterly Investment Policy Committee and a disciplined manager-research process.

Evan Lockwood is a financial advisor at Arkadios Wealth Advisors in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with four years of industry experience. Before joining Arkadios in 2022, he served in the Army National Guard for 11 years and worked with the Baltimore City Police Department for four years. He is also involved in tax planning and preparation through his roles as Head of the Tax Division at Proximity Financial Partners and Proximity Tax Strategies, where he provides services to both internal and external clients. Arkadios Wealth Advisors is an SEC-registered, multi-team firm serving individuals, trusts, businesses, and retirement plans with customized investment plans based on client risk profiles. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, offering various portfolio management options including internally managed accounts and third-party solutions.

Matthew Vaughan is a financial advisor with Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 19 years of industry experience. He has worked at Capital Investment Advisory Services and Capital Investment Brokerage since 2020, and previously was with Acorn Financial Advisory Services and The Strategic Financial Alliance from 2015 to 2020. Outside of advisory work, he is involved in fixed insurance sales as an agent. Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and supervisory services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers personalized investment management through discretionary mandates, third-party managers, or centrally managed private-label model portfolios, utilizing a mix of analytical methods and ongoing portfolio reviews.

Adam Buchanan is a financial advisor with Prosperity - An EisnerAmper Company in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 12 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Avantax Advisory Services, HPG Wealthcare Advisors, and 1st Global Advisors. He is a partner at EisnerAmper, focusing on tax and accounting. Prosperity - An EisnerAmper Company serves individuals, trustees, estates, retirement plans, and business entities, offering financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm emphasizes asset allocation and diversification, using both discretionary and non-discretionary management strategies supported by third-party independent managers and technology platforms.

Ahmad Quqa is a financial advisor at RFG Advisory, LLC with nine years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Edward Jones and FA Invest. Based in Cary, NC, Quqa is also the founder and owner of Crescent Private Wealth. RFG Advisory provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individual and high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, and institutional clients such as investment companies and government entities. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to alternative investments, utilizing a range of model strategies and third-party platforms.