William Etheridge Jr. is a financial advisor at Hilltop Securities Inc. with 38 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at RBC Capital Markets Corporation for 17 years. Hilltop Securities Inc. provides brokerage, investment advisory, and retirement-plan consulting services to individuals, corporations, nonprofits, and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $2.25 billion in assets and offers a range of portfolio management programs supported by an open-architecture platform and a variety of investment strategies.

Jonathan Heim is a financial advisor with Principal Advised Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and four years of industry experience. His background includes roles at Principal Financial Services and Principal Life Insurance Company. He also has experience in the parking management sector and the mortgage industry through Angel Oak Home Loans. Principal Advised Services provides investment advice and related services primarily to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients, offering both non-discretionary recommendations and a discretionary wrap-fee investment management program. The firm integrates third-party tools and proprietary models and benefits from its affiliation with Principal Financial Group entities, providing access to a range of proprietary financial products.

Melissa Boyer is a CFP® professional at Modera Wealth Management, LLC with 24 years of industry experience. She has held positions at Keatley Wealth Management, LPL Financial, and MetLife Investors Dist Co prior to joining Modera in 2020. Modera Wealth Management, LLC provides fiduciary, fee-only advisory services to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm employs an allocation-driven investment approach based on Modern Portfolio Theory, utilizing diversified portfolios with mutual funds, ETFs, individual securities, and selected alternative strategies tailored to client objectives and risk tolerance.

Phillipe Toupin is a CFP® accredited financial advisor with seven years of experience, currently with Aprio Wealth Management, LLC. His prior roles include positions at Jones Gregg Financial, LLC, and Business Acquisition & Merger Associates. He also serves as an insurance agent at Aprio Risk Management, LLC on a part-time basis. Aprio Wealth Management provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individuals, qualified retirement plans, trusts, and business entities. The firm employs asset allocation combined with various investment techniques and maintains continuous monitoring of client portfolios, supporting its advisory services with affiliated tax and pension consulting resources.

Eric Housman is a CFP® with 27 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC since 2020. He previously worked at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. and Fifth Third, accumulating over two decades of experience within the Fifth Third organization. Outside of his advisory role, he is an owner and landlord of a rental property in North Myrtle Beach, SC. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, and access to separately managed accounts for a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, pension plans, charitable organizations, governmental entities, and institutional investors. The firm employs tailored strategic asset allocation frameworks and typically manages portfolios on a discretionary basis, utilizing both affiliated and third-party managers.

Jia Min is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 63 license, currently serving as a financial advisor at CG Advisory Services with two years of industry experience. Prior to joining CG Advisory Services, Jia worked at Eastern Bank, Canaccord Genuity, Oppenheimer & Co., and the U.S. Steel & Carnegie Pension Fund. CG Advisory Services is an SEC-registered firm that provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm employs a model-driven investment approach supported by an Investment Committee and integrates AI tools alongside fundamental and technical analysis to tailor strategies to client objectives.

Thomas Worth III is a CFP® with 16 years of industry experience. He is currently with Ascentis Independent Advisors, LLC and previously worked at Defender Capital and ORG Partner's LLC. Worth also operates as a Personal CFO. Ascentis Independent Advisors is a multi-team SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, trusts, retirement plans, and corporate clients through a network of advisors. The firm offers a broad range of services including asset management, comprehensive portfolio management, and financial planning, utilizing portfolios composed of both public and private securities that are actively monitored and rebalanced.

Robin Slaughter is a CFP® with 41 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Royal Fund Management, LLC. He has held positions at firms including Center Street Advisors, Alphastar Capital Management, and Maximum Advisory. Since 1997, he has been owner and president of Retirement & Estate Planning Services, Inc., where he provides retirement and estate planning strategies and tax consulting. Royal Fund Management, LLC serves individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations with portfolio management, financial planning, and pension consulting. The firm uses fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to implement customized investment strategies and offers services including options writing, third-party manager oversight, and defined contribution plan management.

William Smiley is a financial advisor at Coastal Bridge Advisors with eight years of industry experience. He previously worked at TrinityPoint Wealth, LLC, and Penland Legacy Advisors. He serves on the board of directors for the Winthrop University Foundation, providing volunteer leadership in community outreach and university engagement. Coastal Bridge Advisors offers financial planning, consulting, and wealth management services to individuals, family offices, trusts, estates, foundations, and qualified retirement plans. The firm employs a goal-based, fundamental analysis approach to construct diversified portfolios and provides specialized advisory services including retirement plan consulting and HSA investment management.

Nickolas Sherek is a financial advisor at Choreo, LLC with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at UBS and U.S. Bank. Choreo provides investment and advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, family offices, endowments, retirement plans, and corporate clients. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes strategic asset allocation and diversified model portfolios managed by a centralized team and overseen by an Investment Committee.

Anna Houser is a CFP® with five years of industry experience and has been with Prospera Financial Services, Inc. since 2014. She serves as president of the counsel and volunteers at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, where she also teaches Sunday school and leads Bible study. Additionally, she is the managing member of Sandy Ventures, LLC, a business focused on the sale of apparel, stickers, and accessories currently in early development. Prospera Financial Services, Inc. is an enterprise-scale adviser and dually registered broker-dealer managing approximately $12.4 billion across 207 advisors and about 140 offices. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporate and charitable entities, and retirement plans, offering investment advisory and financial planning services through multiple platforms and customizable portfolio management options.

Cooper Courtney is a CFP® professional at Forvis Mazars Wealth Advisors, LLC with two years of industry experience. He joined the firm in 2024 following eight years as a student. Forvis Mazars Wealth Advisors, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, families, retirement plans, institutions, and nonprofits. The firm combines financial planning with discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, utilizing a committee-approved portfolio construction approach and offering coordinated tax and accounting services through its affiliation with a national professional services parent.

Andrew Currin is a financial advisor at Credit Union Investment Services with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and three years of industry experience. He has held roles with SECU Brokerage Services, SECU Life Insurance Company, and State Employees' Credit Union since 2022, and previously worked in education and insurance. Outside of advisory work, he serves as a Financial Advisory Services Specialist at State Employees' Credit Union and is an agent with SECU Life Insurance Company. Credit Union Investment Services serves primarily individual investors in North Carolina, offering non-discretionary portfolio management and financial planning focused on low-cost, index-based mutual funds and ETFs. The firm’s salaried advisers provide recommendations while clients retain decision authority, and it operates as a subsidiary of State Employees’ Credit Union alongside several affiliated entities.

James Hartman is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with McAdam LLC in Charlotte, NC, where he has worked since 2021. He has four years of industry experience, including prior roles at FMI Capital Advisors, Leedon Park Capital, and Covenant Capital LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in fixed insurance sales through McAdam Institutional Brokerage. McAdam LLC is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm employs fundamental analysis to build diversified portfolios using mutual funds, ETFs, independent managers, and individual securities, and offers a range of specialized strategies alongside a subscription-based financial planning service.

Lekshmi Rajaram is a financial advisor with CG Advisory Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and bringing eight years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at LPL Financial LLC, Wells Fargo Securities, and UBS Financial Services. CG Advisory Services is an SEC-registered advisory firm serving individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm employs a largely model-driven investment approach, supplemented by fundamental and technical research, options strategies, and alternative investments, supported by AI tools and an Investment Committee.

Mariana Vega Ortega is a financial advisor at Arete Wealth Advisors, LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Arete, she worked at H & Co LLP for four years. Outside of her advisory role, she is the owner of Blackbull Holding Group LLC, a business involved in the import and export of classic cars. Arete Wealth Advisors provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a combination of advisor-driven and proprietary model allocations, third-party sub-advisers, and acts as an ERISA fiduciary when applicable.

William Richmond is a financial advisor with Cary Street Partners, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 36 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Morgan Stanley Private Bank and Luxe Lifestyle Magazine. Richmond has been with Cary Street Partners since 2020. Cary Street Partners serves a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, trusts, retirement plans, and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of services such as portfolio management, financial planning, and fiduciary services, utilizing proprietary strategies and AI tools alongside human oversight.

Riley Wolfram is a financial advisor with Principal Advised Services and holds a Series 66 designation. Based in Charlotte, NC, Wolfram has one year of industry experience, including roles at Principal Life Insurance Company, Principal Bank, and Wells Fargo. Prior to entering the financial sector, Wolfram worked in various positions including at Davidson College and Girls on the Run Greater Charlotte. Principal Advised Services provides investment advice and related services primarily to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients. The firm offers both non-discretionary recommendations and a discretionary, wrap-fee investment management program called SimpleInvest, leveraging proprietary and third-party models supported by affiliated entities within the Principal Financial Group.

Jordan Nichols is a financial advisor with Credit Union Investment Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 12 years of industry experience. He has been affiliated with Members Trust Company since 2015, SECU Life Insurance Company since 2014, and State Employees’ Credit Union since 2011. Outside of his advisory roles, Nichols owns The Wooden Nickel Woodworking LLC, a business focused on woodworking projects and children's furniture. Credit Union Investment Services primarily serves individual investors residing in North Carolina, offering non-discretionary portfolio management, asset allocation advice, and retirement and financial planning. The firm emphasizes a long-term, goals-based approach using low-cost index mutual funds and ETFs, operating within a credit union ecosystem as a wholly owned subsidiary of State Employees’ Credit Union.

Jonathan Faynik is a financial advisor at Earned Wealth Advisors, LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has previously worked at Schenley Capital and Northwestern Mutual. His background also includes roles outside finance, such as teaching at Denfeld High School and Robert Morris University. Earned Wealth Advisors serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and employer-sponsored retirement plans, focusing particularly on doctors, dentists, and their practices. The firm provides financial planning, discretionary wealth management, and retirement-plan advisory services, employing a diversified, buy-and-hold investment approach supported by an internal Investment Strategy Committee and third-party consultants.