Ralph Merten is a CFP® and CFA® with 15 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services. His prior experience includes roles at Morgan Stanley and Sarmaya Partners, LLC. Based in Atlanta, GA, he has been with Truist Advisory Services and its predecessor entities since 2008. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers services such as asset allocation, fiduciary support, and manager-selection programs, utilizing a mix of discretionary and non-discretionary approaches supported by third-party platforms and proprietary research tools.

Jeffrey Weronick is a financial advisor with Fifth Third Securities, Inc. in Kennesaw, GA, holding a ChFC® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses. He has 29 years of industry experience, with prior roles at firms including LPL Financial, Cetera Investment Services, SunTrust Investment Services, and MassMutual. Outside of his advisory work, he is a co-owner and sitter for a pet sitting service. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. offers brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to a diverse client base, including individuals, charitable organizations, and institutional investors. The firm combines its municipal-advisor registration with a large bank affiliation, providing multiple discretionary managed-account options and unique features such as direct indexing and tax-overlay services.

David Hudson is a financial advisor with Osaic Advisory Services, LLC, holding the PFS™ and Series 63 designations and bringing 23 years of industry experience. His prior roles include long-term tenures at Money Concepts Capital Corp and Triad Advisors, alongside his ongoing leadership of Legacy Consulting Group, LLC, a CPA and tax consulting firm. Outside of advisory work, he serves on the board of the Curious Edge Foundation, an organization focused on educational programs and development. Osaic Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base that includes individuals, pension plans, corporations, and nonprofits. The firm offers a range of services such as investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, deploying multiple program models and utilizing both proprietary and third-party platforms for portfolio management.

Wendell Lofton Jr. is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Atlanta, GA, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing 16 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at E*Trade Capital Management LLC and E*Trade Securities LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he is also an agent involved in non-securities insurance products. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models to construct client portfolios.

Terry Ford is a CFP® with 26 years of industry experience, currently serving at Kestra Advisory since 2016. He has been associated with Kestra Investment Services, LLC since 2003. In addition to his advisory role, Ford is the president of a local office condo association and is involved in a life settlement advisory business where he assists clients with evaluating the sale of life insurance policies. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement plan consulting to a wide range of institutional and individual clients, including plan sponsors. The firm offers services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, employee education, and access to multiple management platforms, serving clients that include large institutional investors and sovereign wealth funds.

Daniel Caldwell is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Atlanta, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 19 years of industry experience. He has worked at VALIC Financial Advisors since 2016 and currently serves as President of Harbor Ministries, Inc., a nonprofit organization. VALIC Financial Advisors, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA-member broker-dealer serving primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and discretionary unified managed accounts through a large network of advisors and emphasizes centralized technology and model-driven solutions.

Glenn Guthrie is a ChFC® credentialed financial advisor with 42 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Hornor, Townsend & Kent, LLC. He has been with Hornor, Townsend & Kent and Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company since 2003. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in insurance brokerage and sales through his Strategic Planning Group, focusing on life, health, disability, long-term care, and annuity products. Hornor, Townsend & Kent serves individuals, trusts, businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans, offering advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm operates as both an SEC-registered adviser and FINRA-member broker-dealer, providing custody, execution, brokerage services, and access to third-party asset managers.

Frank Smith Jr. is a financial advisor at Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC with 34 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked for J.P. Morgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC for 12 years. Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC is an enterprise-scale SEC-registered RIA managing approximately $36.7 billion in regulatory assets. The firm serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations, offering investment advisory, financial planning, pension consulting, and managed account programs.

Angus McRae is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services in Atlanta, GA, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. Prior to joining Principal, he operated Angus McRae Insurance Brokerage Services, Inc., focused on group medical insurance, and has held roles at Principal Life Insurance Company and Principal Securities Inc. He also has experience in the insurance sector, including sales of fixed annuities and various insurance products. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager solutions through both advisory and promoter arrangements.

Samia Rizk is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Atlanta, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 20 years of industry experience. Her career includes over a decade at SunTrust Bank and its affiliated investment services before joining First Citizens in 2026. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients through advisory and brokerage services. The firm utilizes IAR-led financial assessments and a range of investment strategies including portfolio management, wrap programs, and automated Guided Investing, managing predominantly non-discretionary client assets.

Michael Waiters is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Walgreens, Target, CME Group, Amazon, and FSU Campus Recreation. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting supported by AI-enabled research tools and affiliated service arrangements.

Jameson Spillers is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Smyrna, GA. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Empower since 2026. Prior to joining Empower, he worked with Florida Financial Advisors DBA Georgia Financial Advisors and has varied experience including roles outside the financial industry. Empower Advisory Group primarily serves employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, offering financial planning and investment management through a model integrated with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms. The firm emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and savings rates in its financial planning approach and manages a large participant base relative to its advisor headcount.

James Greenwell is a financial advisor with Hornor, Townsend & Kent, LLC, holding the ChFC® designation and multiple securities licenses (Series 63, 65, 66) with 40 years of industry experience. He has worked at Hornor, Townsend & Kent and Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company since 2003. Outside of advisory work, he is involved in insurance sales through a brokerage business focusing on multiple carriers, including Penn Mutual. Hornor, Townsend & Kent serves individuals, trusts, businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans by offering advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm operates both advisory and broker-dealer services, providing tailored investment strategies through third-party asset manager relationships and a dual SEC-registered adviser and FINRA-member broker-dealer structure.

Dylan Schefske is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Truist Advisory Services and Truist Investment Services since 2024. His prior work includes roles at MassMutual Life Insurance and Mass Mutual Investors Services. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors and participants, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by third-party platform and manager arrangements, with an emphasis on inter-affiliate integration and oversight.

Lemond Ponton is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 13 years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at Merrill Lynch, AXA Advisors, Northwestern Mutual, MassMutual Life Insurance, and MML Investors Services. He is co-founder and owner of Cardinal Mays Advisors & Associates LLC and Cardinal Mays LLC, entities involved in financial services and insurance agent development. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and unified managed accounts through a large network of representatives. The firm operates at scale, managing approximately $29.2 billion and serving close to 300,000 clients.

Keith Eason is a CFP®-credentialed financial advisor with 18 years of industry experience. He is currently with Valic Financial Advisors in Atlanta, GA, where he has worked since 2014, and also holds a role with Agia involving non-securities insurance products. Prior to Valic, he was associated with Pro Labor Services starting in 2013. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models to construct client portfolios.

Kary Brownlee is a financial advisor with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 24 years of industry experience. He has worked with LPL Financial since 2012 and Independent Financial Partners from 2012 to 2019. Outside of his advisory work, Brownlee has served as a youth soccer referee for local clubs. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base, including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans, offering asset management, financial planning, and retirement consulting. The firm utilizes a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary management strategies supported by technology platforms and operates a network model with connections to LPL Financial and third-party estate-planning resources.

George Bellucci is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with over 31 years of industry experience. He currently works at Osaic Advisory Services, LLC and has previously been affiliated with American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc., Hartford Equity Sales Company Inc., and Phoenix Home Life. In addition to his advisory role, he is president of Bellucci Insurance Brokerage, a sole proprietorship specializing in casualty and property insurance. Osaic Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm provides comprehensive investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and related services through multiple program models and a combination of proprietary and third-party platforms.

Ariel Gibson is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with seven years of industry experience currently serving at Valic Financial Advisors. Prior to joining Valic, Gibson worked at Edward Jones and Jason Riner State Farm. Outside of financial advising, Gibson has been a consultant for Pampered Chef, selling kitchenware products. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves individual investors in the U.S., including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet UMA models for portfolio construction and management.

Gary Holcombe is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 42 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Independent Financial Partners. He has previously worked with LPL Financial and IFP Securities, LLC. Holcombe serves on the board of a local office park association and is involved in non-variable insurance sales. Independent Financial Partners provides investment advisory, financial planning, trust, and retirement-plan services through a nationwide network of independent advisers. The firm offers a decentralized advisory model with a focus on retirement-plan consulting and compliance with Department of Labor rollover guidance.