Gordon Grimes II is a CFP® with 21 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services since 2021. He previously worked with SunTrust Advisory Services and SunTrust Investment Services from 2005 through 2021. Outside of his advisory role, he owns and manages a second home rental property in Ocean Isle Beach, NC. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a mix of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting. The firm integrates inter-affiliate resources and employs AI-enabled tools to support investment research and manager selection.

Thomas Schaffer is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (New York Life) in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials with 18 years of industry experience. He has been affiliated with New York Life Insurance Co. since 2007 and has operated Transitions Financial Strategies, LLC since 2014. Schaffer serves as a board member of the Financial Planning Association of the Triangle and the XPX of the Triangle, local professional organizations related to financial planning and business succession. Eagle Strategies provides financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base that includes individual investors, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm emphasizes tailored advice and primarily manages assets on a non-discretionary basis within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Michael Uhland is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with seven years of industry experience. He has worked at Janney Montgomery Scott and its affiliated entities since 2019, following over a decade at Investors Title Insurance Company. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a wide range of clients, including individuals, families, trusts, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, and municipal clients, offering brokerage, financial planning, consulting, and advisory services.

Stanley Godwin is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 19 years of industry experience. His career includes tenures at Merrill and Bank of America, N.A. prior to joining First Citizens in 2016. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm employs a client-centered process led by Investment Adviser Representatives that incorporates fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis across a range of investment products and offers services such as portfolio management, tax-aware strategies, and financial planning.

Jocelyn Mc Bride is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with eight years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked with Truist Advisory Services and Truist Investment Services since 2021, following prior roles at BB&T and Bbtis. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporations, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation, fiduciary support, and third-party manager selection through its AMC Advantage program, utilizing a combination of discretionary management and non-discretionary consulting supported by AI-enabled research tools and inter-affiliate integration.

Martin Green Jr. is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 36 years of industry experience. He has worked with Eagle Strategies since 2016 and has affiliations with Nylife Securities LLC and New York Life Insurance Company dating back to 1990. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved as a partner in two real estate partnerships in Raleigh. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individual investors and institutional sponsors, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm emphasizes tailored recommendations and manages the large majority of its assets on a non-discretionary basis.

David Castro is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 designation with 15 years of industry experience. He is currently with Focus Partners Wealth, LLC and has previously worked at Goldman Sachs Wealth Services, Kovitz Investment Group Partners, and other firms. Focus Partners serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients with wealth management and advisory services. The firm employs an enhanced open architecture investment approach combining active and passive strategies, third-party managers, and private funds, and offers services including financial planning, retirement consulting, and access to affiliated private funds.

Michelle Disney is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 19 years of experience in the financial services industry. She has worked at Allworth Financial since 2022, following previous roles at Adams Chetwood Wealth Management, Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, and Wells Fargo Clearing. Allworth Financial serves individual and high-net-worth investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, corporations, and charitable organizations, offering financial and wealth planning, portfolio management, retirement plan consulting, and variable annuity sub-account servicing. The firm uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis through an Investment Committee to implement customized investment strategies across various asset classes and offers specialized portfolios, alongside educational resources such as newsletters, podcasts, and seminars.

Mark Nachimson is a CFP® professional with 25 years of industry experience, currently serving at VALIC Financial Advisors since 2004. He also holds a role with Agia, focusing on non-securities insurance products. Nachimson is a limited partner in a family limited partnership established for estate planning purposes. VALIC Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, along with corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, employing Envestnet-developed UMA models for portfolio construction.

Kristin Ezzell is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. She has worked within the Truist organization since 2021 across various affiliated entities. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary and non-discretionary approaches, utilizing third-party platforms and manager relationships, supported by AI-enabled research and inter-affiliate integration.

Jonathan Ludwig is a financial advisor at United Planners Financial Services of America and holds a Series 65 credential. He has one year of advisory experience and previously worked at Accenture Federal Services as a Growth & Strategy Manager. United Planners Financial Services is a national wealth-management enterprise serving a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm delivers advisory and brokerage services through independent representatives and employs a combination of custodians, third-party managers, and platform programs to implement client strategies.

Rajesh Chundi is a financial advisor at Transamerica Financial Advisors with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Change Healthcare Inc. and Optum Services Inc. Outside of advising, he serves as a database administrator for the Orange Water and Sewer Authority and operates Chundi Financial Services, LLC. Transamerica Financial Advisors provides investment advisory, brokerage, and retirement-plan services to a diverse client base, utilizing model portfolios and third-party managers across multiple platforms such as Transamerica ONE and the TFA365 Advisory Program.

Henry Dunbar Jr. is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 65 credential with 23 years of industry experience. He has worked at First Citizens Bank and First Citizens Investor Services since 2014. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate/business entities. The firm employs a client process centered on financial needs assessments and uses a combination of fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to manage portfolios across various asset classes.

Sarah Hickey is a Planning Consultant at Fidelity Investments, a role she has held since 2023. She has accumulated over a decade of experience in financial services, working in various capacities including service management, investment solutions, and client relationship management. Her professional background includes positions at RBC Wealth Management, Fidelity Investments, Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, J.P. Morgan Wealth Management, and Barclays Wealth. Throughout her career, she has focused on understanding clients' unique needs and circumstances to develop financial plans that align with their goals and values. Outside of her professional work, Sarah has interests in art, food, parenthood, and yoga.

Jacob Niles is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with two years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Raleigh Capital Management and Fidelity Investments. Outside of advisory work, he is also an insurance agent with Raleigh Wealth Solutions. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and retail brokerage clients. The firm uses an integrated model tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms and focuses on long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing.

Noah Fitzgerald is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with TLG Advisors, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, with four years of industry experience. Prior to joining TLG Advisors, he held roles at The Leaders Group Inc, MWA Financial Services Inc, and Modern Woodmen of America. Outside of advising, he is involved as a junior varsity offensive line football coach at Cardinal Gibbons High School. TLG Advisors, Inc. serves a wide range of clients including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and institutional investors. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes manager selection, fundamental analysis, and portfolio diversification, offering both sub-advisor managed accounts and a direct-to-consumer digital program called Starlight Portfolios.

Kelly Sullivan is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 28 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Cuso Financial Services, LP and Coastal Federal Credit Union. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm’s approach includes fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to guide portfolio allocation, offering a range of services such as managed portfolios, a Guided Investing platform, and tax-aware financial planning.

Joshua Brien is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with 19 years of industry experience. He has been with Janney Montgomery Scott since 2013. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a committee member for BSA Trop 215, participating occasionally in camping trips with the group. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base, including individuals, families, trusts, corporations, and municipal clients, offering brokerage services, financial planning, and advisory programs with a combination of in-house and third-party portfolio management.

Hans Scheil Jr. is a financial advisor with Brookstone Capital Management LLC in Durham, NC. He holds the CFP® and ChFC® designations and has 20 years of industry experience. He is also the CEO of H.E. Scheil & Associates, Inc., an insurance agency based in Durham. Brookstone Capital Management provides fee-based asset management and financial planning to a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and trusts. The firm employs a range of strategic and dynamic asset-allocation models, incorporating proprietary funds and external sub-advisors, while also acting as a sub-advisor to other advisory programs.

James Chetwood III is a CFP® with 21 years of industry experience and is currently affiliated with Allworth Financial, L.P. He has worked at firms including Adams Chetwood Wealth Management, Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, and Wells Fargo Clearing. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as an elder on the board of The Summit Church and is the author of *Retire to the Fullest: Four Dimensions of Financial Peace of Mind*. Allworth Financial provides services to a broad client base, including individual and high-net-worth investors as well as institutions. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan consulting, employing a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis to create customized investment strategies.