Abraham Gonzalez is a financial advisor at Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at LPL Financial, LLC for 10 years before joining Steward Partners in 2023. Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC is an enterprise-scale SEC-registered RIA managing approximately $36.7 billion in regulatory assets. The firm serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as pension plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations, offering a range of investment advisory and financial planning services.

Timothy Portelance is a financial advisor with Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and bringing 34 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Raymond James Financial Services and Edward Jones. Outside of advising, he serves as president of the Peninsula at Lake James Property Owners Association. Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise-scale RIA managing approximately $36.7 billion in assets. The firm serves a broad client base including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, offering advisory services that include discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and pension consulting.

Jordan Hamilton is a financial advisor with Brookstone Capital Management LLC in Charlotte, NC. He holds a Series 65 designation and has experience working at AmeriLife of North Carolina and FedEx Freight. Brookstone Capital Management provides fee-based asset management and financial planning to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, and other business entities. The firm employs a range of investment strategies including strategic and dynamic asset allocation models, Unified Managed Accounts, and a mix of ETFs, mutual funds, individual securities, and options-enhanced strategies.

Shamecia Carter is a Series 66-registered advisor with Truist Advisory Services, based in Charlotte, NC. She has four years of industry experience and has worked at Truist Advisory Services and Truist Investment Services since 2024, following prior roles at Bank of America, Merrill, and Wells Fargo Clearing. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation and investment policy analysis, fiduciary support, and a manager‑selection program that employs both discretionary and non‑discretionary approaches supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Jordon Accetta is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) in Rock Hill, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and having eight years of industry experience. He is also the owner of 1852 Financial Group LLC, where he brokers non-registered insurance products and sells New York Life products and services. His prior work includes roles at NYLIFE Securities LLC and New York Life Insurance Company. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse range of individual and institutional clients, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services through a large network of affiliated representatives. The firm emphasizes tailored recommendations and manages the majority of its assets on a non-discretionary basis, often working with institutional plan sponsors within the New York Life affiliate structure.

Rick Burger is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors based in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 14 years of industry experience. He has worked with Park Avenue Securities and Guardian since 2015. In addition to his advisory work, he serves as a successor executor for friends and holds power of attorney for his wife. Park Avenue Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base, offering both transaction-based brokerage and fee-based advisory services, including financial planning and retirement-plan consulting. The firm employs a range of investment strategies through proprietary and third-party portfolios and supports various account-level services such as lending solutions and donor-advised funds.

George Estes Jr. is a financial advisor at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Mercer Global Advisors since 2016. Outside of advisory services, he is co-owner and vice president of a company in Columbia, SC. Mercer Global Advisors serves individuals, families, small business owners, plan sponsors, foundations, non-profits, and endowments by providing comprehensive investment advisory, financial, tax, retirement, and estate planning services. The firm employs a globally diversified, risk-appropriate investment approach using low-cost ETFs, index funds, separate account managers, and other vehicles, alongside educational content and integrated affiliated service lines.

Katharine Osborne is a CFP® and ChFC® credentialed advisor at Corient with 21 years of industry experience. She previously worked at RBC Capital Markets for 16 years before joining Corient in 2025. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, and corporate entities. The firm employs a goals-based, team investment approach that integrates in-house strategies with third-party managers and utilizes risk management tools to align portfolios with client objectives.

Lisa Hund is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors and holds the ChFC® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. She has 16 years of industry experience and has worked extensively with Park Avenue Securities and Guardian Life Insurance Company. Outside of her advisory role, she serves on the Board of Trustees for the Rock Hill Elks Lodge 1318, co-chairs its Entertainment Committee, plays trumpet for her church and other congregations, and is a board member of the Carolina Wind Orchestra. Park Avenue Securities LLC serves a diverse retail client base, including individual and high-net-worth investors, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers a range of brokerage and advisory services, utilizing proprietary and third-party investment strategies across various asset classes and account types.

Ernest Ross III is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with 17 years of industry experience. He is currently with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC and LPL Financial, having previously worked at Fifth Third Securities, Bank of America, and Merrill Lynch. His experience spans various roles within financial services in the Charlotte, NC area. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans, providing asset management, financial planning, and retirement consulting services. The firm offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, utilizes multiple investment strategies, and integrates technology platforms to support client asset aggregation and estate planning.

Kenneth Poe Jr. is a CFP® with 19 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Corient. He has held positions at several firms, including McGill Advisors, Ci Brightworth, and CIPW Service Company, LLC, before joining Corient. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, and corporate entities. The firm employs a goals-based, team investment approach that integrates in-house strategies with third-party managers and uses comprehensive risk management tools to align portfolios with client objectives.

Kathryn Hughes is a financial advisor with Guardian Life and Park Avenue Securities, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses. She has seven years of industry experience and has worked for Park Avenue Securities since 2018. In addition to her advisory role, she serves as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst and operates Smart Divorce Decisions, LLC, providing consulting services related to asset distribution during divorce proceedings. Park Avenue Securities LLC, a subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, offers brokerage and advisory services to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm provides a mix of proprietary and third-party investment advisory programs and supports both discretionary and non-discretionary relationships.

Gavin Shuck is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 29 years of industry experience, with prior roles at Bb&T Securities and Scott & Stringfellow. Outside of his advisory work, Shuck serves as board chair for A Better World, Charlotte, a charitable organization focused on supporting at-risk and underprivileged children, and he is a member of the executive committee for the Radford University Davis School of Business Advisory Board. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, employing both discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting supported by third-party platforms and an AI-augmented Equity Research team.

Matthew Dellinger is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. in Charlotte, NC. He holds the Series 66 designation and has experience working with Bankers Life entities since 2025. Prior to his financial services career, he served with the Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Fire Department and worked at Prime Coatings. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. provides discretionary portfolio management and investment consulting primarily to mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals. The firm emphasizes customized asset allocation, tax efficiency, and a combination of fundamental and technical analysis to guide investment decisions.

Alexander Smith is a financial advisor with Equity Services, Inc. (ESI Financial Advisors) in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. He has been with Equity Services since 1994 and has additional tenure at National Life dating back to 1990. Outside of his advisory role, Smith serves as Vice President of the North Carolina Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and is involved in several business ventures, including real estate ownership and insurance sales. Equity Services, Inc. provides financial planning, consulting, and asset management services to a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm offers multiple advisory platforms, frequently utilizing third-party asset managers and model portfolios, combining long-term strategies with options for shorter-term trading and discretionary or non-discretionary management.

William Baylog is a ChFC®-designated financial advisor with 26 years of industry experience. He has worked with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. since 2016 and has been involved with Bankers Life & Casualty since 1996, where he manages agents, managers, and administrators in addition to providing insurance sales and services. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals through discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to tailor asset allocations and portfolio management according to clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Patrick Golden is a financial advisor at &Partners with 26 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations and previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Advisors LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he acts as a power of attorney for his mother and has partial ownership of an investment-related LLC with his spouse. &Partners serves a diverse range of clients, including high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers investment management and financial planning services, utilizing a combination of proprietary and third-party strategies on both discretionary and non-discretionary bases.

John Moore is a financial advisor at Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Charlotte, NC, with two years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has been affiliated with New York Life companies and Eagle Strategies since 2023. Outside of his advisory role, Moore is a freelance musician and serves as a board member for a local business referral group. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutional investors, and plan sponsors, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services through a large network of affiliated representatives. The firm emphasizes tailored recommendations and manages a substantial portion of its assets on a non-discretionary basis.

Neal Patel is a financial advisor with Guardian Life and holds a Series 66 designation. He has one year of experience as an advisor, currently with Park Avenue Securities since 2026. Prior to his advisory role, he worked in legal services at Egenberg Trial Lawyers and in operations with the New Orleans Pelicans and New Orleans Saints. Park Avenue Securities LLC operates as Park Avenue® Wealth Management, a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients with a range of financial planning and investment advisory services.

Christopher Sotardi is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 11 years of industry experience. He has worked with Bankers Life since 2007 and Bankers Life Securities, Inc. since 2016. In addition to his advisory role, he serves as a Unit Field Trainer at Bankers Life & Casualty, recruiting and training insurance agents. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals through discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan consulting. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to tailor asset allocations and manages portfolios with a focus on clients’ goals and risk tolerances.