John Rickelton is a financial advisor with Equity Services, Inc. in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and over 40 years of industry experience. He has been with Equity Services, Inc. and National Life of Vermont since 1985. Outside of his primary advisory work, he consults with business owners on buy/sell agreements through his sole proprietorship, Rickelton & Associates. Equity Services, Inc., operating as ESI Financial Advisors, provides financial planning, consulting, and asset management services to individuals, corporations, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm offers multiple advisory platforms utilizing third-party asset managers and model portfolios, combining long-term strategies with options for shorter-term trading.

Graham Wilson is a CFP® and ChFC® with 42 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network and serves as President and Owner of Sterling Financial Group, Inc., a private entity involved in securities, advisory, and insurance business. His prior experience includes roles at Lincoln Investment and Capital Analysts, Incorporated. Commonwealth Financial Network is a national registered investment adviser supporting approximately 2,950 advisors and their clients with a range of advisory programs, investment management, and practice-management services. The firm offers discretionary model portfolios, personalized indexing options, and multiple program structures, while providing operational and compliance support to affiliated advisors.

Thomas Farmer is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 19 years of experience in the financial advisory industry. He has worked at Corient and its affiliated entities since 2016, including roles at Ci Brightworth and CIPW Service Company, LLC. Farmer is based in Charlotte, NC. 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 uses a goals-based, team investment approach that integrates proprietary strategies with third-party managers and employs risk management tools to align portfolios with client objectives.

Travis Aiken Jr. is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding Series 65 and Series 63 credentials and five years of industry experience. His career includes roles at LPL Financial, Wells Fargo, and First Citizens Bank. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporations, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, using a blend of discretionary and non-discretionary manager relationships supported by AI-enabled research and extensive inter-affiliate integration.

Joseph Vaughn is a financial advisor with Guardian Life in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and three years of industry experience. Prior to joining Guardian Life in 2026, he worked at LPL Financial from 2023 to 2026. Guardian Life’s subsidiary, Park Avenue® Wealth Management, serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients by providing brokerage services, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and a range of investment advisory programs.

Nicholas Todd is a financial advisor at Primerica Advisors with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Park Avenue Securities and Guardian Life Insurance. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in community activities such as organizing basketball lessons, serving as a networking chair for the Charlotte Clemson Club Board, and participating on the boards of local professional networking groups. Park Avenue Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base, offering brokerage and advisory services along with financial planning and retirement-plan consulting. The firm employs a variety of investment strategies through proprietary and third-party portfolios and supports both discretionary and non-discretionary account management.

Megan Payton is a financial advisor at Rockefeller Capital Management with four years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Merrill and Bank of America. Rockefeller Capital Management is an enterprise firm with 157 advisors.

Nicole Cope is a financial advisor at Schwab Wealth Advisory with 21 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Charles Schwab, Ally Invest Advisors, Ally Invest Securities, and TD Ameritrade. Schwab Wealth Advisory, Inc. provides non-discretionary fiduciary investment advice through the Schwab Wealth Advisory program, offering financial reviews, retirement planning, and investment recommendations using Schwab's research tools and asset allocation models. The firm operates as an internal advisory unit within the Schwab ecosystem and does not charge clients directly for advisory services.

Patrick Bobbins is a financial advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC, holding Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 19 years of industry experience. He has worked at firms including Cetera Advisor Networks and LPL Financial. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services provides financial planning, asset management, retirement-plan consulting, and referrals for individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages over $122 billion in assets and employs a diversified investment process that combines passive and active managers with quantitative, momentum, and fundamental analysis.

Benjamin Thomas is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Monroe, NC. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has six years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked at Wells Fargo Clearing Services for seven years and was employed at Combine Academy for three years. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation, investment policy analysis, fiduciary support, and a manager-selection program that combines discretionary and non-discretionary approaches with oversight from an Equity Research team utilizing AI-enabled tools.

Stuart Moffitt is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with three years of industry experience, currently serving at Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. His career includes roles at multiple Bankers Life entities since 2020 and prior work with the YMCA of Greensboro. Outside of advisory services, he is a licensed agent with Bankers Life & Casualty, involved in Medicare, long-term care, life insurance, and annuity sales. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser that serves 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 aligned with clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Christopher Garrett is a CFP® with 11 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently an advisor at Creative Planning and has previously worked at TMF Investments, Motley Fool Wealth Management, and The Vanguard Group. Garrett holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $217 billion in assets and employs a financial planning-led investment approach that emphasizes low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supplemented by advanced portfolio techniques and a range of retirement plan services.

Michael Jones is a financial advisor at Brookstone Capital Management LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 66 license with 14 years of industry experience. He has been affiliated with APR Financial LLC since 2011, where he operates an LLC that brokers life and health insurance, annuity products, and provides services related to Medicare, long-term care insurance, and 401(k) rollovers. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser offering fee-based asset management and financial planning through a turnkey asset management platform and wrap-fee program. The firm serves a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, charitable organizations, other RIAs, sovereign wealth funds, and banking institutions.

Roy Blakeburn is a financial advisor with The Huntington Investment Company in Charlotte, NC. He holds a Series 66 designation and has four years of industry experience. His prior work includes positions at Ameriprise Financial Services, Wells Fargo Clearing, and Wells Fargo Bank. The Huntington Investment Company, operating as Huntington Financial Advisors, serves individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities with advisory and brokerage services. The firm employs an open-architecture investment model incorporating third-party and proprietary strategies across multiple wrap-fee programs.

Jane Morris is a financial advisor at Rockefeller Financial LLC with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. She has worked at Rockefeller Financial since 2024 and previously attended Wofford College and Waccamaw High School. Rockefeller Financial LLC serves high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, family offices, institutional clients, retirement plans, foundations, and corporations. The firm offers a range of portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services, and operates as a registered broker-dealer providing securities transactions, variable insurance products, and investment banking services through a Private Advisor model and a consolidated investment platform.

James Stroupe is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 16 years of industry experience. He is currently with The Huntington Investment Company and Huntington National Bank, having previously worked at Truist Investment Services, SunTrust Investment Services, and BB&T Bank. The Huntington Investment Company serves individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities with advisory and brokerage services. The firm offers a range of wrap-fee programs using an open-architecture model that combines third-party sub-managers and affiliate private bank models, with portfolio management and custodial services delivered through National Financial Services.

Roger Judy is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 31 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA and its affiliated entities since 2004. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as chair of the Investment Committee at St. Margarets Episcopal Church and is a managing partner in a family investment LLC. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with pre-existing retirement plan relationships. The firm’s advisory model distinguishes between one-time planning services and ongoing discretionary management, employing both model and customized portfolios.

Grant Goodwin is a financial advisor with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC and LPL Financial, holding Series 65 and Series 66 credentials and 24 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Bank of America and Merrill Lynch. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans, offering asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a network model of advisory representatives and utilizes various portfolio management strategies and technology platforms to support client services.

Thomas Hicks II is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Janney Montgomery Scott since 2021, following tenures at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Advisors LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a director of sponsorship for the Athletic Booster Club at Catawba Ridge High School and is a personnel committee member at Sharon Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC. 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 diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, corporate and retirement plans, and offers a range of brokerage, financial planning, and advisory services supported by in-house and third-party portfolio management.

Andrea Hargette is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. based in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations with seven years of industry experience. She has been with Fifth Third Securities since 2018 and has worked at Fifth Third Bank since 2008. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. provides brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and institutional investors. The firm offers multiple discretionary managed-account programs combining third-party portfolio managers, strategist portfolios, and advisor-managed sleeves, with features such as direct indexing and a tax-overlay service.