Kiara Hackshaw Gary is a Series 66-registered financial advisor with Fifth Third Securities, Inc., based in Mooresville, NC. She has four years of industry experience and has worked with Fifth Third Securities since 2022, following prior roles at Fifth Third Bank and other companies. Outside of her advisory role, she engages in pastry baking as a home-based activity. Fifth Third Securities serves a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional accounts, offering a range of investment advisory and brokerage services through its Passageway Managed Account Program and multiple third-party portfolio managers.

Evangeline Lodwick is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 28 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 credentials. Her prior roles include positions at Valic Financial Advisors, TIAA-CREF, and Encompass Investments. 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 certain retail brokerage account holders. The firm’s services feature an integrated model linked to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, emphasizing long-term portfolio returns and consistent rebalancing within established plan lineups.

Robert Steele is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 27 years of industry experience. He has worked with Truist Advisory Services since 2023 and previously served in related roles at Truist Investment Services, BB&T Securities, and BB&T Investment Services. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors and participants, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supplemented by AI-enabled research tools, and is notable for its integration across affiliated entities and its AMC Advantage manager-selection program.

Kyle Thomas is a financial advisor with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC and holds a Series 66 designation. He has 12 years of industry experience, including prior roles at Bank of America and Merrill from 2014 to 2023. Kyle also operates Founders Private Wealth, LLC, an investment advisory business affiliated with his current firm. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base, including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans, offering asset management, financial planning, wealth coaching, and retirement plan consulting. The firm combines discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management with a technology-driven approach and maintains a unique network model supported by its partial ownership by LPL Financial.

Derek Smith is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services in Mooresville, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. He has been affiliated with Principal Securities Inc since 1993 and with PRINCIPAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY since 1998, and he founded Smith Financial Corporation in 2008. He serves as a board member at large for the South Cove Homeowners' Association. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and active-duty military personnel. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions.

Bruce Putnam is a financial advisor at Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC with 22 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked with LPL Financial since 2011 and Cornerstone Financial Advisors from 2011 to 2018. Beyond his advisory role, he has been involved in mortgage and real estate services and acts as an agent for fixed insurance products. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans. The firm offers asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting through a network of advisory representatives utilizing discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management strategies, supported by technology platforms and a governance model that integrates supervised advisors, sub-advisors, and third-party managers.

Joshua Mcneil is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses, and has six years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at Truist Advisory Services and Truist Investment Services since 2021, as well as previous positions at The Vanguard Group, Northwestern Mutual, and Online Trading Academy. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches, utilizing third-party platforms and manager arrangements to support its investment programs and ongoing due diligence.

Justin Baldwin is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with two years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 credentials. Prior to joining Empower Advisory Group, Baldwin worked at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Bank, NA, and has experience in both educational and retail sectors. 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 certain retail brokerage account holders. The firm’s services are integrated with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms and focus on long-term portfolio returns, annual rebalancing, and clients’ savings rates.

Kimberley Foster is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with Series 63 and Series 65 designations and two years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Fifth Third Securities and Fifth Third Bank, along with experience at New Rez Mortgage and Verizon. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation and investment policy analysis, fiduciary support, and a manager-selection program combining discretionary and non-discretionary approaches, supported by AI-enabled research and inter-affiliate integration.

David Raudman is a CFP® with 25 years of industry experience currently affiliated with Independent Financial Partners in Denver, NC. He has worked at Independent Financial Partners since 2011 and spent eight years with LPL Financial prior to that. Raudman is also involved in the sale of non-variable life insurance and fixed annuities. Independent Financial Partners provides investment advisory, financial planning, trust, and retirement-plan services through a decentralized network of independent Investment Adviser Representatives. The firm supports a multi-advisor platform serving tens of thousands of clients with a notable focus on retirement-plan advisory and pension consulting services.

Bedford Plummer is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with three years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing, Wells Fargo Bank, Truist Bank, CLA USA, and Puritan Financial Group. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, utilizing third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools to support its investment offerings.

Ehrnest Ballagh III is a financial advisor with Private Advisor Group, LLC and holds a Series 66 designation. He has 22 years of industry experience, including roles at LPL Financial, LLC since 2004 and Private Advisor Group since 2015. In addition to his advisory work, he has experience as a CPA, bookkeeper, and tax preparer. Private Advisor Group serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plans by providing discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to various managed account solutions. The firm employs a fiduciary-based advisory model and utilizes multiple investment strategies while offering both proprietary and third-party manager options.

Jaclyn Mcgrew is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. with five years of industry experience. She holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has worked at Fifth Third Securities since 2021 and Fifth Third Bank since 2019. Prior to her financial services career, she was involved with D9 Brewing Company for four years. Fifth Third Securities serves a broad range of individual and institutional clients through investment advisory and brokerage services, offering access to multiple program types and third-party portfolio managers on the Passageway Managed Account platform.

Kate Holton is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. She holds a Series 66 designation and has nine years of industry experience. Kate has been with Bankers Life since 2007 and Bankers Life Securities since 2016. In addition to her advisory role, she serves as a Field Development Manager, training agents and managers on insurance-related topics and products. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. provides discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan consulting primarily to mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals. The firm emphasizes customized asset allocation, tax efficiency, and a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis in its investment approach.

Robert Palmer is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Mooresville, NC, and has 17 years of industry experience. He has been with SunTrust Advisory Services since 2013, including a decade at SunTrust Advisory Services. Outside of his advisory role, he holds a 50% ownership interest in an LLC formed to purchase a rental property in Myrtle Beach. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs both discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled equity research, and integrates closely with affiliated broker-dealer and banking entities.

Austin Smith is a financial advisor at Principal Financial Services with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at American Express and MThree Consulting. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with Smith Financial Corp., which focuses on sales and service of securities and fixed products. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and active-duty military personnel. The firm offers financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions through various advisory and promoter arrangements.

Colby Clark is a financial advisor at Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC with 11 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at several firms, including Aspire Private Capital and LPL Financial. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved as an independent insurance sales agent and has advisory-related activities through C SQUARED CAPITAL LLC. 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 employs a network model combining independent advisory representatives with access to various portfolio management strategies and technology platforms.

Jeffrey Bulger is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Mooresville, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 27 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at BB&T Securities, Bank of America, Merrill, and Banc of America Investment Services. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, offering asset allocation, fiduciary support, and third-party manager selection programs that combine discretionary and non-discretionary approaches.

Angela Lessor is a CFP® with 16 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors. Her prior roles include positions at Journey Strategic Wealth LLC, Bleakley Financial Group LLC, LPL Financial, and Northwestern Mutual Investment Management. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse range of individual and institutional clients, utilizing a multi-manager approach that includes affiliated and third-party managers, with capabilities in discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting.

Mark Sumner is a financial advisor with SPC in Mooresville, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 17 years of industry experience. He has worked at SPC and Parkland Securities LLC since 2020 and previously spent seven years at Securities Service Network, Inc. Sumner is also a licensed insurance agent involved with Sumner Wealth Management, Inc., where he provides life, Medicare Supplement, long-term care, and disability insurance. SPC serves a diverse client base including individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and employer-sponsored retirement plans, managing approximately $5.66 billion in assets. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and ERISA-related retirement plan services, delivering strategies through discretionary and nondiscretionary management options.