Walter Bahr is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with 16 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at World Trends Wealth Management, LLC, an independent registered investment adviser based in Waxhaw, NC. Bahr has worked with World Trends Wealth Management since 2013 and has prior experience with World Trends Capital and Euro Pacific Capital, Inc. He holds a doctoral degree in chiropractic. World Trends Wealth Management serves a small number of primarily individual clients, focusing on personalized portfolio management and financial planning for about a dozen households with approximately $9 million in assets under management. The firm emphasizes direct client relationships and offers both advisory services and sales of other financial products.

Jacqueline Williams is a financial advisor at Felicity Financial LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials with three years of industry experience. Her previous roles include positions at The Vanguard Group and Huntington National Bank. Outside of advisory work, she is involved in tax preparation consulting and owns an independent publishing company. Felicity Financial LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, foundations, and corporations. The firm follows a holistic, goals-based approach emphasizing long-term strategies with tactical adjustments and offers discretionary portfolio management as well as educational offerings.

Alan Simpson, Jr. is a financial advisor with Colville Wealth Advisory, LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and 24 years of industry experience. Prior to founding his current firm in 2018, he worked at Signator Investors, Inc. and also operates a sole proprietorship CPA practice providing tax and business advisory services. He is additionally involved in a real estate brokerage as a sole proprietor and realtor. Colville Wealth Advisory is a small independent firm managing approximately $25.7 million for around 30 clients, including individuals, high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, and corporations. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management and limited financial planning, constructing portfolios primarily with mutual funds, ETFs, and select individual securities using fundamental analysis and a mix of strategies.

Bradford Russell is the sole advisor at Chevron Financial in Pineville, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with three years of industry experience. He has been self-employed since 2009 and also works as a licensed insurance broker. Chevron Financial is an independent investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, and corporate entities with portfolio management and financial planning services. The firm employs a goals-based investment process that incorporates strategic and tactical portfolio construction, primarily recommending ETFs and mutual funds, while also providing access to model portfolios on a recommended custody platform.

Timothy Dukes is the sole advisor at Dukes Financial Group, LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 22 years of industry experience. He has worked with various insurance carriers since 2003 and has led Dukes Financial Group since 2009. Dukes Financial Group provides investment supervisory services and financial planning primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients, using a long-term, asset-class driven approach with a focus on non-discretionary management and in-house asset oversight. The firm prepares individualized Investment Policy Statements and offers fixed-fee financial planning, managing approximately 20 client relationships.

James Harper is the sole advisor at Harper Capital Partners in Charlotte, NC. He holds a Series 65 designation and has 23 years of industry experience. He has been with Harper Capital Partners since 1999. Harper Capital Partners provides discretionary wealth and portfolio management services to high-net-worth individuals, families, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm employs an opportunistic investment approach that combines fundamental and technical analysis across a broad range of instruments, tailoring portfolios to clients’ risk tolerance and financial needs.

Bradley Kucharo is a CFP® professional and financial advisor with eight years of industry experience. He is the founder of Kucharo Wealth, an independent firm based in Charlotte, NC. His prior experience includes roles at THE Vanguard Group, Brightworth, and JOHN K. McGILL & COMPANY. Kucharo Wealth provides investment management, financial planning, retirement plan advisory, and educational seminars to individuals, small businesses, and pension or profit-sharing plans. The firm employs asset-allocation strategies based on modern portfolio theory, using both passive and active investment vehicles, and offers client education through public and organizational seminars, delivered virtually or in person.

Carson McLean, CFP®, is the founder of Altruist Wealth Management, a flat-fee, fee-only fiduciary firm serving clients nationwide. With over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry, Carson is committed to helping individuals and families navigate financial complexity with transparent, fiduciary advice—free from the constraints of traditional asset-based fees. Before founding Altruist Wealth Management, Carson was a Regional Director at Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA), where he partnered with fiduciary wealth management firms to implement evidence-based investment strategies and enhance their financial planning practices. His approach prioritizes financial independence, tax-efficient strategies, and personalized, goals-based planning tailored to each client’s needs. Carson lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife, Ellen, and their four children—Davy, Frank, Lewis, and Margot. As a parent of child loss, he is deeply committed to advocacy and research for Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC). He serves as president of Frank McLean Forever, a nonprofit dedicated to his son’s legacy, and sits on the board of directors for the SUDC Foundation. Carson holds a BA from Loyola University Chicago and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He completed his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ education at Wake Forest University.

Scott Daily is the sole advisor at SCD Capital, Inc. in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 31 years of industry experience. He has led SCD Capital since 2009. SCD Capital provides discretionary investment management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and related entities, including management of a private pooled investment vehicle. The firm uses a top-down investment approach combining technical charting, cyclical analysis, and fundamental research, with the ability to hold long and short positions across various securities and implement option strategies tailored to client objectives.

Yash Deshpande is a financial advisor at Aureus Capital in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with four years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at Experis US Inc., Digital Intelligence Systems, LLC, Belk, Inc., and Walmart Inc. Aureus Capital is an independent firm providing discretionary portfolio management and financial planning primarily for individual clients, high-net-worth individuals, and trusts. The firm employs a combination of fundamental and technical analysis, incorporating options strategies and margin usage within a long-term, income-oriented approach tailored to each client’s goals and risk tolerance.

Melissa Miller is a financial advisor at Miller Wealth Partners with 10 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Kingswood Capital Partners, Blueprint Financial Advisors, and Cambridge Investment Research. Miller serves as Vice Chair and Finance Committee Member for The Parkinson Association of the Carolinas. Miller Wealth Partners provides discretionary investment management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, non-profits, small businesses, and estates. The firm employs a process combining fundamental and technical analysis with modern portfolio theory and also offers retirement plan advisory services.

Most of my clients are corporate professionals and families between 30 and 55 who have built a successful career and are starting to ask a different question: what should that success actually make possible? Sometimes the answer is stepping away for a while to care for a child or a parent. Sometimes it is a sabbatical, a pivot into a different field, or a business of their own. Sometimes it is staying exactly where they are and continuing to work because they want to, not because they have to. Different answers, same work underneath: figuring out what your version would require, and building toward it on purpose rather than by default. That work usually starts at a specific moment. Equity comp that quietly became a concentrated position. A promotion that changed the tax picture and the hours. A package with a short window on it. A parent who needs help the same year tuition starts. Those decisions either build optionality or spend it, and most get made in the first ninety days without anyone pricing the tradeoff. I spent more than two decades in wealth management at large banks before starting Present Day. I am working through a version of this myself: raising a family, helping parents, and deciding what comes after a long corporate chapter. I hold the CFP® certification, studied economics and psychology at UNC–Chapel Hill, and have an MBA from Duke. You can hire me for planning and advice, have me manage the investments, or take what we build and implement it yourself. There is no investable-asset minimum. Fees are flat-dollar or asset-based and disclosed in writing before any engagement begins.

Andrew Jones is a CFP® professional with 19 years of industry experience, operating through Jones Gregg Financial, LLC in Charlotte, NC. He has been with Jones Gregg Financial since 2005 and also manages AENJ, LLC. Jones Gregg Financial provides financial planning, consulting, and portfolio management services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as defined contribution and benefit plans and business entities. The firm utilizes a combination of charting, fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary investment advice tailored to client needs.

Trista Holwager is the sole advisor at KubiTree LLC and holds a Series 65 designation. She has no prior experience in the financial advisory industry but has been the Broker-in-Charge at Tree Realty LLC since 2003. KubiTree LLC provides non-discretionary investment advisory and financial planning services to individual clients without account minimums. The firm focuses on ETFs and digital assets, using a combination of fundamental, technical, quantitative, and cyclical analysis to support various trading strategies, while leaving trade execution decisions to clients.

Kathy Stanley is the founder and sole advisor of Sentry Consulting, Inc. in Charlotte, NC, with 24 years of industry experience. She holds the CFP® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. In addition to her advisory role, she maintains active life, long-term care insurance, and real estate broker licenses, which she uses to assist clients with related discussions. Sentry Consulting serves individual clients across various life stages, providing personal financial planning and investment management on a project or ongoing basis. The firm emphasizes appropriate asset allocation, limited trading to manage tax and transaction costs, and discretionary portfolio management.

Thomas Alvis III is a financial advisor with Elevated Performance Investment Group, LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 65 designation and 10 years of industry experience. He is also CEO of Elevated Financial & Tax, LLC, a tax preparation firm, which he has led since 2015. His prior roles include positions at Foundations Investment Advisors, LLC, Gradient Investments, LLC, and Rick Barnett Financial Group Inc. Elevated Performance Investment Group primarily operates as a referral and advisory intermediary, connecting clients to third-party managers and offering financial planning, consulting, and ERISA 3(21) retirement-plan advisory support. The firm provides educational seminars and sources investment solutions through platforms like AssetMark and selected external managers.

Richard Heckard is a financial advisor with Osaic Wealth, Inc. based in Rock Hill, SC, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. His prior work includes over a decade at FSC Securities Corporation and ongoing roles with Continuum Capital Advisory, LLC and Heckard Financial Services. He serves as president of a nonprofit focused on financial education and is a board member of Westminster Towers and the York County Natural Gas Authority. OSAIC is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and nonprofits. The firm employs a technology-driven investment process and offers a wide range of advisory programs and third-party manager access through a large network of financial advisors.

Darrin Leaks is a financial advisor at TierOne Capital, LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with two years of industry experience. He previously worked at Bank of America Corporation for 21 years. TierOne Capital provides financial planning, investment management, and tax preparation services to a diverse range of clients, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm emphasizes individualized investment programs that combine active and passive strategies with tax considerations and integrates tax planning and return preparation alongside investment advice.

John Patterson is a financial advisor with Michelangelo Partners, LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Michelangelo Partners since 2011. Michelangelo Partners provides ongoing portfolio management and investment supervisory services to individual and high-net-worth clients, focusing on equities, fixed income, ETFs, and government securities. The firm employs a combination of charting, fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, applying both long-term and short-term trading strategies, including options writing, with portfolios constructed and monitored according to documented risk tolerances and time horizons.

Aaron Finch is the principal of Oakley Financial LLC in Fort Mill, SC, with 20 years of industry experience. He holds Series 66 and Series 65 licenses and has worked previously at Voya Financial Partners and operated as a sole proprietor since 2003. Finch is also involved in fixed insurance sales as an insurance agent. Oakley Financial LLC provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and employer-sponsored plans. The firm offers tailored investment strategies and serves as an ERISA 3(21) or 3(38) advisor, focusing primarily on retirement plan advisory and consulting roles.