Leslie Gaddis is a CFP® professional with seven years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network in Durham, NC. Gaddis has worked at Commonwealth Financial Network and Lifetime Asset Management since 2018. Outside of advisory services, Gaddis co-owns LifeTime Tax Management, LLC, a firm providing tax preparation services. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their clients. The firm offers various advisory programs and supports affiliated advisors with operations, technology, investment management, and compliance services.

Jacob Hollifield is a financial advisor with Fifth Third Securities, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having two years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Fifth Third Bank, Best Buy, Yogurt Mountain, and North Carolina State University. Outside of his advisory work, he engages in freelance photography. Fifth Third Securities serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional entities through investment advisory and brokerage services. The firm offers access to a variety of managed account programs via the Passageway platform, combining third-party portfolio management with customizable investment strategies.

Philip Shelton is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with one year of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Edward Jones. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to certain IRA and retail brokerage account holders. The firm integrates its services with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, offering point-in-time financial plans and optional managed account solutions.

Debra Allen is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with 22 years of industry experience. She has worked at First Citizens Investor Services since 2004 and at First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company since 2003. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm employs a client-focused process using fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to manage portfolios across various asset classes.

Michael Palczuk is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Principal Financial Services in Raleigh, NC, having 24 years of industry experience. He has worked at Principal Securities Inc. since 2016 and at Principal Life Insurance Company since 2014. Outside of his advisory role, Palczuk serves on the finance and fundraising committees at St. Catherine of Siena Church and provides firearms training through the MakeReady Firearms Training Academy. Principal Securities offers brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and military personnel abroad. The firm provides financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager programs under various advisory and promoter arrangements.

Lang Mac Bain is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials with nine years of industry experience. He has been with First Citizens Investor Services and First Citizens Bank since 2016. First Citizens Investor Services serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, utilizing fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to manage diversified portfolios across multiple asset classes.

Tabitha Concepcion is a CFP®-credentialed financial advisor with 12 years of industry experience, currently with Truist Advisory Services. Her career includes roles at Truist Investment Services and BB&T affiliates dating back to 2013. Outside of her advisory work, she co-owns Red Barn Naturals, a farm producing natural personal care products from dairy goat milk, and owns The Homestead, an agricultural business. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation, fiduciary support, and manager selection programs, utilizing a mix of discretionary and non-discretionary strategies with integration across affiliated entities.

George Fotiou is a financial advisor at AE Wealth Management, LLC with a Series 65 designation and one year of industry experience. He has prior experience as owner and CEO of Limani Insurance, LLC and People First Retirements, LLC, where he was involved in insurance sales and services. AE Wealth Management provides fee-based portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, trusts, and ERISA plan sponsors. The firm relies on discretionary model portfolios and supports third-party RIAs with sub-advisory and model-licensing arrangements.

John Vagianos Jr. is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 18 years of industry experience, currently with Creative Planning since 2018. Prior to that, he worked at Scottrade for four years. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and is based in Raleigh, NC. Creative Planning provides comprehensive investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm emphasizes a financial planning–led investment process that incorporates low-cost indexing, buy-and-hold strategies, and supplemental approaches such as direct indexing and tax-loss harvesting, supported by a broad advisory team and integrated investment infrastructure.

Zachary Carver is a CFP® professional with four years of industry experience, currently advising at Cerity Partners LLC since 2025. He previously worked at Cook Wealth Management Group, LLC for five years and held roles at TRP Sumner PLLC, Petway Mills & Pearson PA, and Bunch & Company, LLP. Cerity Partners provides customized wealth management and related services to a broad national client base, including individuals, families, trusts, estates, business entities, and institutional investors. The firm employs tailored asset allocation, manager selection, and periodic rebalancing using proprietary quantitative screens combined with third-party managers and individual securities, and also operates multiple private-market offerings and affiliated business units.

Iantha Wortman is a Series 66-registered financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, based in Durham, NC. She has two years of industry experience and has previously worked at Equitable Advisors LLC and Lighthouse Lending. 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 combines discretionary and non-discretionary approaches, supported by AI-enabled research and inter-affiliate integration.

Thomas Beck is a financial advisor with Janney Montgomery Scott in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked at Janney Montgomery Scott, LLC for 10 years and has also been involved with the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and Raleigh Parks & Recreation/Raleigh Aquatics. Outside of finance, he operates a freelance photography business and serves as a board member for the Raleigh Area Masters swim team, in addition to contributing as a photographer and blogger for a local live music website. 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 clientele including individuals, families, trusts, estates, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, and municipal clients, offering a range of brokerage, financial planning, and advisory services with a combination of in-house and third-party portfolio management.

Julie Carroll is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 23 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations. In addition to her advisory role, she serves as a co-trustee of a family trust in Warsaw, North Carolina. Janney Montgomery Scott is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves individuals, families, trusts, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, and other entities, offering brokerage services, financial planning, and multiple advisory programs.

Nicholas Creekmore is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with two years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at Janney since 2020. Prior to this, he was employed at MORSCO and East Carolina University. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves individuals, families, trusts, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and municipal clients, offering a range of brokerage, financial planning, and advisory services.

Noah Gear is a CFP® professional with five years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Kestra Advisory. His prior roles include positions at Bank of America and Merrill. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to institutional and individual clients, offering fiduciary consulting, plan design, compliance testing, and advisor-managed accounts. The firm serves large institutional investors, including sovereign wealth funds, and utilizes multiple management platforms and third-party solutions within its supervisory framework.

Alan King is a CFP® professional with nine years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Commonwealth Financial Network since 2015. He is also co-owner of LifeTime Asset Management, a private entity involved in securities, advisory, and insurance business, and LifeTime Tax Management, which focuses on tax services. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser supporting a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors with a range of advisory programs and services, including wealth management and retirement plan consulting. The firm provides operational, trading, technology, compliance, and practice-management support while offering advisors discretion in portfolio construction and access to proprietary model portfolios.

Jeffrey Thompson is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 19 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2014. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm operates a vertically integrated advisory model that includes both point-in-time planning and ongoing discretionary management under a fiduciary standard.

Dan Thomason III is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 21 years of industry experience. He has been with First Citizens Investor Services since 2005. Outside of his advisory role, he owns several rental properties in North Carolina, which are managed by third parties. First Citizens Investor Services provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm utilizes a comprehensive client assessment process and a mix of fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to guide investment allocations across various asset classes.

Salvatore Bottone is a CFP® and Series 66-licensed financial advisor with three years of industry experience, currently with Janney Montgomery Scott in Raleigh, NC. His prior experience includes roles at George Pickett & Associates and various other positions before joining Janney. Outside of advising, he serves as the head JV men's soccer coach and assistant varsity coach at Cardinal Gibbons High School. 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 broad range of clients, including individuals, families, trusts, corporate sponsors, and municipal clients, providing investment advice through in-house and third-party managers across multiple advisory programs.

Michelle Mcnamara is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with five years of industry experience. She is currently an advisor at Truist Advisory Services, where she has worked since 2025. Her prior experience includes roles at BB&T-Truist, Lincoln Investments, and Fidelity Capital Management. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships with non-discretionary consulting and employs AI-enabled tools alongside traditional research to support its investment decisions.