Todd Davis is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and bringing 10 years of industry experience. Prior to joining First Citizens in 2025, he worked at Ascensus, LLC for 13 years. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm’s investment approach combines fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to allocate across multiple asset classes, supported by various portfolio management options and financial planning services.

Sandra Russ is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with 20 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network. She has a background that includes ownership and operation of The Russ Agency, Inc., an insurance business based in Granite Falls, NC, where she focused on fixed insurance sales. Her career also includes roles at Lifetime Asset Management, LLC and Allstate Insurance Co. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,900 advisors and hundreds of thousands of clients. The firm offers a comprehensive adviser-support platform with managed-account programs, third-party asset manager access, retirement and plan consulting, and custody/clearing services.

Paul Liebman is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with four years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Truist Investment Services, Fidelity Investments, and several other organizations. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Foundation of Hudson Memorial Presbyterian Church, where he assists with donor relations related to planned giving. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors, participants, and charitable organizations. The firm integrates inter-affiliate resources and employs both discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting supported by AI-enabled research tools.

Vernon Maples is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services in Raleigh, NC, holding the ChFC® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 45 years of industry experience, including over 25 years with Principal Life Insurance Company and a decade with Principal Securities Inc. His background includes work with fixed insurance, fixed life, annuities, disability insurance, and long-term care. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and active-duty military personnel. The firm offers financial planning, retirement consulting, and access to third-party money manager programs through various advisory and promoter arrangements.

Jonathan Wakin is a financial advisor at Principal Financial Services with 11 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has worked at several firms, including First Citizens Investor Services, Park Avenue Securities, and Edward Jones. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and active-duty U.S. military personnel abroad. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager solutions under multiple advisory and promoter arrangements.

Halah Little is a financial advisor at Transamerica Retirement Advisors, LLC with two years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Fidelity Investments and Barings. Transamerica Retirement Advisors serves participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans and IRA owners through managed advice programs and investment education services, utilizing proprietary software and third-party model portfolios to provide both discretionary and non-discretionary investment recommendations.

Devon Blair is a financial advisor at Principal Financial Services with a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Principal, Blair held positions at Thrivent Financial, S&P Global, and Equitable Advisors. Outside of advisory roles, Blair has business experience with Restaurant Applications, LLC and Hamptons Delivery Service, Inc. 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 solutions.

David Elliott is a CFP® with 24 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Clearstead Advisory Solutions. He has also held portfolio management and advisory roles at Wilbanks, Smith & Thomas Asset Management since 2001 and serves as Assistant Vice President at Lafayette Advisor, LLC. Clearstead serves affluent private clients and institutional clients, providing investment management, financial planning, tax planning, family office administration, and institutional consulting services. The firm employs an institutional investment process using mutual funds, ETFs, separately managed accounts, alternative investments, and a proprietary Direct Indexing strategy, and manages approximately $33.9 billion in assets across 59 advisors.

Andrew Sparrow is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has three years of industry experience. He has also worked at First Citizens Bank since 2011. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm employs a client-focused process driven by financial needs assessments and utilizes fundamental, quantitative, and technical analyses in portfolio management across various asset classes.

Blake Gaulden is a CFP®, CFA®, and Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at firms including Ameriprise Financial Services, Lincoln Financial Advisors, and LPL Financial before joining Osaic Advisory Services, LLC. Osaic Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser that serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, charitable organizations, and municipal entities. The firm offers a range of services including investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and third-party manager oversight, with portfolios managed through both proprietary and third-party platforms.

Amy Sharpe Verdugo is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 10 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Creative Planning since 2016. Outside of her advisory role, she is the managing member of Toolbox Heroes Handyman Services LLC and serves as Board Chair of EYC Academy, a special education organization. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a wide range of clients, including high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment strategy that integrates low-cost indexing, buy-and-hold approaches, and selective private market investments.

Jordan Janis is a financial advisor at Principal Financial Services with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Principal Securities, Principal Life Insurance, Raymond James & Associates, and Morgan Stanley. Janis serves as a board member of the Wake Forest College Board of Visitors and is president-elect of WAKERaleigh, a volunteer group that engages Wake Forest University alumni and affiliates through various events. Principal Securities offers brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm provides direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager solutions under both adviser and promoter arrangements.

Jillian Rhyner is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 19 years of industry experience, currently with Janney Montgomery Scott since 2020. She previously worked at Morgan Stanley for 11 years. Outside of her advisory role, she is a sales consultant for BeautyCounter, a skincare and beauty brand focused on safer products. 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 a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, estates, and institutional clients, offering a variety of brokerage, financial planning, and advisory services through in-house and third-party portfolio management.

Adam Fletcher is a financial advisor with TLG Advisors, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and bringing 27 years of industry experience. He has worked with The Leaders Group, Inc. since 2020 and Nationwide Advisory Services from 1999 to 2020. In addition to his advisory role, he serves as president of Fletcher Insurance Group, overseeing its insurance and financial services operations. TLG Advisors, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and institutional investors. The firm focuses on manager selection and ongoing monitoring using fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory to construct diversified portfolios, and it offers both sub-advised account management and a direct-to-consumer digital program called Starlight Portfolios.

Raymond Peterson III is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 12 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 registrations and has worked at Truist and its predecessor firms since 2011, including Sterling Capital Management LLC. Peterson serves as a board member for North Carolina Adapted Sports, a nonprofit organization offering programs for athletes with physical disabilities. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary and non-discretionary manager relationships, supported by AI-enabled research tools and inter-affiliate integration across its affiliated entities.

John Hopper is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services in Raleigh, NC, holding credentials including ChFC®, Series 63, and Series 65. He has 55 years of industry experience, with prior roles at THE O.N. Equity Sales Company, Financial Independence Planning Group, and has maintained his own firms, Hopper Financial Group, Inc. and Blanton & Hopper Investments, for over 25 years. He is also involved in the sales and service of fixed insurance products such as fixed life insurance, annuities, disability income, and health insurance. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and active-duty military personnel. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, financial planning, and access to third-party money manager solutions, utilizing both adviser and promoter arrangements.

William Sewell is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 45 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations. His previous roles include positions at BB&T Securities and multiple terms at Janney Montgomery Scott beginning in 2014. 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 individuals, families, trusts and estates, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and municipal clients, offering brokerage services, financial planning, consulting, and various advisory programs.

David Leder is a financial advisor with United Planners' Financial Services of America and holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses. He has 11 years of industry experience, including prior roles at Cambridge Investment Research and Cambridge Investment Research Advisors. Outside of his advisory work, Leder is president of Legacy Insurance Solutions LLC. United Planners Financial Services is a national wealth-management enterprise serving a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm utilizes a combination of custodians, third-party money managers, and platform programs to implement investment strategies, with a majority of assets managed on a non-discretionary basis.

Casey Pickett is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with seven years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing Services, Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Transamerica Life Insurance, and Merrill, among others. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers a range of advisory services, including model and customized portfolios, and acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Peter Sargent is a CFP® and CFA® with 33 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott since 2012. Based in Raleigh, NC, he holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. 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 range of clients, including individuals, families, trusts, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, and municipal clients, offering brokerage services, financial planning, consulting, and multiple wrap and advisory programs.