Jeffrey Emperador is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 14 years of industry experience. His career includes multiple roles within Truist entities and prior work as a self-employed advisor and at Empower Financial Services. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing both discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting supported by third-party platform arrangements and AI-enabled research tools.

William Biles is a CFP® professional with 24 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently associated with TLG Advisors, Inc. and has a background that includes roles at Bluestone Insurance/PLAN, Investacorp, Highland Capital, and SunTrust Bank. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as president of Insurance Consulting & Design. TLG Advisors, Inc. serves a wide range of clients including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and institutional investors. The firm focuses on investment supervisory services, portfolio management, and comprehensive financial planning, employing a manager selection process and Modern Portfolio Theory to build diversified portfolios.

Stephen Wilson is a CFA® charterholder with 17 years of industry experience. He has worked at Wells Fargo Clearing for 11 years before joining &Partners in 2025. He serves as the investment committee team leader for the United Methodist Foundation of Western NC. &Partners serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations, offering investment management, financial and tax planning, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage services through a combination of proprietary and third-party strategies.

Lincoln Maurer is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Investment Institute, Inc., holding a Series 65 credential and three years of industry experience. He has worked at Wells Fargo Investment Institute since 2022 and previously held roles at Somic America, Inc., Liberty University, Wytheville Community College, Central Contracting, and Pensacola Christian College. Wells Fargo Investment Institute is an SEC-registered, bank-affiliate advisory and research organization that provides manager due diligence, securities research, asset allocation guidance, and model portfolios primarily to Wells Fargo wealth and fiduciary businesses. Its research and strategy development use both qualitative and quantitative analysis, supporting affiliate entities with impersonal, model-driven investment advice.

Katherine Grier is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with one year of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Truist Investment Services and Truist Bank. 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 both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches supported by third-party platforms and manager arrangements, with a focus on inter-affiliate integration within the Truist enterprise.

Ryan Schrift is a financial advisor with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC and holds a Series 66 designation. He has 19 years of industry experience, including roles at Independent Advisor Alliance since 2016 and LPL Financial since 2012. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a City Councilman for Belmont, NC, and is a managing partner of The Schrift Boys Farm in South Carolina. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base, including individuals, small businesses, pooled vehicles, charitable organizations, and retirement plans. The firm offers asset management, financial planning, and retirement consulting, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management supported by various analytical techniques and technology platforms.

Alysha Humbert is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and possessing 17 years of industry experience. Her prior experience includes roles at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Advisors.com before joining Principal Securities and Principal Life Insurance Co. in 2020. 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 financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager programs through both adviser and promoter arrangements.

Alexander Talley is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. based in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and eight years of industry experience. His career includes multiple roles within First Citizens Bank and First Citizens Investor Services, as well as experience at UNC Charlotte. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. serves a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm offers advisory and brokerage services with a focus on comprehensive client assessments and portfolio management that utilizes fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis.

James Webster is a Series 66-credentialed financial advisor with eight years of industry experience. He is currently with Wells Fargo Investment Institute, Inc., where he has worked since 2024. His prior experience includes roles at Adhesion Wealth Advisor Solutions and LPL Financial. Wells Fargo Investment Institute is a bank-affiliated advisory and research organization that provides due diligence, securities research, asset-allocation guidance, and model portfolios primarily to Wells Fargo wealth and fiduciary businesses. Its investment advice is generally impersonal and non-discretionary, delivered through team-based research and proprietary forecasting tools.

Karen Shane is a CFP® with 20 years of industry experience. She currently works at &PARTNERS in Charlotte, NC, joining the firm in 2025 after nine years at Wells Fargo Clearing and seven years at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC. &PARTNERS serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, institutions, and retirement plans, providing investment management, financial and tax planning, and ERISA 3(21) consulting. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management using a combination of proprietary and third-party strategies, supported by due diligence and ongoing account monitoring.

Jonathan Ganzert is a financial advisor with Janney Montgomery Scott in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 registrations and bringing 47 years of industry experience. He has been with Janney Montgomery Scott since 2005. Ganzert serves as a board member of the Village of Morrocroft Homeowners Association, contributing to community management on a volunteer basis. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing around $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, estates, corporations, retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and municipal clients, offering brokerage, financial planning, consulting, and multiple advisory programs.

Philip Lee is a financial advisor with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC, holding the CFP® designation and Series 63 and 66 licenses. He has 22 years of industry experience and has worked with LPL Financial LLC for the past 10 years. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans, providing asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm combines a network of advisory representatives with access to various portfolio management strategies and technology platforms to support its services.

Deidre Caldwell is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 38 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked for Robert W Baird for 10 years prior to joining Janney Montgomery Scott in 2024. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC manages approximately $110 billion in client assets and serves a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, estates, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and municipal clients. The firm offers brokerage services, financial planning, consulting, and multiple advisory programs, combining in-house portfolio management with third-party managers across various investment platforms.

Jacob Hackney is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 registrations and five years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Wells Fargo Clearing Services, P.J. Robb Variable Corp., and Crump Life Insurance Services. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, using an integrated model linked to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms. The firm offers point-in-time financial plans and optional managed account solutions within plan lineups selected by plan sponsors.

James Schenck is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at Truist Advisory Services and its affiliated entities since 2021, and previously spent over two decades at BB&T Investment Services and BB&T Securities. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by third-party platform arrangements and AI-enabled research tools, with an integrated approach involving affiliated broker-dealer and banking services.

Ronald Carland is a CFP® with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC since 2022. He has also been associated with Altavista Wealth Management, Inc. since 2005 and is president of Carland & Andersen CPA, a CPA firm he has led since 1980. Beacon Pointe Advisors provides investment advisory and consulting services to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and retirement plans. The firm employs a manager-driven investment approach using third-party independent managers and sponsors proprietary investment vehicles, including private funds and a registered interval fund.

Trevor Sellers is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Gastonia, NC. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Empower Financial Services, Inc and PHMG, as well as diverse experience outside the financial sector. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, along with Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage clients. The firm delivers integrated services tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, focusing on long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing within plan lineups selected by plan sponsors.

Ronald Lindquist Jr. is a financial advisor with VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials with 33 years of industry experience. He has been with VOYA Financial Advisors since 2014. In addition to his advisory role, he is an independent insurance agent specializing in fixed insurance products. VOYA Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual and institutional investors, offering financial planning, portfolio management, and consulting services through various program structures with an emphasis on recommendation-based, non-discretionary relationships.

Charles Campbell is a ChFC® with 34 years of industry experience, currently serving with Kestra Advisory. He has been with Kestra Advisory since 2016 and has been involved with Kestra Investment Services, LLC since 2014. Based in Charlotte, NC, his background includes providing investment advisory and employee benefits sales. Kestra Advisory Services offers investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base, including plan sponsors, institutional, and individual clients. The firm provides comprehensive services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, investment advice, and access to multiple management platforms, serving a wide range of investors including sovereign wealth funds.

Leland Harrelson is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Charlotte, NC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has three years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Northwestern Mutual and Marslender-West Asset Management Firm. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by third-party platform arrangements and AI-enabled research tools, to deliver its investment solutions.