John Czura is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and four years of industry experience. Before joining Truist Advisory Services and Truist Investment Services in 2025, he worked at Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC from 2021 to 2025. 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 utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches with oversight from an Equity Research team and Investment Advisory Group.

Cathie Clontz is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding the Series 63 and Series 66 designations and bringing 24 years of industry experience. She has worked at Truist Advisory Services and affiliated firms since 2018, including BB&T Securities and PNC Investments. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by AI-enabled research tools and inter-affiliate integration with Truist Investment Services and Truist Bank.

Samantha Allen is a CFP® with seven years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. in Charlotte, NC. She previously worked at The Vanguard Group for six years and has experience across both financial services and hospitality sectors. Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers a variety of financial planning and investment management services through multiple program structures, emphasizing recommendation-based advice alongside non-discretionary management.

Jamie Smothers is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Charlotte, NC, holding the CFP® designation and Series 66 license. She has 20 years of industry experience, all with First Citizens Investor Services since 2006. Outside of her advisory role, Jamie is involved in property management through Peak Property Management LLC, where she participates in purchasing, repairing, and managing residential properties. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities by providing advisory and brokerage services. The firm offers portfolio management, wrap programs, model portfolios, and financial planning, utilizing a client process focused on financial needs and risk assessment with a combination of fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis.

Kymona Thomas is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 11 years of industry experience. She holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has worked at firms including Wells Fargo Clearing, LPL Financial, and Vanguard Marketing Corporation. She is currently based in Huntersville, NC. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, pension plans, and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach that emphasizes low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies for long-term goals, supplemented by direct indexing, tax-loss harvesting, and selective private market investments.

Harold Lockwood Jr. is a CFP® and ChFC® with 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. since 2021 and has prior experience at Truist and BB&T in various advisory and investment roles. 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 employs a client process focused on assessing financial needs and risk tolerance, utilizing fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to manage diversified portfolios.

Dylan Power is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC with nine years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, United Capital Financial Advisers, LLC, and The Ayco Company, L.P./Mercer Allied. Cerity Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, estates, corporations, charitable institutions, and other institutional investors. The firm offers a range of services such as investment management, financial planning, tax and insurance support, retirement plan services, and access to alternative and private-market investments, with a focus on diversified asset allocation and customized portfolios.

Richard Pucciarelli is a financial advisor at Brookstone Capital Management LLC with 16 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Brookstone since 2010 and Carolina Retirement Resources since 2003. In addition to his advisory role, he is also an insurance agent. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser that provides fee-based asset management and financial planning through a turnkey asset management platform and wrap-fee program. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, charitable organizations, other registered investment advisers, sovereign wealth funds, and banking institutions, offering discretionary investment management via various account types and model portfolios.

George Lin is a CFP® professional with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Creative Planning. Prior to joining Creative Planning in 2022, he worked at The Vanguard Group from 2005 to 2022. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, institutions, and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach that emphasizes low-cost indexing, buy-and-hold strategies, and selective private market exposure, managing approximately $295.6 billion in client assets.

Gary Preslar is a financial advisor with AE Wealth Management, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and 14 years of industry experience. He is the president of Preslar Financial Group, LLC, and has been involved in new home construction and real estate sales through Homes by Gary Preslar, LLC, since 2001. His prior roles include positions at Aspire Private Capital and Global Financial Private Capital, LLC. AE Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, trusts, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm provides a platform-centered approach combining model portfolios managed by internal and third-party strategists, discretionary asset management, financial planning, and plan services.

Hilary Daniel is a CFP® professional with 18 years of industry experience, currently advising at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. She has held roles at Motley Fool Wealth Management, Modera Wealth Management, Parsec Financial, and The Vanguard Group. Outside of her advisory work, she is co-owner and CEO of a private company specializing in ATM installation and maintenance. Mercer Global Advisors serves individuals, families, small business owners, plan sponsors, foundations, and non-profits, offering investment advisory as well as financial, tax, retirement, and estate planning services. The firm employs a globally diversified investment approach using low-cost ETFs, index funds, separate account managers, and other strategies, and supports clients through specialized services and educational initiatives.

Lamar Johnson is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with four years of industry experience. He holds Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and has worked within the Truist organization since 2017, including time at Truist Investment Services. Prior to entering the financial services industry, he worked at McDonald's for one year. 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 employs a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary manager relationships and utilizes third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools to support investment selection and oversight.

Joanna Pappas is a CFP® professional with 13 years of experience in the financial industry. She currently works at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. and First Citizens Bank and previously held roles at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company and Wells Fargo. 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 that integrates fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to manage diversified portfolios across equities, fixed income, mutual funds, and ETFs.

Cecilia Mavico is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and six years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at LPL Financial and Robinhood Markets. She also serves as an adjunct professor at UNC School of Law, co-teaching a course on Financial Services Compliance. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporations, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, implementing advice through a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting while utilizing third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

John Bruneau is a financial advisor with Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. He has worked with Ameritas since 2024 and is also involved with Boston 128 Companies, where he supports client service and financial product sales. Ameritas Advisory Services provides fee-based investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to individuals, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers both discretionary and non-discretionary programs, utilizing a platform that integrates in-house model portfolios, third-party managers, and affiliations with related financial entities.

Amanda Black is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 29 years of industry experience. She previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Advisors LLC before joining First Citizens Asset Management. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and businesses, offering portfolio management, automated platforms, and tax-aware financial planning. The firm employs a client process based on risk tolerance and financial needs, utilizing fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis.

Namaine Coombs is a CFA® charterholder with over two years of industry experience. He is currently an advisor at Truist Advisory Services and previously held roles at Bank of America and Wells Fargo, where he worked for 24 years. Outside of financial advising, Coombs is the CEO of Unleashed Success, LLC, a life-coaching and book publishing company focused on addressing limiting subconscious beliefs. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors and participants, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of solutions including asset allocation, fiduciary support, and a manager-selection program, utilizing a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary approaches supported by third-party platform and manager relationships.

Margaret Sattler is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and four years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Truist Investment Services and Truist Advisory Services since 2022, along with prior positions at Capital City Financial Partners and other organizations. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting supported by AI-enabled research tools and inter-affiliate resources.

Rhondale Haywood is a CFP® and CFA® with three years of industry experience, currently advising at Truist Advisory Services in Charlotte, NC. Prior to joining Truist, he worked at Bank of America for five years and PNC Bank for twelve years. He serves on the investment committee of the Foundation For The Carolinas, where he participates in asset allocation and strategy oversight. 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 a manager-selection program that combines discretionary and non-discretionary approaches supported by AI-enabled research and inter-affiliate integration.

Christopher Benitez is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with one year of industry experience. He previously worked at The Vanguard Group and Angi, among other firms. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage account holders. The firm uses an integrated model tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms and emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and client savings rates in its planning services.