Justin Howie is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Cary, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and seven years of industry experience. His previous roles include positions at Fidelity Investments and Fidelity Brokerage Services, where he worked from 2016 to 2021. Outside of his advisory work, he owns a men's clothing website and works as an Uber driver. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage clients. The firm’s integrated model supports point-in-time financial plans and optional managed account solutions, emphasizing long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing.

James Applewhite III is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 42 years of industry experience. He has worked at Truist Advisory Services since 2021 and has prior experience with Bb&T Securities and Scott & Stringfellow. Outside of finance, he is a singer in a local classic and alternative rock band. 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 both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Robert Leggett III is a financial advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC, holding CFP® and CFA® designations and more than 27 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at WealthShield Partners, LLC and Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments. Leggett is a 50% owner of WealthShield Insurance LLC, a business involved in insurance product sales with limited active duties. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services provides financial planning, asset management, and retirement-plan consulting for individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages over $122 billion in assets and employs a diversified investment approach combining passive and active management with quantitative, momentum, and fundamental analysis overseen by an internal Investment Committee.

Tyler Mills is a CFP® professional with eight years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with Empower Advisory Group and Empower Financial Services, having previously worked at Personal Capital Advisors Corporation, T. Rowe Price, Bank of America, and Merrill Lynch. Mills is based in Durham, NC. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to certain retail brokerage clients. The firm emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and integrates its services with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Patrick Lane is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 31 years of industry experience. He has worked at First Citizens Investor Services since 2018, with prior roles at Pearl Staffing and Oyster Consulting. First Citizens Investor Services serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities, offering advisory and brokerage services through investment advisory representatives and third-party portfolio managers. The firm employs a client process focused on assessing financial needs, risk tolerance, and time horizon, utilizing fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to manage diversified portfolios.

Cody Jeffcoat is a CFP® professional with 21 years of industry experience, currently advising at Truist Advisory Services. He has held roles with Suntrust Investment Services and Suntrust Advisory Services since 2014. Outside of finance, he owns and operates a pottery business. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a blend of discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

James Baker is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and 17 years of industry experience. He previously worked at LPL Financial for seven years before joining First Citizens Investor Services in 2020. Outside of his advisory role, he serves on the board of his condominium homeowners association. 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 process focused on financial needs assessment and diversified portfolio allocation, offering products such as unified managed accounts, wrap programs, and tax-aware services.

Brandan Kot is a CFP® with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services. He has worked with Truist Advisory Services since 2021 and previously held roles at Bb&T Securities and Bb&T Investments. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation, investment policy analysis, plan sponsor fiduciary support, and a manager-selection program, utilizing a combination of discretionary manager relationships and consulting supported by AI-enabled research tools.

James Phillips III is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and three years of industry experience. Prior to his advisory role, he spent ten years managing operations at Clyde Phillips Seafood, where he remains involved in the business’s apparel sales as a sole proprietor. First Citizens Investor Services serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, and charitable organizations, providing advisory and brokerage services through various portfolio management options and financial planning. The firm emphasizes IAR-led client assessments and employs fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis in asset allocation across multiple investment vehicles.

Amy Keating is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 66, Series 63, and Series 65 licenses, and has 13 years of industry experience. Her prior work includes nine years at Bangor Savings Bank before joining First Citizens in 2019. First Citizens Investor Services serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm offers portfolio management, advisory, and brokerage services with a client process based on assessing financial needs and applying fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis across various asset classes.

James Earle is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 12 years of industry experience. He was previously associated with The Prudential Insurance Company of America and PRUCO Securities, LLC. Outside of his advisory role, Earle serves as Vice President of the Creek Pointe Homeowners Association and is a board member of the Craven County Health Department. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm emphasizes IAR-led client assessments and employs fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to manage diversified portfolios, including UMAs, SMAs, and tax-aware strategies.

Jessie Harris is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 12 years of industry experience. She is currently affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network and is co-owner of Cardinal Hill Wealth Management. Prior to her current roles, she worked at Edward Jones for eight years. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,900 advisors and managing about $212.7 billion in client assets. The firm provides a comprehensive adviser-support platform, including managed account programs, third-party asset manager access, and custody/clearing services.

David Snider is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with 29 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 65, Series 63, and Series 66 designations. Prior to joining Oppenheimer in 2025, he worked at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Advisors LLC for a combined 16 years. Oppenheimer serves individuals, corporations, pooled vehicles, and retirement plans, offering a variety of advisory programs including discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, consulting, and retirement services. The firm’s investment approach varies by program and includes strategic and tactical asset allocation, manager selection, and periodic rebalancing.

Angela Novak is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses with 17 years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Wells Fargo Bank and Wells Fargo Clearing from 2008 to 2023 before joining First Citizens in 2023. First Citizens Investor Services serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and businesses, providing advisory and brokerage services through various portfolio management and financial planning solutions. The firm emphasizes IAR-led assessments and a combination of fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis for portfolio allocation.

Jennifer Jones is a CFP® with 12 years of industry experience, currently with Focus Partners Wealth, LLC. She previously worked at Gratus Capital, LLC for over a decade. Focus Partners Wealth serves a diverse client base including individuals, families, corporations, retirement plans, and institutions, offering a range of wealth management and advisory services. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach within an enhanced open architecture framework.

Quinton Libsack is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 credential and one year of industry experience. His previous roles include positions at Cetera Investment Advisors, Cetera Wealth Services, and The John R. McAdams Company, Inc. He also serves as a board member for the Washington Terrace Homeowners Association. 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-centered process integrating fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to allocate investments across various asset classes.

Michael Davies is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 12 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with United Planners Financial Services of America as a Limited Partner. Before joining United Planners in 2023, he spent nine years at Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. In addition to his advisory work, he serves on the Springstone Homeowners Association board and owns a retail business, Graham D's Coffee Beans, in Raleigh, NC. United Planners Financial Services is a national wealth-management firm serving a diverse client base through approximately 359 advisors. The firm offers both advisory and brokerage services with a focus on non-discretionary account management and supports its advisors through a limited-partnership ownership structure and formal transition assistance programs.

Bruno Barboza is a financial advisor with First Command Advisory Services in Cary, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining the firm, he served six years in the Navy and completed four years of full-time education. First Command Advisory Services is an SEC-registered investment adviser that serves individuals, corporate, and charitable clients, with a particular focus on active-duty service members and their families. The firm offers financial planning and multiple wrap-fee asset management programs, delivering investment management through a centralized team that selects and monitors model portfolios and third-party managers.

Susanna Segrave is a financial advisor at Sanctuary Advisors, LLC with a Series 66 credential and one year of industry experience. Her prior work includes roles at Sanctuary Securities, Inc., Capital Wealth Advisors, and various other businesses, including operating a guest ranch and involvement with a fitness studio. Sanctuary Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, and charitable organizations, through a large network of independent adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and consulting services, utilizing multiple investment approaches and serving clients with both discretionary and non-discretionary account management.

Matthew Buddo is a CFP® professional with seven years of industry experience, currently serving at Truist Advisory Services in Raleigh, NC. His prior roles include positions at SunTrust Investment Services and SunTrust Bank. 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 third-party platform and manager arrangements to implement its advice.