Angela Lessor is a CFP® with 16 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors. Her prior roles include positions at Journey Strategic Wealth LLC, Bleakley Financial Group LLC, LPL Financial, and Northwestern Mutual Investment Management. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse range of individual and institutional clients, utilizing a multi-manager approach that includes affiliated and third-party managers, with capabilities in discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting.

Benjamin Siersma is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2002. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans. The firm also serves as adviser to a donor-advised fund and operates within a vertically integrated group using affiliated funds.

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.

Taylor Brown is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 14 years of industry experience. Brown has been with TIAA-CREF since 2012. Outside of financial advising, Brown works part-time as a real estate agent and transaction coordinator for residential properties. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals—often those connected through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans—as well as trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing portfolio management, operating within a vertically integrated group that includes affiliated funds and a donor-advised fund advisory service.

Deanna Moss is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and with 12 years of industry experience. Prior to joining TIAA-CREF in 2023, she worked at Bestow, Moss Agency, Freedom Financial Advantage, and LPL Financial. Outside of her advisory role, she is the president of Moss Chemical Company, LLC, a business serving individual consumers and restaurants, and she owns Just In Time Restoration, LLC, a residential construction and restoration company. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals with existing TIAA retirement plan relationships, as well as trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing portfolio management using model or customized portfolios managed under a fiduciary standard.

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.

Jamison Holt is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Harrisburg, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 25 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF and its predecessor TIAA since 2003. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers a combination of model portfolio and customized portfolio management under a fiduciary standard within a vertically integrated structure that includes affiliated funds and donor-advised fund services.

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.

Michael Smith is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. in Kannapolis, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 27 years of industry experience. He has been with Fifth Third Securities since 2012. Fifth Third Securities provides brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and institutional investors. The firm offers multiple discretionary managed-account programs and combines third-party portfolio managers, strategist portfolios, and advisor-managed sleeves, with features such as direct indexing and tax-overlay services.

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.

Clacy Hysong is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with 15 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2010. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides 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 within a vertically integrated group and offers both model-based and customized portfolio management options.

Stephen Honea is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with 16 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2010. 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 also acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund and offers a range of advisory services within a vertically integrated structure.

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.

Robert Flynn is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group who holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has 22 years of industry experience. He previously worked at TIAA-CREF and TIAA from 1997 to 2022 before joining Empower Financial Services in 2023. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and retail brokerage clients. The firm’s integrated approach leverages proprietary and third-party methodologies focused on long-term portfolio returns and is closely tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

William Robbins is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. He holds the Series 65 and Series 63 credentials and has seven years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, Robbins worked at First Citizens Bank and served in positions at the City of Rock Hill and Francis Marion University. 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 business entities. The firm offers portfolio management, wrap programs, model portfolios, and automated investing platforms, relying on a client process that evaluates financial needs and risk tolerance to guide investments across various asset classes.

Justin Balmer is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at First Command Advisory Services and related entities. Outside of finance, he is involved with Easton D LLC, a company performing manual labor tasks, and Decadence Popcorn LLC, a retail popcorn business in Concord, NC. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services provides financial planning and managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected to employer retirement plans administered by TIAA. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing discretionary management, utilizing model and customized portfolios under a fiduciary standard.