John Frith is a CFA® charterholder with four years of industry experience currently working at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, Inc. He has been with Wells Fargo & Company since 2002, including five years at the Investment Institute. Based in Charlotte, NC, Frith holds a Series 65 license. Wells Fargo Investment Institute provides manager research, global investment strategy, securities research, asset allocation analysis, and model-portfolio services to Wells Fargo affiliates and unaffiliated financial institutions. The firm delivers its offerings on a non-customized basis and serves primarily as a research and model-provider rather than managing discretionary client accounts.

Daniel Flory is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 30 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA and TIAA-CREF since 2007. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans, as well as to trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans. The firm’s advisory services include both one-time planning and ongoing portfolio management, often utilizing model portfolios or customized strategies under fiduciary standards.

Catherine Nevels is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 14 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has been with TIAA-CREF since 2012. Outside of her advisory role, she volunteers as a Girl Scout Troop Leader in Charlotte, NC. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals—often those connected to TIAA-administered retirement plans—as well as trusts, estates, and small retirement plans. The firm differentiates between one-time planning services and ongoing portfolio management, and it serves as adviser to a donor-advised fund while operating within a vertically integrated group that uses affiliated funds.

Carl Rogers Jr. is a financial advisor with Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC, holding the ChFC® designation and a Series 63 license. He has 41 years of industry experience and has worked with several firms, including Financial Independence Group and Southeast Financial Services, Inc. Outside of his advisory role, Rogers serves as a precinct judge for the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections and operates an independent insurance agency focused on succession planning, estate planning, and executive compensation for business owners. Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and planning services to a wide range of clients, including individuals, high‑net‑worth investors, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers diversified asset management and financial planning solutions through various program platforms, leveraging both proprietary and third‑party models and managers.

Craig Bisagna is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 34 years of industry experience, having worked previously at firms including LPL Financial, TIAA, Merrill, National Asset Management, and Charles Schwab. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to individuals, corporations, plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm integrates traditional research with AI-enabled tools and offers various fiduciary services, partnering with Envestnet platforms to deliver tailored investment solutions.

Matthew Jelnicky is a CFP® with 27 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently affiliated with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC and has a background that includes nearly 24 years operating his own CPA firm, Matthew G. Jelnicky CPA PA, where he provided tax preparation and accounting services. Matthew also has experience selling term life insurance through Park South Advisors. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services manages over $122 billion in assets through a large advisor network, offering financial planning, asset management, and retirement-plan consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm employs a diversified, risk-class based investment approach that combines passive and active management with quantitative, momentum, and fundamental analysis.

Jens Mueller is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA and its affiliated entities 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, often serving clients connected through employer retirement plans administered by TIAA. The firm emphasizes a fiduciary standard in its advisory services and provides a range of portfolio management options, including model-driven and customized strategies.

Larry Carroll is a financial advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC in Charlotte, NC. He holds a Series 63 designation and has 44 years of industry experience, including roles at Carroll Financial Associates, Inc. and CETERA Advisor Networks LLC. Carroll has been with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services and its affiliated Wealth Enhancement Group since 2021. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services provides financial planning, asset management, retirement plan consulting, and referrals to separate managed account investment managers. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans, managing over $122 billion in regulatory assets under management through diversified, risk-class based investment strategies that combine passive and active management.

Thomas Sowers is a CFP®-credentialed financial advisor with six years of industry experience. He is currently with Kestra Advisory and has prior experience at Dimensional Fund Advisors. Outside of his advisory role, he also works as an independent contractor dog walker. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base, including institutional and individual clients, offering services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, and employee education. The firm manages approximately $79.8 billion in assets and serves large institutional investors, including sovereign wealth funds.

Michael Bish is a CFP® with 21 years of industry experience currently serving as a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services. His prior experience includes roles at Merrill Lynch, BB&T Securities, and Bank of America. Truist Advisory Services offers investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to a diverse client base that includes individuals, corporations, plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines traditional research with AI-enabled tools and provides ongoing reporting and consultations while leveraging its affiliated financial relationships.

Traci Diblasio is a CFP® professional with 25 years of industry experience. She is currently with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc., where she has worked since 2018. Her prior experience includes roles at Wells Fargo Clearing, Wachovia Bank, N.A., Key Investment Services LLC, and KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. 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 offers portfolio management, wrap programs, model portfolios, an automated Guided Investing platform, and Tax Aware services, emphasizing IAR-led assessments and diverse analytical approaches to asset allocation.

Peter Gebre is a financial advisor at Guardian Life with 17 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has previously worked at OneAmerica Securities and Voya Financial Partners. Gebre is based in Charlotte, NC. Guardian Life, through its subsidiary Park Avenue Securities LLC, offers brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm provides a range of financial planning, consulting, and discretionary management solutions, combining proprietary and third-party investment platforms.

Nora Knox is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and possessing 11 years of industry experience. She worked at LPL Financial from 2011 to 2019 before joining TIAA-CREF and TIAA in 2019. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC offers financial planning, discretionary managed account programs, and broker-dealer services primarily to individuals connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans, as well as to trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans. The firm’s advisory model separates one-time planning services from ongoing discretionary management, utilizing both model and customized portfolios under fiduciary standards.

Paul Brown is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) in Matthews, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and 19 years of industry experience. He has been affiliated with Eagle Strategies since 2013 and also operates Parker Financial Group, LLC and Parker Financial and Insurance Solutions, which sell New York Life products and broker non-registered insurance products. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base, including individual investors and institutional retirement plans, providing financial planning, investment management, and advisory services. The firm emphasizes tailored recommendations and manages the majority of its assets on a non-discretionary basis within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Griffin Kasemeyer is a financial advisor at Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC with four years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked at firms including LPL Financial and T. Rowe Price. Kasemeyer provides administrative support to Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services in addition to his advisory role. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans through a large network of advisors. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and specialized consulting, employing a strategic investment approach that combines passive and active management guided by an internal Investment Committee.

Garen Kalender is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Nuveen Asset Management and Nuveen Securities. Outside the financial industry, Kalender owns and operates a jewelry business, Drive Jewelers, and a trading card resale business, The Card Syndicate. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers a range of advisory services that include both model portfolio and customized management approaches.

Michael Melvin is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. Prior to joining TIAA-CREF, he worked at Vanguard Advisers, Inc. and Vanguard Marketing Corporation. He is based in Charlotte, NC. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing relationships through TIAA-administered retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning services and ongoing portfolio management, including customized and model-based solutions.

Daniel Holloway is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with 12 years of industry experience, currently with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. in Charlotte, NC. He has been associated with various entities within the Bankers Life organization since 2009. Outside of advisory work, he is a partner in a fitness franchise in Pittsburgh, PA, involved in operations and business activities. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. primarily serves mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals through discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to develop tailored investment strategies aligned with clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Brenda Yard is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and having 28 years of industry experience. She has worked extensively within Truist and its predecessor entities since 1999, including Bb&T Securities and Investment Services. Truist Advisory Services offers investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to individuals, corporations, plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a multi-manager approach using the Envestnet platform, combines traditional research with AI tools, and delivers ongoing client reviews and reporting.

Sumakar Medikayala is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with the Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at North Carolina State University and the University of South Carolina. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning, discretionary managed account programs, and broker-dealer services primarily to individuals connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans, as well as to trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing discretionary management, acting as adviser to a donor-advised fund and operating within a vertically integrated structure that uses affiliated funds.