Fredena James is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC. She holds the Series 66 designation and has 17 years of industry experience. Ms. James has been with First Citizens Investor Services since 2001. 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’s investment approach includes IAR-led assessments and a combination of fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis across various asset classes.

Hunter Houser is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Cook Wealth Management Group, LLC and Triangle Family Dentistry. Cerity Partners provides customized wealth management and related services to a broad national client base, including individuals, families, trusts, business entities, and institutional investors. The firm employs tailored asset allocation, manager selection, and proprietary quantitative screens alongside third-party managers and individual securities.

Gideon Sims is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Cook Wealth, LLC. Sims serves in the U.S. Army Reserve as a cargo specialist. Cerity Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $126.9 billion in client assets, offering customized portfolios and a broad range of services including investment management, financial planning, tax and insurance support, and access to alternative and private-market investments.

Seth Large is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC with five years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® designation and Series 65 license. Prior to joining Cerity Partners in 2025, he worked at Cook Wealth Management Group LLC and Bluesky Wealth Advisors, LLC. Cerity Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, corporations, and institutional investors. The firm offers a range of services such as investment management, financial planning, tax and insurance support, and retirement plan services, with a focus on diversified asset allocation and access to alternative and private-market investments.

Lance Dobler is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with TIAA-CREF, based in Durham, NC. He has six years of industry experience, including roles at TIAA since 2012 and TIAA-CREF since 2025. Outside of his advisory work, Dobler owns and operates Diamond Glove Care LLC, a local business providing baseball and softball glove relacing and break-in services for youth players. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm provides both point-in-time planning services and ongoing portfolio management under a fiduciary standard.

Brian Anderson is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 24 years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at PNC Investments, TD Ameritrade, and The Prudential Insurance Company of America. Outside of finance, he is the lead guitarist in a band called Vertigo, performing several shows monthly. 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 financial needs assessments and utilizes a range of investment strategies including portfolio management, wrap programs, and tax-aware services.

Ryan Cook is a CFP® and ChFC® with 15 years of industry experience. He has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 2010 and also works as an agent with Agia. Outside of his advisory role, he owns a home in Nebo, North Carolina, which he rents out seasonally. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-based individual investors, including high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet UMA models for portfolio construction.

Bernard Rosen is a financial advisor at TLG Advisors, Inc. with 49 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses. His career includes roles at The Leaders Group Inc., MML Investors Services, MassMutual Life Insurance Company, and he is owner of Rosen Executive Benefits Group, a business focused on individual life insurance sales. TLG Advisors serves a broad client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, pension and retirement plans, and other institutional investors. The firm employs a manager selection and monitoring investment process grounded in fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory, and offers both managed accounts and a direct-to-consumer digital program called Starlight Portfolios.

Joseph Dillon is a CFP® with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Creative Planning since 2023. His prior experience includes roles at Curi Wealth Management, SharpVue Capital, and Captrust Financial Advisors. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, and retirement plans. The firm employs a financial planning–led investment process focused on low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supplemented by approaches such as direct indexing and tax-loss harvesting, supported by a large advisory team and centralized investment infrastructure.

Leigh St John is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Raleigh, NC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 21 years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked at BB&T Investment Services, Inc. and BB&T Securities, LLC. 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 offers asset allocation and investment policy analysis, plan sponsor fiduciary support, and a manager-selection program for clients who appoint third-party managers.

Rameet Singh is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with 11 years of industry experience. Prior to joining TIAA-CREF, he worked at Edward Jones and JP Morgan Securities. Outside of finance, he operates a portrait and family photography business. TIAA-CREF’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing TIAA-administered employer retirement plan relationships. The firm provides a range of advisory services including customized portfolio management and acts as adviser to donor-advised funds.

Clay Jackson is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at Sanctuary Advisors, LLC since 2019, following previous roles at Bank of America and Merrill. Clay serves as a board member for the NC State Education Assistance Authority and the North Carolina Banking Commission, and he is a partner in the real estate investment firm Fish Hill & Jackson, LLC. Sanctuary Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm supports a broad range of investment strategies through more than 400 independent adviser representatives and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary account management.

Lemuel Kornegay III is a financial advisor with Money Concepts Capital Corp in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and possessing 32 years of industry experience. He has worked with Money Concepts Capital Corp since 2015 and with Paladin Financial Services, Inc. since 2000, where he serves as president of a non-investment related business focused on checking accounts and Medicare and health insurance. Outside of his advisory role, Kornegay is a co-host of WHIG TV's "The Live Morning Show," serves on the IARFC Board of Directors, volunteers with the Wake County Board of Elections, and holds the position of Sergeant At Arms for the West Raleigh Rotary Club. Money Concepts Advisory Service provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm employs a variety of managed programs and account structures, using fundamental and technical analysis alongside modern portfolio theory to manage roughly $3.33 billion across approximately 14,700 clients.

Chip Jurgensen is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with 23 years of industry experience, currently with Creative Planning since 2021. His previous roles include positions at SBSB Financial Advisors, Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, and Pinnacle Bank. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as President of the Brinleys Cove HOA Board. Creative Planning provides wealth management and financial planning services to individuals, pension plans, trusts, foundations, and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach emphasizing low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, alongside access to private market investments and sub-advisory arrangements.

Christopher Oldham is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services in Raleigh, NC, with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Truist Advisory Services since 2021. His prior experience includes roles at Smith Salley & Associates, the Drapers Richards Kaplan Foundation, and Mutualism Investments. 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 offers asset allocation analysis, fiduciary support, and a manager-selection program that integrates discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, supported by AI-enabled research and a high degree of inter-affiliate coordination.

Roberto Pedraza is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group holding a Series 66 designation and six years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at GFWS Equities, Wells Fargo Clearing, Genworth Financial, and IBM. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer‑sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to certain IRA and retail brokerage account holders. The firm’s integrated model combines proprietary and third‑party planning methodologies with recordkeeping and administrative platforms, focusing on long‑term portfolio returns and client savings rates.

Monsef Ouchou is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Fidelity Investments and held various roles outside finance, including positions at Uber and Lyft. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management services primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage clients. The firm’s approach integrates its recordkeeping and administrative platforms and emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing over short-term forecasts.

Corey Holtz is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. with 17 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has held previous positions at Truist Advisory Services, TRUIST Investment Services, Inc., and Bb&T Securities, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a trustee for a family trust. 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 led by its investment adviser representatives and utilizes fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to manage portfolios across various asset classes.

Amber Vaughn is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with two years of industry experience. Prior to joining First Citizens, she worked at Havoc Brewing LLC and Equitable Advisors. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm employs a client process focused on assessing financial needs, risk tolerance, and time horizon, utilizing fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis across various asset classes.

Albert Waisanen Jr. is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with two years of industry experience. He previously worked at Fidelity Personal and Workplace Advisors and Group Insurance Analysts/GIA Risk Management. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a board member for The Park Homeowners Association Inc., where he participates in budget decisions and community meetings. TIAA-CREF’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected through employer retirement plans. The firm separates one-time planning services from ongoing portfolio management and acts as adviser to donor-advised funds while operating within a vertically integrated group.