Kurt Hollar is a financial advisor at Verity Asset Management with 29 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been associated with multiple entities under the Verity name since 1997. His prior experience includes work with The Leaders Group DBA Simplicity Investments and Verity Investments, Inc. Verity Asset Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individual, corporate, institutional clients, and other advisers. The firm employs a model-driven investment approach focused on tactical asset allocation across diverse asset classes, offering discretionary portfolio management, retirement-plan advisory, and financial planning services.

Whitney H Ill is a CFP® professional with three years of industry experience, currently serving at Creative Planning. Prior to joining Creative Planning, Whitney worked at Collective Wealth Partners and GRID 202 Partners. Outside of financial advising, Whitney is involved in entrepreneurial ventures including ownership in an ecommerce business and a quick-service restaurant franchise. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base ranging from individuals to institutions. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach emphasizing low-cost indexing, tax-loss harvesting, and selective private market exposure while managing approximately $295.6 billion in client assets.

Gary Gaulden is a CFP®-certified advisor with over 33 years of experience in financial services. He has worked at Osaic Advisory Services, LLC since 2024 and previously held roles at Securities America, Inc., Arbor Point Advisors, and Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. He operates a satellite office in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, under Gaulden & Associates. Osaic Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered firm serving a diverse client base that includes individuals, pension plans, corporations, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm provides investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and other related services through multiple program models, utilizing a combination of proprietary guidance and third-party platforms.

Gregory Weiss is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with 26 years of industry experience. He has been with First Citizens since 2003 and is also a partner at Weiss Property Holdings, LLC, a real estate investment business he has been involved with since 2020. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm’s approach includes IAR-led financial assessments and diversified investment allocation utilizing fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis.

Janelle Aldridge is a financial advisor with First Command Advisory Services in Wake Forest, NC. She holds a Series 66 designation and has 16 years of industry experience. Her previous roles include positions at Cantella & Co., Inc., Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Northwestern Mutual, and LPL Enterprise. First Command Advisory Services is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving 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 utilizing model portfolios and third-party managers selected by a centralized Investment Management Team.

Philip Shelton is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with one year of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Edward Jones. 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 integrates its services with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, offering point-in-time financial plans and optional managed account solutions.

Tucker Sly is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. He has one year of industry experience, including prior roles at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Bank. Before entering the financial sector, he worked at FedEx and in retail. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital discretionary model account that uses algorithm-driven risk assessments and third-party-managed investment strategies.

Michael Montalvo is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 22 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Mass Mutual Investors Services, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co, and Merrill. 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 retail brokerage clients. The firm’s services are integrated with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms and emphasize long-term portfolio returns, annual rebalancing, and clients’ savings rates.

Iantha Wortman is a Series 66-registered financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, based in Durham, NC. She has two years of industry experience and has previously worked at Equitable Advisors LLC and Lighthouse Lending. 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 that combines discretionary and non-discretionary approaches, supported by AI-enabled research and inter-affiliate integration.

David Marshall is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 21 years of industry experience. He is currently with Fifth Third Securities, Inc., where he has worked since 2020. His prior experience includes roles at PNC Investments, Merrill, Morgan Stanley, LPL Financial, BB&T Investment Services, and Equitable Advisors. Outside of his advisory work, he operates a YouTube product review channel and works as a fitness instructor at the UNC Wellness Center. Fifth Third Securities serves individual and institutional clients through investment advisory and brokerage services. The firm offers multiple managed account programs and investment options via its Passageway platform, combining advisor-directed and third-party portfolio management strategies.

Kevin Veverka is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding Series 66 and Series 63 designations and having 17 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Bank before joining Truist Investment Services in 2019. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled equity research tools.

Joseph Pantoja is a financial advisor at MAI Capital Management, LLC with 19 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations. Prior to joining MAI in 2024, he worked at WCG Wealth Advisors, LLC for eight years and has been associated with Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co and Treloar & Heisel, LLC for 20 years. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with Treloar & Heisel, LLC, which provides fixed insurance sales and health, accident, and property & casualty insurance products. MAI Capital Management offers investment management, wealth management, retirement plan consulting, and family-office services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, families, sports professionals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm manages $72.3 billion in assets and provides a broad range of customized portfolio strategies and integrated financial planning services.

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.

Brian Futch is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Truist Investment Services since 2005 and with Truist Advisory Services since 2016. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as president of a rental property management business where he oversees tax and insurance responsibilities. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary manager arrangements along with AI-supported research and inter-affiliate integration.

Jackson Turner is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with one year of industry experience. He holds Series 66 and Series 63 licenses. Prior to joining Empower Advisory Group, he worked at Strategic Value Media and Coastal Federal Credit Union among other roles. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management mainly to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and select retail brokerage clients. The firm offers integrated services linked to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, focusing on long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing rather than short-term forecasts.

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.

Dustin Hill is a financial advisor at Principal Financial Services with 27 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and has been with Princor Financial Services Corporation and Principal Financial Group since 1999. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a wide range of clients, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and active-duty military personnel. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions.

Kathryn Wood is a financial advisor at Money Concepts Capital Corp with 26 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has been with Money Concepts Capital Corp since 2013. Wood is also the president and owner of Triangle Health Plans, Inc., a company providing health, medical supplement, dental, disability, and long-term care insurance. Money Concepts Advisory Service (MCAS) offers portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm employs a range of managed programs and account structures, utilizing fundamental and technical analysis along with modern portfolio theory to manage assets for approximately 14,700 clients.

David Castro is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 designation with 15 years of industry experience. He is currently with Focus Partners Wealth, LLC and has previously worked at Goldman Sachs Wealth Services, Kovitz Investment Group Partners, and other firms. Focus Partners serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients with wealth management and advisory services. The firm employs an enhanced open architecture investment approach combining active and passive strategies, third-party managers, and private funds, and offers services including financial planning, retirement consulting, and access to affiliated private funds.

Kennedy Taylor is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with five years of industry experience. He currently works at Empower Advisory Group and previously was employed by Fidelity Investments and First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, delivering services through an integrated model connected to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms. The firm emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and savings rates in its financial planning, serving a large participant base with a higher client-to-advisor ratio than many peers.