Cecily Welch is a CFP® professional with 12 years of industry experience, operating through her firm Welch Financial Investments, LLC in Atlanta, GA. She also owns Welch Financial Advisors, a CPA firm, and integrates accounting and financial advisory services. Welch has worked continuously with her firms since 2010. Welch Financial Investments serves a select group of individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charities, and business entities. The firm focuses on diversified asset allocation based on Modern Portfolio Theory, typically using mutual funds and ETFs, and provides comprehensive financial planning and discretionary management, often coordinating with third-party managers for portfolio implementation and reporting.

Gary Whitehurst is a financial advisor with Brighter Investing, PB LLC in Atlanta, GA, holding a Series 63 designation and 29 years of industry experience. His work history includes nearly two decades at GV Financial Advisors, Inc. and related firms, along with senior roles at Brighter GP, LLC and Brighter Private Credit GP, LLC. He is also a licensed insurance agent assisting clients with insurance gap assessments. Brighter Investing, PB LLC offers fee-only investment management, financial planning, tax-preparation coordination, and retirement-plan advisory services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, and institutional accounts. The firm emphasizes diversified exposure across public and private securities within a sustainable and impact investing framework and provides affiliated private fund interests primarily to accredited investors.

Sally Shelton is a CFP®-credentialed financial advisor with eight years of industry experience. She currently leads Marbella Wealth Advisory Group, LLC, an independent firm she joined in 2024. Her prior experience includes roles at Oxford Financial Group, Compass Wealth Management, JPMorgan, and UBS Financial Services. Marbella Wealth Advisory Group, LLC serves high-net-worth individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, and corporate clients with discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a blend of asset-allocation principles, fundamental analysis, and a mix of passive and active investment vehicles, and maintains a formal retirement plan consulting practice that includes participant education and group seminars.

Justin Porter is a CFP® and PFS™ credentialed advisor with 11 years of industry experience. He founded Porter Wealth Management, LLC in 2018 after working at HHM Wealth Advisors, LLC and Patton Albertson Miller Group, LLC. The firm serves individual clients as well as trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and small businesses. Porter Wealth Management primarily constructs passively managed portfolios using index mutual funds and ETFs alongside fundamental analysis for individual securities, and it utilizes client-specific investment policy statements to guide portfolio supervision.

Johnny Masters Sr. is the principal of John Masters, CPA, PC in Atlanta, GA, with 22 years of industry experience and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has been associated with his firm and its predecessor since 1974. Outside of his advisory role, he operates a law practice specializing in tax and estate planning. John Masters, CPA, PC serves individual clients including business owners, professionals, retirees, and family members by providing integrated investment advisory, accounting, tax, estate, and probate planning services. The firm employs a combined fundamental and technical investment approach with a focus on dividend-paying and out-of-favor opportunities, managing discretionary portfolios with daily oversight.

Kenneth Brown is a financial advisor at Core Capital Markets, LLC in Atlanta, GA, with 30 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. and Dempsey Lord Smith, LLC. Brown is also the president of Core Capital Markets, LLC. Core Capital Markets provides model-based investment strategies primarily to registered platform providers and their advisers, with limited direct retail clients. The firm focuses on market efficiency and strategic asset allocation, using mutual funds and ETFs exclusively from Dimensional Fund Advisors to build diversified portfolios tailored to various investment goals.

Garrett Donnelly is the sole advisor at Donnelly Investments Corporation in Atlanta, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials with 12 years of industry experience. He has led Donnelly Investments Corporation since its founding in 2014. Donnelly Investments Corporation provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management to individuals, high-net-worth individuals, and business entities. The firm emphasizes traditional core investments such as stocks, bonds, and cash, while incorporating mutual funds, ETFs, REITs, fixed income, and commodities as appropriate, using a process that combines fundamental analysis and modern portfolio theory tailored to individual client goals.

Elias Mc Quade III is a CFA® charterholder and registered investment advisor with 10 years of industry experience. He is the founder of Mindful Capital Management, where he has served since 2026, and previously worked at Marotta Wealth Management for a decade. Outside of financial advising, he owns a loose leaf tea and meditation supplies business and co-owns a board game cafe. Mindful Capital Management provides fee-only investment advisory services to individuals, families, qualified retirement plan sponsors, nonprofit organizations, and endowments. The firm utilizes a combination of fundamental and quantitative analysis along with modern portfolio theory, offering diversified portfolios through long-term buy-and-hold, core-satellite, and tax-aware strategies, and provides specialized alpha-seeking strategies for accredited and institutional clients.

Ryan Mcpherson is a CFP® with 15 years of industry experience, currently serving at SmartPath Advisors. He has held roles at SmartPath, Inc. since 2017 and is the Vice President of Finance and Operations there, overseeing financial, business, and HR functions. Mcpherson is also the managing member and Chief Compliance Officer of Intelligent Worth, LLC, a financial planning firm. SmartPath Advisors provides planning-focused, short-term advisory services primarily to individuals accessing services through employers or organizations and to high-net-worth clients. The firm emphasizes passive, diversified asset allocation and offers AI-powered ongoing financial guidance without managing client assets or custody.

Arthur Aust is the sole advisor at Aust Financial Advisory, LLC in Atlanta, GA, holding a Series 65 designation with 15 years of industry experience. He has led Aust Financial Advisory since its founding in 2010. Aust Financial Advisory is an independent firm providing fee-only financial planning and discretionary investment management to individuals and families. The firm primarily uses passive, indexed strategies with low-cost, tax-efficient ETFs and mutual funds, and emphasizes client education and customized investment policy statements.

Ashish Desai is a CFA charterholder and the sole advisor at Desai Capital Management, Inc. He has 11 years of industry experience and has worked at Navigant Consulting since 2004. Based in Atlanta, GA, he focuses on equity research and portfolio management. Desai Capital Management is a state-registered investment adviser that serves clients meeting specific financial knowledge and risk tolerance criteria. The firm employs an absolute-return, concentrated value strategy primarily focused on domestic and international equities, using fundamental valuation models and selective options strategies.

Jamar Bates is a financial advisor with Bates Financial Group, LLC in Smyrna, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 13 years of industry experience. He has led Bates Financial Group since 2014. Outside of advisory services, he is involved with Bates Realty Group, Inc., which engages in residential and commercial real estate brokerage. Bates Financial Group provides financial planning, consulting, and educational seminars to a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm integrates advisory services with brokerage, insurance, and mortgage offerings, relying on third-party managers for investment guidance and emphasizing strategic and tactical asset allocation approaches.

Samuel Deane is a financial advisor at Rora Wealth, Inc. in Atlanta, GA, holding a Series 65 designation with four years of industry experience. Prior to founding Rora Wealth in 2018, he worked at Lincoln Financial Advisors and Transamerica Financial Advisors. Outside of his advisory role, he owns a media entity for which he is compensated for writing and public speaking. Rora Wealth, Inc. advises individual clients and families primarily in the technology sector, focusing on employees, executives, and startup founders. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning, employing diversified portfolios with ETFs, separate accounts, direct indexing, and option strategies, alongside access to an affiliated early-stage technology private fund.

Frank Brannon is a CFP® with 18 years of industry experience and has been the sole advisor at KMR Financial Advisory, Inc. since 1997. He is based in Atlanta, GA, and holds the Series 65 license. KMR Financial Advisory provides discretionary portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning for individual and high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory approach using ETFs, mutual funds, bonds, and CDs, and its client communication includes weekly account summaries and quarterly reports.

James Durden Jr. is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with Edward Wealth Partners in Lithia Springs, GA. He has been with Edward Wealth Partners since 2025 and has over a decade of experience with Edward Financial Group, where he is also an owner and insurance agent. Edward Wealth Partners is an investment manager offering discretionary and non-discretionary asset management and consulting services, with a focus on retirement-plan work. The firm combines direct portfolio management with third-party manager recommendations and provides plan-sponsor fiduciary services as well as participant education.

At Prana Wealth, we help people over 50 invest smarter, lower their lifetime tax bill, and retire sooner. We are a fee-only financial planning firm based in Atlanta that serves clients across the country. Want to retire? Visit our website to learn more: https://www.pranawealth.com ABOUT PATRICK Patrick lives in Atlanta and enjoys travel, fitness, and photography.

Joseph Stacy is a financial advisor with Meranti Capital Partners, INC. in Atlanta, GA, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and possessing 15 years of industry experience. His background includes roles at Kaplan Professional, Primerica Advisors, and Nokia. Outside of advising, he is a licensed real estate instructor and a commercial real estate agent. Meranti Capital Partners offers portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, families, trusts, estates, and retirement plans. The firm uses a variety of analytical methods and investment strategies, including alternative and private investments, with services tailored through an Investment Policy Statement and may manage accounts on a discretionary basis when authorized by clients.

Cass Chappell III is a CFP® professional with 30 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Chappell Financial Group, an independent firm he has led since 2012. Prior to founding his firm, he worked with LPL Financial, LLC for 21 years and PRUCO Securities, LLC for two years. He is also a licensed insurance agent offering various insurance products. Chappell Financial Group serves individuals, families, business owners, and employer plan sponsors through wealth management, financial consulting, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm utilizes a diverse range of securities and incorporates quantitative and qualitative analysis, modern portfolio theory, and charting in its investment process.

Aaron Gaines is a CFP® and Series 66 holder with 10 years of experience in financial services. He currently leads Gaines Capital Management, an independent firm based in Smyrna, GA, and has prior experience with Edward Jones and multiple advisory firms since 2016. Gaines also operates an affiliated insurance agency, GCM Wealthshield LLC, providing a range of insurance products. Gaines Capital Management offers financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, and consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and small businesses. The firm employs fundamental analysis and strategic asset allocation with ETFs and individual equities, focusing on long-term holdings, and provides customized solutions including options and private equity for qualified clients.

Daniel Mahoney is a CFP® professional with eight years of industry experience. He has worked at True Square Financial LLC since 2017 and previously spent three years at Invesco Ltd. True Square Financial LLC serves individual clients as well as charitable organizations, corporations, and employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm offers investment management alongside financial planning, tax return preparation, and retirement plan consulting, using a combination of passive allocation and selective fundamental analysis tailored to client objectives.