Ashley Rushin is a financial advisor at Sanctuary Advisors, LLC with nine years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Merrill and Bank of America. Rushin serves as Vice President of the Riley Rushin Foundation, a nonprofit supporting local individuals with disabilities through fundraising and donation allocation. Sanctuary Advisors, LLC serves a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm supports a range of investment approaches and platforms, operating as a fiduciary when agreements are in place.

Frederick Freeman is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 16 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Merrill, Bank of America, Fidelity, and Wells Fargo before joining TIAA-CREF. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning, discretionary managed accounts, and broker-dealer services primarily to individuals with existing TIAA employer retirement relationships, as well as trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans. The firm combines point-in-time financial planning with ongoing discretionary management through model and customized portfolios.

William Creech is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. based in Raleigh, NC, with nine years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked at firms including Wells Fargo and Commonwealth Financial Network. Creech serves as an officer and director on the Alumni Volunteer Corporation board for the NC Kappa Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon, supporting undergraduate students at East Carolina University. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm’s approach includes client assessments led by investment adviser representatives and diversified portfolio management utilizing equities, fixed income, mutual funds, and ETFs.

Garrett Letchworth is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and six years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at First Citizens Bank and First Citizens Investor Services, as well as a position at High Point University. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities, offering advisory and brokerage services. The firm employs a client-focused process led by investment advisor representatives and utilizes a range of investment strategies including portfolio management, wrap programs, and tax-aware services.

Jonathan Carter is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and nine years of industry experience. He has worked at Valic Financial Advisors since 2017 and previously held roles at Primerica Financial Services and Primerica Advisors. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved as an agent with AGIA, focusing on non-securities insurance products. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and discretionary unified managed accounts using Envestnet’s platform and third-party model managers, supported by a large network of advisors and centralized technology solutions.

Lloyd Nelms is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 credential and 23 years of industry experience. He has worked at Truist Advisory Services and Truist Investment Services since 2021, and previously spent nine years at 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 uses a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools, to guide investment decisions.

Alfred Jordano is a CFP® and Series 66-registered advisor at Creative Planning with 19 years of industry experience. He previously worked for Sullivan Bruyette Speros & Blayney for 14 years before joining Creative Planning in 2021. Creative Planning serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, foundations, and retirement plans, managing approximately $217 billion in assets. The firm employs a financial planning-led investment approach focused on low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supplemented by advanced techniques such as direct indexing and tax-loss harvesting.

John Kline is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 33 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has been with Janney Montgomery Scott since 2013. Outside of his advisory role, he owns short-term vacation rental properties in North Carolina and Florida, though the properties are professionally managed. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing about $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse clientele including individuals, families, trusts, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, offering brokerage, financial planning, consulting, and multiple advisory programs.

Jack Lord is a financial advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC in Raleigh, NC. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with Wealth Enhancement since 2026. Prior to joining the firm, he worked in education at several schools and holds a degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services provides financial planning, asset management, and retirement-plan consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages over $122 billion in regulatory AUM and employs a diversified investment approach that blends passive and active strategies overseen by an internal Investment Committee.

Joshua Alford is a CFP® with five years of industry experience, currently serving at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC. His prior experience includes roles at First Citizens Asset Management, Fidelity Investments, MML Investors Services, LLC, and MassMutual Life Insurance Company. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities, offering a range of portfolio management and financial planning solutions utilizing fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis.

Roy Burns is a financial advisor at Schwab Wealth Advisory with a Series 66 designation and one year of experience in the industry. Prior to joining Schwab Wealth Advisory in 2025, he worked at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. and has held roles in various sectors including government and retail. Schwab Wealth Advisory provides non-discretionary fiduciary investment advice within the Schwab Wealth Advisory program. The firm uses standard asset allocation models and Schwab research tools to recommend investments, while leaving final trading decisions to clients.

Marc Anstrom is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Durham, NC, holding Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 designations and over 31 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2013. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division serves individuals—including those connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans—as well as trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, discretionary managed account programs, and brokerage services, operating with a fiduciary standard in its RIA services and acting as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Rebecca Crumpler is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network in Raleigh, NC, holding CFP®, Series 65, and Series 63 credentials and five years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Credit Union Investment Services, SECU Life Insurance Company, SECU Brokerage Services, and State Employees' Credit Union. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,900 advisors and hundreds of thousands of clients. The firm offers a wide range of advisory support, including managed-account programs, access to third-party asset managers, and retirement consulting, with an emphasis on both internally managed and outsourced model portfolios.

John Ware is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors based in Raleigh, NC, holding the ChFC® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 24 years of industry experience and has been affiliated with Park Avenue Securities, Guardian Life Insurance Company, and Ware Financial Partners since 2010 or earlier. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as the executor for multiple estates, including those of his parents and stepfather. Park Avenue Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base, offering both transaction-based brokerage and fee-based advisory services, including financial planning and retirement-plan consulting. The firm employs a variety of investment strategies through proprietary model portfolios, third-party managers, and digital advice solutions, managing approximately $15 billion in regulatory assets under management.

Lorraine Johnson is a CFP® and CFA® with 30 years of industry experience. She has worked at Commonwealth Financial Network since 2017 and previously spent four years with Royal Alliance Associates Inc. Johnson serves as a board member of the North Carolina Supplemental Retirement Systems Board. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that supports a national network of nearly 2,900 advisors. The firm offers managed-account programs, access to third-party asset managers, retirement consulting, and custody services, managing approximately $212.7 billion in client assets.

Thomas Overcash Jr. is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 39 years of industry experience. He has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 1997 and also serves as an agent with Agia, where he is involved in non-securities insurance products. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-based individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models for portfolio construction and management.

Stephanie Burks is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. in Raleigh, NC. She has been with Voya since 2016 and owns Burks Financial Management, LLC, a separate financial services business. Burks is also active as an independent insurance agent. Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. serves a diverse range of clients including individuals, institutions, and high-net-worth investors. The firm provides financial planning, portfolio management, and consulting through various program structures, often delivering non-discretionary recommendations rather than discretionary management.

Nahed Alsous is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 22 years of industry experience. She has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 2003 and also serves as an agent with Agia, focusing on non-securities insurance products. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants, offering managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services.

Richard Kagan is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 44 years of industry experience. He has been with Commonwealth since 2000. Outside of his advisory role, Kagan serves as CFO and shareholder of two non-investment related companies, Adessence Marketing, Inc. and Right Brain Media, and is also a squash coach. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser supporting a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their clients through a range of advisory programs and services. The firm provides operations, trading, technology, compliance, and practice-management support, with discretionary portfolio construction and model portfolios managed by its Investment Management and Research team.

Erica Korol is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and 12 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at VALIC Financial Advisors and Agia. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, pension plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm utilizes a client-focused process combining fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis across various investment vehicles, with offerings including portfolio management, automated platforms, and tax-aware services.