Andrew Bass is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. Before joining Truist Advisory Services, he worked as a Truist Banker for nine years and spent one year at Dick Sporting. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships with non-discretionary consulting and uses third-party platforms like Envestnet to support its advisory programs.

Melanie Price is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 22 years of industry experience. She has been affiliated with New York Life Insurance Company and its related entities since 2010. Price is also appointed with outside insurance carriers to broker non-registered insurance products. Eagle Strategies serves individual and institutional clients by providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services through a large network of affiliated advisors. The firm offers a variety of program types and emphasizes tailored recommendations, with a significant portion of its assets managed on a non-discretionary basis.

Jason Obermeier is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. He previously worked at Thrivent Financial and its investment management division before joining Principal. Outside of advisory work, he receives royalties from prior work as a composer for film and television. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a broad client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions.

Joshua Denney is a ChFC® and Series 63-licensed financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Raleigh, NC. He has three years of industry experience, including positions at NYLIFE Securities and New York Life since 2022. Outside of his advisory work, Denney serves as a certified referee for the US Gaelic Athletic Association, volunteering at regional sports tournaments. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services through a large network of affiliated advisors. The firm works with individual investors, defined contribution and benefit plans, and institutional clients, emphasizing tailored advice and primarily managing assets on a non-discretionary basis.

Donella Winkler is a CFP® professional with 12 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Allworth Financial, L.P. She has prior experience at Adams Chetwood Wealth Management, Zeiders Enterprises, BancWest Investment Services, Inc., and Bank of the West BNP Paribas. Outside of her advisory role, she provides financial education through Zeiders Enterprises, focusing on topics such as Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), credit scores, and budgeting. Allworth Financial is a fee-based SEC-registered adviser serving individuals, qualified retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers customized investment portfolios using various model strategies and employs technology to manage held-away employer retirement accounts without client login credentials.

Austen Hawkey is a CFP® with eight years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Creative Planning. His prior roles include positions at First Oak Wealth Management, Armor Investment Advisors, and Bank of America. Creative Planning offers investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm employs a financial planning–led investment process focused on low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supported by a broad range of supplemental approaches and integrated retirement plan services.

Lupton Haigler is a financial advisor with Janney Montgomery Scott in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 18 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Truist Advisory Services, Truist Investment Services, BB&T Securities, and BB&T Capital Markets. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that manages approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base, including individuals, families, trusts, estates, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and municipal clients, offering a range of brokerage, financial planning, consulting, and advisory services.

Bradley Curelop is a CFP® professional with nine years of industry experience, currently with PNC Wealth Management. His prior roles include positions at United Brokerage Services, Suntrust Investment Services, Suntrust Bank, and Bb&T. He is a co-owner of a short-term rental business with Stacey Curelop. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an online discretionary model account available as an invitation-only pilot for employees, which uses algorithm-driven risk assessment and implements investments via approved model strategies with mutual funds and ETFs.

Timothy Cowhey is a CFP® with 11 years of industry experience, currently serving at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC since 2024. His prior work includes eight years at Buckingham Strategic Wealth, LLC, a year at Morgan Stanley, and involvement with Apex Motorsport LLC. Focus Partners Wealth serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients with wealth management and advisory services, using a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach that combines active and passive strategies, third-party managers, and private funds.

Jonathan Shimer is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. He has been with Kestra Advisory since 2016 and also serves as a financial advisor and partner at Vigilant Financial, operating under Kestra Investment Services since 2005. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse range of institutional and individual clients, offering fiduciary consulting, plan design, and investment advice supported by due diligence and a broad selection of management platforms and third-party solutions.

Hayden Lewis is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. based in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and three years of industry experience. He has worked at several entities within the First Citizens group, including First Citizens Asset Management and First Citizens Bank, as well as Fidelity Investments and State Employees' Credit Union. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate/business entities, offering advisory and brokerage services through IARs and third-party Portfolio Managers. The firm’s investment approach involves IAR-led assessments and a mix of fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to allocate assets across equities, fixed income, mutual funds, and ETFs.

Deborah Wright is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has seven years of industry experience. Her prior work includes positions at First Citizens Bank, HPW Towne Mortgage, and Caldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston. 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 employs a client process centered on financial needs assessment and uses a combination of fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to allocate assets across various investment types.

Stephanie Bowens is a financial advisor at Kestra Advisory with 28 years of industry experience. She previously worked at Triad Advisors and OSAIC before joining Kestra in 2025. Outside of her advisory role, she is CEO of Chrysalis Capital Management, a developer of financial education and literacy materials, and serves as a board member on the finance committee of The Hope Center at Pullen. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to plan sponsors and a diverse range of institutional and individual clients. The firm offers services including fiduciary consulting, plan design, employee education, and access to multiple management platforms, serving clients such as sovereign wealth funds and large institutional investors.

Michael Dipenta is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 19 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with TIAA-CREF since 2015. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division 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, corporate entities, and small retirement plans. The firm separates one-time financial planning services from ongoing portfolio management and serves as adviser to a donor-advised fund while operating within a vertically integrated group utilizing affiliated funds.

Robert Williams IV is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and having 26 years of industry experience. He is president and owner of AI Financial, Inc., operating as Williams Wealth Management since 2005. Williams worked at NEXT Financial Group, Inc. from 2005 to 2019 before joining Commonwealth and Williams Wealth Management. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,900 advisors and managing roughly $212.7 billion in client assets. The firm provides a broad adviser-support platform, including managed-account programs, access to third-party asset managers, retirement and plan consulting, and custody/clearing services.

Andrew Orr is a CFP® with 13 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services. He has held previous roles at Wells Fargo Advisors and Suntrust Advisory Services. Orr is based in Raleigh, NC. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships with third-party platform and manager arrangements to deliver its services, including its AMC Advantage manager-selection program.

Wesley Shade is a CFP® professional with two years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Truist Advisory Services. His prior experience includes roles at Truist Investment Services and First Citizens Investor Services. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships with non-discretionary consulting and employs AI-enabled tools to support its investment research and fiduciary oversight.

Stephen Kanoy is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. with 20 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has previously worked at Truist Advisory Services, BB&T, and related entities. 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 offers portfolio management, wrap programs, model portfolios, and financial planning, focusing on client assessments and diversified investment strategies.

Joseph Fish is a financial advisor at Sanctuary Advisors, LLC with 11 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Bank of America and Merrill. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as president of a condominium owners association and as a trustee for Calvary Raleigh Church, both positions involving advisory responsibilities related to governance and financial oversight. Sanctuary Advisors, LLC offers investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations through a network of over 400 independent adviser representatives. The firm supports various investment strategies and platforms, acting as a fiduciary when a written advisory agreement is in place.

Joshua Maida is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 15 years of industry experience. He has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 2016 and is also associated with AGIA, where he works with non-securities insurance products. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants, providing portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services. The firm operates at scale with over 1,200 advisors and integrates technology and model solutions to manage a large client base.