Douglas Robertson is a financial advisor with LPL Financial and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 17 years of industry experience, including roles at Truliant Federal Credit Union and Cuna Brokerage Services. Robertson is also involved with Truliant Financial Advisors in connection with his LPL business. LPL Financial is a national broker‑dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm provides a range of advisory services including financial planning, model portfolios, and institutional platforms, supported by a large network of investment adviser representatives.

Kristen Thomas is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with nine years of industry experience. She is currently affiliated with Cetera and also serves as a financial professional at Paved Wealth Partners, LLC. In addition to her advisory work, she operates a small gardening consulting business called Southern Rooted Gardens. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is a nationwide SEC-registered adviser that serves individual, retirement, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients through a large network of independent advisors. The firm offers a range of portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement services, utilizing a multi-manager platform with access to affiliated and third-party money managers.

George Kokalis is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Merrill and Bank of America prior to joining Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages roughly $671 billion in assets through more than 14,000 financial advisors and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions.

John Fasti is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Charlotte, NC. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 registrations and has six years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Equitable Advisors and Equitable Distributors. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, wrap-fee programs, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers a range of brokerage and advisory solutions supported by research from Wells Fargo Investment Institute and third-party databases.

Phillip Turner is a financial advisor at Vanguard Advisers with 13 years of industry experience. He has been with The Vanguard Group since 2013 and was self-employed from 2018 to 2020. Turner holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Vanguard Advisers provides automated and human-supported investment advice primarily to retail investors and participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm uses a goal-based, algorithm-driven approach with portfolios constructed largely from Vanguard funds and ETFs, offering a range of customization options including ESG preferences.

Nicholas Caropreso is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Mooresville, NC, holding a Series 66 designation. He joined Edward Jones in 2026 and has prior professional experience at Lowe's Companies Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Unilever, and Pinnacle Foods. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients with approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment strategies supported by a large nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Lucas Beatty is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor at Thrivent Investment Management with nine years of industry experience. He has been with Thrivent Financial and Thrivent Investment Management since 2017. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a board member for the Dallas, NC Boys and Girls Club and as a trustee for Venture Church. Thrivent Investment Management offers dedicated planning services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients. The firm provides holistic, goal-based analyses addressing a broad range of financial planning topics, with opportunities to combine planning and managed-account services under a consolidated billing option.

Daniel Hanvey is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with 30 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has been with Ameriprise and its affiliates since 2009. Hanvey is also the owner of LWM Partners, a business unrelated to investment activities. Ameriprise provides a retirement-income planning service targeting individuals nearing or in retirement with substantial investable assets. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver non-discretionary, written recommendations, supported by a centralized consulting team and algorithmic tools.

John Thibault is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 credential and three years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he has worked in various roles including service industry employment as a bartender at Tiffany Sports Lounge. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large, diversified advisory firm serving both individual and institutional clients, offering specialized retirement income planning through its Ameriprise Premier Retirement Income service, which provides written recommendations and ongoing advice focused on income sources and tax-aware withdrawal strategies.

Jeb Milam is a financial advisor with Vanguard Advisers based in Charlotte, NC. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has seven years of industry experience, including a 30-year tenure at Wells Fargo Advisors and Wells Fargo Clearing Services. Vanguard Advisers provides automated and human-supported investment advice primarily to retail investors and participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm uses a goal-based, algorithm-driven approach featuring proprietary asset allocation models and predominantly constructs portfolios from Vanguard funds and ETFs.

Scott Atkinson is a financial advisor with Vanguard Advisers, holding a Series 66 designation and 17 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Clearing Services and LPL Financial. He is also an employee of The Vanguard Group, Inc. Vanguard Advisers provides automated and human-supported investment advice through its digital and personal advisor services, primarily serving retail investors and participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm uses a goal-based, algorithm-driven approach to construct portfolios mainly from Vanguard funds and ETFs, offering various customization options and managing a large client base through a combination of technology and team support.

Carrie Jones is a financial advisor at OSAIC with 19 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked previously at Woodbury Financial Services Inc and Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc. Jones serves as a board member for Serenity Pastoral Counseling, a nonprofit organization. OSAIC Wealth serves a broad mix of retail and institutional clients through a multi-advisor platform offering brokerage and advisory services, including comprehensive financial planning and third-party money manager programs. The firm’s investment process emphasizes model-based asset allocation and portfolio optimization, with a notable scale and a complex affiliate network supporting its platform.

Adrian Smigiel is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Belmont, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and seven years of industry experience. He has been with Wells Fargo Clearing since 2018 and previously worked at Wells Fargo Bank, NA from 2015 to 2018. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both non-discretionary and discretionary services. The firm’s advisory process is IPS-driven and grounded in modern portfolio theory, with a notable inclusion of insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options among its investment offerings.

James Tapp II is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. He has been with Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients, including pension and charitable organizations. The firm offers a wide range of advisory services, including financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and investment management, supported by research from Wells Fargo Investment Institute and third-party sources.

Charles King is a financial advisor with Merrill in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 27 years of industry experience. He has worked at Merrill since 2000 and Bank of America, NA since 2009. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Thomas Sparkman is a financial advisor with Vanguard Advisers in Charlotte, NC, holding CFP® and Series 63 credentials and nine years of industry experience. He has been with The Vanguard Group, Inc. since 2017. Outside of his advisory role, he participates in healthcare training webinars as a demonstration patient and contributes as a focus group participant in multiple marketing research firms. Vanguard Advisers provides automated and human-supported investment advice to retail investors and participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm employs a goal-based, algorithm-driven approach to asset allocation, primarily using Vanguard funds and ETFs, and manages a large client base through its digital platform and team servicing model.

Patrick Nielsen is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Mooresville, NC, holding CFP® and Series 66 credentials and seven years of industry experience. Before joining Edward Jones in 2018, he worked for twelve years at Lowe's Companies, Inc. Outside of his advisory work, he owns and operates a self-publishing business through which he writes fiction. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs and investment solutions with approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management. The firm is notable for its large network of financial advisors and branch offices, as well as its affiliated capabilities beyond advisory services.

David Balok is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Denver, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and offering 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Linsco/Private Ledger Corp., now part of LPL Financial, since 2006. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser providing advisory and brokerage services through a large network of investment adviser representatives. The firm serves individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions with a range of financial planning and investment management solutions.

Jake Rothert is a financial advisor with Vanguard Advisers in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. He has been with Vanguard since 2021, including roles at Vanguard Advisers, Vanguard Marketing Corporation, and The Vanguard Group. Outside of advising, he has been involved with CharBar7 since 2015. Vanguard Advisers serves retail investors and participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans through a combination of automated and human-supported investment advice, utilizing a goal-based, algorithm-driven approach with personalized asset allocations primarily composed of Vanguard funds and ETFs. The firm manages a large client base with over 2,200 advisors, emphasizing digital delivery and a team servicing model.

Thomas Druckenbrod is a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management who specializes in retirement income and wealth management planning. With over 19 years of experience in the financial services industry, he focuses on helping individuals set realistic financial goals and develop outcome-oriented strategies using Merrill's customized advice and Bank of America Global Research. Thomas holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and has earned multiple professional designations, including Accredited Asset Management Specialist (AAMS), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA), and Sports & Entertainment Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (SE-AWMA). His client focus areas include college education planning, legacy planning, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, special needs planning strategies, women and wealth, and retirement income. In addition to his professional work, Thomas is involved in his community as a church volunteer. Outside of work, his personal interests include adventure sports, chess, fishing, ice skating, table tennis, traveling, and spending time with his family.