Dean Cushing is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with three years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. Prior to joining TIAA-CREF in 2023, he worked at Ruffalo Noel Levitz and has experience in various roles spanning education and sports organizations. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm’s advisory services separate one-time financial planning from ongoing portfolio management, offering both model-based and customized investment approaches.

Kenneth Holt Jr. is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 12 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and has been with TIAA since 2015. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a middle and high school basketball and football referee with the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing TIAA employer-sponsored retirement relationships. The firm offers both point-in-time financial planning and ongoing discretionary management, utilizing model portfolios and customized strategies under a fiduciary standard.

Austin Dantzler is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Charlotte, NC. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has one year of industry experience. Prior to his advisory roles, he spent 11 years working with Dantzler Properties in collaboration with Real Broker, JPAR, and Allen Tate. Eagle Strategies serves individual and institutional clients by providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services through a network of affiliated advisers. The firm offers a variety of program types and emphasizes tailoring recommendations to client objectives, with a substantial portion of assets managed on a non-discretionary basis.

Anita Lynch is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 credential and 22 years of industry experience. She has worked at First Citizens Investor Services since 2017, following roles at Publix and Lowe's Home Improvement. Anita is also a co-owner of AJ Property Partners, LLC, a family business involved in real estate investments. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm employs a client-centered process using fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis for portfolio allocation and offers various investment solutions including managed accounts, wrap programs, and tax-aware services.

Janet Fisher is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 30 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Clearing, Wells Fargo Advisors, and Wachovia Bank. Fisher serves as a board member for the Charlotte Tennis Association, where she helps organize local youth and adult tennis tournaments. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation, investment policy analysis, fiduciary support, and manager-selection programs, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Susan Imel is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 20 years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Merrill and BB&T Securities prior to joining Truist. Outside of advising, she occasionally serves as a notary public in Mecklenburg County. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation, investment policy analysis, and fiduciary support, implementing advice through discretionary manager relationships and consulting, supported by AI-enabled research tools and integrated inter-affiliate service arrangements.

Abby Lord is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and six years of industry experience. She has worked at TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC and TIAA since 2019 and previously held positions at Beach and Associates and Maine Savings Federal Credit Union. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals with pre-existing retirement plan relationships, as well as to trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans. The firm also advises a donor-advised fund and operates within a vertically integrated group offering affiliated funds.

Ross Kirkman is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has been with TIAA and TIAA-CREF since 2010. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in Tarheel Angus Beef Sales, a small business selling beef to restaurants and farmers markets in Silver City, NC. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm operates a vertically integrated advisory model separating planning services from ongoing portfolio management and acts as adviser to donor-advised funds.

Brett Covert is a CFP® with 15 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Corient. His work history includes roles at Ci Brightworth, Bank of America, Merrill, and Wells Fargo Advisors. He is located in Charlotte, NC. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a broad client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm employs a goals-based, team investment approach combining in-house strategies and third-party manager solutions, with continuous portfolio monitoring and risk management tools.

Timothy Jones is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 37 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Wells Fargo and Janney Montgomery Scott in various roles since 2014. Janney Montgomery Scott is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, corporate and retirement plans, and offers brokerage, financial planning, and advisory services with both in-house and third-party portfolio management.

Willie Stokes is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63, 65, and 66 credentials and has previously worked at TIAA, Innovation Partners LLC, and Mass Mutual Investors Services. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation, fiduciary support, and a manager-selection program through a mix of discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, relying on third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Allen Schiff is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 31 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA and TIAA-CREF since 1994 and 2002 respectively. Outside of his advisory role, Schiff is an owner of a vacation rental property in Sunset Beach, North Carolina. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals connected to TIAA-administered retirement plans, as well as to trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans. The firm’s advisory model separates one-time planning services from ongoing discretionary management and acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Matthew Woods is a CFA® charterholder and Series 63 licensee with four years of industry experience. He has worked at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, Inc. since 2021 and previously spent five years with Wells Fargo Bank. Wells Fargo Investment Institute is a bank-affiliated advisory and research organization that provides manager due diligence, securities research, and asset allocation guidance primarily to Wells Fargo wealth and fiduciary businesses. The firm’s model portfolios and strategic advice support affiliated entities, with a formal integration into banking operations that includes serving fiduciary and trust clients.

Eric Stephen is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2010. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals with existing employer retirement plan relationships, as well as trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans. The firm provides both point-in-time planning and ongoing portfolio management through model and customized portfolios, operating under a fiduciary standard with a vertically integrated structure that includes affiliated funds.

Hernando Pulido is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and having two years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo and New York Life Insurance Company. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as certain retail clients. The firm’s approach integrates proprietary and third-party methodologies to produce point-in-time financial plans focused on long-term portfolio returns and savings rates, offering both standalone plans and optional managed account solutions.

Wendell Stallings is a CFP® and ChFC® with 17 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with Eagle Strategies (New York Life) and has prior experience at Ameritas Advisory Services, Ameritas Life Insurance Corp., Ameritas Investment Corp., and MetLife Investors Distribution Company. Eagle Strategies provides financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services to individual and institutional clients through a large network of affiliated advisers. The firm offers a range of program types and emphasizes tailored recommendations, with most assets managed on a non-discretionary basis.

Jared Green is a financial advisor at HB Wealth with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has prior experience at J.P. Morgan Securities and JPMorgan Chase Bank. HB Wealth Management is a registered investment adviser serving individuals, families, trusts, retirement plans, corporate entities, foundations, family offices, and institutional clients. The firm uses a discretionary investment approach combining quantitative and qualitative due diligence across public and private strategies and offers services including outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO) solutions and advisory support to registered investment companies.

Robert Lane is a CFP® professional with seven years of industry experience, currently affiliated with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Charlotte, NC. His career includes multiple roles at E*TRADE Securities and E*TRADE Capital Management between 2018 and 2023. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and businesses, utilizing various portfolio management strategies, financial planning, and tax-aware services. The firm employs a client process focused on individualized financial assessments and diversified investment allocations.

Shalenee Yalla is a Series 66-credentialed financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Charlotte, NC, and has 10 years of industry experience. She previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC from 2017 to 2021. Outside of her advisory role, she co-owns a rental property in Kirkland, Washington, with her husband. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors, participants, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting supported by third-party platforms and research tools to implement its investment strategies.

Donald Smith Jr. is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc., holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and 19 years of industry experience. He has been with Bankers Life Advisory Services since 2018 and has worked with affiliated Bankers Life entities since 2005. Outside of his advisory role, he manages an insurance sales practice serving client insurance needs. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. serves mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals through discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, as well as retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to tailor asset allocations and portfolio management strategies aligned with clients’ goals and risk tolerances.