Clayton Brumbaugh is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with four years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at NYLIFE Securities LLC, New York Life Insurance, Wells Fargo, Baltimore County Government, and Virginia Wesleyan University. Empower Advisory Group serves primarily employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, offering financial planning and investment management through an integrated model connected to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms. The firm emphasizes long-term portfolio returns, annual rebalancing, and clients’ savings rates in its financial planning services.

Eric Gonzalez is a financial advisor at First Command Advisory Services with Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and no prior industry experience. He has a 20-year background in the U.S. Coast Guard and has worked at several firms, including Pharos Group and Metris Global. First Command Advisory Services is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, corporate, and charitable clients, with a focus on active-duty service members and their families. The firm offers financial planning and multiple wrap-fee asset management programs through a centralized Investment Management Team and Wealth Portfolio Managers.

Colin Meddaugh is a financial advisor with AE Wealth Management, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing 11 years of industry experience. He has previously worked with firms including Madison Avenue Securities, First Command Advisory Services, and operates as a Senior Financial Representative at Imagine Financial. Meddaugh serves as a Commanding Officer in the United States Navy Reserve, overseeing a unit of over 750 personnel. AE Wealth Management provides fee-based portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base including individual households, corporations, trusts, and ERISA plan sponsors. The firm utilizes discretionary model portfolios and a range of investment strategies, managing approximately $49.8 billion across more than 127,000 clients.

Matthew Foreman is a financial advisor at Valic Financial Advisors with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at firms including Empower Financial Services, Wells Fargo Clearing, Wells Fargo Bank, and Bank of America. Outside of advisory work, he serves as treasurer for the Edith L Frierson Elementary PTA and is an agent selling non-securities insurance products for Agia. Valic Financial Advisors is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA-member broker-dealer serving primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and UMAs through a large network of advisors, leveraging centralized technology and model solutions to manage approximately $29.2 billion across close to 300,000 clients.

Matthew Ellis is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 20 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at several firms including Fidelity Investments, E*TRADE, TIAA-CREF, and TD Ameritrade. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage clients, operating through an integrated model tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Eliot Ness is a financial advisor at TD Private Client Wealth LLC with Series 65 and Series 63 credentials and one year of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Integrity Alliance, Lion Street Financial, W&S Brokerage Services, Western Southern Life, CARFAX, O2 Fitness Clubs, and the College of Charleston. TD Private Client Wealth LLC provides discretionary wrap-fee managed account programs and brokerage services to institutional and high-net-worth private clients, offering portfolio management, financial planning support, and access to various investment products through strategic and tactical asset allocation.

Erik Hofstrom is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with 21 years of industry experience. He is currently affiliated with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC and has worked with LPL Financial since 2005. Hofstrom operates his advisory business through Independent Advisor Alliance, focusing on investment advisory services. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans. The firm provides asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, employing discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management methods alongside technology-enabled estate-planning tools.

Ryan Mentnech is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services and holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations. He has six years of industry experience, including prior roles at First Citizens, TD Bank, TD Private Client Wealth, and The Prudential Insurance Company of America. Outside of his advisory work, he coaches youth lacrosse in Charleston, South Carolina. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation, investment policy analysis, fiduciary support, and a manager-selection program that utilizes both discretionary and non-discretionary strategies.

Robert Armstrong is a CFP® professional with nine years of experience in financial advising at First Command Advisory Services. He has worked at multiple entities within the First Command group since 2017 and previously spent four years at Leidos. First Command Advisory Services is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, corporate, and charitable clients, with a focus on active-duty service members and their families. The firm offers financial planning and various wrap-fee asset management programs managed through a centralized Investment Management Team and Wealth Portfolio Managers.

Richard Durkee Jr. is a financial advisor with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 14 years of industry experience. He has worked at several firms, including Fusion Capital Management and Precision Capital Management, and serves as president of the Grand Strand Association of Life Underwriters. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base, offering asset management, financial planning, wealth coaching, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management strategies and utilizes technology platforms to enhance asset aggregation and estate-planning services.

Andrew Barrett is a financial advisor at Sequoia Financial Group, L.L.C. with 16 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and serves as president of White Point Management, LLC, a consulting firm based in Charleston, SC. His career includes roles at Family Asset Management, LLC and White Point Management, LLC, where he has held a supervisory position. Sequoia Financial Advisors, LLC provides wealth planning, investment management, retirement-plan advisory, and related consulting services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, family offices, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a combination of model and custom portfolio management, utilizing a range of investment vehicles and oversight from an Investment Policy Committee.

Robert Crane is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services in North Charleston, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and seven years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Clearing, Bank of America, Merrill, and Citizens Securities. Outside of finance, he is a partner in an LLC that owns a restaurant. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, and active-duty military personnel. The firm offers financial planning, retirement consulting, and access to third-party money manager solutions through various advisory and promoter arrangements.

Clayton Thornton is a financial advisor with NewEdge Advisors in Summerville, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 18 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Forvis Mazars Wealth Advisors LLC, FORVIS Wealth Advisors LLC, Dixon Hughes Wealth Advisors LLC, and Edward Jones. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm provides a range of services including portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party managers, and employs centralized due diligence alongside technology tools to support advisors and clients.

Gary Knode is a financial advisor at AE Wealth Management, LLC with one year of experience in the industry. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been involved with Safe Harbor Financial/Safe Harbor Wealth since 2013, where he serves as president and manages insurance and annuity sales along with retirement planning for clients. AE Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, trusts, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers model portfolio solutions, discretionary asset management, financial planning, ERISA plan services, and self-directed brokerage support through a platform that integrates AEWM-managed, third-party, and advisor-managed models.

James Amick Jr. is a financial advisor with J.W. Cole Advisors, Inc., holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 31 years of industry experience. He has worked at J.W. Cole Advisors since 2019 and previously held roles at Independent Financial Partners and LPL Financial. Outside of his advisory work, Amick serves as chair elect of the Poplar Grove Townhome Owners Association board and is a trustee of the Jamie Lynn Amick Trust. J.W. Cole Advisors is an SEC-registered firm that serves individuals, charities, corporations, and retirement plans through a national network of over 400 independent investment adviser representatives. The firm provides portfolio management, fee-based financial planning, access to third-party managers, and multiple managed account solutions utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches.

Robert Swindle is a financial advisor with Guardian Life and holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials. He has 13 years of industry experience, having worked previously at MML Investors Services and Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company before joining Park Avenue Securities in 2018. He also engages in providing insurance products outside of Guardian Life. Park Avenue Securities, a subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, offers brokerage and advisory services to individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines advisor-led discretionary management with model-based strategies and provides access to proprietary and third-party investment solutions.

Mark Taylor is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in North Charleston, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 1999 and has also worked with Agia since 2022. Outside of advisory work, he is involved as a member managing small self-storage facility operations. 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, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models to construct client portfolios.

David Kornegay is a CFP® professional with over 32 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Valic Financial Advisors since 2011 and holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. In addition to his advisory role, he is a commissioned notary in South Carolina. Valic Financial Advisors serves U.S.-domiciled 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, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models to construct client portfolios.

Ryan Shannon is a financial advisor at Prime Capital Financial with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Park Avenue Securities, Guardian Life Insurance Company, and Principal Securities Inc. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with PCRM, LLC, which focuses on the sale and service of fixed-insurance products. Prime Capital Financial is an SEC-registered firm serving individuals, trusts, corporations, and retirement plans with services including asset management, financial planning, qualified retirement plan sponsor and trustee services, and third-party manager selection. The firm employs a variety of investment strategies and offers family office services alongside tax planning through an affiliated accounting subsidiary.

Daniel Russler Jr. is a financial advisor at Sequoia Financial Group, L.L.C. with 22 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously served as Chief Investment Officer at Family Asset Management, LLC. Sequoia Financial Advisors offers wealth planning, investment management, retirement-plan advisory, and consulting services to a diverse client base including individuals, family offices, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm combines model portfolios and custom solutions, utilizing a range of investment vehicles and regular portfolio reviews conducted by an Investment Policy Committee.