William Saylor is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Asheville, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 17 years of industry experience. He has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 2011. Outside of his advisory role, he performs as a guitarist and books shows in his spare time. 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, wrap programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models with National Financial Services as custodian.

Michael Vines is a financial advisor at Prime Capital Financial in Asheville, NC with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Hornor, Townsend & Kent LLC, Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company, and PNC Bank. Prime Capital Financial is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, corporations, and retirement plans through services such as asset management, financial planning, qualified retirement plan services, and family office offerings. The firm employs a variety of investment strategies and also operates an affiliated accounting subsidiary that provides tax planning and bill-pay services.

James Norris is a CFP® certificant with 27 years of industry experience. He has worked at Oppenheimer & Co since 2011 and previously spent time at Morgan Stanley and Citigroup Global Markets. He is based in Asheville, NC. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, pooled investment vehicles, and IRAs. The firm offers a range of programs and advisory services including strategic asset allocation, manager selection, and retirement consulting, operating both discretionary and non-discretionary accounts while maintaining custody of client assets.

Karen Clerici is a financial advisor with Transamerica Retirement Advisors, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 36 years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Transamerica Investors Securities Corporation and Transamerica Retirement Solutions since 2016, as well as previous experience with Prospera Financial Services and Raymond James Financial. Outside of her advisory work, she leads weekend hikes for Asheville Adventures, a local hiking company. Transamerica Retirement Advisors serves participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans and IRA owners through various managed advice programs that provide asset allocation and retirement planning guidance. The firm uses proprietary software and model portfolios developed with Morningstar Investment Management to deliver personalized retirement-focused advice and operates at scale with a large client base and advisor team.

Robert Jones Jr. is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network, holding Series 63 and Series 65 registrations and 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at Commonwealth since 2015 and has been president and co-owner of Edwin Yeates Financial, Inc., an investment-related firm, since 2005. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,900 affiliated advisors and hundreds of thousands of clients. The firm provides a broad platform including managed-account programs, third-party asset manager access, retirement consulting, and custody services.

Jonathan Robinson is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 29 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked at Truist Advisory Services since 2021. His prior experience includes roles at Bb&T Securities, LLC and Scott & Stringfellow, Inc. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by AI-enabled research tools and a multi-affiliate operational structure.

Austin Grier is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with Series 65 and Series 66 credentials and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining TIAA-CREF, he held positions at Bank of America and Merrill. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm’s advisory model distinguishes between one-time planning services and ongoing discretionary management, applying a fiduciary standard while utilizing model and customized portfolios.

Kathryn Beach is a CFP®-certified financial advisor at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. in Asheville, NC, with five years of industry experience. She previously worked at Raymond James Financial Services Advisors and On Track WNC before joining Mercer Global Advisors. Mercer Global Advisors provides investment advisory and related planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth families, small business owners, and nonprofit organizations. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based investment approach, emphasizing globally diversified, risk-appropriate portfolios with multi-factor tilts and tax management, and offers a range of implementation options and affiliated service lines.

David Helgeson is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Asheville, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 28 years of industry experience. He has worked at Valic Financial Advisors since 2001 with a one-year period at Gunnallen Financial, Inc. and currently holds a position with Agia involving non-securities insurance products. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services. The firm utilizes discretionary unified managed accounts through Envestnet’s platform and serves a large client base with a technology-driven approach.

John Mills is a financial advisor with Guardian Life and Park Avenue Securities, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at Guardian Life since 2014 and previously at Stifel and Merrill. Outside of his advisory role, he manages a shared farm property in Kansas and serves as successor trustee and executor for a family estate. Park Avenue Securities, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers a combination of advisor-led discretionary management and model-based strategies, alongside planning and consulting services tailored to client needs.

Austin Bell is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors, based in Asheville, NC, with 12 years of industry experience. He has worked at Valic Financial Advisors since 2015 and is currently also affiliated with Agia. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a middle school golf coach at Asheville Christian Academy, teaching and supervising golf practice and matches. 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. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet UMA models and a range of investment options.

Charles Smith is a financial advisor with OSAIC Institutions, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and 22 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at First Bancorp, Fifth Third Securities, SunTrust Investment Services, BB&T Securities, and Merrill. OSAIC Institutions, Inc. serves individuals, ERISA retirement plans, trusts, estates, and corporate clients through a network of investment adviser representatives. The firm combines advisory and broker‑dealer registrations, providing customized financial planning, consulting, alternative investments, and lending solutions while allowing clients discretion over transactions.

Jonathan Gossens is a CFA® charterholder currently with Mercer Global Advisors Inc. He has 15 years of prior experience at Northern Trust. Mercer Global Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth families, small business owners, corporate plan sponsors, foundations, and nonprofits. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based investment approach featuring globally diversified, risk-appropriate portfolios with multi-factor tilts and offers a range of portfolio management and planning services.

Joseph Kiely is a financial advisor at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. holding a Series 65 designation with 28 years of industry experience prior to joining Mercer in 2024. He previously led Kiely Wealth Advisory Group, Inc. There are no additional notable outside activities reported. Mercer Global Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to individuals, high-net-worth families, small business owners, corporate plan sponsors, foundations, and nonprofits. The firm employs a globally diversified investment approach based on Modern Portfolio Theory and offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services.

Jeffrey Howden is a financial advisor at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC with 21 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at Beacon Pointe since 2022, following seven years at Altavista Wealth Management. He serves as a trustee for a non-client family trust. Beacon Pointe Advisors provides investment advisory and consulting services to a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, and retirement plans. The firm employs a manager-focused investment approach, utilizing a proprietary “Focus List” and combining active and passive strategies, while sponsoring proprietary investment vehicles and serving as an operating general partner for multiple private funds.

Nathan Garnett is a financial advisor at Brookstone Capital Management LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 credentials and has worked previously at Edward Jones and Doll and Associates. In addition to his advisory role, he sells health insurance products to the senior market through Amerilife. Brookstone Capital Management provides fee-based asset management and financial planning to a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and trusts. The firm employs strategic and dynamic asset-allocation models and offers discretionary portfolio management through multiple channels, including sub-advisory relationships and proprietary investment products.

Robert Hooks Jr. is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Asheville, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 15 years of industry experience. He has worked within various Truist entities since 2013, including roles at Bb&T and Truist Investment Services. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a board member for the North Asheville Little League. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a mix of discretionary and non-discretionary approaches, supported by inter-affiliate integration and technology-enabled research, to deliver asset allocation, fiduciary support, and manager selection programs.

Byron Dechellis is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. based in Asheville, NC. He holds Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and has seven years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Mortgage and Ameriprise. 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’s investment process involves IAR-led assessments and employs fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis across various asset classes.

Noelle Smith is a financial advisor with Lincoln Investment in Asheville, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 36 years of industry experience. She worked at Legend Equities Corporation for 23 years before joining Lincoln Investment in 2017. Outside of her advisory role, she serves as the Treasurer for the Broadway Asheville Homeowner's Association. Lincoln Investment Planning, LLC is a large enterprise advisory and broker-dealer serving a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth investors, trusts, charities, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, and advisor-led consulting, supported by an in-house Investment Management & Research team that constructs strategic model portfolios and employs third-party managers.

Kyle Boyd is a financial advisor at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC with 24 years of industry experience. He previously worked for Altavista Wealth Management, Inc. for 19 years before joining Beacon Pointe in 2022. Based in Asheville, NC, Boyd holds professional credentials pertinent to his advisory role. Beacon Pointe Advisors provides investment advisory and consulting services to individual and institutional clients, including charitable organizations and retirement plans. The firm employs a manager-driven investment approach using proprietary due diligence and a mix of active and passive strategies, and it sponsors proprietary investment vehicles and serves as an operating general partner for multiple private funds.