Robert Merdes is a financial advisor with Fidelity in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has worked across several Fidelity entities since 1993, including Brokerage Services, Personal and Workplace Advisors, and currently with Strategic Advisers LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he owns a real estate investment LLC and serves as a trustee for a lending trust. Strategic Advisers LLC, a Fidelity Investments company, provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, including charitable funds and registered investment companies. The firm combines proprietary research with quantitative analysis and algorithmic portfolio construction, delivering model portfolios primarily composed of mutual funds, ETFs, and ETPs.

David Mc Dowell is a financial advisor with OSAIC in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 credential and two years of industry experience. Prior to joining OSAIC, he held roles at James River Insurance and First Citizens Bank, among others. He is involved as a financial advisor with Capitol Financial Solutions and acts as an insurance broker soliciting fixed insurance products. OSAIC Wealth serves a diverse range of retail and institutional clients through a multi-advisor platform, offering brokerage and advisory services including financial planning, managed portfolios, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a model-based investment approach with risk management tools and supports a complex affiliate network, serving high-net-worth individuals, corporate clients, and charitable organizations.

E Ostendorff is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He has extensive experience in estate and investment planning, serving the financial needs of families, endowments, foundations, and non-profits. E Ostendorff began his career at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 1995 as the Estate Planning specialist for multiple Merrill offices. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the College of Charleston and earned his Juris Doctorate from Nashville School of Law. His professional credentials include the Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®), Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®), and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designations. Outside of his professional work, E Ostendorff is a founder of the Continuous Blessings Foundation and has participated on the finance and membership committees for North Ridge Country Club. His personal interests include football, golfing, music, and reading.

Max Hollingsworth is a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He provides advice and guidance tailored to clients' goals and priorities, focusing on comprehensive financial planning that centers on the individual rather than market conditions. Max works closely with clients to evaluate the potential advantages and drawbacks of various financial decisions and supports maintaining discipline to pursue key financial objectives. His client focus areas include college education planning, divorce transition planning, employee benefits planning, executive compensation, family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, personal retirement planning, small business strategies, special needs planning strategies, and tax minimization. Max collaborates with clients to organize their financial lives and adjusts plans as needs or market conditions change. Max holds a Bachelor's degree from William Peace University and holds the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. Outside of his professional work, he pursues personal interests such as adventure sports, boating, fishing, pickleball, rock climbing, running, scuba diving, skiing, soccer, and spending time with his family.

Chen Anna Grundland is a financial advisor at Fidelity with four years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. Her prior experience includes positions at Bank of America and Amazon WVCS LLC. She serves as the secretary of the Greenway Condominium Association board, where she participates in meeting documentation and approval of community projects. Strategic Advisers LLC, a Fidelity Investments company, provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients using a process that combines fundamental research with quantitative analysis and algorithmic portfolio construction. The firm manages portfolios composed of mutual funds, ETFs, and ETPs and offers advisory services including fund management and model portfolio delivery.

Ward Marslender III is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. He has been with Wells Fargo Advisors since 2013. Outside of his advisory role, he owns Marslender-West Asset Management, an investment-related business. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network is a large broker-dealer and registered investment adviser that provides investment and fee-based financial planning services to individuals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm offers a broad range of planning services, including retirement, education, risk, and wealth-transfer planning, delivering tailored recommendations supported by proprietary research and planning tools.

Brian Ligett is a financial advisor at Fidelity with Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and five years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Encompass More, Appreciation Financial, Feedtrail, and Weatherby Healthcare. He is based in Durham, NC. Strategic Advisers LLC, a Fidelity Investments company, provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, including registered investment companies and an IRS-qualified Charitable Gift Fund. The firm combines fundamental research with quantitative analysis and algorithmic portfolio construction, delivering model portfolios that utilize mutual funds, ETFs, and ETPs.

Alex Butler is a Planning Consultant at Fidelity Investments, where they support clients and their families in achieving financial clarity. In this role, Alex focuses on education, personalized goal setting, and holistic planning to address various aspects of clients' financial goals. Alex's expertise includes retirement lifestyle planning, tax-efficient investing, estate planning considerations, and charitable giving. Their professional experience at Fidelity Investments spans several positions, including Investment Solutions Representative I & II and Customer Relationship Advocate, demonstrating a progression in roles since 2023. Alex holds insurance licenses in Arkansas and California. Outside of work, Alex has interests in baseball, music, parenthood, running, and singing.

Chrisander Crisostomo is a financial advisor at Fidelity with four years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. Prior to his current role at Fidelity, Crisostomo worked at Holly Springs Public Works and Infiniti of Apex. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, including registered investment companies and an IRS-qualified Charitable Gift Fund. The firm uses a combination of fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction to manage diversified model portfolios.

L James is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. With a focus on helping families realize their financial goals, L James provides diligent, level-headed advice on building long-term wealth. His expertise encompasses personal retirement planning, family wealth management strategies, philanthropic planning, and socially responsible, values-based investing among other client focus areas. L James holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP) certification, the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) designation, and other professional credentials including CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). He earned his Bachelor's Degree from North Carolina State University. Outside his professional work, L James enjoys boating, hiking, music, singing, skiing, swimming, spending time with his family, and watching movies. He aims to simplify clients' financial lives to support their lifestyle, legacy goals, and retirement income needs, maintaining an optimistic outlook on financial markets.

Jeremy Potts is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Raleigh, NC. He holds the Series 66 designation and has seven years of industry experience. Prior to joining LPL Financial in 2019, he worked for Parata Systems LLC for eleven years. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that provides advisory and brokerage services through a large network of representatives. The firm serves individuals, retirement plans, banks, trust companies, and institutions, offering a range of financial planning and investment management solutions.

Christian Kubista is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 30 years of industry experience. He has been with Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016. Kubista serves as Treasurer of the North Carolina Veterans Business Association, a nonprofit focused on connecting veteran-owned businesses. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm offering investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting to individual, corporate, and institutional clients. The firm manages roughly $671 billion in assets and provides both brokerage and advisory solutions supported by extensive research and analytics.

Sean Fenton is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Chapel Hill, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney since 2009 and Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association since 2015, as well as a prior position at Citigroup Global Markets from 2007 to 2009. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management provides advisory programs and tailored financial planning services to individuals and institutional clients, managing approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets. The firm’s planning approach utilizes structured discovery conversations and approved tools to model outcomes, serving clients primarily in an advisory capacity.

Jason Peck is a CFP® and Series 66 license holder with six years of industry experience, currently advising at Raymond James & Associates in Raleigh, NC since 2020. Prior to his current role, he worked seven years at Canvas Solutions, Inc. (d/b/a GoCanvas). Raymond James & Associates, Inc. is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $501 billion in assets. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, pension plans, and municipal entities, offering financial planning, advisory programs, and institutional consulting with a variety of portfolio management styles and affiliated research.

Nathan Goulet is a CFP® professional with 25 years of industry experience, currently associated with Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and is based in Raleigh, NC. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients through investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and provides both brokerage and advisory solutions supported by research from Wells Fargo Investment Institute and other sources.

Caleb Hudson serves as a Client Experience Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he works directly with clients to assess their financial situations and introduce them to solutions offered through Merrill and Bank of America. In this role, he focuses on supporting clients as their financial needs evolve. He holds a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation and earned a bachelor's degree from Georgia Southern University. Caleb's approach involves helping clients identify their financial goals and developing strategies tailored to their individual circumstances.

Lawrence Allen is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Cary, NC, holding the CFP® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has eight years of industry experience, including seven years at Fidelity Bank/Capital Investment Group and five years at PNC prior to joining Edward Jones. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients, offering a range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and operates a nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Michalene Olson is a financial advisor at Fidelity with 18 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has worked at Fidelity Investments and Fidelity Personal and Workplace Advisors since 2008. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC provides investment management and advisory services to a diverse client base, utilizing a combination of fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary advisory services and manages model portfolios with oversight controls that address conflicts of interest.

Price French is a financial advisor at Osaic with 33 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has previously worked with The Potter Financial Group, Commonwealth Financial Network, and Kestra Financial Services. He is also associated with The French Financial Firm, LLC. OSAIC Wealth serves a diverse group of clients, including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, charities, and corporate entities. The firm offers a variety of advisory and brokerage services through a multi-advisor platform, utilizing model-based asset allocation, portfolio optimization, and a range of investment programs.

Elizabeth Watkins is a financial advisor with OSAIC in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 14 years of industry experience. Her prior work includes roles at Lincoln Financial Securities, Inc., Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., and LPL Financial. Outside of her advisory work, she has been involved with ESPN/Ming Ling Entertainment, LLC for over two decades and serves as a notary public. OSAIC Wealth serves a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, charities, and corporate clients through a multi-advisor platform offering both brokerage and advisory services. The firm emphasizes model-based asset allocation and portfolio optimization, providing advisors with various program options such as Unified Managed Accounts, third-party money manager programs, and retirement plan consulting.