Susan Imel is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with 20 years of industry experience. She is currently with Truist Advisory Services, where she has worked since 2021, and previously held positions at Merrill, BB&T Securities, SunTrust Advisory Services, Waddell & Reed, and UBS Financial Services. In addition to her advisory role, she serves as an occasional notary public in Mecklenburg County. Truist Advisory Services offers investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to individuals, corporations, plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a combination of client data, goal-setting, AI-enabled research, and manager selection via the Envestnet platform, supported by its affiliations with Truist Financial and related entities.

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 with TIAA-CREF based in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 19 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2010, including its Advice & Planning Services division from 2012 onward. Outside of finance, he is involved in a business selling Angus beef to restaurants and farmers markets in Silver City, NC. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals connected to employer retirement plans, as well as to trusts, estates, and small retirement plans. The firm’s advisory model distinguishes between point-in-time planning and ongoing portfolio management, providing both model-based and customized portfolio options.

Brett Covert is a CFP®-certified financial advisor at Corient with 15 years of industry experience. His career background includes roles at Merrill, Bank of America, Wells Fargo Clearing, and Ci Brightworth, among others. He is based in Charlotte, NC. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm uses a goals-based, team investment approach that integrates in-house strategies with third-party managers and employs risk management tools and alternative investments where appropriate.

Timothy Jones is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 37 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. His prior work includes positions at Wells Fargo Clearing, Deutsche Bank Securities, RBC Capital Markets, and Morgan Stanley. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC manages approximately $110 billion in client assets, serving individuals, families, trusts, estates, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and municipal clients. The firm offers brokerage services, financial planning, consulting, and multiple advisory programs, combining in-house portfolio management with third-party managers across various wrap programs and unified managed accounts.

Willie Stokes is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 25 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 licenses and has worked at firms including TIAA-CREF, Innovation Partners LLC, and Mass Mutual Investors Services. Truist Advisory Services offers investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to individuals, corporations, plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a combination of traditional research and AI-enabled tools to support its advisory services and partners with Envestnet for manager selection and retirement plan solutions.

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 with four years of industry experience. He has been with Wells Fargo Investment Institute, Inc. since 2021 and previously worked at Wells Fargo Bank from 2016 to 2021. He holds a Series 63 license and is based in Charlotte, NC. Wells Fargo Investment Institute provides manager research, global investment strategy, securities research, asset allocation analysis, and model-portfolio services to Wells Fargo affiliates and unaffiliated financial institutions. The firm delivers non-customized model portfolios developed through specialist divisions and does not provide individualized financial planning or discretionary account management.

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.

Sarah Thomas is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Her prior work experience includes roles at the College of Charleston, Patrick Properties Hospitality Group, John and Pattys Coffee Bar and Bistro, and Back Bay Barbeque. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning, managed account programs, and brokerage services to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm also offers discretionary management via model portfolios or customized portfolio management and acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Hernando Pulido is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and three 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 to certain retail brokerage clients. The firm’s integrated approach emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing, delivering services through platforms linked to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative systems.

Wendell Stallings is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) in Charlotte, NC, holding the CFP® and ChFC® designations with 18 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Ameritas Advisory Services, Ameritas Life Insurance Corp., Ameritas Investment Corp., and MetLife Investors Distribution Company. He also has experience with ride-sharing companies Raiser LLC (Uber) and Lyft. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individual investors, institutional sponsors, and retirement plans, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm emphasizes tailored recommendations and primarily manages assets on a non-discretionary basis within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Jared Green is a financial advisor at HB Wealth with a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. Prior to joining HB Wealth in 2025, he held roles at J.P. Morgan Securities, JPMORGAN Chase Bank, and BDO USA, P.C. He attended Wake Forest University from 2020 to 2024. HB Wealth Management is a registered investment adviser that provides wealth management, investment management, and financial planning services to individuals, families, trusts, retirement plans, corporate entities, foundations, family offices, and institutional clients. The firm employs a discretionary investment approach combining quantitative and qualitative due diligence across public and private strategies and offers outsourced chief investment officer and institutional advisory services.

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 advisor with Truist Advisory Services, bringing 10 years of industry experience. She previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC from 2017 to 2021 before joining Truist Investment Services, Inc. in 2021. Truist Advisory Services offers investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a combination of traditional research and AI-enabled tools to support client portfolios and provides ongoing reviews and reporting through its affiliated platforms.

Donald Smith Jr. is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 20 years of industry experience. He has worked with Bankers Life entities since 2005, including roles at Bankers Life Advisory Services and Bankers Life Securities. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. serves mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals through discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan consulting. The firm utilizes a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to tailor asset allocations and portfolio management to clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Tucker Parrish is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with three years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at TIAA and TIAA-CREF since 2022. Outside of finance, he spent six years involved with Brock Austin Umpiring. 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 connections to TIAA retirement plans. The firm offers a range of advisory services, including customized portfolio management and donor-advised fund advisory, within a vertically integrated group structure.

Kevin Reed is a financial advisor at Rockefeller Financial LLC with 19 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Merrill Lynch and Bank of America NA for 12 years. Rockefeller Financial LLC serves high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, family offices, institutional clients, retirement plans, foundations, and corporations. The firm provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting through a Private Advisor model and consolidated investment platform, and operates as a registered broker-dealer that offers securities transactions, variable insurance products, placement, and investment banking services.

Aziza Norbaeva is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. She has one year of industry experience, including prior roles at US Bank and The Vanguard Group. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals with employer retirement plan relationships, as well as trusts, estates, and corporate entities. The firm distinguishes between point-in-time planning services and ongoing portfolio management, providing customized investment solutions within a vertically integrated structure.

Jason Payne is a CFP® professional with seven years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Schwab Wealth Advisory. He previously worked at The Vanguard Group for five years and held roles at Morgan Stanley and State Farm. Outside of his advisory work, Payne is the owner of a rental property business in Charlotte, NC. Schwab Wealth Advisory serves clients enrolled in the Schwab Wealth Advisory program and certain Charles Schwab & Co.-referred clients, providing non-discretionary fiduciary investment advice and financial planning. The firm offers guidance on asset allocation and investment selection based on Schwab’s internal research, with client authorization required for trades.