Benjamin Kristoff is a financial advisor with FIFTH THIRD SECURITIES, Inc., holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 14 years of industry experience. His career has been primarily with Fifth Third Securities and Fifth Third Bank since 2011, with a brief tenure at Wcm. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. offers brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to a diverse client base, including individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and institutional investors. The firm combines its broker-dealer and municipal-advisor registrations with a corporate affiliation to Fifth Third Bank, providing clients access to multiple managed-account programs, direct indexing, tax-overlay services, and a broad range of fund strategist options.

Scott Salisbury is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Mint Hill, NC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 35 years of industry experience. Since 2016, he has operated under the DBA SWS Financial Group, Inc., focusing on selling New York Life products and brokering non-registered insurance products. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base, including individual investors and institutional sponsors, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm emphasizes tailored recommendations and manages the majority of its assets on a non-discretionary basis within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Robert Cousar Jr. is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with TIAA-CREF since 2010. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as Secretary of the Board for the Charlotte Track Club, a nonprofit organization focused on promoting running and healthy living in Charlotte, NC. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often working with clients connected through employer retirement plans. The firm offers a fiduciary standard for its RIA services and manages portfolios ranging from model-based to customized solutions under client-approved investment policies.

James Waters is a CFA® charterholder with 11 years of industry experience. He is currently an advisor at Rockefeller Financial LLC and has previously worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A., Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., Questar Capital Corporation, Wells Fargo Investment Institute Inc., Global Alternative Investment Services Inc., and Nyes Ledge Capital Management LLC. Waters is also the sole proprietor of HighStreet Partners and a partner in two entities based in North Carolina. Rockefeller Financial LLC serves high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families and family offices, as well as institutional clients, retirement plans, foundations, and corporations. The firm provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services, and operates as a registered broker-dealer offering securities transactions, variable insurance products, and investment banking services through a Private Advisor model and a consolidated investment platform.

Alexander Miles is a financial advisor at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with 22 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Kingfisher Capital, LLC and Stonecrest Capital Markets Inc. Miles serves as a member of the Board of Visitors at Queens University of Charlotte, contributing to the academic and cultural life of the institution. 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’s investment approach is based on Modern Portfolio Theory, utilizing globally diversified, risk-appropriate portfolios with multi-factor tilts and strategic use of low-cost index vehicles.

Ty Grogan is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with two years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Bank of America, Merrill, and UBS Financial Services. Grogan served four years in the US Army and currently receives disability compensation from the Department of Defense. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals with existing TIAA retirement plan relationships, as well as trusts, estates, and corporate entities. The firm operates a fiduciary advisory model that separates planning services from ongoing portfolio management and acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund through Charityvest.

Joseph Lynch IV is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 22 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Personal Capital Advisors Corporation, TD Ameritrade, and Vanguard. He also serves as an adjunct instructor at Rowan Cabarrus Community College, teaching accounting courses, and at Central Piedmont Community College, where he teaches within the Certified Financial Planner program. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected to employer retirement plans administered by TIAA.

Corey Mcfadden is a financial advisor at PNC Wealth Management in Charlotte, NC, with 20 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at Raymond James, Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc., Merrill, and LPL Financial. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an invitation-only, employee pilot digital offering that uses algorithmic risk assessment and third-party portfolio implementation.

Janet Dukes is a CFP® professional affiliated with Transamerica Financial Advisors with 13 years of industry experience. She has worked at Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2022 and previously spent five years at Avantax Advisory Services. She is also the owner of Herdman Dukes LLC, an investment-related business. Transamerica Financial Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory, brokerage, and retirement-plan services to a diverse client base including individuals, employer-sponsored plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes a model portfolio approach with third-party managers and offers multiple program platforms, including Transamerica ONE and the TFA365 Advisory Program.

John Shaw III is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and bringing eight years of industry experience. Prior to his current role at TIAA-CREF, he worked briefly at LPL Financial and has been a writer of children's books published by Simon & Schuster since 2017. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals with ties to TIAA-administered retirement plans, as well as trusts, estates, and other entities. The firm offers customized portfolio management alongside model portfolio services and acts as adviser to the TIAA Donor Advised Fund.

Michael Specht is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and 18 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA and TIAA-CREF since 2010 in various roles. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans, as well as trusts, estates, and small retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning services and ongoing portfolio management through model-based and customized strategies.

Hayden Askea is a CFP® and Series 65 credentialed advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC, based in Charlotte, NC. He has been with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services since 2026 and has prior experience at The Home Depot and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services provides financial planning, asset management, and retirement-plan consulting for individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages over $122 billion in assets and utilizes a diversified investment approach combining passive and active managers with quantitative, momentum, and fundamental analysis.

Austin Nelms is a Series 66-credentialed financial advisor with seven years of industry experience, currently with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Charlotte, NC. His prior work includes positions at Bankers Life, Bank of America, Merrill, and First Citizens Bank. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm employs fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to guide portfolio allocation across various asset classes and offers a range of investment programs and financial planning solutions.

Rolando Fernandez is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. with 19 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at firms including Wells Fargo Clearing, RBC Capital Markets, and PNC Investments. Outside of finance, he is the managing member of Florence Mercantile LLC, an online and pop-up women's clothing business. Fifth Third Securities serves individual and institutional clients through investment advisory and brokerage services, offering multiple programs and third-party portfolio managers on the Passageway platform. The firm operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fifth Third Bank and manages a broad range of account types, utilizing strategies such as tax-loss harvesting and direct indexing.

Rebecca Kishbaugh is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 19 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Merrill and BB&T Securities. Outside of her advisory role, she manages a vacation rental property in Boone, North Carolina. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, offering asset allocation, fiduciary support, and a manager-selection program implemented through a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary strategies.

Harper Hicks is a CFP® professional with 10 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with Rockefeller Financial LLC and has previously worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A., among other firms. Rockefeller Financial LLC serves high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, family offices, institutional clients, and corporations. The firm combines a Private Advisor model with a consolidated investment platform, offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and brokerage services.

Jeffrey Davis is a CFP® with 18 years of industry experience, currently serving at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. since 2020. Prior to this, he worked at TD Ameritrade, Inc. from 2014 to 2020. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. offers brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and institutional investors. The firm combines multiple managed-account options with features like direct indexing and tax-overlay services, supported by its affiliation with Fifth Third Bank.

Peter Kohn is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 30 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked primarily with TIAA and affiliated entities since 1997, including most recently at P.J. Robb Variable Corp. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in residential property rental. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm separates point-in-time planning from ongoing discretionary management and acts as adviser to the TIAA Donor Advised Fund.

Joshua Lindsteadt 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 Private Bank from 2015 to 2021. He is based in Charlotte, NC. Wells Fargo Investment Institute provides institutional research, manager due diligence, model portfolio construction, and asset-allocation guidance to Wells Fargo’s wealth and fiduciary businesses as well as select external clients. The firm’s work spans specialized research divisions and focuses on delivering impersonal research and model guidance rather than exercising investment discretion or holding custody of client assets.

Kelli Little is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Charlotte, NC. She holds the ChFC® designation and Series 63 license, and has 14 years of industry experience. She has been with Eagle Strategies since 2018 and also has affiliations with Nylife Securities LLC and New York Life Insurance Co dating back to 2015. Eagle Strategies serves a broad range of individual and institutional clients, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm provides multiple program options and emphasizes tailoring recommendations to client objectives, with a significant portion of its assets managed on a non-discretionary basis.