Mary Skinner is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with four years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has worked previously at First Horizon and PNC Bank. LPL Financial is a national broker‑dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of financial planning and portfolio management options, supported by extensive research tools and a broad platform of associated financial services.

John Holder is a financial advisor with Raymond James & Associates who holds a Series 66 designation and has 15 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, NetApp Inc., Principal Financial Services, and Osaic FA, Inc. He serves as treasurer of the Brooks Avenue Church of Christ and is a board member of Wake Monarch Academy, both nonprofit organizations in Raleigh, NC. Raymond James & Associates 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, and municipalities, offering financial planning, non-discretionary investment consulting, and institutional fiduciary solutions.

Alexander Starnes is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and holds the designations of Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). He earned a Bachelor's Degree from Wofford College. His practice emphasizes creating personalized wealth management strategies that align with clients' unique goals and situations. Starnes focuses on areas such as college education planning, family wealth management, legacy planning, retirement planning, small business strategies, special needs planning, women and wealth, sports and entertainment, tax minimization, and retirement income. A significant aspect of his work involves assisting special needs families with the transfer of assets to special needs trusts to help beneficiaries qualify for or maintain government benefits. Born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, Starnes participates in multiple community organizations including the Autism Society of North Carolina, Autism Speaks Raleigh/Charlotte, Down Syndrome Association of Greater Charlotte, North Raleigh United Methodist Church, Special Blessings, Special Olympics NC, The Arc of Charlotte Mecklenburg County, and Trusted Parents. He also has interests in outdoor activities, sports, and music, and he rappels annually off the Wells Fargo building in downtown Raleigh to support the Special Olympics.

Joshua Soucy is a financial advisor at Fidelity with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has been with various Fidelity entities since 2008, including Fidelity Personal and Workplace Advisors and Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC. He is based in Raleigh, NC. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, including registered investment companies and charitable funds. The firm employs a systematic investment process that combines fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction, with a focus on model portfolios and oversight of sub-advisers.

Stephen Fordham V is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 63 license with 17 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2011. Outside of advisory work, he is involved in managing rental properties through a property management company. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs and investment solutions supported by a large national network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Katherine Wall is a CFP® practitioner with Edward Jones in Garner, North Carolina, where she has worked since 2018 and has eight years of industry experience. Before joining Edward Jones, she spent five years with Johnston County Public Schools. Outside of her advisory work, she writes a personal blog focused on her experience with grief and travel. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving both individual and institutional clients with a range of advisory programs and affiliated investment options. The firm manages over $1 trillion in assets and operates a nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Phillip Harris is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Cary, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Ameriprise and its affiliate Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. since 2005. Ameriprise offers a retirement-income planning service targeting individuals with at least $1,000,000 in net investable assets, providing written recommendation reports that address income sources, Social Security options, and tax-efficient withdrawal strategies. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax analysis to deliver tailored retirement-income advice through a centralized consulting team.

Andrew Mc Ilvain is a financial advisor at Cetera with nine years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations. Prior to joining Cetera in 2024, he worked at ADP LLC and ADP Broker-Dealer Inc. He is also a senior retirement services consultant at Financial Directions, LLC, providing consultative services on qualified retirement plan design and employee education. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered adviser serving a broad client base including individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and consulting services through a nationwide network of independent advisors, utilizing a multi-manager platform with various program options and custodial relationships.

Sheri Lofton is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Merrill, based in Raleigh, NC, and has 18 years of industry experience. She has worked at Merrill since 2008 and concurrently at Bank of America, N.A. since 2011. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program to Bank of America fiduciary clients. The firm offers model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Robert Alger is a CFP® with 26 years of experience in financial advising. He is associated with Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. and has operated his own firm, Alger Financial, since 2012. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a diverse clientele including individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm emphasizes tailored, non-discretionary planning and consulting using risk profiling and analytical tools, and supports both wrap-fee advisory programs and institutional portfolio management.

Derek Oliphant is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and eight years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Fortright Capital and Equitable Advisors. J.P. Morgan Securities provides investment consulting and advisory services mainly to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors, combining quantitative asset-allocation modeling with centralized due diligence and applying an ESG eligibility framework in its investment recommendations.

Susan Ledford is a financial advisor at Merrill with 37 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and has been with Merrill since 1989, also working at Bank of America since 2011. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies for a range of clients including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

Kevin Cecil is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 24 years of industry experience. He worked at PRUCO Securities, LLC from 2002 to 2007 before joining LPL Financial, where he has been since 2007. Cecil also engages in fixed insurance and annuity sales as a licensed agent with several insurance companies. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, retirement plans, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a broad range of financial planning and investment solutions, including model portfolios, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms, supported by a large network of investment adviser representatives.

Michael Morrison is a CFP® professional at Edelman Financial Engines with seven years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Fidelity Investments, Northwestern Mutual, and Empower Advisory Group. He is based in Fuquay-Varina, NC. Edelman Financial Engines provides technology-enabled investment advisory and financial planning services to individual and institutional clients. The firm employs a committee-driven modeling process combined with planner delivery and online tools, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary advice with a focus on diversified portfolios and long-term investment strategies.

Dwight Carson is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with six years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2019 and previously worked at Royal Oaks Homes, a division of Mattamy Homes, and Carson Realty Group, Inc. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a range of investment strategies, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee programs, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard.

Adam Simpson is a financial advisor at Thrivent Investment Management in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with five years of industry experience. He has been with Thrivent since 2021. Prior to his financial advisory role, he worked at Riverwood Elementary from 2014 to 2021. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients, focusing on comprehensive goal-based analyses and written recommendations across various financial planning topics. The firm offers these planning services separately from its managed-account program, with an emphasis on periodic reviews and client engagement.

Michael Austin is a financial advisor with RBC Capital Markets in Raleigh, NC. He holds a Series 66 designation and has two years of industry experience, including prior roles at UBS Financial Services and Northwestern Mutual. Outside of finance, he has experience working with Students and Trucks Inc., an organization unrelated to investment services. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, LLC, serves a diverse client base including individual investors, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm offers various advisory programs with customizable investment strategies, utilizing both internal and external managers to meet client objectives.

Joseph Megaloudis is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 11 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked at various Wells Fargo entities since 2013. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting services to qualified ERISA plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory solutions. The firm’s IPS-driven approach incorporates modern portfolio theory and includes a range of investment options such as insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep programs.

Lucas Bourne is a financial advisor with Fidelity, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Fidelity in various roles since 2008, including positions at Fidelity Personal and Workplace Advisors. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC serves a diverse client base including retail and institutional investors, offering investment management and advisory services that combine fundamental research with quantitative analysis and algorithmic portfolio construction. The firm manages model portfolios constructed from mutual funds, ETFs, and ETPs, and is noted for its registration as a commodity pool operator, advisory role to multiple registered investment companies, and use of AI-driven research methods.

Tonya Headrick is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and bringing 21 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co., Incorporated. 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 approximately $671 billion in assets and provides both brokerage and advisory solutions through a large network of financial advisors.