Daniel Braddock is a financial advisor with Almega Wealth Management in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 65 designation and three years of industry experience. He has worked at Almega Wealth Management since 2022 and also owns an insurance agency, Scott Braddock Financial. Almega Wealth Management advises individuals, families, small businesses, retirement plans, and charitable organizations using a primarily passive investment approach with index mutual funds and ETFs, while offering customized active strategies for complex situations. The firm operates multiple offices and includes affiliated tax services, educational content, and quarterly client reporting.

Michael Honea is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience. He currently works at Cary Financial Planning, LLC and previously held roles at Members Trust Company, Credit Union Investment Services, and related firms. Cary Financial Planning serves individuals, families, business owners, and high-net-worth clients with investment advisory and financial planning services. The firm employs a long-term, evidence-based investment approach focusing on diversification, cost control, tax awareness, and disciplined rebalancing, utilizing mutual funds, ETFs, and factor-based funds.

Michael Palmer is a CFP® professional with 12 years of industry experience. He has worked at Ark Royal Wealth Management LLC since 2015 and previously spent one year at Woodward Financial Advisors, Inc. Palmer is based in Raleigh, NC. Ark Royal Wealth Management LLC provides discretionary investment management and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm follows a long-term investment approach based on Modern Portfolio Theory, utilizing primarily passive mutual funds from DFA and Vanguard, and provides tailored portfolio management with performance reporting and occasional financial education seminars.

Gray Pendleton is a CFP® professional with 13 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Pendleton Financial Wealth Management in Raleigh, NC. His career includes roles at Concourse Financial Group Securities and operating his own entities since 2010. Outside of advisory work, he runs an educational YouTube channel on financial planning, authors financial planning books, and produces original music distributed on streaming platforms. Pendleton Financial Wealth Management provides investment management and financial planning to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm employs a long-term, buy-and-hold investment approach using modern portfolio theory and fundamental analysis, and offers pension plan consulting alongside educational seminars and client newsletters.

Andrew Davenport is a financial advisor at Quest 10 Wealth Builders, Inc. with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Park Avenue Securities, Guardian Life Insurance Company, Equitable Advisors, and AXA Advisors. Davenport also works as an insurance broker for Guardian Life in Raleigh, North Carolina, specializing in individual life and disability insurance policies. Quest 10 Wealth Builders, Inc. serves individual and high-net-worth clients, corporations, and employer-sponsored retirement plans, offering discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a range of analytical strategies, utilizes third-party money managers, and conducts regular account reviews while maintaining a presence across six offices with approximately $238 million in assets under management.

Ryan Thomsen is a financial advisor with First Oak Wealth Management, LLC in Raleigh, NC. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has 15 years of industry experience. Thomsen previously worked at Great Lakes & Atlantic Wealth Management and Oak City Consulting, LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he has ownership in a rental property business. First Oak Wealth Management provides financial planning, investment management, and consulting services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, charitable accounts, and trusts. The firm manages approximately $316 million in discretionary assets and employs a diversified investment approach supported by an outsourced chief investment officer and AI tools for operational support.

Erin Tackett is a financial advisor at Tackett Wealth Management, LLC with 16 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and has been with the firm since 2009. Tackett Wealth Management serves primarily retirees and small business owners, managing approximately $62 million in client assets across about 50 relationships. The firm provides investment supervisory services, wealth management, and financial planning using an investment approach grounded in academic research, emphasizing small-cap and value equity exposures, broad diversification, low-cost funds, and tax efficiency.

Taylor Holloway is a financial advisor at Ridgeline Wealth Advisors, LLC with 11 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Merrill, Jennifer Torrey, and Northwestern Mutual Investment Services LLC. Ridgeline Wealth Advisors provides discretionary asset management, financial planning, retirement-plan consulting, and IRA rollover advice to individuals and plan sponsors. The firm manages $189 million in assets for approximately 200 clients, emphasizing a long-term, diversification-focused investment approach grounded in efficient market principles and factor considerations.

William Hesmer Jr. is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with over 13 years of industry experience. He is currently with Oak Harbor Wealth Partners and Hesmer Wealth Management LLC, where he has worked since 2021 and 2026, respectively. Prior to joining Oak Harbor, he spent eight years at Raymond James & Associates. Outside of finance, Hesmer serves as a consultant to the disciplinary committee for the United Soccer League. Oak Harbor Wealth Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser specializing in portfolio management, financial planning, and ERISA consulting, with a focus on institutional and retirement-plan services. The firm employs diversified model portfolios and third-party manager oversight as part of its investment approach.

Samantha Muncy is a financial advisor at Evergreen Wealth Advisors with 22 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at Edward Jones for 18 years and Public Holdings, Inc., where she served as Head of Customer Experience. Evergreen Wealth Advisors provides discretionary investment management and financial planning to individual and corporate clients, utilizing a Modern Portfolio Theory framework combined with tax-optimization strategies. The firm also operates a public-facing AI platform, Evergreen.ai, which offers general education and personalized advice to Registered Users.

Cristy Head is a financial advisor with Independent Wealth Advisors, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and five years of industry experience. She has been associated with Independent Wealth Advisors since 2024 and has prior experience with LPL Financial. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved with Said and Done LLC, a business she has maintained since 2007. Independent Wealth Advisors, LLC provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients through its Strategic Wealth Management platform. The firm uses a combination of analytical methods and a dedicated Investment Committee to develop and monitor model portfolios, offering both discretionary management and comprehensive financial planning.

Caleb Griffith is a CFP® professional with 14 years of industry experience, currently serving at Townsend Asset Management Corp. in Raleigh, NC. He has been with Townsend since 2006, contributing to a firm that manages a range of clients including individuals, trusts, corporations, and non-profits. Townsend Asset Management Corp. provides investment management, financial planning, consulting, and tax preparation services, offering a bundled wealth management approach that integrates these under a single engagement. The firm employs a disciplined, goal-oriented process utilizing both fundamental and technical analysis to manage primarily long-term portfolios, with additional strategies including short-term positions and limited options.

Malachy Joyce is a financial advisor at Based Capital Wealth LLC in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with two years of industry experience. She is also the CEO of iBC Holdings LLC, a data analytics company operating as Stocklabs, which provides financial and technical data on companies. Additionally, Joyce creates monetized financial commentary on X (formerly Twitter), earning a small portion of her income from this activity. Based Capital Wealth LLC provides portfolio management services to individual and high-net-worth clients, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary account management. The firm focuses on equities, fixed-income securities, and ETFs, employing a range of analytical methods and strategies including charting, fundamental analysis, and options trading.

Michael Whitman is a CFP® professional with 16 years of industry experience, currently serving at Millennium Planning Group, LLC. He previously worked at Lincoln Financial Securities and Millennium Insurance, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as Treasurer for the Pittsboro Elementary School PTA, where he develops financial procedures and manages PTA funds. Millennium Planning Group provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, quantitative, technical, and modern portfolio theory analyses, managing accounts primarily on a discretionary basis and utilizing both in-house and third-party strategies.

Paul Yokabitus is a financial advisor at Cary Financial Planning, LLC with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and also serves as an owner and attorney at an estate planning law firm, which he has been involved with since 2018. His prior experience includes roles at Mariner Platform Solutions, NC Planning, and Stephenson Law LLP. Cary Financial Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, families, business owners, and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a long-term, evidence-based investment approach focused on diversification, cost control, tax awareness, and disciplined rebalancing, utilizing mutual funds, ETFs, and factor-based funds, supported by technology including AI-assisted tools.

Matthew Scuderi is a financial advisor at Capital Financial Advisory Group, LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Foundations Investment Advisors and Equitable Advisors. Outside of his advisory role, he is also active as an insurance producer, reviewing and proposing insurance and annuity solutions. Capital Financial Advisory Group serves individuals and families preparing for retirement, including high-net-worth households, small pension plans, and charitable entities. The firm provides customized financial planning and advisory services, referring clients to third-party asset managers for portfolio management while also distributing insurance and annuity products.

David Clark Jr. is a financial advisor with Oak Harbor Wealth Partners in Raleigh, NC. He holds a Series 66 designation and has one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Oak Harbor Wealth Partners in 2026, he worked at Stifel Financial Corp and Croatan Investments. Oak Harbor Wealth Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser specializing in institutional and retirement-plan consulting, offering services such as portfolio management, financial planning, and ERISA fiduciary oversight. The firm emphasizes plan-level consulting and uses diversified model allocations and third-party manager oversight in its investment approach.

Dana Gower is a financial advisor with Millennium Planning Group, LLC, holding Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 22 years of industry experience. He has worked in various roles including self-employment and positions at firms such as Chariot Advisors/Olympia Advisors and Nationwide Securities. Outside of his advisory work, Gower is an author and speaker focusing on topics like talent, careers, ethics, digital assets, and AI, and he also serves as a vice president and executive recruiter for CareerPro Inc. Millennium Planning Group, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, charitable organizations, and business entities, managing approximately $34 million in client assets. The firm employs a range of analytical approaches in portfolio construction and oversight, offers 401(k) consulting, and delivers educational seminars and workshops free to clients and the public.

Joel Anderson is a financial advisor at Evergreen Wealth Advisors in Raleigh, NC, with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Values Added Financial, Ameriprise Financial Services, Wells Fargo Clearing, and served eight years in the United States Navy. Evergreen Wealth Advisors provides discretionary investment management and financial planning to individual and corporate clients, including high-net-worth individuals. The firm utilizes a Modern Portfolio Theory framework with tax-optimization techniques and incorporates proprietary software and AI tools for portfolio monitoring and advice delivery.

James Tarkenton is a CFA® charterholder with seven years of industry experience. He has worked at Townsend Asset Management Corp. since 2018 and previously spent nine years at Lateef Investment Management. Townsend Asset Management Corp. serves individuals, trusts, partnerships, corporations, non-profits, and retirement plans, offering investment management, financial planning, consulting, and tax preparation services. The firm employs a disciplined process combining fundamental and technical analysis to guide portfolio management and provides both standalone services and bundled wealth management engagements.