Jonathan Malcolm is a financial advisor at Raymond James Financial with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at various firms including Daly Seven, Inc. and Vincent Valuations. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with Elmore Financial Group, Inc., a support company based in Denver, NC. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a diverse client base that includes individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary planning and consulting using analytical tools and supports a broad network of advisors with specialized programs including municipal advisory and SIMPLE IRA Employer Advisory & Consulting Services.

Kaleb Covington is a financial advisor at Cetera with nine years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. Covington also sells life insurance, fixed annuities, and long-term care insurance as an insurance agent. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm serving individual, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients through a nationwide network of independent advisors. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and retirement services, utilizing a multi-manager platform with discretionary and non-discretionary program options.

Zachary Tussel is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with eight years of industry experience, currently associated with Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. He has worked previously at Elmore Financial Group and New York Life. Outside of advisory work, he is a partner in non-investment businesses including Boats & Tows LLC and Clean Supreme Ventures LLC, and he is also involved in insurance sales. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning and investment consulting to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary planning and consulting services supported by analytical tools and supports advisory programs alongside institutional consulting and portfolio management.

Mitchell Sayers is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Hickory, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 10 years of industry experience. He previously worked at The Vanguard Group for one year before joining Ameriprise in 2017. Outside of his advising role, he owns QC Somm LLC, providing private sommelier services and wine consulting. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large, diversified advisory firm serving individual and institutional clients, notable for its specialized Premier Retirement Income service, which offers retirement planning advice focused on dependable income sources and tax-aware withdrawal strategies.

Michele Compton is a financial advisor at Raymond James Financial with 30 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Edward Jones and J.W. Cole Financial. Since 2020, she has also been associated with Signature Wealth Group as a Senior Wealth Advisor. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning and investment consulting to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary advisory services supported by advanced analytical tools and has a notable affiliation supporting municipal and public finance work.

Trudy Mullins is a financial advisor with Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. in Denver, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. She has been with Raymond James since 2014 and is also an associate at Elmore Financial Group, where she performs administrative and financial assistant duties. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. offers financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a wide range of clients, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, institutions, and charitable organizations, utilizing risk profiling and analytical tools to inform non-discretionary planning and customized investment consulting.

Michael Gerken is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management in Newton, North Carolina, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has been with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Thrivent Investment Management since 2002. Outside of his advisory role, he is president of Gerken Enterprises, LLC. Thrivent Investment Management serves individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients by providing Dedicated Planning Services that cover a range of financial topics through goal-based analyses. The firm offers these services as standalone or alongside managed accounts under a consolidated billing system called WealthPlan, without discretionary trading authority.

Matthew Starnes is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Hickory, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 22 years of industry experience. He has been with LPL Financial since 2019 and previously worked at SagePoint Financial. Starnes also operates Starnes Financial Group and has been a self-employed insurance agent since 2002. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser providing advisory and brokerage services to individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers various financial planning and asset management solutions, utilizing both proprietary and third-party strategies on discretionary and non-discretionary bases.

Mark Teague is a CFP® professional with 16 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with LPL Financial since 2014. His prior roles include positions at Capital Guardian Wealth Management and Wells Fargo Clearing. He is also appointed as an authorized agent with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina to sell Medicare-related insurance products. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services including financial planning, third-party asset management access, and institutional platforms, supported by extensive advisor tools and a broad spectrum of financial products.

Peter Nelson is a Series 66-credentialed financial advisor with 19 years of industry experience. He is currently with OSAIC and has previously worked at Spectrum Financial Inc. and Securities America Advisors. Outside his advisory role, Nelson serves on the board of Exodus Homes, a local nonprofit assisting individuals transitioning from rehab, jail, and prison, where he also chairs the marketing committee. OSAIC serves a wide range of retail and institutional clients, offering integrated brokerage and investment advisory services through a large network of affiliated advisors. The firm employs asset-allocation tools, risk-tolerance assessments, and automated rebalancing to construct diversified portfolios and provides access to third-party money managers and wrap programs.

Florance Johnson is a financial advisor at Thrivent Investment Management with two years of industry experience. They hold a Series 66 designation and have previously worked at Dollar General, HealthSmart Pharmacy, Kohl's, Avon, and several other organizations. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients, offering one-time or ongoing planning relationships that cover retirement, tax, estate, business continuation, divorce, and special needs planning. The firm uses goal-based analyses and modeling tools, and clients may combine planning with managed-account services under a consolidated billing option called “WealthPlan.”

Michael Austin is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management in Newton, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Thrivent, he worked at Wells Fargo for three years and served in the US Army North Carolina National Guard for 13 years. He is the Committee Chair for Shepherds for Sheepdogs, a nonprofit that provides trained service dogs to veterans and law enforcement officers with PTSD. Thrivent Investment Management offers Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofits, focusing on holistic, goal-based planning across various financial topics without managing discretionary trading authority.

Terry Eskind is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with 37 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations. His prior work includes roles at Raymond James Financial Services, Wells Fargo Clearing, and Wachovia Securities. Outside of his advisory work, he is president of Eskind Group LLC, a company involved in managing rental properties. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients with over $1 trillion in assets under management. The firm provides a range of investment strategies and advisory services through a large network of financial advisors and branch offices nationwide.

John Watkins is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, serving clients in Western North Carolina. He focuses on developing personalized financial strategies designed to help clients pursue their long-term goals through tailored wealth management approaches that adapt to changing market conditions. John's expertise encompasses areas such as college education planning, corporate benefits, executive compensation, family wealth management strategies, and retirement income. He applies his knowledge to assist clients across various financial aspects, including corporate executive services, divorce transition planning, and employee benefits planning. In addition to his professional work, John is active in his community, volunteering with local organizations. He has personal interests in baseball, fishing, golfing, and hunting, reflecting his engagement with the community and leisure activities. John is committed to partnering with clients one-on-one to develop strategies aligned with their individual goals.

Elizabeth Frederick is a financial advisor at Fidelity with seven years of industry experience. Her background includes roles at Merrill, Wells Fargo Clearing, Keller Williams Lake Norman Realty, and L'BRI Pure and Natural. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. Strategic Advisers LLC, a Fidelity Investments company, provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, utilizing a blend of fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction to create model portfolios from mutual funds, ETFs, and ETPs.

Samuel Dyer is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He works with clients to develop strategies to pursue their financial goals by understanding what matters most to them and their families. His approach encompasses general investing, retirement planning, and preparing for unexpected financial needs. Samuel holds a Bachelor's Degree from Appalachian State University and has earned professional designations including Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). He provides ongoing advice and guidance tailored to clients' evolving needs.

Sarah Montgomery is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with LPL Financial, bringing four years of industry experience. She previously worked for Truist Investment Services, Inc. for ten years before joining LPL Financial in 2024. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser providing advisory and brokerage services to individuals, retirement plans, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of financial planning and investment management solutions, supported by extensive operational tools and a broad network of over 22,800 advisors.

Christopher Mcbride is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he has been a member of the Lail Watkins Group since joining Merrill in 2014. The team delivers extensive knowledge with combined decades of practical experience, focusing on service and goal-oriented strategies to build and maintain long-term relationships. Leveraging the full enterprise capabilities, they serve clients' investment and banking needs through access to Bank of America. Christopher works as a full-service planner with families possessing $250,000 or more in investible assets, covering areas from asset gathering to legacy planning. He also supports business clients in retirement planning options including 401(k) plans, cash management services, treasury functions, investment management, lending, and business transitions. His client focus areas include education planning, family wealth management strategies, employee financial health, legacy planning, liquidity management, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, small business strategies, tax minimization, and retirement income. He holds a High School Diploma/GED from Summers County and has earned the professional designations Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). Outside of his professional work, Christopher enjoys boating, bowling, golfing, pickleball, and spending time with his family.

Bret Gallin is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors in Denver, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has been with Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network LLC since 2010. Outside of his advisory role, he also works as a part-time bartender at Levy Restaurants. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network is a large broker-dealer and registered investment adviser affiliated with Wells Fargo, offering investment and fee-based financial planning services to individuals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm provides a broad planning menu tailored to clients who meet certain net-worth thresholds, covering areas such as retirement, education, risk, and wealth-transfer planning, with many services delivered through meetings and written client summary letters.

Anne Abernethy is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors with 18 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Wells Fargo in various capacities since 2009. Outside of her advisory role, she serves as a part-time pastor at Bethel United Church of Christ in Hickory, NC. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network provides investment and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, and institutional clients, offering a broad menu of planning options tailored to clients meeting specific net-worth thresholds.