Michael Freeman is a CFP®, CFA®, and ChFC® with 28 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has held roles at Ameriprise, BB&T Investments, and Truist Advisory Services, where he has worked since 2018. Outside of his advisory career, he manages an LLC through which he supports his teenage children’s various entrepreneurial activities, including automotive restoration and an Amazon seller business. Truist Advisory Services offers investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to individuals, corporations, plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes a combination of traditional research and AI-enabled tools, working closely with clients to develop asset allocation strategies and select investment managers via the Envestnet platform.

Brian Apple is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. His prior roles include nine years at Wells Fargo Clearing. Outside of his advisory work, Apple performs as a bass player in two local bands, Side Effect Band and Apple Brothers Band. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including a discretionary digital portfolio strategist available by invitation to employees. The firm focuses on algorithm-driven model selection and portfolio management using mutual funds and ETFs.

Daniel Lewis is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses with two years of industry experience. His background includes roles at TIAA-CREF, Bank of America, Merrill, and running his own firm, Lewis Financial Management, LLC. He has also worked in educational settings including North Carolina State University and international schools. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals with ties to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans, as well as trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans. The firm separates point-in-time financial planning from ongoing portfolio management and serves as adviser to a donor-advised fund sponsored by Charityvest.

Heru Asaramo is a financial advisor at PNC Wealth Management with 12 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at PNC Investments since 2019, following five years at Wells Fargo. Outside of his advisory role, he is the author of a book available on Amazon. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including a discretionary, invitation-only digital portfolio strategist available to PNC Bank employees. The firm utilizes algorithm-driven risk assessment and third-party management with a focus on mutual funds and ETFs.

Julian Armstrong is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with four years of industry experience. He holds Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and has previously worked at Vanguard Advisers and Vanguard Marketing Corporation. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected through employer retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning services and ongoing portfolio management with a fiduciary standard applied depending on the service.

Michelle Gonzalez Vigil is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 26 years of industry experience, currently with Kestra Advisory where she has served since 2016. Her prior roles include positions at Kestra Investment Services, LLC and Corporate Benefit Advisors, spanning over 19 and 20 years respectively. Outside of her advisory work, she is a communications specialist at NFP Corporate Services, assisting clients with benefits communication, and serves in leadership roles at the Park Road Montessori School PTO, including a term as president. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to institutional and individual clients, offering comprehensive services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, and employee education. The firm serves a wide range of clients including large institutional investors and sovereign wealth funds, managing approximately $79.8 billion in assets.

Ashley Gallion is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Charlotte, NC. She holds a Series 66 designation and has 19 years of industry experience, including 16 years with her current firm. 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 IAR-led assessments combined with fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to manage client assets across various investment vehicles.

Daniel Schmitz is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at The Vanguard Group, Inc., Kingdom Building Holdings LLC, Grayley Co., and Lincoln Charter School. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a wide range of clients including individuals, families, trusts, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, offering brokerage, financial planning, consulting, and multiple wrap/advisory programs.

Kristin Thomas is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with 10 years of industry experience. She has worked at Truist Advisory Services and Truist Investment Services since 2021 and previously at BB&T Securities from 2015 to 2021. Truist Advisory Services offers investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to a wide range of clients, including individuals, corporations, plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes a combination of traditional research and AI-enabled tools, partnering with Envestnet platforms to provide ongoing portfolio monitoring, reporting, and client consultations.

Philip Stacks is a financial advisor with Janney Montgomery Scott in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he owned and operated Clear Cut Investments, an e-commerce business specializing in health supplements sold on Amazon and eBay. Before entering the financial industry, he worked in the fitness retail sector. Janney Montgomery Scott is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a wide range of clients, including individuals, families, trusts, and institutional investors, offering brokerage services, financial planning, and multiple advisory programs supported by both in-house and third-party portfolio management.

William Miller is a financial advisor at Guardian Life with 31 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation and Series 63 and 66 licenses. Since 2008, he has worked with Park Avenue Securities, a subsidiary of Guardian Life. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a deacon at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC. Park Avenue Securities provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers a combination of advisor-led discretionary management and model-based strategies through proprietary and third-party platforms.

Emily Reidenouer is a financial advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 16 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Cetera Advisor Networks, LLC and LPL Financial, LLC. Outside of her advisory work, she serves as an election day poll worker in Mecklenburg County and is involved in farm and agriculture activities in Iowa. 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, employing a diversified investment approach that combines passive and active management overseen by an internal Investment Committee.

Edith Wartner is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 65 and Series 66 credentials and 14 years of industry experience. She has worked at SunTrust Advisory Services LLC and SunTrust Bank since 2016 and was previously with Uwharrie Investment Advisors, Inc. from 2012 to 2016. Outside of advising, she is a partner in a family-owned Mexican restaurant and has ownership in another Mexican restaurant. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes a combination of traditional research and AI-enabled tools to support asset allocation and manager selection on the Envestnet platform, and it maintains extensive affiliated financial relationships through its parent company, Truist Financial.

Christina Sculley is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, Inc. with two years of industry experience. She holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses. Prior to joining Wells Fargo Investment Institute in 2026, she worked at FactSet Research Systems and Goldman Sachs. 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 investment offerings and operates as a research and model-provider without exercising investment discretion over client accounts.

Michael Fitzgerald is a financial advisor at Eagle Strategies (NY Life) with 13 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been affiliated with Eagle Strategies since 2017. Fitzgerald also operates under the Parker Financial Group and Parker Financial and Insurance Solutions names, focusing on 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 offers a range of program types and emphasizes tailoring recommendations to client objectives, with the majority of its assets managed on a non-discretionary basis.

Brenda Seligmann is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. She has worked with Truist Advisory Services and its affiliates since 2018, previously serving at Banc of America Investment Services. Outside her advisory role, she serves as a board director for the Isle Vue Beach Homeowners Association. Truist Advisory Services offers investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to individuals, corporations, plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines traditional research with AI-enabled tools and works with clients to develop asset allocation strategies and recommend investment managers through the Envestnet platform.

Christopher Travis is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and seven years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Merrill, and Robinhood Markets. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning, discretionary managed account programs, and broker-dealer services to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with pre-existing employer retirement plan relationships. The firm distinguishes between one-time planning services and ongoing discretionary management using model or customized portfolios, applying a fiduciary standard on its RIA services.

Hugo Bartell is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with 13 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Oppenheimer across two periods totaling 10 years, with an intervening three-year tenure at Adhesion Wealth Advisor Solutions Inc. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, pooled investment vehicles, and IRAs. The firm offers a wide range of investment programs and financial planning services delivered on both discretionary and non-discretionary bases, with a notable portion of advisory assets managed non-discretionarily.

Sophia Slomkowski is a financial advisor at Prime Capital Financial with a Series 65 credential and one year of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Nuveen and One Digital. Prime Capital Financial is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, corporations, and retirement plans through a range of services including asset management, financial planning, and family office offerings. The firm employs a mix of core/satellite, thematic, and tactical strategies and supports held-away accounts through specialized platforms.

Shannon Burgett is a Certified Financial Planner® with 28 years of industry experience, currently serving at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. since 2026. Prior to joining Mercer, she held roles at Smith Salley Wealth Management, PNC Investments LLC, Linden Thomas Advisory Services, and Fidelity in various advisory capacities. Mercer Global Advisors provides comprehensive investment advisory services to individuals, families, small business owners, and institutional clients, using a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach that incorporates globally diversified, risk-appropriate portfolios with multi-factor tilts and regular rebalancing. The firm offers a range of specialized financial, tax, retirement, and estate planning services alongside integrated platforms and educational initiatives.