Michael Frendak is a financial advisor at PNC Wealth Management in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses with 10 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at The Vanguard Group, Inc., Scottrade, Inc., and AXA Advisors, LLC. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital platform that uses algorithmic questionnaires to recommend risk-based investment models implemented via mutual funds and ETFs with annual rebalancing.

Justin Popham is a Certified Financial Planner® at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. with 12 years of industry experience. His previous roles include positions at Fisher Investments, Fidelity Brokerage Services, Charles Schwab, and E*TRADE. He is based in Charlotte, NC. 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 a client-centered process incorporating fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to manage portfolios across various asset classes.

Alexander Cohen is a financial advisor at &PARTNERS with a Series 66 designation and five years of industry experience. Prior to joining &PARTNERS in 2024, he worked at Wells Fargo Clearing for three years and held roles at Amazon Fulfillment Services and The UPS Store. He also has a background in education, having worked at Clemson University and Pine Lake Preparatory. &PARTNERS serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers investment management and financial planning services using a combination of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis, with portfolios managed directly by advisors or through third-party managers.

Jason Mertz is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and bringing 27 years of industry experience. He has worked at Truist Advisory Services since 2021, following prior roles at Bb&T Securities and Merrill. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation advice, fiduciary support, and manager-selection programs, utilizing a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary approaches supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Mary Davis is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with three years of industry experience. Her prior work includes roles outside finance, such as at Tony Silvagni Surf School and Mecklenburg Park & Rec. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by AI-enabled research tools and inter-affiliate integration that includes affiliated broker-dealer and bank sweep features.

Alexandria Haden is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and six years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Fidelity Personal and Workplace Advisors and AIG Retirement Services. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm provides a fiduciary advisory model separating point-in-time planning from ongoing portfolio management, and also acts as an adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Ryan McCartney is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with a Series 66 designation and five years of industry experience. His prior work includes positions at Robinhood Financial, UBS Financial Services, Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, and Northwestern Mutual. He also worked at High Point University and Silver Point Beach Club in earlier roles. 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 with existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time financial planning and ongoing portfolio management within a vertically integrated structure that includes affiliated funds and donor-advised fund advisory services.

Coty Consic is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with seven years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has worked at firms including Vanguard Advisers, Bank of America, and Merrill. His background also includes a role at Doordash and involvement with Wooden Robot Brewery. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with employer retirement plan relationships. The firm operates within a vertically integrated advisory model that combines point-in-time planning with ongoing portfolio management under a fiduciary standard.

James Koester is a financial advisor at Brookstone Capital Management LLC with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and has worked at multiple firms including JDM Financial and Secure Asset Management. Outside his advisory role, Koester is a financial professional involved in the sale of annuities and life insurance, primarily serving retirees and those planning retirement. Brookstone Capital Management provides fee-based asset management and financial planning to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, and other entities. The firm employs strategic and dynamic asset-allocation models and a blend of investment strategies, including proprietary funds and external sub-advisors, to manage client portfolios.

Robert Treff is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2005. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm provides both point-in-time planning services and ongoing discretionary management, utilizing model portfolios or customized portfolios managed under client-approved investment policies.

Ethan Cummings is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining TIAA-CREF, he worked at Carolina Housing and Harris Teeter. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals with pre-existing relationships through employer retirement plans, as well as trusts, estates, and small retirement plans. The firm operates a vertically integrated advisory model that separates point-in-time planning from ongoing portfolio management.

Alfredo Negrete Abreu is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at firms including Merrill, UBS Financial Services, and Fisher Investments. Outside of his advisory role, he works as a rideshare contractor for Uber Technologies. TIAA-CREF’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with pre-existing relationships through employer retirement plans. The firm provides both point-in-time planning and ongoing managed account services, utilizing model and customized portfolios managed under client-approved investment policies.

Sarah Rhodes is a financial advisor at &PARTNERS with 13 years of industry experience. She holds Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and has worked previously at Wells Fargo Clearing, Wells Fargo Bank NA, and Wells Fargo Advisors LLC. &PARTNERS serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, foundations, universities, trusts, private businesses, and corporations. The firm offers investment management and consulting services using a combination of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis, with both discretionary and non-discretionary account management.

Joseph Norton is a CFP® with 22 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Creative Planning since 2021 and previously held roles at Alaris Acquisitions and The Vanguard Group. He is based in Charlotte, NC. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, pension plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach that emphasizes low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies for long-term goals, supplemented by tax-loss harvesting and selective private market exposure.

James Linsenmayer is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has previously worked at Merrill, UBS Financial Services, and Wells Fargo Clearing. Linsenmayer is based in Charlotte, NC. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals connected with TIAA-administered employer retirement plans, as well as trusts, estates, and corporate entities. The firm offers a range of advisory services including model and customized portfolio management under fiduciary standards and serves as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Kayla Stern is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF, holding a Series 66 designation and nine years of industry experience. She has worked at TIAA-CREF since 2018 and previously held positions at TD Ameritrade and Scottrade. Outside of financial advising, she owns an Etsy shop specializing in children's clothing. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm combines point-in-time planning services with ongoing discretionary portfolio management under a fiduciary standard.

James Baugh is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services holding a Series 66 designation and eight years of industry experience. His career includes prior roles at Wells Fargo Bank, Wells Fargo Clearing, J.P. Morgan Securities, and JPMorgan Chase Bank. Baugh is currently based in Charlotte, NC. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors and participants, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation and investment policy analysis, plan sponsor fiduciary support, participant advice, and a manager-selection program that combines discretionary and non-discretionary approaches supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Christopher Horne is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with five years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2020 and previously worked at SABIC from 2014 to 2017. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time financial planning and ongoing discretionary management using model or customized portfolios, operating within a vertically integrated group that includes affiliated funds and donor-advised fund advisory services.

Jacob Whitaker is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Bank of America, Merrill, Waddell and Reed, and Target Corporation. Whitaker also serves as a soldier in the United States Army Reserve. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing TIAA-administered employer retirement plan relationships. The firm offers advisory services that combine one-time financial planning with ongoing portfolio management through model and customized portfolio options.

Samaria Frazier is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 22 years of industry experience. She has been with TIAA and TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services since 2001. Outside of her advisory role, she owns and manages rental property. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm also offers referrals to affiliated services and acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund.