George Lin is a CFP® professional with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Creative Planning. Prior to joining Creative Planning in 2022, he worked at The Vanguard Group from 2005 to 2022. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, institutions, and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach that emphasizes low-cost indexing, buy-and-hold strategies, and selective private market exposure, managing approximately $295.6 billion in client assets.

Melissa Mitchell is a financial advisor with Janney Montgomery Scott in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. She previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Advisors LLC before joining Janney Montgomery Scott in 2022. 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 sponsors, and municipal clients, offering brokerage, financial planning, consulting, and advisory programs supported by in-house and third-party portfolio management.

John Riley is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience, currently working at Janney Montgomery Scott since 2022. Prior to joining Janney, he held roles at Truist Advisory Services and BB&T Securities. He serves on the local board of Ducks Unlimited in Memphis, TN, a nonprofit focused on land conservation. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, offering a range of advisory and brokerage services supported by in-house and third-party portfolio management.

Kim Richards is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 19 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked with TIAA-CREF and related entities since 2012, with prior experience at Signature Consultants. Outside of her advisory role, Richards is the studio director of a Pilates studio, where she manages business operations and client relationships. 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 connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers tailored investment solutions including model and customized portfolios and acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Stuart Thomas is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Park Avenue Securities LLC, Guardian Life Insurance Company, and Equity Services Inc. He served six years on active duty in the United States Army. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans, as well as trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans. The firm separates one-time planning services from ongoing portfolio management, using model and customized investment strategies within a vertically integrated structure.

Michael Kreimer is a CFP® with 40 years of experience in financial advising, currently with NewEdge Advisors. He has held roles at firms including Compass Securities Corporation, Raymond James Financial Services, Ballantyne Financial Group LLC, and Eudaimonia Partners, LLC. In addition to his advisory work, he is an insurance agent/broker conducting commission-based fixed insurance business. NewEdge Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management through a wrap fee program that integrates asset management with financial planning, utilizing a range of investment approaches and regular portfolio reviews.

Samuel Barden is a financial advisor at Rockefeller Financial LLC with 24 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Rockefeller Financial LLC serves ultra-high and high-net-worth individuals, families, family offices, charities, corporations, and retirement plans, offering wealth management, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan consulting. The firm provides integrated services through affiliated trust and insurance entities, with access to alternative and private investments and a distinctive ownership structure involving institutional minority owners.

Jonathan Liles is a CFP® with 25 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC. His prior roles include positions at LPL Financial, Cetera Advisor Networks, and Carroll Financial Associates. He is based in Charlotte, NC. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and specialized consulting, employing a strategic investment process that combines passive and active management guided by an internal Investment Committee.

Gary Preslar is a financial advisor with AE Wealth Management, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and 14 years of industry experience. He is the president of Preslar Financial Group, LLC, and has been involved in new home construction and real estate sales through Homes by Gary Preslar, LLC, since 2001. His prior roles include positions at Aspire Private Capital and Global Financial Private Capital, LLC. AE Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, trusts, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm provides a platform-centered approach combining model portfolios managed by internal and third-party strategists, discretionary asset management, financial planning, and plan services.

Ernest Glass Jr. is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and over 44 years of industry experience. He has been with Primerica Advisors since 1999 and has concurrently worked with Guardian Life Insurance Co., Inc. since 1997. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as Secretary/Treasurer for the Orient Point Homeowners Association, managing its financial records. Primerica Advisors operates as part of Park Avenue Securities LLC, which serves a diverse retail client base through a combination of brokerage and advisory services, proprietary and third-party investment programs, and comprehensive financial planning solutions.

Benjamin Siersma is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA and TIAA-CREF since 2002. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and managed account programs primarily to individuals connected to TIAA-administered retirement plans, as well as trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time financial planning and ongoing discretionary management through model and customized portfolios, and it acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Robert Stiles Jr. is a financial advisor with Janney Montgomery Scott in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 46 years of industry experience. He previously spent 10 years at Robert W Baird before joining Janney Montgomery Scott in 2024. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a general partner in two real estate investment ventures, where his responsibilities include filing taxes. 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 diverse client base with a range of brokerage, financial planning, and advisory services supported by both in-house and third-party portfolio management.

Michael Harris is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 15 years of industry experience. He has been affiliated with Guardian Life Insurance Co. and Park Avenue Securities, LLC since 2013. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a contingent executor and contingent power of attorney for family members. Park Avenue Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base, including individual and high-net-worth investors, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers both transaction-based brokerage and fee-based advisory relationships, providing a range of financial planning, retirement-plan consulting, and business consulting services through proprietary and third-party investment platforms.

Hilary Daniel is a CFP® professional with 18 years of industry experience, currently advising at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. She has held roles at Motley Fool Wealth Management, Modera Wealth Management, Parsec Financial, and The Vanguard Group. Outside of her advisory work, she is co-owner and CEO of a private company specializing in ATM installation and maintenance. Mercer Global Advisors serves individuals, families, small business owners, plan sponsors, foundations, and non-profits, offering investment advisory as well as financial, tax, retirement, and estate planning services. The firm employs a globally diversified investment approach using low-cost ETFs, index funds, separate account managers, and other strategies, and supports clients through specialized services and educational initiatives.

Taylor Brown is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 14 years of industry experience. Brown has been with TIAA-CREF since 2012. Outside of financial advising, Brown works part-time as a real estate agent and transaction coordinator for residential properties. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals—often those connected through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans—as well as trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing portfolio management, operating within a vertically integrated group that includes affiliated funds and a donor-advised fund advisory service.

Brian Perkins is a CFA® charterholder with 18 years of industry experience. He is currently associated with Kestra Advisory and Kestra Investment Services, where he has worked since 2020, and also holds a role at CapFinancial Securities, LLC since 2015. Perkins serves as Chief Investment Officer at NFP Corporate Services, overseeing institutional investment programs and client pension plans. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to plan sponsors and a range of institutional and individual clients, offering services including fiduciary consulting, plan design, and employee education. The firm manages approximately $79.8 billion in assets and serves diverse clients including sovereign wealth funds.

Deanna Moss is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and with 12 years of industry experience. Prior to joining TIAA-CREF in 2023, she worked at Bestow, Moss Agency, Freedom Financial Advantage, and LPL Financial. Outside of her advisory role, she is the president of Moss Chemical Company, LLC, a business serving individual consumers and restaurants, and she owns Just In Time Restoration, LLC, a residential construction and restoration company. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals with existing TIAA retirement plan relationships, as well as trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing portfolio management using model or customized portfolios managed under a fiduciary standard.

Lamar Johnson is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with four years of industry experience. He holds Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and has worked within the Truist organization since 2017, including time at Truist Investment Services. Prior to entering the financial services industry, he worked at McDonald's for one year. 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 employs a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary manager relationships and utilizes third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools to support investment selection and oversight.

Joanna Pappas is a CFP® with 13 years of industry experience, currently serving at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Charlotte, NC. Her prior experience includes roles at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company and Wells Fargo. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides investment advisory, brokerage, and licensed insurance services to individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a combination of strategic and tactical asset-allocation using fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management along with complimentary financial planning and tax-aware services.

Cecilia Mavico is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and six years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at LPL Financial and Robinhood Markets. She also serves as an adjunct professor at UNC School of Law, co-teaching a course on Financial Services Compliance. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporations, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, implementing advice through a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting while utilizing third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.