Grady Smith is an investment advisor representative with Principal Financial Services in Garner, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 registrations and nine years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Jones Advisors, Jones Insurance Agency, Hornor Townsend & Kent Inc, and Penn Mutual Life Insurance Co. He is also engaged in the sale of fixed insurance products such as life, disability, long-term care insurance, and fixed annuities. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager solutions.

Edward Parent Jr. is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. with 27 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has worked previously at LPL Financial, Independent Advisor Alliance, and Commonwealth Financial Network. He serves on the Finance Committee of Friendly Avenue Baptist Church. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and businesses, offering portfolio management, wrap programs, and financial planning. The firm emphasizes IAR-led financial assessments and employs various analytical methods to manage diversified investment portfolios.

Jazmine Stewart is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. She holds a Series 66 designation and has two years of industry experience. Prior to joining her current firm, she worked at Sage Rutty & Company, Inc. and Allstate. Outside of advisory work, she owns a natural skincare products business called Khyra Sapphire. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. serves individual, pension, charitable, and corporate clients through advisory and brokerage services, offering portfolio management, automated investing platforms, tax-aware strategies, and financial planning. The firm’s investment approach includes assessments of client needs and risk tolerance and utilizes a mix of fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis.

Robert Greer Jr. is a CFA® charterholder and Series 66 licensee with one year of experience in financial advisory. He currently works at Truist Advisory Services, where he has been employed since 2024. Previously, he spent 11 years at Bank of America. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools, to deliver its investment solutions.

Janet Pearson is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with 29 years of industry experience. She has been with First Citizens Investor Services in various capacities since 1994, except for a two-year period of unemployment from 2021 to 2023. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm employs a client-focused process that includes comprehensive financial assessments and a diversified investment approach across equities, fixed income, mutual funds, and ETFs.

Ashok Tapadia is a financial advisor with Guardian Life in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 32 years of industry experience. He has been with Guardian Life since 1999 and is also affiliated with CP Advisory Services, Inc. Tapadia has involvement in insurance services beyond Guardian and participates in real estate activities through Fathom Realty. Guardian Life’s subsidiary, Park Avenue Wealth Management, serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement plan sponsors. The firm offers a combination of advisor-led discretionary management and model-based strategies, alongside a range of financial planning and consulting services.

Joshua Tirado is a financial advisor with J.W. Cole Advisors, Inc., holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and possessing 25 years of industry experience. He has been with J.W. Cole Advisors and J.W. Cole Financial since 2012. Outside of his advisory role, he manages Healthy Wealthy & Wise, a company providing marketing for educational webinar services focused on client life improvement. J.W. Cole Advisors is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, charities, corporations, retirement plans, and other entities through a national network of more than 400 independent investment adviser representatives. The firm offers portfolio management, fee-based financial planning, access to third-party managers, and multiple managed account solutions.

Destiney Deschaines is a financial advisor at Guardian Life with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Guardian Life, she worked at Equitable Advisors and held various roles including at 41 North Coffee Company and the University of Connecticut. She co-owns J&D Cutter Row, LLC, a real estate business established with her father. Guardian Life operates through Park Avenue® Wealth Management, providing brokerage and advisory services to individuals, corporations, retirement plans, and nonprofits. The firm combines advisor-led discretionary management with model-based strategies and offers access to insurance products, alternative investments, and integrated lending options.

Thomas White is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Wendell, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and nine years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Empower Financial Services, Fidelity Investments, TIAA, and TD Ameritrade. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to IRA and retail brokerage clients. The firm’s integrated approach links planning and managed accounts with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Johnna Kendrick is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 16 years of industry experience. Her prior work includes positions at Edward Jones, BB&T Investments, and various entities within the First Citizens organization. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. serves individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients, offering advisory and brokerage services with a range of portfolio management and financial planning solutions. The firm’s approach combines fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis tailored through IAR-led client assessments.

Jesse Bencivenga is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, with 12 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at First Citizens Investor Services since 2018, with prior roles at First Citizens Bank and Wells Fargo. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and businesses by offering advisory and brokerage services, portfolio management, and financial planning. The firm’s approach combines fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to create diversified portfolios across various asset classes.

Brian Luce is a financial advisor with United Planners Financial Services of America, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing 10 years of industry experience. He has worked at United Planners since 2023 and previously spent seven years with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors. In addition to his advisory role, Luce operates Heartland Financial Advisor as a marketing entity and works as an independent life insurance agent. United Planners serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, charitable organizations, retirement plans, and institutional clients such as sovereign wealth funds and banks. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, retirement plan services, and brokerage solutions through a network of 477 independent advisors, using an open-architecture platform with multiple custodians and third-party money managers.

Barbara Key is a financial advisor at Sanctuary Advisors, LLC in Raleigh, NC, with 17 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at Merrill from 2015 to 2021. She has been with Sanctuary Advisors and its affiliated entity, Sanctuary Securities, since 2022. Sanctuary Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm supports independent investment adviser representatives with a range of portfolio management and consulting services, employing multiple analytical approaches and maintaining a fiduciary standard when agreements are in place.

James Baker is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and 17 years of industry experience. He previously worked at LPL Financial for seven years before joining First Citizens Investor Services in 2020. Outside of his advisory role, he serves on the board of his condominium homeowners association. 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 process focused on financial needs assessment and diversified portfolio allocation, offering products such as unified managed accounts, wrap programs, and tax-aware services.

Thomas Smith is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at First Citizens Bank, Oak Valley Golf Course, North Carolina State University, YMCA, Members Credit Union, and Davie County Schools. 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 using fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to manage portfolios across various asset classes.

James Phillips III is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and three years of industry experience. Prior to his advisory role, he spent ten years managing operations at Clyde Phillips Seafood, where he remains involved in the business’s apparel sales as a sole proprietor. First Citizens Investor Services serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, and charitable organizations, providing advisory and brokerage services through various portfolio management options and financial planning. The firm emphasizes IAR-led client assessments and employs fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis in asset allocation across multiple investment vehicles.

Steve Watkins III is a financial advisor at Mariner in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 65 credential with one year of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at CapFinancial Securities LLC and Carolina Jewelry and Pawn. Mariner serves a wide range of clients including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations, offering investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and coordinated tax and family office services. The firm employs discretionary, customized portfolios managed by an Investment Committee and combines in-house research with third-party managers across various asset classes, also providing integrated tax and administrative services that are less common at firms of its size.

David Snider is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 65, Series 63, and Series 66 licenses with 29 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Oppenheimer in 2025, he worked at Wells Fargo Clearing for nine years and UBS Financial Services for one year. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension plans, charitable organizations, and IRAs. The firm offers a range of programs including asset management, consulting, and retirement services, with advisory approaches spanning equity, balanced, and fixed-income portfolios delivered on discretionary and non-discretionary bases.

Angela Novak is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses with 17 years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Wells Fargo Bank and Wells Fargo Clearing from 2008 to 2023 before joining First Citizens in 2023. First Citizens Investor Services serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and businesses, providing advisory and brokerage services through various portfolio management and financial planning solutions. The firm emphasizes IAR-led assessments and a combination of fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis for portfolio allocation.

Jennifer Jones is a CFP® with 12 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC. She previously worked at Gratus Capital and Deloitte Investment Advisors. Focus Partners Wealth serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, corporate and institutional clients with a range of wealth management and advisory services. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach that combines active and passive strategies, third-party managers, and private funds.