Elizabeth Marquardt is a financial advisor at Merrill with eight years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Merrill since 2017. Prior to joining Merrill, she worked at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte from 2015 to 2017. Merrill, along with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm offers model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Geoffrey Elliott is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and eight years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at UBS Financial Services Inc. and Bankers Life. Outside of finance, he occasionally performs maintenance on a rental property managed by his spouse. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving both individual and institutional clients with a variety of advisory programs and tailored financial planning services. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and utilizes structured planning tools and scenario modeling in its financial planning process.

Albert Stephens III is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 10 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at First Citizens Investor Services, First Citizens Bank, Bank of America, and Merrill. Stephens serves on the Gaston County Board of Education, where he participates in setting policy and operational guidelines. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering IPS-driven advisory services that include investment policy preparation, investment recommendations, performance reporting, and participant education. The firm acts as an ERISA fiduciary and offers discretionary investment management options, incorporating a broader range of financial products such as insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options.

Jennifer Godsey is a financial advisor with Merrill in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. She has been with Merrill since 2009 and also maintains a role at Bank of America, where she has worked since 2011. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Ronald Schroeter is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at BB&T Investment Services, Merrill, and Morgan Stanley. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in home construction through Garland Construction. Wells Fargo Advisors serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients by providing investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm uses research and analytics to support its investment approach and offers a broad range of brokerage and advisory solutions.

Nicholas Nielsen is a CFP® with 19 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Raymond James Financial. His prior roles include advisory positions at Independent Advisor Alliance, LPL Financial, and SunTrust Advisory Services. Outside of his advisory work, he is an author of the book *Visual Finance* and serves as an ESPN+ analyst for the NJCAA Basketball Tournament. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning and investment consulting to a diverse client base, including individual investors, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary advisory services supported by analytical tools and maintains specialized offerings such as municipal advisory services and SIMPLE IRA Employer Advisory programs.

Daniel Pham is a financial advisor at Merrill in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with one year of industry experience. His work history includes positions at Bank of America, Merrill, DYSIS, Wells Fargo Clearing Services, and other firms dating back to 2019. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Gray Daus is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 25 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at BB&T Investment Services and Merrill prior to joining Wells Fargo Clearing in 2016. Outside of his advisory work, he manages timber land and rental properties in North and South Carolina. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm combines research from Wells Fargo Investment Institute and third-party sources to evaluate investment options, offering both brokerage and advisory solutions through a large network of advisors.

Gregory Abbracciamento is a CFP® professional at Stifel with eight years of industry experience. He joined Stifel in 2025 after working at Bank of America and Merrill from 2016 to 2025. Stifel serves a wide range of clients, including individuals, institutions, and municipal entities, offering brokerage and advisory services supported by proprietary investment analysis and allocation methodologies developed by its Investment Strategy Group.

Matthew Marks is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors in Charlotte, North Carolina, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 29 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC and Wells Fargo Clearing Services. Outside of his advisory work, he is the proprietor of You Matter Daily, a recreation-related business. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network serves individuals, trusts, and institutional clients through a variety of investment and financial planning services. The firm provides tailored recommendations using in-house research and planning tools, offering a broad range of planning options that clients may implement through brokerage or advisory programs.

David Van Glish is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He has been assisting clients with complex financial decisions since 2006, focusing on comprehensive wealth management strategies tailored to individual goals. David's expertise includes portfolio construction, retirement planning, education funding, and coordination with clients' legal and tax advisors on estate planning. He holds several professional designations, including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP), CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). His credentials are supported by Series 7 and 66 FINRA registrations, as well as Life, Health, and Long-Term Care insurance licenses. He earned a bachelor's degree from Emory University and both a master's and doctorate from the University System of Georgia. Prior to joining Merrill, he had a career in the textiles industry. David is active in the Charlotte community, serving as a solicitor for the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte and is an alumnus of Leadership Charlotte. He enjoys spending time with his wife and three adult children.

Paige Brenner is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley in 2023, she worked at Foot and Ankle Associates and has experience in both educational and hospitality settings. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management serves individual and institutional clients with a range of advisory programs, including tailored financial planning supported by firm-approved tools and investment committee resources. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and offers both direct and employer-sponsored financial planning services.

William Thompson is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with a Series 66 designation and three years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2019 and has prior work experience in retail, animal care, and printing. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in maintaining an office building as a cleaner in Landrum, South Carolina. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients with over $1 trillion in assets under management, offering a range of advisory programs and affiliated investment products supported by a nationwide network of financial advisors.

Joseph Hagner is a financial advisor at OSAIC with 15 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 credentials. His prior roles include positions at Woodbury Financial Services, Lord Abbett, and Merrill. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as president and director of Advisory Consulting Services, LLC, a firm involved in recruiting financial advisors. OSAIC serves a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, charities, and corporate clients through a multi-advisor platform offering brokerage and advisory services. The firm employs a model-based investment process featuring asset allocation, portfolio optimization, and a range of managed account solutions supported by third-party money managers and proprietary strategies.

Douglas Robertson is a financial advisor with LPL Financial and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 17 years of industry experience, including roles at Truliant Federal Credit Union and Cuna Brokerage Services. Robertson is also involved with Truliant Financial Advisors in connection with his LPL business. LPL Financial is a national broker‑dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm provides a range of advisory services including financial planning, model portfolios, and institutional platforms, supported by a large network of investment adviser representatives.

Kristen Thomas is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with nine years of industry experience. She is currently affiliated with Cetera and also serves as a financial professional at Paved Wealth Partners, LLC. In addition to her advisory work, she operates a small gardening consulting business called Southern Rooted Gardens. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is a nationwide SEC-registered adviser that serves individual, retirement, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients through a large network of independent advisors. The firm offers a range of portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement services, utilizing a multi-manager platform with access to affiliated and third-party money managers.

Aaron Murphy is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. He focuses on helping clients uncover their priorities to create strategies aimed at pursuing their financial goals. Aaron's expertise includes executive compensation, equity compensation services, legacy planning, liquidity management, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, small business strategies, tax minimization, and retirement income. He works with families to build certainty and confidence in their financial lives. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from Queens University of Charlotte and a High School Diploma from Myers Park High School. Outside of his professional career, Aaron enjoys activities such as chess, golfing, hiking, music, pickleball, rock climbing, running, and spending time with his family.

George Kokalis is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Merrill and Bank of America prior to joining Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages roughly $671 billion in assets through more than 14,000 financial advisors and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions.

John Fasti is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Charlotte, NC. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 registrations and has six years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Equitable Advisors and Equitable Distributors. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, wrap-fee programs, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers a range of brokerage and advisory solutions supported by research from Wells Fargo Investment Institute and third-party databases.

Ernest Mathis is a CFP® with 15 years of industry experience and has been with Edward Jones since 2010. He is based in Fort Mill, SC, and serves on the finance committee of the First Baptist Church in Fort Mill, where he participates in investment decisions for church funds. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million clients, including individuals and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory strategies, affiliated mutual funds, and tax-efficient services, supported by a network of more than 23,700 advisors and 15,000 branches nationwide.