Casey Bumgarner is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 19 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has previously worked at Edward Jones and Prudential Insurance Company of America. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with the Angelus Sano Fund, a medical device venture based in Winter Park, FL. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary services. The firm’s IPS-driven advisory process incorporates modern portfolio theory and includes a broad range of investment options such as insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep programs.

Chadwick Wester is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with eight years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2017 and previously worked at SunTrust from 2014 to 2017. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a range of advisory strategies, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee solutions, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, supported by a nationwide network of over 23,700 financial advisors.

Daniel Ponce is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Wells Fargo Bank and Wells Fargo Clearing, as well as experience at Charter Communications. Outside of finance, he has worked as an independent contractor driver for Lyft. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by model portfolios and third-party research.

Leslie Merritt III is a financial advisor at OSAIC with 20 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at FSC Securities Corporation, Inc. for 18 years before joining OSAIC in 2023. Outside of his advisory role, he owns Neuse Goatscaping, Inc., an agricultural business involved in brush clearing using goats, which is connected to his family’s longstanding farm. He also manages multiple insurance agencies specializing in life and long-term care insurance. OSAIC serves a diverse client base, including individual investors, institutions, and charitable organizations, offering integrated brokerage and advisory services, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money managers. The firm employs asset-allocation tools and risk-tolerance assessments to construct tailored portfolios and supports legacy platforms and model-managed account solutions.

Bonnie Clare Kunath is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 36 years of industry experience. She has been with Equitable Advisors since 2006 and previously worked at Axa Advisors, LLC. Outside of her advisory work, she serves as Sponsorship Chair for Festa Italiano, The Sons and Daughters of Italy in Raleigh. Equitable Advisors serves individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement-plan support, and access to asset management through LPL programs and third-party asset managers. The firm operates a hybrid referral and implementation model, offering both advisory and brokerage/insurance channels to implement client recommendations.

Jackson Baum is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. He has been associated with LPL Financial since 2020 and also operates Capital Insurance & Financial Services, Inc., which focuses on non-variable insurance sales and customer service. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, financial institutions, and charitable organizations nationwide through a large network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a wide range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, retirement plan consulting, model portfolios, and utilizes both discretionary and non-discretionary management strategies supported by extensive research.

Wendy Artis is a financial advisor at Merrill with a Series 66 designation and 18 years of tenure at the firm. She has three years of industry experience. Outside of her advisory role, she serves on the Stone Soup committee for Urban Ministries of Wake County and is involved with the Susan G. Komen Carolinas committee, assisting with fundraising and event planning. Merrill provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through model-based and discretionary strategies developed by internal and third-party teams. The firm serves a range of clients including individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Hunter Bostwick is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining LPL Financial in 2024, he worked at IBM from 2013 to 2021 and has been employed at Kyndryl, Inc. since 2021, where he serves as a hardware program manager. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by model portfolios and research from multiple sources.

Melanie Reeve is a CFP® professional with 23 years of experience in the financial services industry. She has been with OSAIC since 2024 and previously worked for Triad Advisors for 13 years. Outside of her advisory role, she serves as CFO of an insurance agency and assists clients with term life insurance through the Jones Insurance Agency. OSAIC serves a diverse client base including retail and institutional investors, offering integrated brokerage and investment advisory services. The firm employs various tools and platforms to construct and manage portfolios tailored to client risk profiles and investment restrictions.

Jack Wormington is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing, holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Bank of America, Merrill, and entrepreneurial ventures such as IRT Living and Konkr Klothing. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with services including investment advisory, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages roughly $671 billion in assets and provides both brokerage and advisory solutions supported by research and analytics from Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

Stuart Swanson is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and totaling 29 years of industry experience. He has been affiliated with various Wells Fargo entities since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, he is a co-owner of Greenbrier Hillview Farms Inc., a corporation owning hunting property. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network is a large broker-dealer and registered investment adviser that provides investment and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm offers a broad range of planning services, including specialized areas such as business-owner transition and special-needs planning, using Wells Fargo research and planning tools to develop tailored recommendations.

Charles Bell III is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. He has worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. since 2015 and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as an executor and co-executor for estate administration matters. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals and institutional clients with a variety of advisory programs, including tailored financial planning and estate planning strategies. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and utilizes structured planning tools and modeling techniques as part of its financial planning process.

Kyle Smith is a CFP® professional with 28 years of experience in the financial industry. He is currently with LPL Financial and has previously worked at Truist Advisory Services, Truist Investment Services, and Bb&T Securities. Kyle is based in Raleigh, NC. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, utilizing research from LPL and third-party subadvisors to support diversified and tactical investment strategies.

Janice Sanderson is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 36 years of industry experience. She has been with UBS since 2012. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, combining proprietary research and model-based asset allocation with institutional trading capabilities and wealth management services.

Thomas Lanigan II is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing, holding a Series 66 designation and based in Raleigh, NC. He has been with Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients, including pension and charitable organizations. The firm offers a wide range of investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, operating at large scale with over $671 billion in assets under management and more than 14,000 financial advisors.

Jennifer Walker is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. She employs a disciplined and personalized approach to financial planning, beginning by understanding each client's unique family dynamics, financial priorities, and long-term goals. Jennifer provides tailored advice and strategies that adapt as her clients' lives evolve. She holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP) certification, the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC) designation, and the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) credential. Jennifer earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Kentucky. Her areas of focus include college education planning, divorce transition planning, LGBT wealth planning, personal retirement planning, socially responsible and ESG investing, women and wealth, tax minimization, and retirement income. Jennifer is a member of the Phoenix-Tucson Women's Exchange and participates in the National Charity League. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys biking, gardening, golfing, hiking, photography, running, soccer, spending time with her family, traveling, and yoga.

Thomas Macrone is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 27 years of industry experience. He has been with Equitable Advisors since 2003, including its predecessor firm AXA Advisors, LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he operates a health insurance brokerage under the name Prestige Financial Group. Equitable Advisors serves individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, corporations, and charitable organizations by providing financial planning, retirement-plan support, and access to asset management through LPL programs and third-party asset managers. The firm employs a hybrid referral and implementation model and offers both advisory and brokerage/insurance services to meet diverse client needs.

Mitchell Valenza is a financial advisor at OSAIC with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. and First Command Brokerage Services. Valenza is also a Captain and Civil Affairs Officer in the U.S. Army Reserve. OSAIC Wealth, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth investors, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers integrated brokerage and investment advisory services, utilizing a range of portfolio construction tools and third-party solutions to manage discretionary and non-discretionary accounts.

Andrew Preddy is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016 and has prior experience at Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC and Wells Fargo Bank NA. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting services to qualified ERISA plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services. The firm’s approach is IPS-driven and grounded in modern portfolio theory, with a notable inclusion of insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options among its investment offerings.

Mia Houston is a Financial Consultant with experience at Fidelity Investments, where she held several roles including Workplace Planning and Advice Leader from 2023 to 2025, Planning Consultant from 2021 to 2023, Relationship Manager in 2021, and Financial Representative from 2020 to 2021. Her career at Fidelity has provided her with comprehensive experience in financial planning and client relationship management. Mia brings a perspective shaped by living both in and outside the United States, along with an entrepreneurial family background. She focuses on creating financial plans tailored to her clients' individual lifestyles and goals, aiming to support them throughout their retirement journey. Outside of her professional work, Mia enjoys activities such as Pilates, reading, snowboarding, surfing, swimming, and traveling.