John Chidester is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has 14 years of industry experience. Chidester has worked with Bankers Life and its affiliated entities since 2006, serving as an insurance agent and financial advisor. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan consulting. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to create customized asset allocations and ongoing portfolio management tailored to clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Robert Flynn is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group who holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has 22 years of industry experience. He previously worked at TIAA-CREF and TIAA from 1997 to 2022 before joining Empower Financial Services in 2023. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and retail brokerage clients. The firm’s integrated approach leverages proprietary and third-party methodologies focused on long-term portfolio returns and is closely tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Chancey Zifko is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 13 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at several firms including Fifth Third Bank and Wells Fargo prior to joining Truist. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plans, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by third-party platforms and research tools to assist with investment policy analysis and manager selection.

Tenley Desjardins is a financial advisor with Corient in Charlotte, NC, holding the CFP®, PFS™, and Series 66 designations. She has eight years of industry experience, including prior roles at Ernst & Young, Guardian Life Insurance Company, and Mcgill Advisors (now Brightworth). Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, employing a goals-based, team investment approach that integrates in-house management with third-party solutions and specialized offerings through affiliated entities.

William Robbins is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. He holds the Series 65 and Series 63 credentials and has seven years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, Robbins worked at First Citizens Bank and served in positions at the City of Rock Hill and Francis Marion University. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm offers portfolio management, wrap programs, model portfolios, and automated investing platforms, relying on a client process that evaluates financial needs and risk tolerance to guide investments across various asset classes.

Harrison Paul is a financial advisor at Primerica Advisors with a Series 66 designation and no prior industry experience. His work history includes roles at Park Avenue Securities, Consolidated Planning, Guardian Life Insurance Company, and positions in education and local organizations in Charlotte, NC. Park Avenue Securities serves a broad retail client base, offering brokerage and advisory services, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm utilizes a combination of proprietary and third-party investment strategies and supports a variety of account-level services, including lending solutions and donor-advised funds.

Justin Balmer is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at First Command Advisory Services and related entities. Outside of finance, he is involved with Easton D LLC, a company performing manual labor tasks, and Decadence Popcorn LLC, a retail popcorn business in Concord, NC. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services provides financial planning and managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected to employer retirement plans administered by TIAA. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing discretionary management, utilizing model and customized portfolios under a fiduciary standard.

Ashley Johnston is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Charlotte, NC. She holds a Series 66 designation and has four years of industry experience. Her work history includes roles at NYLIFE Securities LLC and New York Life Insurance Company, as well as involvement with Silver Hearth Lodge, LLC from 2018 to 2025. Eagle Strategies serves individual and institutional clients by providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and emphasizes tailored recommendations, with the majority of its assets managed on a non-discretionary basis.

Steven Ouellette is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with nine years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2025 and has been affiliated with TIAA since 2010. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as Treasurer and Board Member for a nonprofit youth football program in Harrisburg, NC. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans. The firm distinguishes planning services from ongoing discretionary management and operates within a vertically integrated structure using affiliated funds.

Patrick Long is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services based in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 28 years of industry experience. He has worked with Suntrust Advisory Services and Suntrust Investment Services since 2018 and previously held roles at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Advisors. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a co-trustee for family trusts for longstanding clients. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors, participants, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation and investment policy analysis, fiduciary support, participant advice, and a manager-selection program, utilizing a blend of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting with oversight from dedicated research and advisory teams.

Mitchell Tanis is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with TIAA-CREF and its related entities since 2025. Prior to joining TIAA-CREF, he held positions at UBS, Merrill Lynch, and other organizations. Outside of his advisory role, he has worked as a delivery driver for Uber Eats. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account services to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers a range of advisory models including model portfolio management and customized portfolio management under a fiduciary standard.

Bradley Cooke is a CFA® charterholder with nine years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services since 2021. Prior to joining Truist, he worked at Wells Fargo Bank and Wells Fargo Clearing Services for a combined 16 years. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of services including asset allocation, investment policy analysis, fiduciary support, and a manager-selection program, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Daniel Jones is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor at Brookstone Capital Management LLC in Charlotte, NC, with six years of industry experience. He has been with Brookstone since 2019 and also has a background with APR Financial Group LLC dating back to 2012. Outside of advisory work, he is involved in insurance sales. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser that provides fee-based asset management and financial planning through a turnkey asset management platform and a wrap-fee program. The firm serves a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, charitable organizations, other registered investment advisers, sovereign wealth funds, and banking institutions.

Barry Lutfy is a financial advisor with GWN Securities Inc. in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 38 years of industry experience. He has been with GWN Securities since 2004 and has also maintained roles as a self-employed financial professional and with F.R. Owen & Associates since 1989. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in non-equity insurance product brokerage through the Financial Independence Group and serves as a registered representative at US Retirement Partners. GWN Securities provides investment advisory and related services to individual and corporate clients through a variety of managed account programs and financial planning options. The firm employs both discretionary portfolio management and model-based allocations, utilizing affiliated and unaffiliated sub-advisers, and is noted for its use of market-timing and momentum-based trading strategies in certain legacy programs.

Michael Pisani is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at J.P. Morgan Securities and JPMorgan Chase Bank from 2012 to 2017 before joining TIAA-CREF in 2017. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily serving individuals with existing TIAA-administered retirement plan relationships, as well as trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans. The firm combines point-in-time planning with ongoing portfolio management and acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund, operating within a vertically integrated structure that uses affiliated funds.

Katherine Jamil is a CFP® with 16 years of experience in the financial services industry. She is currently with Guardian Life and Park Avenue Securities, LLC, where she has worked since 2021. Her prior roles include positions at Mutual Securities, Cornerstone Wealth Group LLC, and LPL Financial. Park Avenue Securities LLC, operating as Park Avenue® Wealth Management, is a dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients with brokerage services, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and a range of investment advisory programs.

Ramone Givens is a financial advisor at Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with 12 years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, and Merrill Lynch. Outside of his advisory work, Givens owns and operates a handyman services business providing basic maintenance and home project assistance. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutional investors, and retirement plans, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm delivers tailored advice through multiple program types and maintains a primarily non-discretionary asset base, operating within the integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Joel Vincent is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and three years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Amazon, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. 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 pre-existing employer retirement plan relationships. The firm provides both point-in-time planning services and ongoing portfolio management under a fiduciary standard within a vertically integrated structure.

Benjamin Osborne is a CFP® professional with five years of industry experience, currently serving at Schwab Wealth Advisory, Inc. He has worked at several firms including The Vanguard Group and Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC. Osborne is based in Charlotte, NC. Schwab Wealth Advisory, Inc. provides non-discretionary fiduciary investment advice through the Schwab Wealth Advisory program, focusing on personalized financial reviews, retirement planning, and investment recommendations using Charles Schwab’s asset allocation models and research tools. The firm operates as an internal advisory unit within the Schwab ecosystem and does not provide discretionary portfolio management.

Aaron Cantley is a financial advisor at Brookstone Capital Management LLC with seven years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has worked at Brookstone Wealth Advisors since 2023. He is also involved in fixed insurance sales through Cantley Insurance & Financial Services, a business he has operated since 2008. Brookstone Capital Management provides fee-based asset management and financial planning to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, and other business entities. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management through a turnkey asset management platform, utilizing strategic and dynamic asset-allocation models, a mix of investment products, and a blend of internal and external sub-advisors.