Stephen Honea is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with 16 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2010. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm also acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund and offers a range of advisory services within a vertically integrated structure.

Rhondale Haywood is a CFP®, CFA®, and Series 63-licensed financial advisor with three years of industry experience. He is currently with Truist Advisory Services and previously worked at Bank of America and PNC Bank. He serves on the investment committee for the Foundation for the Carolinas, assisting with asset allocation and strategy monitoring. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a combination of traditional research and AI-enabled tools to support its advisory offerings and maintains extensive affiliated financial relationships.

Christopher Benitez is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with one year of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked previously for The Vanguard Group and Angi. 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 certain retail brokerage account holders. The firm delivers an integrated service model tied to Empower’s administrative platforms and offers point-in-time financial plans alongside optional managed account solutions.

John Chidester is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has 15 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Bankers Life Advisory Services since 2018 and Bankers Life Securities, Inc. since 2016. He is also an insurance agent with Bankers Life & Casualty, appointed to offer Medicare Supplement, annuity, life, health, and long-term care insurance products. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. serves mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals with discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan services. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to develop customized asset allocations and portfolio management strategies tailored to clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

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 firms including Fifth Third Bank, Wells Fargo, and BB&T. Outside of his advisory role, Zifko is involved in managing several rental properties in the Charlotte, NC area. Truist Advisory Services offers investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to individuals, corporations, plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing both traditional research and AI-enabled tools to support client portfolios.

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 at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with seven years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at First Citizens Bank and First Citizens Investor Services since 2019, as well as experience with 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 plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm employs a client process focused on assessing financial needs and risk tolerance, utilizing fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to manage portfolios across various asset classes.

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 in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Clearing and UBS Financial Services. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as co-trustee for family trusts on behalf of long-term clients. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to individuals, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm combines traditional and AI-enabled research tools to support client asset allocation and manager selection, operating within a broad network of affiliated financial entities.

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. He is currently with Truist Advisory Services, where he has worked since 2021. Prior to that, he spent 15 years at Wells Fargo Bank and one year at Wells Fargo Clearing Services. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to individuals, corporations, plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a combination of traditional research and AI-enabled tools to support asset allocation and manager selection, offering ongoing client reviews and reporting.

Daniel Jones is a financial advisor at Brookstone Capital Management LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with seven years of industry experience. He has worked at Brookstone Capital Management since 2019 and has been associated with APR Financial Group LLC since 2012. In addition to his advisory role, he is involved in insurance sales. Brookstone Capital Management provides fee-based asset management and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and trusts. The firm utilizes strategic and dynamic asset-allocation models and offers discretionary portfolio management through a turnkey asset management platform and a wrap-fee program.

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 industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Guardian Life and Park Avenue Securities LLC. Her work history includes roles at Mutual Securities, Cornerstone Wealth Group LLC, LPL Financial, Kestra Investment Services, and NRP Advisors. She is based in Charlotte, NC. Park Avenue Securities LLC, a subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, offers brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm provides a range of financial planning and consulting services, combining advisor-led discretionary management with model-based strategies and access to insurance products and alternative investments.

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, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and three years of industry experience. Prior to joining TIAA-CREF, he worked at Vanguard Marketing Corporation and held various roles including positions at Amazon and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals connected with TIAA-administered employer retirement plans, as well as to trusts, estates, and other entities. The firm offers both point-in-time financial planning and ongoing managed account services, with a fiduciary standard applied to its registered investment adviser services.

Benjamin Osborne is a CFP® practitioner based in Charlotte, NC, with five years of industry experience. He currently works at Schwab Wealth Advisory, Inc. and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., having previously worked at Linden Thomas Advisory Services and The Vanguard Group. His background also includes positions in consulting and academia. Schwab Wealth Advisory, Inc. provides non-discretionary fiduciary investment advice and financial planning to clients enrolled in the Schwab Wealth Advisory program and certain Charles Schwab-referred clients. The firm uses standard asset-allocation models and internal research tools to offer tailored recommendations, while trades require client authorization.