Emily Brandt is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, with five years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at TIAA-CREF since 2020. Outside of her financial career, she owns a pet sitting business called Pawsitive Stays. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm’s advisory model distinguishes between point-in-time planning and ongoing discretionary management, offering customized and model portfolio options under a fiduciary standard.

Ian Ellis is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Vanguard Advisers, Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Merit Financial Advisors, and LPL Financial. Prior to entering the financial industry, Ellis held roles at Valencia College, Royal Caribbean Cruises, and Universal Orlando Resort. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals with existing relationships through TIAA-administered retirement plans, as well as trusts, estates, and small retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time financial planning and ongoing portfolio management through model or customized portfolios managed under a fiduciary standard.

Gabrielle Baylog is an advisor at Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. with Series 66 credentials and one year of industry experience. Prior to her advisory role, she spent nine years in full-time education. She is also a licensed insurance agent for Bankers Life and Casualty Company, authorized to write 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 consulting. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to tailor asset allocations and portfolio management aligned with clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Rhonda Gilliam is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. in Charlotte, NC, with 12 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has been with Fifth Third Securities since 2016. Outside of her advisory role, she works part-time as an Uber driver. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. provides brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate and business clients, and institutional investors. The firm offers multiple discretionary managed-account programs and features such as direct indexing and tax-overlay services, operating as a subsidiary of Fifth Third Bank with integrated relationships among its bank, platform sponsor, and clearing firm.

Robert Rose is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 31 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 designations. Prior to joining Janney, he worked at Bb&T Securities and Truist Advisory Services. Outside of his advisory role, he is a musician in the band The Good Nuffs and serves on the finance council of St Pius X Catholic Church as well as a committee member for Greensboro Urban Ministries Development. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, estates, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, offering a range of brokerage services, financial planning, consulting, and advisory programs.

Hanna Rockwell is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses with two years of industry experience. Prior to joining TIAA-CREF, she worked at Trinity Wealth Securities, LLC and Florida Financial Advisors DBA Tristate Financial Advisors, and has roles in healthcare and education sectors earlier in her career. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers a range of advisory services including model and customized portfolios and acts as adviser to the TIAA Donor Advised Fund.

Kent Shuford is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 22 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at TIAA-CREF and Tiaa since 2017, following a one-year tenure at The Prudential Insurance Company of America and Pruco Securities LLC. 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 advises the TIAA Donor Advised Fund and separates its planning services from ongoing discretionary management within a vertically integrated model.

Amy Johnson is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 8 years of industry experience. She holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses. Her prior work includes positions at Wells Fargo Clearing, Wells Fargo Bank, and Principal Securities. 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 uses a model integrated with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, offering point-in-time financial plans and optional managed account solutions.

Rachel Bradsher is a financial advisor with Lincoln Investment in Matthews, NC, holding Series 66 and Series 63 credentials and two years of industry experience. She has worked at Lincoln Investment since 2023 and has prior experience at Poole Financial Services and Anthropologie. Lincoln Investment Planning, LLC is a large enterprise investment advisory and broker-dealer serving a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth investors, trusts, charities, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, and access to third-party managers, supported by an in-house Investment Management & Research team that creates strategic model portfolios and adaptive strategies.

Andrew Turner is a CFP® with four years of industry experience, currently serving at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, Inc. He has held roles at Investure, LLC, Wells Fargo Investment Portfolio - Reinsurance, Wells Fargo Securities, and The Vanguard Group, Inc. Wells Fargo Investment Institute provides research and non-discretionary model-portfolio services to Wells Fargo affiliates and other financial institutions, focusing on manager research, global investment strategy, and asset allocation analysis. The firm’s process involves multiple specialist divisions that contribute to model portfolios, but it does not offer individualized financial planning or manage client accounts directly.

Claude Ives III is a CFP® with 32 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Rockefeller Financial LLC since 2024. Prior to joining Rockefeller, he held various roles at Morgan Stanley from 2009 to 2024 and worked at Citigroup Global Markets for 30 years. Rockefeller Financial LLC serves high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, family offices, and institutional clients. The firm operates under a Private Advisor model, offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and broker-dealer services, including placement and investment banking.

Tania Cabrera is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services holding a Series 66 designation and 22 years of industry experience. She has worked at several firms including LPL Financial and SunTrust Advisory Services before joining Principal in 2018. 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 asset allocation and separately managed account solutions.

Deon Wallace is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 31 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 1994. 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 existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm operates a fiduciary model that separates planning services from ongoing management and advises donor-advised funds while utilizing affiliated funds within its investment programs.

Jillian Lucas is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with two years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at TIAA-CREF since 2022. Prior to her current role, her background includes various positions outside the financial sector, including at Wise Acres and The Cupcake Shoppe. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with pre-existing relationships through employer retirement plans. The firm distinguishes between point-in-time planning services and ongoing discretionary management, providing customized portfolios and model-based investment approaches under a fiduciary standard.

Jon Peterson is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with 4 years of industry experience. He is currently an advisor at Corient and previously worked at RKL Wealth Management LLC and Fulton Financial Corporation. Outside of finance, he was involved with Spooky Nook Sports for four years. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and corporate entities. The firm uses a goals-based, team investment approach that integrates in-house strategies with third-party managers, employing risk management tools and alternative investments as appropriate.

Lansen Pan is a CFP® with 12 years of industry experience, currently advising at Schwab Wealth Advisory in Charlotte, NC. His prior roles include positions at The Vanguard Group, Inc. and Ally Invest, where he supported both self-directed and advisory accounts. Schwab Wealth Advisory provides non-discretionary fiduciary investment advice and financial planning to clients enrolled in the Schwab Wealth Advisory program and certain referred clients, utilizing Charles Schwab’s asset-allocation models and internal research tools to tailor recommendations based on client goals and risk tolerance.

Phyllis Lowe is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with five years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. She previously worked at Fidelity Personal and Workplace Advisors and Fidelity Brokerage Services. Outside of her financial advisory role, she owns and operates a home remodeling business focused on project oversight. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals with employer retirement plan relationships, as well as trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans. The firm distinguishes between one-time planning services and ongoing portfolio management, offering both model and customized investment solutions.

Stephen Hudzik Jr. 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. He has worked with SunTrust Advisory Services and related SunTrust entities since 2013. Outside of his advisory work, he owns a vacation rental home on Bald Head Island. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines traditional research with AI-enabled tools and offers a range of fiduciary services, operating as an affiliate of Truist Financial with extensive banking and brokerage relationships.

Jose Martinez Rincon is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with three years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and previously worked six years at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Bank, NA. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a Notary Public for the state of North Carolina. 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 pre-existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm’s advisory services include point-in-time financial planning and ongoing portfolio management, employing both model and customized portfolios managed under a fiduciary standard.

Austin Cowles is a financial advisor with Transamerica Retirement Advisors, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and five years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Northwestern Mutual and Lincoln Financial Group. Transamerica Retirement Advisors serves participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans and IRA owners through managed and advisory programs that focus on asset allocation, contribution guidance, and retirement planning, utilizing proprietary software and model portfolios provided by Morningstar Investment Management.