Jeffrey Lane is a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, specializing in assisting high net worth clients in managing their comprehensive financial affairs. With over 31 years at Merrill, he utilizes the firm's investment tools, resources, and networks to simplify wealth management planning, focusing on retirement and estate planning, tax minimization, portfolio management, and philanthropic planning among other areas. Jeff began his career with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 1990 after graduating from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor's degree in Corporate Finance. He has earned several professional designations, including Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). Jeff emphasizes forming meaningful client relationships to prepare for both expected and unexpected life events through tailored financial strategies and consistent reviews. Beyond his professional work, Jeff has served on the Board of Directors at Wake Enterprises, supporting independence for people with disabilities, and has received a leadership award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. He is also involved with the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. Jeff and his wife, Illyse, live in Raleigh with their two sons and a rescue dog. He enjoys golfing, ice hockey, music, running, and spending time with his family.

Amanda Penrose is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and having three years of industry experience. Prior to joining Equitable Advisors, she worked at Oakbridge Financial Group and Dillon Burdette. In addition to her advisory work, she owns and operates Amanda Michele Photography. Equitable Advisors serves individual clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations by providing financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and asset-management programs. The firm employs a network of Investment Adviser Representatives and relies on both proprietary and third-party investment solutions, including discretionary portfolio management and alternative investments.

Brandon Mendoza is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He collaborates with individuals and families to organize their financial lives, define meaningful goals, and build personalized strategies for the future. His approach involves thoughtful planning, clear communication, and a commitment to helping clients make informed financial decisions. Brandon's expertise includes general investing, retirement planning, and saving for unexpected events. He emphasizes understanding clients' priorities to develop strategies that align with their financial goals. He holds professional designations such as Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (AWMA) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). Brandon earned a Bachelor's Degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Outside of his professional work, he has interests in basketball, boxing, fishing, football, music, painting, running, spending time with his family, traveling, and watching movies.

Kent Kluba is a financial advisor at Fidelity with 12 years of industry experience. His prior experience includes seven years at Bank of America and Merrill. He holds the Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 designations and is based in Durham, NC. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, fund advisory, and model portfolio delivery. The firm employs a combination of fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction and serves in formal advisory roles to multiple registered investment companies.

Newman Townsend III is a financial advisor at LPL Financial in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials with 37 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at FSC Securities Corporation and OSAIC. He also manages Steward Wealth Strategies, a wealth management practice. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, financial institutions, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network. The firm provides a variety of advisory programs, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage services, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary management with access to model portfolios and research from multiple sources.

David White is a financial advisor at OSAIC with 33 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Lincoln Financial Securities Corp for 17 years. He is also a partner at The Capital Planning Group LLC, where he offers disability insurance, fixed annuities, long-term care insurance, premium financing, and traditional life insurance products. OSAIC serves a diverse client base, including individual and high-net-worth investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm provides integrated brokerage and advisory services, utilizing asset-allocation tools, risk-tolerance assessments, and a variety of investment options for discretionary or non-discretionary account management.

Andrew Lange is a financial advisor at Fidelity with Series 66 and Series 63 credentials and two years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Northwestern Mutual and various organizations in education and sports. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC division provides investment management and advisory services to both retail and institutional clients, employing a combination of proprietary fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction to manage diversified model portfolios.

James Gillespie III is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and bringing 28 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at SunTrust Advisory Services and Suntrust Investment Services, Inc. He also serves as a trustee for a family trust. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both non-discretionary and discretionary services grounded in modern portfolio theory and tailored to plan objectives and risk tolerances.

Ryan Jacobs is a financial advisor at Fidelity with a Series 66 designation and less than one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Fidelity, he held positions at Equitable Advisors and worked outside the financial sector, including as a bartender at La Terrazza in Raleigh, NC. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, utilizing a blend of fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction to manage portfolios across mutual funds, ETFs, and ETPs.

Stephen Hedrick is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Apex, NC, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 66 license with seven years of industry experience. He joined Edward Jones in 2019 after six years at Davis Chevrolet Buick GMC. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients with approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard and maintaining a large network of advisors and branch offices nationwide.

Kyle Jackson is a Planning Consultant at Fidelity Investments, a role he has held since 2025. In this capacity, he collaborates with clients to develop financial plans aimed at helping them achieve their financial goals, and he creates engagement strategies tailored to each client's unique planning needs. Prior to this, Kyle held several positions within Fidelity Investments, including Investment Solutions Representative 2 and 1, as well as Customer Relationship Advocate, gaining experience across various facets of client service and investment solutions from 2023 to 2025. Outside of his professional work, Kyle is interested in baseball, beach activities, football, social events with friends, and movies.

Haley Egbert is a Planning Consultant at Fidelity Investments, where she collaborates with clients and advisors to develop personalized and holistic financial plans. She focuses on building client relationships founded on trust, honesty, integrity, and reliability, aiming to empower clients in achieving their financial goals. Prior to her current role, Haley worked as a Financial Services Representative at Fidelity Investments. She holds insurance licenses in Arkansas and California, supporting her work in financial planning and advisory services. Outside of her professional work, Haley has personal interests including boating, food, football, gardening, lake activities, and swimming.

Gordon Richardson Jr. serves as a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. With a career in the financial services industry beginning in 1983, he brings a comprehensive perspective to wealth planning and financial advice. Prior to his current role, Gordon worked as a senior tax manager at a major global accounting firm and has extensive experience in the brokerage industry. He holds several professional designations including CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). Gordon earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Alabama System. He has been recognized on the Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” list consecutively from 2019 through 2026 and is a member of the Richardson Team, which has been named to the Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams” list multiple years.

John Lyle is a financial advisor at Fidelity with nine years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. His prior roles include positions at Valic Financial Advisors and experience in retail at Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store. Strategic Advisers LLC, a Fidelity Investments company, provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients. The firm utilizes a combination of proprietary fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction to manage discretionary and non-discretionary portfolios, including model portfolios delivered to intermediary platforms.

Emily Johnson is a financial advisor at Robert W. Baird & Co. in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with 10 years of industry experience. She has been with Robert W. Baird & Co. since 2015. Outside of her advisory role, she is a member of Wellington Westwood LLC. Emily works within The DDK Group at Robert W. Baird & Co., which serves individuals, families, pensions, corporations, charitable organizations, and institutional clients. The group offers tailored financial planning, portfolio management, and brokerage services using a combination of in-house and third-party managers, including both traditional and non-traditional investment strategies.

Michael Best serves as a Resident Director and Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Since joining Merrill Lynch in 2000, he collaborates with clients to establish quantifiable financial goals and prioritize their needs. He develops customized strategies utilizing a wide range of financial instruments to assist clients in pursuing long-term objectives. His client focus includes college education planning, family wealth management, retirement planning, portfolio management, socially responsible and ESG investing, tax minimization, and retirement income strategies. Michael holds a Bachelor of Science degree from East Carolina University, an M.B.A. from Fayetteville State University, and an associate degree from Wayne Community College. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). A lifelong resident of eastern North Carolina, Michael is active in charitable organizations and community service. He is a past president of the Lafayette Rotary Club, a Paul Harris Fellow, and volunteers with Liberty Point Rotary Club service projects. In his personal time, he enjoys boating, fishing, camping, cooking, football, gardening, writing, and spending time with his three children.

Jon Stephenson is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 21 years of industry experience. He has been with UBS since 2012. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, including fee-based financial planning and portfolio management. The firm combines institutional trading capabilities with wealth management services and leverages proprietary research and model-based asset allocations to tailor strategies to client goals.

George Moseley is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and seven years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Bank of America, Merrill, and Raymond James. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm offering investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting to individual, corporate, and institutional clients. The firm manages roughly $671 billion in assets and provides both brokerage and advisory solutions.

Constance Mix is a financial advisor at Osaic Wealth with three years of industry experience. She holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses. Her prior experience includes roles at Wells Fargo Clearing, Wells Fargo Bank, Oklahoma Central Credit Union, and Ascena Retail Group. Osaic Wealth serves a diverse client base including retail and institutional investors, offering integrated brokerage and advisory services, financial planning, and retirement consulting through a large network of affiliated advisers and multiple platforms. The firm employs a range of asset-allocation tools and supports various managed-account solutions alongside access to third-party money managers.

Jessica Rudin is a financial advisor at Merrill with four years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Equitable Advisors and The Preiss Company. 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 strategies for a range of client types including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutions.