James Stone is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, working to assist clients with a range of financial needs. He joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in January 2025 after a career of over two decades in the mortgage industry. James holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona and carries the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. He specializes in helping clients manage complex financial priorities by working closely with them to define goals and develop tailored portfolio strategies. He provides ongoing advice and adjusts strategies as clients' circumstances change. Based in Fort Worth, James lives with his wife Jackie, their daughter, and two dogs. He enjoys spending time with his family, playing piano, and golfing among other activities such as antiquing, cooking, hiking, music, reading, and traveling.

Jay Fitz is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at The Vanguard Group for 10 years, Waters Doctors for one year, and Lu La Rose for four years. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving both individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs and investment solutions supported by a large national network of advisors and branch offices.

Brenden Gilliam is a CFP® with 11 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Vanguard Advisers since 2014. He holds the Series 63 designation and is based in Charlotte, NC. His entire career has been with The Vanguard Group, Inc. Vanguard Advisers offers both automated and human-supported investment advice to retail investors and participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm uses a goal-based, algorithm-driven approach with portfolios primarily composed of Vanguard funds and ETFs, and it manages a large number of client relationships through its digital platform and team servicing model.

Davidson Sidden is a financial advisor with Raymond James & Associates, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 19 years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at Wells Fargo Clearing Services, Bank of America, N.A., and Merrill. Raymond James & Associates is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $501 billion in assets. The firm serves individuals, institutions, pension plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, non-discretionary investment consulting, and institutional fiduciary services.

Glenn Smith is a financial advisor at Vanguard Advisers with 21 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has been with The Vanguard Group since 2004. Vanguard Advisers offers automated and human-supported investment advice primarily to retail investors and participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm uses a goal-based, algorithm-driven approach to portfolio construction, primarily utilizing Vanguard funds and ETFs, and serves a large client base through its digital platform and team servicing model.

Neeharika Kadiri is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with a Series 63 designation and one year of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at DiSys and The Market Share Group. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm that provides investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting to individual, corporate, and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of brokerage and advisory solutions supported by research and analytics, serving clients through a large network of more than 14,000 financial advisors.

Cameron Hopkins Harrington is a financial advisor with Vanguard Advisers in Charlotte, NC. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has two years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at CitiGroup and Fidelity Investments. Vanguard Advisers provides automated and human-supported investment advice through its digital and personal advisor services, primarily serving retail investors and participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm uses a goal-based, algorithm-driven approach with portfolios largely composed of Vanguard funds and ETFs, combining scale with a digital delivery model.

Anton Nichvidyuk is a financial advisor with Fidelity, holding a Series 66 designation and five years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Bank of America, Merrill, and Commercial Bank "Kuban Credit" LLC. He is currently based in Homosassa, FL. Strategic Advisers LLC, a Fidelity Investments company, offers investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, including fund advisory and model portfolio delivery. The firm combines fundamental research with quantitative analysis and algorithmic portfolio construction, and it maintains a formal advisory role to multiple registered investment companies.

Max Bukovec is a financial advisor with Vanguard Advisers in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and possessing two years of industry experience. He has worked at various Vanguard entities since 2021 and has prior experience in mortgage lending and retail. Vanguard Advisers provides automated and human-supported investment advice primarily to retail investors and eligible participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm employs a goal-based, algorithm-driven investment approach using proprietary models and constructs portfolios largely from Vanguard funds and ETFs with options for tax-aware strategies and customization.

Cooper Bumgarner is a CFP® professional with three years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Edward Jones. Prior to joining Edward Jones, he worked at Charles Schwab and First Community Bank. He also spent three years at Appalachian State University before starting his career in finance. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a range of advisory programs and investment solutions through a nationwide network of more than 23,700 financial advisors.

Benton Pruitt is a financial advisor with Cetera in Davidson, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and three years of industry experience. His prior work experience includes roles at Deloitte Consulting LLP and several asset management firms. He is a partner and LLC member at DBK Ventures LLC, where he advises on property management and real estate decisions. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm serving individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to a broad network of affiliated and unaffiliated money managers through various program structures.

Roderick Barnes is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Huntersville, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. He has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2005. Barnes serves on the board of the Gilead Commons Owners Association and is a member of the Lake Norman Advisory Board. Ameriprise provides retirement-income planning services primarily for individuals with significant investable assets, combining research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver tailored, non-discretionary recommendations through a centralized consulting team.

Levi Klein is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Ameriprise, his work history includes roles at Skyhawk Sports, Superior Asphalt, Kerker Inc., DoorDash, and Shipt. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large advisory firm serving individual and institutional clients, known for its Ameriprise Premier Retirement Income service, which provides retirement-income planning through written Recommendation Reports and ongoing advice focused on income sources and tax-aware withdrawal strategies.

Victoria Ongara is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors with six years of industry experience. She previously worked at Morgan Stanley for six years and has been associated with Wells Fargo Clearing since 2023. She holds a Series 66 designation and is based in Charlotte, NC. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network is a large broker-dealer and registered investment adviser that offers investment and fee-based financial planning services to individuals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm provides a broad range of planning services, including specialized areas such as business-owner transition and special-needs analysis, utilizing Wells Fargo research and tools to develop tailored recommendations.

Michael Tygielski is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has prior work experience at DYSIS and in various roles outside the financial industry, including at Dave's Hot Chicken and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets with over 14,000 advisors and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions.

Taylor Kotevski is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Vanguard Advisers. Prior to joining Vanguard in 2023, Taylor worked at Merrill for six years. Vanguard Advisers provides both automated and human-supported investment advice to retail investors and eligible participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm employs a goal-based, algorithm-driven investment approach using proprietary models to set personalized asset allocations, with portfolios constructed mainly from Vanguard funds and ETFs and offering a range of customization options.

Nathan Amann is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 15 years of industry experience. He has been with Vanguard Advisers and affiliated Vanguard entities since 2017, including time at Edward Jones and Allen & Company of Florida prior to that. He is based in Charlotte, NC. Vanguard Advisers provides automated and human-supported investment advice for retail investors and participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm uses a goal-based, algorithm-driven investment approach with portfolios constructed mainly from Vanguard funds and ETFs, offering various customization options and tax-aware features.

Julie Long is a financial advisor with Merrill in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 22 years of industry experience. She has worked at Merrill since 2017 and previously spent seven years at Robert W. Baird & Co. Merrill, along with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm offers model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Daniel Keefe is a CFP® professional at Vanguard Advisers with 13 years of industry experience. He has worked at Vanguard and its related entities since 2020, following prior roles at LPL Financial and Columbia Management Investment Distributors Inc. based in Charlotte, NC. Vanguard Advisers provides automated and human-supported investment advice primarily to retail investors and participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm employs a goal-based, algorithm-driven approach to asset allocation, utilizing Vanguard funds and ETFs across personalized portfolios.

Stephen Hutter is a CFP® professional with 22 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Vanguard Advisers in Charlotte, NC. His previous roles include positions at Blue Financial, LPL Financial, Cetera Investment Advisers, AXA Equitable, Santander Bank, and Voya Financial Advisors. Vanguard Advisers offers automated and human-supported investment advice to retail investors and participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans, utilizing a goal-based, algorithm-driven approach that employs Vanguard funds and ETFs. The firm manages a large client base through a combination of digital platforms and advisor teams.