Samaria Frazier is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 22 years of industry experience. She has been with TIAA and TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services since 2001. Outside of her advisory role, she owns and manages rental property. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm also offers referrals to affiliated services and acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Robert Russo is a financial advisor with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 24 years of industry experience. He has been associated with LPL Financial since 2007. Outside of financial advising, he owns a restaurant called Philly's Phinest (Lee's Hoagie House) and operates a technology business, We Handle Tech, LLC. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans. The firm offers a range of services such as asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, implementing portfolio strategies through discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by various analytical techniques and technology platforms.

Thomas Owens III is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. He has been with First Citizens Bank and First Citizens Investor Services since 2011. Owens serves as an officer and director and is a member of the Finance Committee at Deerfield Episcopal Retirement Community, a nonprofit organization. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm uses fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to manage portfolios including equities, fixed income, mutual funds, and ETFs, offering a range of solutions such as model portfolios, wrap programs, and tax-aware services.

Katherine Mazzucco is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with eight years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked in various capacities at TIAA and Alight Financial Advisors. Her background also includes roles at Branch Banking & Trust Company and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals linked to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans, as well as to trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans. The firm provides a range of service models including plan delivery and ongoing portfolio management with customized investment options and operates within a vertically integrated structure that includes affiliated funds.

Andrew Bain is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 27 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2005 and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. 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. The firm offers point-in-time planning services alongside ongoing portfolio management, using both model and customized portfolios, and serves as adviser to a donor-advised fund within a vertically integrated investment structure.

Jason Cross is a CFP® professional with 12 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Corient. His prior work includes roles at Ci Brightworth and CIPW Service Company. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and institutional entities. The firm utilizes a goals-based, team investment approach that combines in-house strategies with third-party managers, employing risk management tools and alternative investments to align portfolios with client objectives.

Michelle Kuzma Kempf is a financial advisor with Hightower Advisors in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 20 years of industry experience. She has been with Hightower Advisors and its affiliated broker-dealer since 2011. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse range of individual and institutional clients, offering multi-manager solutions that include affiliated and third-party managers, discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, and access to pooled and private investment vehicles.

Christine Dixon is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 22 years of industry experience. She has been with TIAA-CREF since 2005. 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 connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm provides both point-in-time planning and ongoing discretionary management, applying a fiduciary standard across its services.

Bert May Jr. is a financial advisor with MAI Capital Management, LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 credential and 24 years of industry experience. He has worked at The Leaders Group since 2014 and maintains a long-term role with Learfield Communications, Inc. as a radio analyst for UNC football. MAI Capital Management provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, wealth management, retirement plan consulting, and family-office services to a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, families, sports professionals, and institutional clients. The firm manages multiple asset classes and investment strategies through in-house and third-party managers, and also serves as adviser to a registered mutual fund and several private investment vehicles.

Matthew Johnson is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 11 years of industry experience. He has worked at BB&T Securities, LLC since 2019 and has been with SunTrust Advisory Services, SunTrust Investment Services, and SunTrust Bank since 2014. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary management strategies. The firm integrates inter-affiliate resources and employs AI-enabled tools through its Equity Research team to support manager selection and investment oversight.

Kristina Wicks is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with four years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at TIAA-CREF since 2021. Prior to her current role, she was employed at Rochester Institute of Technology and Binghamton Country Club. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing ties to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm provides both point-in-time financial planning and ongoing portfolio management, applying a fiduciary standard across its RIA services.

Brandon Phillips is a financial advisor at MAI Capital Management, LLC with 11 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 registrations. Prior to joining MAI Capital Management in 2021, Phillips worked for Solamere Advisors from 2009 to 2021. MAI Capital Management provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, integrated wealth management, retirement plan consulting, and family-office services to a diverse client base, including high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, sports professionals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm manages a wide range of strategies and integrates financial planning and trust services, with over $72 billion in assets under management as of May 2026.

Joel Gardner is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors who holds a Series 66 designation and has eight years of industry experience. He has worked with Park Avenue Securities and Guardian Life Insurance Company since 2017. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in outside insurance sales focused on fixed insurance products, including health, life, and fixed annuities. Park Avenue Securities serves a diverse retail client base, offering brokerage and advisory services alongside financial planning and retirement consulting. The firm employs a range of investment strategies through proprietary and third-party platforms and supports various account-level services such as lending solutions and donor-advised funds.

Benjamin Murray is a financial advisor at Valic Financial Advisors with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and served in the United States Coast Guard for 20 years before entering the financial services industry. Murray is also appointed as an agent to sell non-securities insurance products for AGIA. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models for portfolio construction.

Kelsey Dietzman is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. with three years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has held roles both within Fifth Third Securities and related entities since 2023. Fifth Third Securities serves a wide range of individual and institutional clients through investment advisory and brokerage services, offering access to multiple program types and third-party portfolio managers on its Passageway platform. The firm operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fifth Third Bank and provides services that include managed accounts, separately managed accounts, and tax-overlay strategies.

Greg Warren is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Alight Financial Solutions, Aon Hewitt Financial Advisors, and Hewitt Financial Services. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital portfolio solution for employees that uses algorithmic questionnaires to recommend risk levels and implements investments via approved strategies using mutual funds and ETFs.

Brandon Younger is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF, holding a Series 66 designation and 11 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at UBS Financial Services Inc. and Edward Jones. He is based in Charlotte, NC. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning, discretionary managed account programs, and broker-dealer services primarily to individuals with existing TIAA retirement plan relationships, as well as trusts, estates, and small retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing discretionary management, including customized portfolios managed under client-approved investment policies.

Scott Lautz is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 11 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has been with TIAA and its affiliates since 2011. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm provides both point-in-time planning services and ongoing discretionary portfolio management through model and customized portfolios.

Matthew Savloff is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Investment Institute, Inc. He holds a Series 65 designation and has one year of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo, J.P. Morgan Chase, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Wells Fargo Investment Institute is an SEC-registered, bank-affiliate advisory and research organization that provides investment research, manager due diligence, and model portfolios primarily to Wells Fargo wealth and fiduciary businesses. Its advice is generally non-discretionary and focused on impersonal guidance delivered to affiliated entities for implementation.

Gina Lowery is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and 18 years of industry experience. She has been with TIAA since 2013, including her role at TIAA CREF Individual & Institutional Services, 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 retirement plan relationships. The firm offers both point-in-time planning services and ongoing portfolio management, operating within a vertically integrated group that includes advisory services for a donor-advised fund.