Carl Rodgers is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with Raymond James Financial, based in Denver, NC, and has 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Raymond James since 2011 and also serves as a financial advisor at Peoples Bank/Peoples Investment Services. Outside of his advisory work, he acts as a power of attorney for personal matters. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. offers financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm provides tailored, non-discretionary consulting using analytical tools and supports municipal and public finance activities through its unique affiliations.

Jada Lee Sessions is a financial advisor at Ameriprise in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Ameriprise, her work background includes roles in healthcare staffing, chiropractic services, and franchise management. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large, diversified advisory firm serving individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a specialized Premier Retirement Income service that provides written recommendation reports and ongoing planning advice focused on dependable income sources and tax-aware withdrawal strategies.

Christina Crawford is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing, holding a Series 66 designation and 21 years of industry experience. She has worked with Wells Fargo entities since 2001, including Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, before joining Wells Fargo Clearing in 2016. Outside of her advisory role, she is a check signer on her spouse’s film and music production business, Short & Tall Productions, LLC. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting services to qualified ERISA and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services. The firm’s IPS-driven approach incorporates modern portfolio theory and includes a broad range of investment options such as insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep programs.

Michael Berardi is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and nine years of industry experience. He has been with Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016, following a brief tenure at Wells Fargo Advisors. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting services to qualified ERISA plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans. The firm’s advisory process is IPS-driven and based on modern portfolio theory, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary services tailored to plan objectives, demographics, and risk tolerances.

Mia Barnes is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Huntersville, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. She has worked at Ameriprise and its affiliate Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. since 2005. Ameriprise provides a retirement-income planning service designed for individuals nearing or in retirement who meet specific asset criteria, combining research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to generate written recommendations. The firm serves a broad client base through advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions typical of large institutional firms.

Kimberly Speer is a financial advisor at Merrill with 16 years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. She has been with Merrill since 2012. 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. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations using model-based and discretionary investment strategies developed by internal and third-party managers.

Gardner Taylor is a financial advisor at Fidelity with a Series 66 credential and two years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at AML Rightsource and Cola Wealth Advisors. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, employing a blend of proprietary fundamental research and quantitative analysis to construct model portfolios using mutual funds, ETFs, and ETPs. The firm also operates as a commodity pool operator and serves in advisory roles for multiple registered investment companies and fund-of-funds.

Eli Beisser is a financial advisor with Vanguard Advisers based in Charlotte, NC. He holds a Series 66 designation and has two years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked at Strategic Wealth Capital and has experience at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University as well as Financial Designs. 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 investment approach using proprietary models and constructs portfolios mainly from Vanguard funds and ETFs.

Craig Doyon is a CFP® professional with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving at Vanguard Advisers since 2014. He holds a Series 63 designation and is based in Charlotte, NC. He is employed by The Vanguard Group, Inc., the parent company of Vanguard Marketing Corporation. 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 using proprietary models to create personalized portfolios largely composed of Vanguard funds and ETFs, with a focus on scalable digital delivery and tax-aware features.

Lorenzo Lemise is a CFP® professional with six years of experience in the financial industry, currently serving at Vanguard Advisers since 2020. His prior experience includes roles at Merrill Lynch and Randstad USA. Vanguard Advisers provides automated and human-supported investment advice to retail investors and participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans, utilizing a goal-based, algorithm-driven approach with portfolios primarily constructed from Vanguard funds and ETFs.

Eric Williford is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 credentials and over 33 years of industry experience. He has been with Cetera and its affiliate Cetera Wealth Services, LLC since 2013. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as president and treasurer of Williford Financial Services, a financial advisory business that also offers fixed insurance products including life, long-term care, and annuities. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is a large SEC-registered firm that supports a nationwide network of independent advisors serving individual, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a variety of portfolio management and planning services through multiple program structures and third-party manager options, with over $256 billion in assets under management.

Christopher Macino is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Ameriprise and American Enterprise Investment Services, he worked at Stryker Corporation for several years in various roles. Ameriprise provides retirement-income planning services primarily for individuals nearing or in retirement who meet certain asset thresholds, delivering detailed recommendation reports that cover income sources, Social Security options, and tax-efficient withdrawal strategies. The firm uses a combination of research, modeling, and algorithmic automation to generate personalized advice, supported by a centralized consulting team.

Steven Politowski is a financial advisor at Merrill with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has been with Merrill since 2014, except for a brief period in 2017. 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 investment strategies for a range of clients including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

Winston Smith is a financial advisor with Vanguard Advisers, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and possessing 23 years of industry experience. He has been with Vanguard Advisers since 2019 and has held roles at other Vanguard entities since 2013. He also serves as a limited agent for his spouse in an investment-related capacity. Vanguard Advisers provides automated and human-supported investment advice through its Vanguard Digital Advisor and Personal Advisor services, primarily serving retail investors and participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm employs a goal-based, algorithm-driven investment approach, constructing portfolios largely from Vanguard funds and ETFs with options for tax-aware management and customization.

Alessia Lynch is a financial advisor at Ameriprise in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses with two years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Republic Finance, TIAA-CREF, JP Morgan Chase, and Wake Technical Community College. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large, diversified advisory firm serving individual and institutional clients, notable for its specialized Premier Retirement Income service that provides written recommendation reports and ongoing retirement-income planning advice. The firm’s approach integrates internal and third-party research and emphasizes tax-aware withdrawal strategies within a defined investment universe.

Graham Whittle is a financial advisor with Vanguard Advisers, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and five years of industry experience. He has been with Vanguard Advisers since 2022 and also works as a private football coach with CoachUp, Inc. outside of his advisory role. Vanguard Advisers serves retail investors and participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans by providing automated and human-supported investment advice. The firm uses a goal-based, algorithm-driven approach with portfolios constructed mainly from Vanguard funds and ETFs, supported by a large team of advisors and a digital delivery platform.

Sara Wynkoop is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Vanguard Advisers in Charlotte, NC, with three years of industry experience. Her prior work history includes positions at Randstad, KBR, Inc., and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Vanguard Advisers provides 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 approach using proprietary models to tailor asset allocations, primarily utilizing Vanguard funds and ETFs, and manages a high volume of client relationships through its digital delivery platform.

Scott Watson is a financial advisor at Vanguard Advisers with 28 years of industry experience. He has been with The Vanguard Group since 2013 and holds Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 licenses. Based in Charlotte, NC, his current role is within one of the largest advisory firms in the industry. Vanguard Advisers offers investment advice through both automated and human-supported services, primarily serving retail investors and participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm employs a goal-based, algorithm-driven investment approach and manages portfolios using primarily Vanguard funds and ETFs.

Jarrett Sparks is a financial advisor at Vanguard Advisers with 21 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Vanguard and TIAA-CREF. Vanguard Advisers serves retail investors and employer-sponsored retirement plan participants through a combination of automated and human-supported investment advice. The firm employs a goal-based, algorithm-driven approach using proprietary models and primarily invests in Vanguard funds and ETFs, offering a range of customization options including tax-aware strategies and ESG exposures.

Aadhitiya Ganeshkumar is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 63 designation and beginning their career in 2026. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Aadhitiya worked at Consolidated Planning and has educational experience at Virginia Tech University and in secondary education. 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 approximately $671 billion in assets and provides brokerage and advisory solutions with an investment approach grounded in research, diversification, and modern portfolio theory.