Stephen Lafrance is a CFP® professional based in Greensboro, NC, with 19 years of industry experience. He has worked at Commonwealth Financial Network for 17 years and currently serves at LMS Management LLC. Lafrance is also a facilitator for Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. Ridgestone Wealth (LMS Management LLC d/b/a Ridgestone Wealth) is a state-registered advisory firm offering asset management and financial planning services to individuals, small businesses, trusts, estates, high-net-worth clients, and charities. The firm uses a client-driven investment process and provides portfolio management alongside standalone financial planning and consulting.

Will Armfield is a financial advisor with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Independent Advisor Alliance in 2020, he worked at Edward Jones from 2008 to 2014 and at Commonwealth Financial Network from 2014 to 2020. He serves on the boards of two nonprofit organizations in High Point, NC: Family Service of High Point Foundation and High Point ABC Board. Independent Advisor Alliance is an SEC-registered enterprise RIA serving individuals, small businesses, retirement plans, pooled vehicles, charities, and estates. The firm provides a range of services including asset management, financial planning, wealth coaching, and retirement plan consulting, utilizing model portfolios, sub-advisors, and technology platforms through a network of 219 advisory representatives.

Charles Kern III is the sole advisor at Pilot Investment Services, LLC in Greensboro, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials with 32 years of industry experience. Since 2015, he has operated his independent advisory firm and also works as an auditor for the Department of the Treasury in Charlotte. Pilot Investment Services, LLC provides discretionary portfolio management and limited financial planning primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as trusts and estates. The firm manages approximately $1.5 million on a discretionary basis and employs a blend of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to construct portfolios using ETFs, individual equities, bonds, and selective options and margin.

We’re built for families! We focus on bridging generations to connect families and their finances. As Baby Boomers, you created more wealth than any generation before you. Now in your retirement years, the economic expansion that aided your careers doesn’t feel as robust. You worry about your savings lasting a lengthy life expectancy. You also worry that your children and grandchildren will be the first generation to not have it better than the generation before them. Our goal is to solve both problems. Our structure allows us to provide the same great advice whether you have a lifetime of savings or you are just starting out. That means we can work with multiple generations, and where appropriate, find opportunities to coordinate across generations while maintaining privacy and independence. I am a millennial myself with over a decade of experience helping retirees with personal finances. That combination of youth and experience gives me an advantage over many of the advisors out there. My youth, to retirees, means I am likely to be around for the entirety of your retirement. All those plans you made with your advisor, will be executed by the advisor that helped you plan them. If that includes an inheritance, good news because I want to work with your heirs too! To a younger generation, you get an advisor you can relate to who doesn’t treat your problems as less significant because you don’t have the same level of assets. Just because I’m young, doesn’t mean I’m green! I was previously the Practicing Partner of a wealth management firm focused solely on retirees. As the lead portfolio manager, I oversaw almost $500 million in client portfolios. That experience means I’ve guided and advised clients through every stage of a successful retirement. It also means I know what a successful retirement looks like. As I’ve always said, best laid plans begin with the end in mind, so my experience serves just as well early in your journey to financial independence. I started my own firm because I saw an increasing need to reconnect families and their finances. Grandparents are providing child care, children are providing elderly care, and everyone is chipping in to pay for education. As much as ever families need each other, and our program is specifically designed to be prepared when they do.

Mike took a different path, and every stop along the way shaped how Legs Financial works today. Mike started as a high school physics teacher, where he learned to take genuinely complex ideas and make them clear and actionable for people who had never encountered them before. That skill never left. Years at Vanguard grounded his investment philosophy in evidence, low cost, and long-term discipline. Working with advisors across a multi-state territory at LPL gave him a front-row view of the wide range of practices and offerings in the industry, what worked, what didn’t, and what was missing. Time at a tech startup sharpened his eye for the tools that actually help clients. And a stint at a trust company gave him firsthand experience in trust administration, the kind of operational depth that most advisors simply don’t have. The pattern across all of it: every role added a layer. And when it came time to build his own firm, he couldn’t reconcile the standard model. Charging someone twice as much simply because their portfolio had grown, even when the work hadn’t changed, felt fundamentally misaligned. So he changed the model. Legs Financial operates on a transparent flat fee, quoted upfront based on the complexity of your situation, not the size of your portfolio. Mike earned his ChSNC® (Chartered Special Needs Consultant) designation specifically to offer deeper expertise and better support to families navigating Special Needs Trusts, Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts, and the long-term coordination required to plan for two lifetimes. For him, it isn’t just a credential, it’s a commitment to carrying the heavy pack for families protecting a loved one’s quality of life. Mike and his family moved to North Carolina in 2003, settling in the Lake Norman area before relocating to Greensboro in December 2021. Outside the office, he volunteers as lead for Abilities Tennis in Greensboro, serves on the board of the Guilford Regional Tennis Association (GRETA), leads new Blind and Low-Vision tennis clinics, sits on the Mayor’s Committee for Persons with Disabilities, serves as Operations Lead for the Winston-Salem Open professional tennis tournament, and offers educational seminars to organizations across the area.

Travis Ray is a CFP® professional with three years of experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at BY Design Financial Planning in Greensboro, NC. He previously worked at Envestnet for ten years and owns By Design Consulting Services, LLC, a software consulting business. BY Design Financial Planning serves individual and high-net-worth clients with fee-only investment management and comprehensive financial planning, emphasizing asset allocation and passive investment strategies. The firm typically manages discretionary portfolios tailored to client goals and risk tolerance and uses technology to advise on held-away accounts.

Jamal Brooks is the principal of J. Brooks & Company, LLC in Greensboro, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with 15 years of industry experience. He has led his independent advisory firm since 2011. In addition to his advisory role, Brooks works as an independent insurance agent specializing in life insurance, annuities, and long-term care insurance. J. Brooks & Company, LLC provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, investment groups, and family offices. The firm combines fundamental and technical analysis in its investment approach and tailors financial plans to clients’ specific life stages and goals.

Joshua Scott is the principal of Eden Family Wealth Group, LLC in Greensboro, NC, with one year of experience as a financial advisor. He holds the Series 65 designation and has held roles at Modern Woodmen of America and the Internal Revenue Service. In addition to his advisory work, he operates Joshua Scott & Associates, LLC, a tax consulting firm providing tax preparation, planning, and IRS representation services. Eden Family Wealth Group offers investment management and financial planning to individuals, families, small business owners, and qualified retirement plans. The firm provides customized, tax-aware portfolio management and retirement plan advisory services, combining fundamental analysis with client-approved transactions and a focus on both individual and institutional clients.

Andrew Lippert is a CFP® and CFA® with 12 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Simplified Wealth LLC in Greensboro, NC. His prior roles include positions at Fidelity, LPL Financial, and XY Tax Solutions. Simplified Wealth LLC provides financial planning, investment management, and tax return preparation services to individual and high-net-worth clients, emphasizing integrated planning across financial, tax, estate, and risk management. The firm’s investment approach focuses on strategic asset allocation primarily through passive vehicles, with a notable emphasis on tax-aware planning and a substantial portion of non-discretionary asset management.

Egbert Davis IV is the president and chief compliance officer of 95 Impact Capital, Inc., an independent advisory firm based in Greensboro, NC. He holds a Series 65 designation and has 10 years of industry experience. In addition to his advisory role, Mr. Davis serves as chair of the board for ShurTape Peru S.A., an industrial distributor in Lima, Peru, a position he has held since 2001. He is also a licensed attorney in North Carolina and applies his legal expertise to reviewing complex investment documents. 95 Impact Capital, Inc. provides specialized consulting services primarily to ultra-high net worth clients, family offices, and institutional investors, focusing on alternative investments such as private equity, private placements, real estate, and hedge funds. The firm emphasizes portfolio-level analysis and investment committee support without discretionary management, leveraging Mr. Davis's combined legal, accounting, and business background in its approach.

Cordi Powell is a CFP® and Series 65-licensed financial advisor with eight years of industry experience. She is the sole advisor at Favored Financial Planning, an independent firm she has been with since 2011. Outside of her advisory role, Powell consults on financial coaching for Sum180, LLC and develops training materials for financial advisors through the Alliance of Comprehensive Planners. Favored Financial Planning serves middle-income individuals and families, providing fee-only, holistic financial planning with an emphasis on tax-focused, individualized strategies. The firm offers optional investment management and utilizes a fixed annual fee based on client complexity rather than assets under management.

Ryan Foster is a CFP® certified financial advisor with 18 years of industry experience. He is the principal advisor at Crossroads Financial Services Inc, where he has worked since 2022. Prior to that, he worked at Intercarolina Financial Services, Inc. and Fund Direct Advisors, Inc. from 2016 to 2022. Crossroads Financial Services Inc provides investment management and financial planning primarily for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and charitable organizations. The firm operates on a fee-only basis with discretionary portfolio management, combining passive and active strategies tailored through ongoing client discussions.

William Davidson is a financial advisor with PARK Wealth Management, LLC in Greensboro, NC. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has 12 years of industry experience. He is also a licensed insurance agent and registered representative with Mass Mutual and MML Investors Services. PARK Wealth Management provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management and financial planning primarily for individuals and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis with both long- and short-term trading strategies, offering a broad range of investment options including mutual funds, equities, fixed income, ETFs, REITs, non-U.S. securities, alternative investments, and insurance products.

Robert Brafford Jr. is the principal advisor at Legacy One Wealth Management in Jamestown, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with 14 years of industry experience. He has been with Legacy One Wealth Management since 2016. In addition to his advisory role, Brafford is registered with the IRS as a tax professional and conducts tax preparation services outside of trading hours. Legacy One Wealth Management provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and small businesses. The firm offers both discretionary and non-discretionary management, using tailored investment programs that incorporate various analytical methods and provides comprehensive planning including tax guidance and estate considerations.

Christopher Arena is a CFP® professional with two years of experience in financial advising, currently operating at Clef Financial, LLC. He also owns and manages Chris Arena, CPA, PLLC, a North Carolina-based CPA firm providing tax, accounting, and advisory services since 2015. Arena serves as Treasurer for Liberty Arts, Inc., a nonprofit focused on supporting artists and arts education. Clef Financial is a fee-only registered investment adviser offering discretionary investment management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and businesses. The firm employs an investment approach based on asset allocation and Modern Portfolio Theory, managing diversified portfolios tailored to client objectives and risk tolerance. Its combination of in-house tax expertise and financial planning services distinguishes it within the independent advisor space.

Michael Quinlivan is a financial advisor at Pension Planning Solutions, Inc. with 24 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation as well as Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Quinlivan has been affiliated with Presidium Retirement Advisers, Inc. since 2006. Pension Planning Solutions, Inc. provides individualized investment advice and portfolio management primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm operates exclusively on a non-discretionary basis, employing a mix of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, and offers services including retirement-account rollover guidance under fiduciary standards.

Amit Hampel is the principal of Hampel Investment Advisors in Greensboro, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with seven years of industry experience. He founded Hampel Investment Advisors in 2018 and also owns a property management business, Always My Home, LLC. Hampel Investment Advisors provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional-type accounts, including charitable organizations and corporations. The firm customizes investment policies and employs diversified asset allocation with a mix of strategic and active management approaches.

Laura Collins is a financial advisor at Provident Wealth Management with 17 years of industry experience. She holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has held roles at firms including Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation and Meritage Holdings, LLC. Outside of her advisory work, she manages a consulting business focused on non-qualified deferred compensation strategies and is co-owner and vice president of a real estate brokerage. Provident Wealth Management provides investment advice to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm offers asset management on both discretionary and non-discretionary bases, financial planning, and consulting, with an investment approach that incorporates fundamental, technical, charting, and cyclical analysis.

Kurt Shuler is a CFP® professional at Sledge and Company Wealth Advisors with two years of experience at the firm and one year at WealthFD. He has a total of four years in the financial industry, including eight years as a student prior to entering the field. Sledge and Company Wealth Advisors provides personalized wealth management and financial planning to individuals, trusts, foundations, and corporations. The firm manages approximately $183.4 million in discretionary assets and employs a disciplined investment approach using a variety of securities and financial planning strategies.

Christopher Jones is a CFP® with 13 years of industry experience and a CPA since 1982. He is a principal at Carolina Financial Advisors, Inc. in Greensboro, NC. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in management consulting and accounting for two self-storage businesses. Carolina Financial Advisors, Inc. provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, retirement plans, and non-profit organizations. The firm emphasizes preservation of principal through quality and diversification, employing both fundamental and technical analysis, and offers a Values Based Investing option aligned with traditional Christian values.