I spent twenty years in business operations and consulting before making the shift to financial planning. Not because I needed a career change, but because I kept having conversations that felt more valuable than anything else I was doing. Driven, successful people who had built real things and were completely overwhelmed by the job of managing what they'd created. I had a natural instinct for this stuff. Turns out not everyone does. Once I realized I could actually help, it was hard to do anything else. I founded High Rock Wealth Management on a pretty simple belief: the hard work it takes to build wealth shouldn't be followed by a lifetime of managing it. That's my job now. The way I work is pretty straightforward. I'm a finance nerd, genuinely. Tax-loss harvesting, asset location, the mechanics of a well-built plan: I love this stuff and I obsess over the details. But I've also learned that the numbers only tell part of the story. Your relationship with money started long before you had any, and a plan that ignores that context is just math on paper. So I work on both sides equally and I always tell you the truth, even when it's not what you were hoping to hear. I hold the CFP® and Enrolled Agent designations. The EA means tax strategy is built directly into your plan, not referred out to someone else. One relationship. Full picture. On the personal side: I'm a family guy through and through. My wife Natalya and our two kids are my world. We traded the New York Metro area for just outside Charlotte in 2021 and haven't looked back. When clients tell me they're building something for their family's future I feel that personally, not just professionally. It's the same reason I do this work. I work with individuals and families who are ready to stop improvising and start directing their wealth with real intention. If that sounds like you, I'd love to talk.

Stephen Miller is the sole advisor at Forward Wealth Management, LLC in Charlotte, NC. He holds CFP® and CFA® designations and has 21 years of industry experience, including prior roles at Hayden Harper Wealth Advisory, Round Table Wealth Management, and Citicorp Investment Services. Miller is licensed to sell life insurance and dedicates approximately 5% of his time to product sales involving additional compensation. Forward Wealth Management, LLC is an independent advisory firm serving individual and high-net-worth clients with discretionary portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning. The firm employs a tactical investment approach combining fundamental and technical analysis, including option strategies, and manages accounts on a discretionary basis with ongoing oversight.

Kirk Block is a CFP® and PFS™ credentialed financial advisor with 22 years of industry experience. He is the principal of Block Wealth Management, Inc., an independent firm he has led since 2008. In addition to his advisory role, he is licensed to offer insurance products as an agent with various insurance companies. Block Wealth Management serves individuals, trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, and corporate clients, including retirement plan sponsors. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach using Dimensional Fund Advisors funds, integrating financial planning with tax guidance and insurance recommendations, and offers a range of fiduciary, consulting, and portfolio management services.

Leonard Brecken is the principal and sole advisor at Brecken Capital Advisors, LLC, with 11 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has worked at firms including Lincoln Financial Securities Corp and Waddell & Reed Inc. Brecken Capital Advisors provides individualized portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning for individuals, high net-worth clients, and businesses. The firm uses a top-down investment approach incorporating passive exposures, internal model portfolios, and a mix of ETFs and selected individual stocks, while also offering business-focused services such as employee benefits optimization and exit planning.

Walter Bahr is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with 16 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at World Trends Wealth Management, LLC, an independent registered investment adviser based in Waxhaw, NC. Bahr has worked with World Trends Wealth Management since 2013 and has prior experience with World Trends Capital and Euro Pacific Capital, Inc. He holds a doctoral degree in chiropractic. World Trends Wealth Management serves a small number of primarily individual clients, focusing on personalized portfolio management and financial planning for about a dozen households with approximately $9 million in assets under management. The firm emphasizes direct client relationships and offers both advisory services and sales of other financial products.

Thomas Alvis III is a financial advisor with Elevated Performance Investment Group, LLC in Charlotte, NC. He holds a Series 65 designation and has 10 years of industry experience. Alvis also serves as CEO of Elevated Financial & Tax, LLC, a tax preparation firm. Elevated Performance Investment Group provides financial planning, ERISA 3(21) retirement-plan advisory services, and public educational seminars, primarily facilitating client access to third-party managers and platform solutions rather than directly managing assets. The firm operates a solicitor/referral model and is noted for its formal links to accounting and insurance services.

Reagan Brittain is a Series 65 licensed advisor at Ascendant Capital Research, Ltd. with three years of industry experience. Prior to joining Ascendant Capital Research in 2021, he worked at Georgia-Pacific, LLC and Rheem Manufacturing Company. Ascendant Capital Research, Ltd. provides investment management and consulting services primarily to individual clients focused on wealth building and retirement planning. The firm employs a total-portfolio, layered asset-allocation approach combining fundamental, economic, and quantitative analysis with proprietary valuation and portfolio construction techniques.

Jennifer Meldrim is a financial advisor with Solaris Strategic Wealth and holds a Series 66 designation. She has two years of industry experience, including prior roles at LPL Financial, LLC, and Money Counts, Inc. Meldrim is based in Waxhaw, NC. Solaris Strategic Wealth is a newly registered investment adviser offering financial planning, wealth management, and consulting services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm employs a customized, goal-oriented investment approach utilizing diverse asset classes and may engage third-party managers as part of its portfolio management.

Caroline Peek is a financial advisor with USA Asset Management, LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 19 years of industry experience. She has been with USA Asset Management since 2006 and has operated as a self-employed professional since 1992. Outside of advisory services, she is also a licensed insurance agent. USA Asset Management serves individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, and other business entities, providing discretionary asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs both fundamental and technical analysis across a range of strategies and incorporates insurance and brokerage product offerings alongside advisory services.

Diane Nelson is a financial advisor with Shepherd Wealth Partners in Waxhaw, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with three years of industry experience. Her prior work includes roles at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company and Northwestern Mutual Investment Services LLC. Shepherd Wealth Partners serves primarily high-net-worth individuals and sponsors of qualified retirement plans, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a mix of third-party model solutions and in-house strategies, including faith-based investment options, and emphasizes periodic in-person reviews and discretionary management when authorized.

Nicole Milone is a financial advisor at Solaris Strategic Wealth with 12 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at LPL Financial and Summit Brokerage Services. Milone is based in Waxhaw, NC. Solaris Strategic Wealth is a newly registered investment adviser offering financial planning, wealth management, investment advisory, and consulting services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm employs a customized, goal-oriented investment approach using a mix of asset classes and third-party managers, with a range of fee arrangements and operational practices.

Thomas Crawford is a CFA® charterholder associated with Ascendant Capital Research, Ltd., with 9 years of industry experience. He has a professional background that includes 12 years at Wingate University and over two decades with Ascendant Capital Research. Ascendant Capital Research, Ltd. provides investment management and consulting services primarily to individual clients focused on wealth building and retirement planning. The firm employs a total-portfolio and layered asset-allocation approach using fundamental, economic, and quantitative analysis alongside proprietary valuation and portfolio construction techniques.

Regina Ryan is a financial advisor at Bison Wealth Management, LLC with 12 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 63 designation and previously worked at Summit Capital Inc for 12 years before joining Bison Wealth Management in 2026. Bison Wealth Management provides discretionary wealth management and comprehensive financial planning to individual and high net worth clients. The firm’s investment approach is primarily long-term focused, with portfolio construction based on ETFs, individual equities, bonds, and low-cost mutual funds, supplemented by fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis.

Cambell Conard is a financial advisor at Shepherd Wealth Partners with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been involved in full-time education since 2012. Shepherd Wealth Partners serves individual investors, mainly high-net-worth households, and sponsors of qualified retirement plans by providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement plan consulting. The firm utilizes a combination of third-party model solutions and in-house strategies, including biblically responsible investing options, and emphasizes periodic in-person reviews and discretionary management when authorized.

Charles Terry is a CFP® with 19 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Shepherd Wealth Partners since 2017. Prior to that, he worked for 11 years at Ronald Blue & Co. Shepherd Wealth Partners serves high-net-worth individuals and sponsors of qualified retirement plans, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement plan consulting. The firm integrates third-party model solutions and in-house strategies, including a faith-based investment option, and emphasizes periodic reviews and discretionary management when authorized.

Michael Fowler is a financial advisor at Insight Folios in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 65 designation. He has one year of experience in the financial industry, joining Insight Folios in 2026 after prior roles in sales and outdoor solutions. Insight Folios provides portfolio management and financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, while also offering ERISA plan consulting and serving as a sub-adviser to other registered investment adviser firms. The firm uses a team approach combined with proprietary planning software and artificial intelligence tools to support its discretionary account management and long-term trading orientation.

Sara Warntz is a CFP® professional with 14 years of industry experience, currently serving at Topsail Wealth Management LLC since 2024. Her prior experience includes over a decade at THE Vanguard Group, Inc. and a year at Independent Advisor Alliance. Topsail Wealth Management advises high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families, trusts, and related entities, providing comprehensive wealth management services including financial planning, investment advisory, tax and estate planning, and ancillary services such as bookkeeping and trustee services. The firm employs a customized investment process that integrates passive and active strategies across various asset classes and manages over $1.3 billion in regulatory assets.

Nicholas Morabito IV is a financial advisor at Hobart Wealth with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. He previously worked at Nelson Investment Planning Services, Inc and Signature Wealth Advisors. Hobart Wealth provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, and trusts. The firm offers tailored asset management, financial planning, and ERISA retirement plan consulting, utilizing a range of investment strategies including individual securities, ETFs, and third-party managers.

Jared Audette is a financial advisor with Eagle Wealth Management Group Inc. in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Eagle Wealth Management Group since 2023 and concurrently with Abiding Wealth Advisors since 2011, where he conducts securities, insurance, and advisory services. Eagle Wealth Management Group is a team-based SEC-registered adviser serving individuals and sponsor-level retirement plans, including governmental and church plans. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning, portfolio management, retirement-plan advisory, and business planning, utilizing a variety of investment approaches and fiduciary services tailored to retirement-plan clients.

Brian Colan is a financial advisor at Hobart Wealth in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 65 credential. He has experience in mortgage brokerage through his role at MPIRE Financial LLC and has worked in healthcare and lending sectors prior to his current advisory position. Hobart Wealth is an SEC-registered advisory firm with a team of eight advisors managing approximately $430 million. The firm serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as pension plans, trusts, and estates, offering customized asset management and financial planning using a range of analytical methods and implementation strategies.