Scot Stark is the sole advisor at Stark Strategic Capital Management, Inc. in Hampstead, NC. He holds the CFP® designation and Series 65 license and has 28 years of experience with his current firm. Stark Strategic Capital Management provides financial planning, counseling, investment supervision, portfolio management, risk management, and tax-planning advice primarily to individual clients. The firm manages approximately $18.4 million for about 19 clients and follows a structured six-step planning process, constructing tailored portfolios mainly using mutual funds and ETFs on a non-discretionary basis.

Brian Apple is the principal of Brian Apple Retirement Planning LLC in Hampstead, NC. He holds a Series 65 credential and has over 18 years of experience running Restoration Boatworks. Outside of advisory work, he is involved in volunteer tax-preparation services and is developing a book on Social Security and tax integration. Brian Apple Retirement Planning LLC provides comprehensive financial planning and individual investment management for individuals and high-net-worth clients. The firm emphasizes tax and Social Security integration and utilizes both third-party and custom model portfolios within a structured investment approach that includes fundamental analysis and asset allocation.

Nicholas Perkins is a financial advisor with CPR Investments Inc. in Hampstead, NC, holding a Series 65 designation and seven years of industry experience. He has been with CPR Investments since 2019 and also operates Perkins Retirement Planning LLC, which focuses on insurance products including life, annuity, health, long-term care, and Medicare sales. CPR Investments primarily serves individual investors and offers discretionary portfolio management through a multi-manager approach that includes third-party advisors and in-house tactical strategies aimed at reducing downside risk. The firm provides comprehensive financial planning, ERISA plan services, and sub-advisory arrangements, with a broader financial-product footprint including affiliated sales activities and advisory services for various financial products.

Erin Schneider is a financial advisor at Benefit Financial Services Group with a Series 65 credential and three years of industry experience. Prior to joining the firm in 2021, she worked at Aon and was involved with Bentley University Undergraduate Admissions and the Ridgefield Operation for Animal Rescue. Benefit Financial Services Group serves individual investors, families, corporations, trusts, charitable organizations, and retirement plan sponsors by providing wealth management, institutional pension consulting, and tax preparation services. The firm emphasizes diversified, outcome-oriented portfolios and offers specialized services including ESG portfolios, cryptocurrency options, and ERISA fiduciary roles for retirement plans.

Mindy Gallina is a Series 65 licensed advisor with William Joseph Capital Management, Inc., where she has worked since 2022. She has three years of industry experience and has held roles at Dileo & Charles Tax and Consulting Services, AMG Bookkeepers, and Young Living. Outside of her advisory role, she is a 50% owner of two entities involved in insurance sales and also provides educational and marketing services related to insurance through a separate firm. William Joseph Capital Management, Inc. is a multi-advisor firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm combines financial planning with portfolio management, using a mix of customized portfolio construction and third-party sub-advisors accessed through the AssetMark platform.

Zachary Clark is a financial advisor with McAdam LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and five years of industry experience. Prior to joining McAdam LLC, he worked at Woodbridge Kart Club and Uber. McAdam LLC serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and government entities, including high-net-worth households, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages client portfolios using fundamental analysis and periodic reviews, offering access to a range of securities, specialized investments, and integrated reporting tools.

Patrick Horwitz is a financial advisor with Silver Oak Securities, Incorporated, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 14 years of industry experience. He has worked at several firms including Securities America Advisors, Inc., SSN Advisory, and SII Investments, Inc. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a board member for Stomp & Brew, a nonprofit charity that organizes a beer and wine festival benefiting children in need. Silver Oak Securities, Inc. provides advisory services to individuals, families, corporations, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, managing approximately $2.03 billion in discretionary assets through a network of over 100 financial professionals. The firm offers individualized portfolio management, unified managed account programs, and comprehensive wealth management solutions tailored to clients’ objectives and risk tolerances.

Julian Scarborough is a financial advisor at Credit Union Investment Services with eight years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked with Members Trust Company since 2019. Scarborough also serves as a Financial Services Officer at State Employees' Credit Union, where he has been employed since 2012, and is an agent with SECU Life Insurance Company. Credit Union Investment Services primarily serves individual investors residing in North Carolina, offering non-discretionary portfolio management, asset allocation advice, and financial planning. The firm emphasizes a long-term, goals-based approach using low-cost index mutual funds and ETFs within a credit-union ecosystem.

Wesley Hayford is a financial advisor with Credit Union Investment Services in Wilmington, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 14 years of industry experience. He has worked with State Employees’ Credit Union since 2003, serving as a Financial Advisory Services District Manager, and has roles with Secu Life Insurance Company and Members Trust Company. Credit Union Investment Services serves primarily individual investors in North Carolina, providing non-discretionary portfolio management, retirement and financial planning, and a wrap-fee program. The firm emphasizes low-cost, index-based mutual funds and ETFs, with salaried advisors and client-directed implementation of recommendations.

Jonathan Dell is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 17 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has been with TIAA-CREF since 2014. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division 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 operates within a vertically integrated group, providing both model portfolio and customized portfolio management under a fiduciary standard.

Keven Johnson is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Bank of America, Merrill, Robinhood Markets, USAA Investment Services, and The Vanguard Group. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and participants, delivering services integrated with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms. The firm focuses on long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing within plan lineups chosen by plan sponsors.

Karen Jerabek is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network. She previously worked at Edward Jones and owns Harbor Blue Financial, LLC, a private entity facilitating securities, advisory, and insurance business. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser supporting a national network of approximately 2,900 advisors and managing over $212 billion in client assets through a broad platform of managed-account programs, third-party asset managers, and custody services.

Mara Wessell is a financial advisor with Edward Jones, holding the CFP® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 registrations. She has 24 years of industry experience, including 17 years with Cantella and Co., Inc. Mara is based in Hampstead, NC. 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, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard.

Jeffrey Spitz is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He focuses on helping clients develop personalized wealth management strategies tailored to their individual financial goals and changing market conditions. Jeffrey provides access to investment insights from Merrill and banking and lending solutions from Bank of America, supporting clients through comprehensive financial planning. He brings expertise in guiding clients through unique financial challenges and opportunities, emphasizing the importance of understanding each client's needs to make thoughtful decisions. Jeffrey holds professional designations including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP®), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC™), and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). He earned his bachelor's degree from North Carolina State University. Outside of his professional work, Jeffrey is involved with the F3 organization and volunteers at Forest Hill Church. He and his wife Kimberly have three sons and enjoy family activities such as traveling to beaches and supporting the North Carolina State Wolfpack.

Daniel Ray is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with one year of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and joined Edward Jones in 2024. Prior to his current role, Daniel held various positions in sales, marketing, and brokerage, including ownership of a marketing and media business and work as a yacht broker. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving both individual and institutional clients, offering a wide range of advisory programs and investment solutions supported by a large network of advisors and branch offices nationwide.

Cassandra Nagel is a financial advisor at Fidelity with 19 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has worked within various divisions of Fidelity since 2006. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, including charitable funds and registered investment companies. The firm employs a blend of fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction to develop model portfolios from mutual funds, ETFs, and ETPs.

Brian Fernander Jr. is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Bank of America/Merrill Lynch before joining J.P. Morgan Securities and JPMorgan Chase Bank. J.P. Morgan Securities provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors, using a process that combines quantitative asset-allocation modeling with centralized due diligence and an ESG eligibility framework.

Anne Proukou is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor at Edward Jones in Hampstead, NC, with eight years of industry experience. She has been with Edward Jones since 2018 and previously worked at Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company from 2003 to 2018. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory services including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, supported by a nationwide network of more than 23,000 financial advisors.

Daniel Leighton is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Rocky Point, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and seven years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2014. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, offering a wide range of advisory and investment solutions supported by a large network of financial advisors and branch offices nationwide.

Joseph Manion is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management, holding a Series 66 designation and three years of industry experience. He has worked at Thrivent since 2022 and previously held roles at Costco, Kroger, Mediu, LLC, and OnX Enterprise Solutions. Outside of advisory work, Manion owns and operates Serve Coffee, a coffee importing and subscription business focused on direct trade relationships. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients, offering comprehensive, goal-based financial plans without discretionary portfolio management. The firm’s planning services cover a wide range of topics and can be combined with managed-account programs under a consolidated billing option.

Christopher Rosa is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Before joining Edward Jones in 2024, he served with the Town of Lloyd Police Department and the Town of Poughkeepsie Police, retiring in 2023. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, including various household and corporate types. The firm manages over $1 trillion in assets and offers a range of advisory programs and investment solutions through a nationwide network of financial advisors.

Jeffrey Morgan is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Hampstead, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and eight years of industry experience. He joined Edward Jones in 2017 after two years at Kinetic Equity, LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he is co-manager of Anderson Morgan, LLC, a commercial property business in Wilmington, NC. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment solutions, supported by a large network of financial advisors and branch offices nationwide.

Ellen Honeycutt is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with 24 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has worked previously at VALIC Financial Advisors, Western Southern Life, and W&S Brokerage Services. J.P. Morgan Securities provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors, offering asset-allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting through its Institutional Consulting Services program. The firm combines quantitative modeling with centralized due diligence and applies an ESG eligibility framework in its recommendations.