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.

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.

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.

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.

James Winther is a financial advisor with Amerity Wealth Management, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and over 22 years of industry experience. He has previously worked at firms including Brookstone Wealth Advisors, Royal Alliance, and Lincoln Financial Advisors. Outside of traditional advisory work, he serves as CEO of Atlas NexGen Group, focusing on impact investing to create residential housing for low-income residents through fund syndication. Amerity Wealth Management is a multi-advisor fiduciary serving individuals, high-net-worth households, businesses, pension and profit-sharing plans, and trusts. The firm manages approximately $339 million in assets across a range of services including asset management, financial planning, and specialized UK pension transfer and management.

Kevin Keller is a financial advisor with Delta Investment Management, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Carolina Piedmont Investments, Retirement Wealth Advisors, and Ohio National Financial Services. Outside of advising, he is involved in managing a timber farm and supports marketing and business management for a real estate firm. Delta Investment Management provides discretionary investment management and consulting to individuals, institutions, trusts, and pension plans, also serving as a subadvisor to other firms. The firm offers a range of strategies including systematic ETF rotation, concentrated equity mandates, and alternative investments, integrating financial planning with asset management.

Adam Coleman is a financial advisor at Nectarine with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has previously worked at SmartPath Financial Education and Core Planning. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved as a mortgage loan originator at Loan Pronto and provides remote financial coaching through SmartPath Financial Education. Nectarine serves individual and high-net-worth clients by offering consultative financial planning through selected advisor representatives. The firm emphasizes long-term asset allocation using low-cost, index-based funds and provides services on a fee-for-service basis without managing client investment portfolios.

Charles Mansfield is a CFA® charterholder with 24 years of industry experience. He is currently a financial advisor at MissionSquare Retirement, where he has worked since 2018, and previously worked at LPL Financial LLC from 2016 to 2018. Outside of his advisory role, Mansfield serves as a Higher Education Academic Specialist at Wake Forest University, instructing courses in Quantitative Methods, Macroeconomics, Managerial Economics, and Finance. He also participates as an actor in interactive dinner theater shows. MissionSquare Retirement serves state and local government employers, their employees, and certain nonprofit entities by administering deferred compensation and qualified retirement plans, offering plan administration, education, and Guided Pathways Advisory Services. The firm’s investment advice and model portfolios are developed by Morningstar Investment Management, employing asset-class allocation models and a total wealth approach tailored to client information.

Jacob Chandler is a financial advisor at Inspire Advisors, LLC with 19 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Inspire Advisors since 2019, previously spending over a decade at Ameriprise Financial Services. Outside of advising, he is the owner and director of JKC Consulting Inc. and serves as a fund manager for the Inspire Tactical Balanced ESG ETF. Inspire Advisors, LLC manages approximately $1.33 billion in discretionary assets and serves individual, high-net-worth, institutional, charitable, and brokerage clients. The firm incorporates Biblically Responsible Investing using proprietary scoring tools and employs a combination of fundamental, technical, quantitative analysis, and modern portfolio theory to develop portfolios.

Scott Vanderlinden is a financial advisor with Chelsea Advisory Services, Inc. in Lancaster, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and 23 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Royal Alliance Associates, Inc. and Signator Investors, Inc. Vanderlinden also operates a sole proprietorship, Veritus Financial Strategies, where he markets investment, insurance, and financial planning services. Chelsea Advisory Services provides financial planning, investment advisory, and consulting services to individuals, trusts, and corporate clients. The firm emphasizes a fundamental, long-term investment approach, managing diversified portfolios with an option for discretionary account management and allowing client-imposed investment restrictions.

Derek Herzer is a financial advisor at Kingswood Wealth Advisors, LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked for Medigap Life for ten years. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in consulting for an investment-related business and provides training and support for a national Medicare health insurance brokerage during the annual enrollment period. Kingswood Wealth Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual and high-net-worth investors, retirement plan sponsors, and institutions, offering portfolio management, financial planning, ERISA plan advisory, and consulting services. The firm uses an open-architecture platform with both discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies and integrates insurance-related accounts through affiliated entities.

George Mcdow is a CFP® with 18 years of industry experience, currently serving with Mutual Of Omaha Investor Services, Inc. since 2013. He is also the owner of The McDow Group, LLC, an insurance agency offering life, health, annuities, dental, property and casualty, disability, and Medicare supplement lines. Mutual of Omaha Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory services to individuals, corporations, and qualified retirement plans through managed account programs, third-party money manager relationships, and financial planning. The firm operates using a platform relationship with Envestnet and offers a range of model portfolios and retirement plan consulting services.

Matthew Baldini is a financial advisor with Inspire Advisors, LLC, holding a Series 65 credential and seven years of industry experience. Prior to joining Inspire Advisors in 2019, he worked for the County of Los Angeles Probation Department for eleven years. He is also president of FHG Advisors Inc., a non-investment-related entity. Inspire Advisors, LLC manages approximately $1.33 billion in discretionary client assets and primarily serves individual clients, including high-net-worth individuals, as well as institutions and charitable organizations. The firm integrates Biblically Responsible Investing into its portfolio management and employs a variety of analytical methods, often delegating management to sub-advisors and affiliated managers while providing tax-mitigation services.

Thomas Colombo is a financial advisor with NorthCoast Asset Management LLC and holds a Series 66 designation. He has 10 years of industry experience, including roles at Kovitz Investment Group Partners, Connectus Wealth, and Morgan Stanley. Outside of finance, he is co-owner of QB Focus LLC, an athletic training business. NorthCoast Asset Management provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as institutional and intermediary clients. The firm employs a quantitatively based, systematic investment process and offers a diverse range of strategies including strategic asset allocation, tactical equity, and alternative interval funds.