Independent advisors focused on consultant in North Carolina

Willie Myles is a financial advisor at Equitable Advisors with 16 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2016, previously affiliated with Axa Advisors. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for Alpha Light Fund Inc., a nonprofit organization. Equitable Advisors serves individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, corporations, and charitable organizations by providing financial planning, retirement-plan support, and access to asset management through various third-party programs. The firm operates a hybrid referral and implementation model, offering both advisory and brokerage channels to implement client recommendations.

Kristin Manna is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors and holds a Series 66 designation. She has one year of industry experience, including roles at Park Avenue Securities, Guardian Life Insurance Company, and Consolidated Planning Holdings, Inc. Prior to entering the financial industry, she worked in education for eight years. Outside of advising, Kristin is an author and publisher of a basketball coaching notebook and works as a math tutor for high school students. Park Avenue Securities serves a broad retail client base with a range of brokerage and advisory services, utilizing proprietary and third-party investment strategies across various account types and investment vehicles.

Arjun Aggarwal is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney since 2009 and has worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association since 2015. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer offering a wide range of advisory programs to individuals and institutions, including tailored financial planning services. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and employs a structured planning process using firm-approved tools and economic modeling techniques.

Robert Pike is a CFA® charterholder with 19 years of industry experience. He is affiliated with Sheets Smith Wealth Management in Winston Salem, NC, and has worked at Stratford Advisors, Inc. since 2004. Sheets Smith Wealth Management serves individuals, families, foundations, endowments, and retirement plans, offering investment management and financial planning services. The firm customizes asset allocation and investment strategies based on clients’ risk tolerance and investment horizon, employing a long-term, buy-and-hold approach and utilizing a range of investment vehicles including equities, fixed income, ETFs, and alternative investments.

Trent Leyda is a financial advisor with Spirepoint Private Client, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 21 years of industry experience. He has worked at Morgan Stanley in various capacities from 2009 to 2023 before joining Spirepoint Private Client in 2023. Leyda is also a licensed insurance agent servicing clients on insurance policies. Spirepoint Private Client, LLC serves individuals, families, trusts, institutions, and retirement plans with discretionary investment management, financial planning, and consulting. The firm employs a multi-faceted investment process combining fundamental, technical, and relative-strength analysis with portfolio construction tools, offering both active and passive strategies tailored to client profiles.

Wanqiu Wu is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with a Series 66 credential and three years of industry experience. Prior to joining Citigroup in 2022, Wanqiu worked at Citibank N.A. from 2017 to 2022 and at Bloomingdales from 2015 to 2017. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering a range of investment advisory programs and brokerage services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies and maintains unique market roles, including swap dealer and futures commission merchant activities.

Ken Mason is an Executive Planning Consultant at Fidelity Investments, a role he has held since 2025. In this capacity, he works closely with clients to develop wealth strategies that incorporate their workplace benefits, aiming to support them in pursuing their financial goals. Ken emphasizes building trust through a consultative approach, ensuring clients receive personalized and understandable financial plans. He is committed to helping clients achieve peace of mind by focusing on what matters most to them. Specific details about his education, credentials, or personal interests were not provided.

Margaret Halloran is a financial advisor at Carnegie Investment Counsel with 10 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Carnegie Investment Counsel since 2017, following a 17-year tenure at Midwest Investment Management LLC. Carnegie Investment Counsel provides investment supervisory services, financial and investment planning, and retirement-plan fiduciary services to a varied client base including individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and government entities. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, cyclical, and ESG analysis in its investment process and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, accommodating client preferences and working with third-party advisers as part of its service model.

Zack Gutches is a CFP® professional with five years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at True Riches Financial Planning in Denver, CO. His prior experience includes roles at LearnLux, where he provides consulting on financial well-being and company benefits, and Brighton Jones. He also performs tax preparation services for advisory clients. True Riches Financial Planning offers comprehensive financial planning and discretionary investment management through a Household CFO model, serving individual and non‑high‑net‑worth clients. The firm integrates modern portfolio theory with various analytical approaches and manages accounts using both active and passive investment vehicles, incorporating tax-aware strategies and socially responsible investment options when requested.

John Reyes is a Financial Consultant at Fidelity Investments, a role he has held since 2026. In this capacity, he collaborates closely with clients to align financial and retirement goals, integrating various aspects of their personal and financial situations to support their life objectives. Prior to his current position, John held several roles at Fidelity Investments, including Investment Consultant (2025-2026), Relationship Manager (2024-2025), and Workplace Planning Associate (2023-2024). His professional experience also includes working as an Equity Derivatives Trader from 2022 to 2023 and serving as a Bilingual Senior Benefits Consultant at GoHealth from 2021 to 2022. Outside of his professional career, John engages in family activities, fitness, golf, playing musical instruments, and outdoor adventures.

Jared Fruth is a financial advisor at Northwest Asset Management with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Securities America, Inc., KMS Financial Services, Inc., Oppenheimer Funds, and John Paul Mitchell Systems. Northwest Asset Management is a registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.6 billion for nearly 3,000 clients, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charities, and corporations. The firm employs a customized, fiduciary approach using Modern Portfolio Theory and strategic asset allocation, combining fundamental and technical analysis to build diversified portfolios with periodic rebalancing.

Edwina Martin is a financial advisor at Waverly Advisors, LLC with two years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at 9258 Wealth Management for five years and Teradata Corp for eleven years. In addition to her advisory role, she serves as assistant director of tax planning at 9258 Tax and Planning. Waverly Advisors, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise adviser serving individuals, corporations, retirement plans, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and fiduciary services, employing a combination of centralized and customized investment strategies across traditional and alternative asset classes.

Craig Mcdaniel Jr. is a financial advisor with Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC in Columbia, SC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Capital Investment Group, Inc. and The McDaniel Corporation since 2012. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in life insurance sales and serves as an independent agent for annuities and related products. Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and supervisory services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers customized investment management through discretionary mandates, third-party managers, and private-label model portfolios, using a blend of analytical methods with ongoing portfolio monitoring.

David Hart is a financial advisor with Safeguard Investment Advisory Group, LLC, holding a Series 65 credential and 15 years of industry experience. He has worked with Safeguard since 2020 and previously held roles at LifePro Asset Management, LLC, Martin and Associates Insurance Services, Inc., and Martin Wealth Management, LLC. Hart is also a Certified Financial Fiduciary and volunteers as an instructor with the Foundation for Fiduciary Education (NACFF), providing unbiased fiduciary financial education. Safeguard Investment Advisory Group, LLC serves individual, high-net-worth, institutional, and business clients, offering discretionary portfolio management, access to third-party sub-advisers, and fee-based financial planning. The firm employs a fundamental-analysis investment process with a preferred horizon of two to ten years and manages over $600 million across approximately 1,800 client relationships.

Sarah Currier Barrella is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 26 years of industry experience. She is currently with Santander Securities LLC and Santander Bank, NA, having previously worked at TD Bank and Citizens Securities, Inc. Barrella holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Santander Securities LLC provides investment advisory and related services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, charitable organizations, retirement plans, and institutional clients. The firm offers wrap-fee advisory programs and financial planning services, delivering investment advice through the FMAX managed-account platform with discretionary portfolio management and ongoing suitability reviews.