Top disability insurance financial advisors in North Carolina

Willie Myles is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2016, previously serving at Axa Advisors and MSI Financial Services. Outside of advising, he is a co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for Alpha Light Fund Inc., a nonprofit focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a range of clients including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement consulting, and asset management through a network of representatives and third-party managers. The firm offers various investment vehicles and ERISA fiduciary services, relying on third-party program sponsors and an affiliation with a publicly traded parent company.

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 20 years of industry experience. He is based in Winston Salem, NC, and currently serves as an advisor at Sheets Smith Wealth Management. Prior to joining his current firm, he worked for 16 years at Stratford Advisors, Inc. Sheets Smith Wealth Management serves individuals, families, trusts, foundations, endowments, and retirement plans. The firm customizes investment strategies based on each client’s risk tolerance and time horizon, typically employing a long-term, buy-and-hold equity approach combined with tactical fixed-income and alternative investments.

Mitchell Hodgkiss is a financial advisor with Ameriprise Financial Services who holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 28 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Wells Fargo Clearing and Morgan Keegan & Company, LLC prior to joining Ameriprise. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Pi Kappa Alpha KK Alumni Association. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large, diversified advisory firm serving both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a specialized Premier Retirement Income service that provides retirement income planning advice through a structured, non-discretionary process incorporating proprietary research and third-party data.

Andrew Driscoll is a financial advisor at Lake Effect Wealth LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with six years of industry experience. He previously worked at Grandview Analytics from 2015 to 2019 before founding Lake Effect Wealth, where he has been the sole advisor since 2019. Lake Effect Wealth serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as corporations and businesses, offering discretionary portfolio management alongside project-based and comprehensive financial planning. The firm employs a passive investment strategy based on Modern Portfolio Theory, incorporating low-turnover, tax-aware portfolio construction, and distinguishes itself by providing business planning and employee benefits optimization services uncommon among independent solo advisers.

Phillip Rademacher is a CFP® with 33 years of experience in financial services and is the principal of Rademacher Financial, Inc. in Lawrence, KS. He has held roles at multiple firms including Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. and leads RTP, LLC as CEO. Rademacher Financial, Inc. serves individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, insurance companies, and retirement plan participants, offering discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs an individualized, typically discretionary investment approach and places a notable focus on retirement-plan consulting and participant education.

Gregory Smarr is a financial advisor with Smarr Financial Services Inc. in Atlanta, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and possessing 21 years of industry experience. He has led his independent firm since 2004. Outside of his advisory work, he is licensed to sell various insurance products including life, fixed annuities, and property and casualty insurance through multiple carriers. Smarr Financial Services, Inc. provides financial planning and investment supervisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities. The firm employs a fundamental investment approach combining long-term buy-and-hold strategies with selective short-term trading, managing a diverse portfolio that includes equities, mutual funds, ETFs, REITs, fixed income, alternatives, and options.

John Hale is a financial advisor at Worth Asset Management with 14 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 designations and has been with Worth Asset Management for 12 years. In addition to his advisory role, Hale is an attorney and owner of The Hale Law Firm, P.C., where he manages legal practice responsibilities. Worth Asset Management provides investment supervisory and portfolio management services to individuals, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm employs a mix of fundamental, technical, and charting analysis, uses outside managers and turnkey asset management solutions, and offers tailored portfolios with regular account reviews.

Matthew Kimberley is a financial advisor at Des Moines Investments, LLC with 30 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Des Moines Wealth Management LLC and Royal Alliance Associates, INC. In addition to his advisory work, he operates Kimberley Tax Preparation, providing tax preparation services. Kimberley also coaches youth softball, offering private lessons in pitching and hitting. Des Moines Investments advises individuals, business owners, and trusts with discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services tailored to clients’ goals and risk tolerance. The firm emphasizes a forward-looking, economy-aware investment approach and manages a high volume of client relationships per advisor.

Benjamin Doernberg is a financial advisor at First Step Financial in Boston, MA, holding a Series 65 designation with one year of industry experience. Prior to founding First Step Financial, he worked with Never Again Action and Escape the Room Boston. First Step Financial provides financial planning and advisory services to individual and high-net-worth clients through one-off plans, ad-hoc hourly engagements, and an ongoing subscription option, focusing on modern portfolio theory and broad index mutual funds and ETFs. The firm does not custody or trade client accounts and uses a pricing model based on subscription and hourly fees rather than asset-based charges.