Top early retirement planning 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 and previously at AXA Advisors, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for the nonprofit Alpha Light Fund Inc., focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual, high-net-worth, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients, offering financial planning, broker-dealer services, insurance distribution, and access to third-party asset management programs. The firm operates as both an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, leveraging LPL-sponsored programs and endorsed TAMPs to deliver advisory and brokerage solutions.

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 affiliated with Sheets Smith Wealth Management in Winston Salem, NC, and has been with Stratford Advisors, Inc. since 2004. Sheets Smith Wealth Management serves individuals, families, trusts, foundations, endowments, and retirement plans, providing customized investment management and financial planning. The firm employs a long-term, buy-and-hold strategy for equities combined with tactical fixed-income adjustments, serving clients including senior corporate executives and heirs.

Mitchell Hodgkiss is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 27 years of industry experience. He has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Pi Kappa Alpha KK Alumni Association. Ameriprise offers retirement-income planning services primarily for individuals nearing or in retirement with significant investable assets, combining research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to provide tailored, non-discretionary recommendations delivered through a centralized consulting team.

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.

Aubrey Williams is a financial advisor at Open Path Financial with a Series 65 designation and two years of industry experience. He has a background in defense technology, having worked as an Associate Director of Program Management at Raytheon Technologies from 2021 to 2025 and previously at Lockheed Martin Corporation for 17 years. In addition to his advisory role, he is involved in an affiliated education business focused on public financial education and workshop content. Open Path Financial provides fee-only financial planning and advisory services primarily on an hourly or fixed-project basis, serving individuals, families, businesses, and trusts. The firm emphasizes long-term, diversified investment strategies using low-cost index funds and ETFs and operates without managing assets or charging percentage-based fees.

Jonah Lemieux is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Woburn, MA, holding a Series 66 designation with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Edward Jones, he worked in various roles including positions at UPS, UKG, ClearCompany, and Insurance Consultants of VA. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients, offering a range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies, affiliated mutual funds, and tax-efficient services. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and operates a large network of financial advisors and branch offices across the country.

Hi, I'm Steve. I've loved financial planning ever since I was a kid watching the ticker tape on CNBC as my mom, a homemaker learned about finances herself. I grew up in a very frugal household who taught me about working hard and saving for the future. My mother was a homemaker or "domestic engineer" as she calls it and my father was a federal employee. I was fortunate to be introduced to Rita Abel and become the owner of her small, family owned financial planning firm in 2019. Today we work with approximately 60 families. What makes us unique is our passion to be "accountability partner's" for our clients to ensure they take care of the important financial matters in their lives. We are part financial advisors and party financial therapists for our married couples but most importantly we are organized, proactive and have a passion for financial planning. Looking forward to meeting and if you want to know more, I encourage you to read our google reviews online. Just search "Abel Financial Reviews" in google.

After nearly a decade in corporate finance at Phillips 66, I now help high-income professionals and their families with investment, tax, and retirement planning. Before launching Refined Wealth, I completed the CFP® education program at Rice University and gained hands-on experience at two Houston firms, where I was part of teams that collectively served over 250 families and oversaw more than $650M in client assets. I also earned advanced certifications in tax planning (TPCP®) and retirement income planning (RICP®) to deliver more targeted advice. Now I’m building the firm I’d want for myself, my family, friends, and former colleagues. Most of my clients are: ◻︎ High-income professionals (O&G, medicine, sales, dual-income households) ◻︎ Retirees with complex assets and income sources ◻︎ Families navigating liquidity events (real estate sales, inheritances, business exits) Refined Wealth is an independent, fee-only fiduciary firm built on transparency and alignment. No product sales. No commissions. If this resonates, let’s connect for a complimentary introductory call to see if we’re a fit.

Kevin Matthews is a financial advisor with Wealth More Enterprise, Inc., holding Series 65 and Series 66 credentials and four years of industry experience. Before joining Wealth More Enterprise, he worked at WillowTree and held positions at Novozymes, Citigroup, and Capital One LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he is the CEO and owner of Building Bread, an education-focused business where he also serves as an author and speaker. Wealth More Enterprise provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individual clients through a mobile-first platform. The firm uses proprietary software-based risk scoring and algorithmic account management combined with model portfolios that are implemented discretionarily and reviewed by an internal investment committee.