CFP®-certified, inherited wealth 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.

As a comprehensive financial planning firm we can assist you with your investment management, social security, debt management, budgeting, net-worth tracking, overall organization, tax planning, charitable planning, insurance review, and much more. As a flat fee firm we know the stock market isn't the only solution for your investment problems and love to brainstorm real estate, small business, private credit, and other alternative investment options that lead to the main goal. To improve your financial life and increase your net-worth. If you want a second set of eyes on your investments or financial decisions then feel free to give us a call and we'll talk through if we are a good fit for you. If not, then we will point you in the right direction.

I'm a fiduciary & CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER living in Indianapolis, Indiana but serving clients nationwide. For years I've helped individuals and families plan for retirement and other imporant financial decisions. In college, I studied economics with a concentration in finance. After college, I worked for large wealth management firm in Indiana and then a boutique financial advising office specializing in retirement planning. That firm was later acquired and after a few years working for the acquiring firm I left to start WealthGuides. As an advisor I've worked with clients age 22 to 92. While I've worked with a wide range of people, I've always found my passion was with working with people to create a plan for retirement. As an advisor I provide guidance to my clients on taxes, their investment portfolios, estate planning, & charitable giving amongst others areas. I show people where they can save on taxes and I give clarity and strategies for how my clients can maximize the potential for what they can spend on themselves and give to others. On the personal side I'm a runner, a reader, a cat dad, and a traveler. I also enjoy sipping on a nice glass of wine or whiskey.

Khatuna Tkebuchava is a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. She specializes in guiding clients through significant life events, including college education planning, divorce transition planning, family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, liquidity management, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, socially responsible, values-based, and ESG investing, women and wealth, and tax minimization. Born and raised in Georgia, Khatuna moved to Boston, Massachusetts in 1997 where she began her family. She currently resides in Newton. Khatuna holds a Bachelor's Degree from Georgian Technical University and a Master's Degree from GIPA. She is a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) and is affiliated with the MFA. Khatuna is fluent in Russian and English. Outside of her professional work, she is involved in community activities such as the Walk for Hunger. Her personal interests include antiquing, cooking, gardening, hiking, interior decorating, music, spending time with family, traveling, and yoga.

I work with my clients to identify their goals and dreams, assisting them in navigating their individual roadmaps strategically and efficiently toward financial well-being. I was inspired to become a CFP® after spending years in the accounting and tax industry. I worked for Arthur Andersen, LP in New York City as an auditor and later joined my father, Robert Susko, in his tax practice. I recognized the need to serve my clients beyond my role as a Certified Public Accountant. Over the years, I observed how uncomfortable my clients were discussing their finances and how underprepared they were for their retirement. What kept me awake at night though, was how dependent one spouse typically was on the other for handling all the household finances. I noticed traditionally this role fell upon the husband. Since women typically outlive men, I saw too many widows grieving the loss of their spouse while simultaneously trying to put the pieces of their financial puzzle together. I vowed to change this trend. That is why I earned my CFP and why I am so passionate about helping families plan for the future.

Finance has been an interest and passion of mine as long as I can remember. As a child, my dad would teach me about investing and I was fascinated that I could earn a little bit of money and then it could grow on it’s own. Those simple principles were built on throughout my childhood and studying finance in college was a natural fit. I graduated from Texas A&M University with Bachelor degrees in both accounting and finance. Upon graduating, I limited my job search to my beloved hometown (Austin) where the woman I love (Kaimey) was living. I accepted an auditor position with the state government and traveled around Texas performing financial and compliance audits. Even though it wasn’t my dream job because everyone hates auditors, I took a lot of pride in working with my clients instead of against them. In those years while auditing, Kaimey and I were married, I obtained my CPA (Certified Public Accountant) and CIA (Certified Internal Auditor) designations, and we added twins to our family, Hudson and Harper. When life settled down a bit after the twin infant/toddler years, I decided to shift careers and focus on my passion of personal financial planning. I was fortunate to join a fee-only financial planning company where I advised high net-worth clients and managed other planners. This was a good home to me for several years, and during that time I added my CFP® (CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™) and LHIC (Life and Health Insurance Counselor) designations to my other credentials. In 2018 we felt God calling us to something new for our family. I took a leap of faith to leave my comfortable job and start my own business. And Avant Financial Advisors was born! We are excited to use this company to help others and make our clients’ dreams become financially possible. Hudson and Harper are teenagers now and keep our family’s free-time full! We love supporting them in their activities and being involved in their school. We spend lots of time outside: hiking, biking, being on the lake, and exploring around Austin. We love to travel and discover new-to-us places in this big, beautiful world, but coming home always feels great too.

Sarah Currier Barrella is a CFP® professional with 26 years of experience in financial advisory services. She currently works at Santander Securities LLC and Santander Bank, NA, having previously held positions at TD Bank and Citizens Securities, Inc. Barrella is based in Boston, MA. Santander Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base with approximately $3.14 billion in regulatory assets under management across 10,800 client relationships. The firm offers investment advisory services, portfolio management through wrap-fee programs, and financial planning, operating both as a registered investment adviser and a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.

Elanna Gould is a CFP® professional with six years of experience, currently advising at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors in Cleveland, OH. Her background includes roles at PepsiCo and The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Center, as well as academic experience at The Ohio State University. She is also an independent insurance agent for various companies. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a broad client base, including individuals, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through a network of independent professionals. The firm provides a range of portfolio management options, proprietary and third-party strategies, and various custody platforms tailored to client objectives.

Ethan Siekkinen is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with Plante Moran Financial Advisors. He has one year of industry experience and previously worked at J Wilson Wealth Management. Outside of financial advising, he has experience in the lawn care business with Rizzo Lawn Care. Plante Moran Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm provides investment advisory, financial planning, and estate-planning services, utilizing a range of investment strategies and managing both discretionary and non-discretionary assets.

Jace Hart is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience and currently serves as a financial advisor at Rockwall Wealth Management. His prior experience includes roles at Leo Wealth, LPL Financial, and Fidelity Brokerage Services. Rockwall Wealth Management provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, trusts, plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm emphasizes diversified, low-cost ETF model portfolios with a focus on tax efficiency, liquidity, and systematic macro tilts, offering both traditional and advanced investment strategies tailored to client objectives.

Jeffrey Macdonald is a CFP® and ChFC® with 17 years of industry experience. He has been with Investment Management & Planning LLC since 2010 and is also affiliated with LPL Financial LLC. Investment Management & Planning LLC provides fee-based investment advisory and comprehensive financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, offering portfolio management on both discretionary and non-discretionary bases. The firm emphasizes ongoing account supervision and individualized asset allocation, often utilizing LPL-sponsored platforms and model portfolios.