Top advisors focused on mid-career professionals 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.

Jeffrey Park is a financial advisor with Merrill, holding a Series 66 credential and seven years of industry experience. He has worked at Merrill in multiple capacities since 2011, with brief stints at JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities in 2022. Merrill serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and institutional clients, offering managed account programs, discretionary portfolio management, and brokerage services. The firm employs a range of program strategies and manager-constructed portfolios, with oversight from its CIO and platform management, and leverages its affiliation with Bank of America to support trading, lending, and capital markets activities.

Sally Hyman is a financial advisor at Seasons of Advice Wealth Management with 42 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Outside of finance, she is a singer who sells her own vocal CDs and is involved in publishing her father's book titled "Congenital Alterable Transmissible Asymmetry: The Spiritual Meaning of Disease and Science." Seasons of Advice Wealth Management provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, high net worth clients, trusts, small business owners, professionals, and families. The firm follows a life-cycle investment approach called the “Seasons of Advice” process and offers discretionary portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, and specialized fixed-income programs through sub-advisors.

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.

Lee Chen is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Pasadena, California, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. He has been with UBS since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, Chen serves on the board of directors for the San Gabriel Country Club. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, combining proprietary capital market research with a broad range of financial planning and portfolio management solutions.

Thomas Phillipsen is a Series 65 licensed advisor at Annex Wealth Management, LLC with experience beginning in 2024. His prior work includes roles at Associated Bank and JJ Keller & Associates, as well as experience at Ripon College. Annex Wealth Management is an SEC-registered advisory firm managing approximately $8.05 billion for about 9,800 clients, including high-net-worth individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm utilizes a team-oriented investment process based on a core-and-tactical framework and offers comprehensive wealth management, discretionary portfolio management, retirement consulting, and online goals-based services.