Top financial advisors working with technology professionals 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.

Wanqiu Wu is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. Wu has worked at Citigroup since 2017, including roles at Citibank N.A. prior to joining the current firm, and has prior experience in retail at Bloomingdales. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering multi-asset investment advisory programs and execution services. The firm combines large institutional scale with specialized market roles, including in-house research and operations as a swap dealer and futures commission merchant.

Arron Thompson is a CFP® certified financial advisor with five years of industry experience, currently practicing at Edward Jones in Pittsburgh, PA. His prior work history includes two years at Alliance Rx Walgreens Prime and five years of service in the US Army. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients with a range of investment solutions, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds. The firm oversees approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management and operates a nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Zack Gutches is a CFP® professional with five years of industry experience. He is the principal at True Riches Financial Planning, an independent firm based in Denver, CO. His career includes roles at Brighton Jones, Deloitte & Touche LLP, and LearnLux, where he currently provides financial well-being consulting to workplace participants. He also offers tax preparation services to clients of his firm. True Riches Financial Planning serves individuals and high-net-worth clients with comprehensive financial planning and discretionary investment management, functioning as a “Personal CFO.” The firm implements tailored financial plans and portfolios using a mix of passive and active strategies, including socially responsible options and direct-indexing, and provides tax preparation services as an affiliated business.

Dave's experience in investment management and financial planning uniquely position him to serve as his client's independent trusted advisor - a personal chief financial officer that can discreetly navigate the tides affecting your financial life. ​ Professional highlights include portfolio management on Union Bank municipal investment team which earned recognition as the best in the industry by Barron's in 2008 and 2009; lead investment management responsibility at a $300M financial planning firm; and working with amazing entrepreneurs, executives, and families. ​ David's education includes a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, a Certified Financial Planning (CFP) designation, and a U.C. Berkeley bachelor's degree where he conducted a study on evidenced based investment management with Haas Professor of Investments David Distad. ​ David launched PFM to continue building upon his vision of complete personal financial management: discreet and unwavering focus on how expert financial management can help a client achieve her goals. From setting and achieving goals, to preparing you for all of life's contingencies and investing for your future - David helps his client's understand what they should be doing, and then helps them get it done.

Sawyer Sams is a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and a member of the Smith Conkin Dixon Wealth Management Group. He and his team focus on developing personalized wealth strategies that leverage Merrill's investment and planning resources along with Bank of America's banking and lending capabilities. Their services encompass family wealth management, legacy planning, retirement planning, philanthropic planning, and portfolio management for clients across multiple states. Before joining Merrill, Sawyer gained experience at a smaller wealth and investment management firm in Charlotte, NC, where he led the investment committee and managed asset allocation and trading activities. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP) certification. Sawyer graduated from Furman University with a bachelor's degree in economics. Sawyer resides in Johnson City, TN, and is active in his community through involvement with First Christian Church and the Milligan University CFA Research Team. Outside of work, he enjoys basketball, cooking, football, pickleball, and spending time with his family.