Top advisors focused on trust structures (grat, idgt, revocable) 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.

Justin Kohler is a CFP® with 12 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at The Fiduciary Group. His prior roles include positions at Sharp Wealth Advisory, Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Sharp Financial Services, and AXA Advisors. Outside of his advisory work, he assists with the operations of a marketing and media company owned by his wife. The Fiduciary Group serves high-net-worth individuals and families, providing discretionary investment management for trusts, estates, nonprofits, and retirement plans. The firm employs a structured investment approach with multiple strategy profiles and integrates with the Focus Financial Partners platform to offer clients access to a broad range of financial solutions.

Matthew Benefiel is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Since joining in 2017, he has worked with families, individuals, and businesses to develop customized wealth management strategies. His areas of expertise include portfolio design, manager selection, investment due diligence, and performance evaluation. Matthew employs a disciplined process to build tailored portfolios and regularly evaluates investments to meet clients' evolving needs and changing market conditions. He also utilizes Merrill Personal Wealth Analysis® to create personalized financial plans that help clients set clear objectives and monitor their progress. Matthew holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Actuarial Science from Biola University and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification as well as the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. His client focus areas include family wealth management strategies, services for defined benefit plans, and sports and entertainment sectors. Outside of his professional role, Matthew lives in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife, Heather, and their daughter, Ruby. He enjoys activities such as golf, baseball, basketball, rock climbing, and yoga. Additionally, he spends time doing CrossFit and coaching basketball.

Clark Gay is a CFP® professional with 24 years of industry experience. He is currently with Visionary Wealth Advisors, LLC and has previously worked at Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. and Tmfs Advisors, Llc. Visionary Wealth Advisors serves individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, and business entities through a multi-advisor team structure managing several billion dollars for a few thousand clients. The firm offers financial planning, consulting, and investment management using a blend of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis within an asset-allocation framework based on Modern Portfolio Theory.

Christian Habitz is a financial advisor at The Invictus Collective, LLC with 24 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including JP Morgan Chase Bank NA and JPMorgan Securities LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as manager and investor in entities involved with synthetic graphite manufacturing and coordinates related tax administration. The Invictus Collective serves high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, and institutional investors, providing financial planning, consulting, and wealth management through both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management. The firm employs a diversified investment approach grounded in modern portfolio theory, utilizing independent managers, ETFs, mutual funds, private investments, structured notes, and options, with particular expertise in structured notes and manager due diligence supported by third-party analytics and an internal Investment Committee.

Ryan Boland is the Vice President Private Wealth Management Advisor at Fidelity Investments, a role he has held since 2021. In this capacity, he works as part of a team to assist individuals and families in pursuing their financial goals through thoughtful and customized planning strategies. His approach involves building deep and enduring relationships with clients to understand their priorities and utilize the resources and specialists available at Fidelity Investments. Prior to his current position, Ryan held various roles within Fidelity Charitable, including Vice President of National Corporate & Executive Giving from 2019 to 2021, Vice President and Charitable Planning Consultant from 2017 to 2019, and Director and Vice President of the Complex Assets Group from 2011 to 2017. Before joining Fidelity, he practiced as an attorney specializing in Trust & Estates and Real Estate at Taylor, Ganson & Perrin, LLP from 2001 to 2011. Outside of his professional work, Ryan has interests in art, golf, painting, and tennis.