Top financial advisors working with university employees 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.

Fionn Allen is a financial advisor at Adaptive Wealth Engineering based in Las Vegas, NV, holding a Series 65 credential. Allen has experience at Summit Portfolio Management and has worked in various roles outside the financial industry, including positions in education and hospitality. Adaptive Wealth Engineering provides discretionary portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals, retirement plans, and businesses. The firm utilizes an evidence-based investing framework with a focus on global diversification and factor-aware equities, maintaining a relatively small client base to support concentrated advisor-client relationships.

Mark Teichman is a financial advisor at C2 Investment Group with 20 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has worked with C2 Investment Group since 1998. He is a co-owner of C2, LLC, which operates Tracker, a portfolio accounting and reporting application. C2 Investment Group provides non-discretionary investment consultation to institutional clients, such as municipalities and public funds, focusing on government bond index tracking using US Treasury and Agency securities. The firm offers index-tracking optimization tools to assist clients with portfolio rebalancing and does not provide discretionary portfolio management.

James Bradley is a CFP® and CFA® with 28 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Penobscot Financial Advisors since 2011 and previously held roles at Mid Atlantic Financial Management, Inc. and Mid Atlantic Capital Corporation. Outside of finance, he is a flight instructor and pilot at Maine Coastal Flight Center and serves as Treasurer and volunteer board member for Hospice Volunteers of Hancock County. Penobscot Financial Advisors is a team-based firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm employs a multi-disciplinary investment approach with a long-term orientation and offers both comprehensive wealth management and standalone financial-planning services.

Andrea Russo is a financial advisor at Darden Wealth Group in Ann Arbor, MI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 20 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Darden Wealth Group in 2026, Russo worked at Altrius Capital Management over multiple periods totaling approximately 12 years, and briefly at Kroon & Mitchell in 2023. Darden Wealth Group serves private individuals, university faculty, business owners, foundations, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations, offering comprehensive wealth management, financial planning, retirement and pension consulting, and business-owner advisory. The firm’s investment approach combines fundamental analysis with multi-year horizons and tactical allocations, utilizing individual securities alongside ETFs and mutual funds.

Jon Michael Carrick is a financial advisor at Hanson Financial Group with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Hanson Financial Group since 2023. Carrick also has a long-term academic role at Stetson University, where he has been employed since 2011. Outside of advising, he serves as Director of Alta Peaks, Inc., an investment holding company that was previously active in selling market research reports. Hanson Financial Group primarily serves pooled investment vehicles and institutional or business clients through discretionary investment supervisory and portfolio management services. The firm employs a tactical allocation approach across various asset classes and does not use a percentage-of-assets fee model.