Charlotte, NC Office

Team
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Stephens

Multi-team

Firm-wide stats for Stephens

Total advisors

243

Across 38 offices

Clients per advisor

87 High

Avg AUM per client

$672,559 Typical

HNW client ratio

15% Typical

About

Stephens is a multi-team investment adviser with roughly 243 advisors and about $18 billion in assets under management that serves individuals (including high-net-worth clients), retirement plans, foundations, corporations and other institutional clients. In addition to advisory services and financial planning, the firm provides brokerage, investment banking, custody and wrap program platforms and publishes research and client communications produced by its Equity Research group.

The firm offers both discretionary and non-discretionary management across a wide suite of wrap and advisory programs (for example, PWM, SAS, MAP, UMA, SMID and fixed-income strategies) and uses investment committees and IARs to select funds, sub-advisors and model portfolios. Stephens combines bottom-up equity research (covering roughly 400 stocks) with committee-driven asset-allocation and fixed-income duration management, and it also advises on private equity and alternative investments when appropriate.

Compared with many peers, Stephens operates as a dually registered broker-dealer and investment bank and also provides municipal advisory services and sponsors pension and health trust programs for local governments, activities that are uncommon among multi-team advisers. The firm discloses a number of atypical features — including the ability to receive commissions in certain brokerage contexts, revenue-sharing and clearing arrangements with Pershing, an insured bank sweep program administered with IntraFi, availability of performance-based fee arrangements in qualifying cases, relationships with bank and insurance clients, and a prior SEC cease-and-desist order related to mutual fund share-class selection.

Based on Stephens

Expertise

Private / alternative investments Active portfolio management

Based on Stephens

Occupation focus

Executive Founder/Business Owner

Based on Stephens

Location

4521 Sharon Road

Charlotte NC 28211

Advisors at this office

6

Advisors at this office

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Cynthia B

Series 63, Series 66

Charlotte, NC

Stephens

Cynthia Burger is a financial advisor at Stephens in Charlotte, NC, with 28 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Stephens since 2006, following five years at UBS Financial Services. Stephens is a multi-team investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, foundations, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory services, including discretionary and non-discretionary management, combining bottom-up equity research with committee-driven asset allocation and fixed-income strategies.

Private / alternative investments Active portfolio management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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James H

Series 63, Series 65

Charlotte, NC

Stephens

James Hardison IV is a financial advisor at Stephens with 46 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at Stephens since 2010. Prior to that, he spent 30 years at Citigroup Global Markets and 17 years at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Hardison serves on the board and finance committee of the Ronald McDonald House of Winston Salem. Stephens is a multi-team investment adviser with approximately 243 advisors and about $18 billion in assets under management. The firm serves individuals—including high-net-worth clients—retirement plans, foundations, corporations, and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory, brokerage, investment banking, and research services.

Private / alternative investments Active portfolio management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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John W

Series 63, Series 65

Charlotte, NC

Stephens

John Walker is a financial advisor at Stephens with Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 43 years of industry experience. He has worked at Stephens since 2003 and spent 11 years at Merrill prior to that. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as an Innovative Club Advocate for Rotary District 7680, supporting new club development and participating on several committees. Stephens is a multi-team investment adviser with approximately 243 advisors and $18 billion in assets under management. The firm serves individuals, retirement plans, foundations, corporations, and other institutional clients, offering a range of advisory, brokerage, and investment banking services supported by in-depth equity research and committee-driven portfolio management.

Private / alternative investments Active portfolio management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Katherine G

Series 66

Charlotte, NC

Stephens

Katherine Grzeszczak is a financial advisor at Stephens in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation. She joined Stephens in 2026 and has prior experience with Barings and AdventHealth among other employers. Stephens is a multi-team investment adviser with approximately 243 advisors and $18 billion in assets under management, serving individuals, retirement plans, foundations, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, combining bottom-up equity research with committee-driven asset allocation and also provides municipal advisory services and investment banking.

Private / alternative investments Active portfolio management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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James T

CFA®, Series 63, Series 65, Series 66

Charlotte, NC

Stephens

James Thompson Jr. is a CFA charterholder with 16 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Stephens. He previously worked at Sallux Investments, LLC, Prodeo Asset Management, Inc., and has held a senior managing director role at Elevation LLC. He is a member of the Board of Governors of Charlotte Country Club. Stephens is a multi-team investment adviser with approximately 243 advisors and $18 billion in assets under management, serving individual, institutional, and retirement plan clients. The firm offers a range of discretionary and non-discretionary management programs, combining bottom-up equity research with committee-driven asset allocation, and also provides brokerage, investment banking, custody, and other financial services.

Private / alternative investments Active portfolio management Executive Founder/Business Owner
user avatar

John B

Series 66

Charlotte, NC

Stephens

John Black Jr is a financial advisor at Stephens with 13 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at Stephens since 2013. Stephens is a multi-team investment adviser with approximately 243 advisors and $18 billion in assets under management, serving individuals, retirement plans, foundations, corporations, and other institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services and utilizes a combination of bottom-up equity research and committee-driven asset allocation in its investment approach.

Private / alternative investments Active portfolio management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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