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Adam Smith

Advisor at Fortress Private Ledger, LLC

Updated today

Location

Hickory, NC

Credentials

Series 66

Industry experience

7 years

About

Adam Smith is a financial advisor at Fortress Private Ledger, LLC with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Bank of America and Merrill Lynch from 2018 to 2024. Fortress Private Ledger advises individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth individuals and employer-sponsored retirement plans, offering financial planning, portfolio management, and specialized Qualified Opportunity Zone advisory services. The firm employs a dynamic investment approach combining trend identification, technical and fundamental analysis, and utilizes a mix of ETFs, individual securities, and mutual funds.

Client services

Based on Fortress Private Ledger, LLC

Financial planning Portfolio management Pension consulting Consulting

Expertise

Based on Fortress Private Ledger, LLC

Active portfolio management ESG / Sustainable investing Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k)

Occupation focus

Based on Fortress Private Ledger, LLC

Founder/Business Owner Retired Executive

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Fee options

Fixed

Financial planning flat fee ranges from $600 to $350,000; QOZ Services initial flat fee negotiated per client

Project-based

Up to $600 per hour for financial planning; client-agreed hourly rate for consulting services

Performance-based

Up to 20% of profits exceeding benchmark (e.g., S&P 500) for qualifying clients with assets over $1 million or net worth over $2.1 million

Other

Account minimum: $100,000 for Portfolio Management Services; $1,000,000 for Retirement Plan Consulting (minimums may be waived)

Location

Hickory, NC

Most active in

Florida · North Carolina

Work history

Fortress Private Ledger, LLC

2024 - Present (2 years)

Bank Of America, N.a.

2018 - 2024 (6 years)

Merrill

2018 - 2024 (6 years)

At&T

2017 - 2018 (1 year)

At&T

2015 - 2017 (2 years)

Pro Services Inc

2013 - 2017 (4 years)

Disclosures

Exclamation point means they have disclosures of this type. Check mark means no disclosures of this type were found.

Business activities & affiliations

user avatar

Harold P

Series 63, Series 66

Granite Falls, NC

Continuum Financial, LLC

Harold Perkins is the sole advisor at Continuum Financial, LLC in Granite Falls, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations with 24 years of industry experience. He has been with Continuum Financial since its founding in 2002. Continuum Financial provides investment supervisory services and ERISA/401(k) consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, and corporations. The firm employs a core-and-satellite investment approach combining in-house selection of stocks and bonds with select ETFs, alongside ERISA consulting and fiduciary diligence through structured committee processes.

Active portfolio management Passive / index investing Real estate investing
user avatar

Mark C

Series 63, Series 65

Hickory, NC

Hickory Financial Group, LLC

Mark Coffey is the sole advisor at Hickory Financial Group, LLC in Hickory, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 32 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Avenir Private Advisors LLC and Kovack Securities Inc. Outside of advisory work, he owns a duck hunting guide service and a marine construction company. Hickory Financial Group is an independent investment adviser serving individuals, families, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm primarily employs an equity-oriented strategy using sector- and factor-weighted ETFs and individual stocks, combining fundamental and technical analysis with ongoing portfolio monitoring and rebalancing.

Active portfolio management Factor investing / smart beta
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Michael L

Series 65

Hickory, NC

Argosy Investors

Michael Loeb is a financial advisor at Argosy Investors with eight years of industry experience and a Series 65 credential. He has worked at several firms, including Magnolia Wash Holdings, von Drehle Corporation, Ally Financial, and Broyhill Asset Management. Outside of advisory work, he serves as M&A Director for Whistle Express, a privately held car wash company. Argosy Investors provides discretionary investment management through separately managed accounts, focusing on a value-oriented strategy with a bottom-up fundamental analysis approach. The firm typically manages a concentrated portfolio aimed at long-term growth and special-situation opportunities, serving qualifying individuals and entities.

Active portfolio management Concentrated stock management
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Brittney M

CFP®, Series 63, Series 66

Hickory, NC

Thayer Financial, L.L.C.

Brittney Miller is a CFP® professional with nine years of industry experience, currently serving at Thayer Financial, L.L.C. She has worked at multiple firms including Bragg Financial Advisors Inc and RBC Capital Markets, LLC. Miller holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. Thayer Financial serves individuals, charitable organizations, and employer-sponsored retirement plans, providing discretionary investment management, financial planning, and pension consulting. The firm emphasizes goal-aligned portfolios with a long-term focus and offers educational seminars alongside integrated ancillary services such as tax preparation and estate-document assistance.

Cash flow / budgeting Charitable giving & philanthropy General estate planning guidance Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k)
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James D

Series 63, Series 65

Conover, NC

Hammerhead Financial Strategies, LLC

James Deporre is a financial advisor at Hammerhead Financial Strategies, LLC with 20 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Hammerhead since 2021. He is also president of Shark Investing, Inc., which operates a subscription-based website offering daily stock market articles and related content. Hammerhead Financial Strategies is a discretionary registered investment adviser serving primarily high-net-worth individuals and family offices. The firm employs an active, opportunistic investment approach using proprietary trading methodologies focused on higher-volatility equities, ETFs, and tactical asset allocation.

Active portfolio management Concentrated stock management

Deaton S

CFP®, ChFC®

Hickory, NC

Thayer Financial, L.L.C.

I’m Deaton Smith and I am the founder of Thayer Financial, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, a West Point graduate and OEF Veteran. I named Thayer Financial after the founding father of West Point because I envision my company as something bigger than me. It embodies the same values and principles of my time at West Point and in the Army: Duty, Honor, Integrity, and Loyalty. These values are at the very core of everything I do and stand for. The existing business model is drowning in a sea of “trust me” salespeople all riddled with major conflicts of interest and complicated financial products that pay exorbitant commissions. This is why I created my own firm. My values and beliefs did not line up with any of these major firms and I knew that there had to be a better way to serve my clients. That’s why I launched a fee-only Registered Investment Adviser that is legally obligated to work as a fiduciary 100% of the time. I don’t accept commissions, referral fees, kickbacks, free vacations, or marketing dollars from insurance companies or investment companies. The only way I get paid is directly from my clients for the services that I provide, which allows my clients to weigh the true cost of the advice they are receiving.

Business ownership considerations Retirement income strategy General estate planning guidance Founder/Business Owner Gen X (Born 1965-1980)
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