Rick Gardner
Financial Advisor, President/Founder, Chief Investment Officer
Rick Specializes in:
- Portfolio Management
- Financial Planning
- Multi-generational Wealth Planning
Registered Investment Adviser Rick Gardner founded RGA Investments in 1996 to help clients achieve financial security and independence through personalized wealth management and investment services. His Raleigh-based wealth management firm serves clients in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and throughout North Carolina and the United States.
A longtime North Carolinian, Rick spent his formative years in Greensboro, NC, where he met his future wife, Jen, in 9th grade English at Page High School.
Rick earned a football scholarship to Wake Forest University and was a three-year starter at defensive end. He was also part of the 1992 Independence Bowl Championship Team and was named to the All-ACC Academic Team.
After graduating from Wake Forest University’s Calloway School of Business with degrees in Business and Finance, Rick relocated to Raleigh and founded RGA Investments. Over nearly three decades, he has built a distinguished career in wealth management, combining extensive investment and financial-market knowledge with a highly personalized, relationship-driven approach to advising clients.
Rick’s perspective on the financial markets is regularly sought by television, print, and other media outlets, where he is interviewed and provides commentary on market trends, the economy, and investing. His experience and commitment to his clients have also earned him national recognition within the wealth management industry, including recurring recognition on Forbes’ annual Best-in-State Wealth Advisors list.
Rick is committed to giving back to the community and has held leadership positions with several local organizations:
- Past Board President on the Board of Directors for Children’s Flight of Hope
- Past Development Chair for the NC Symphony Society Board
- Past Board President for the Wake Forest Athletic Advisory Board
- 2023 JDRF Gala Honoree
- Past Board Member Wake Forest Titan’s Pop Warner Football
Rick and his wife, Jen Gardner, live in the Raleigh area with their three children.
Noel Flanary
COO & Practice Manager
Kari Owen
Financial Operations Specialist
Kristin Barbour
Client Services Specialist
Jen Gardner
Director of Community Development
Avery Davis
Client Platform Specialist
Jackson Gardner
Financial Specialist
Noel grew up in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia and attended Blue Ridge Community College, where she majored in accounting. Noel moved to North Carolina after starting her career in accounting, and she has called Raleigh home since 1999.
In addition to Noel’s over 25 years of experience in financial operations, client services, and practice management in the wealth management industry, Noel earned her Variable Securities License in 2002 and her Registered Financial Consultant (RFC) designation in 2013. Prior to joining RGA Investments in 2006, Noel worked in investment services with Fidelity Bank and Merrill Lynch.
Kari has lived most of her life in the Raleigh area, where she has worked many years in the service industry. She and her husband, Robby, live in the Raleigh area with their daughter. Kari joined RGA Investments in 2014 to assist with client services.
Kristin joined RGA in the fall of 2023 and is dedicated to supporting clients with thoughtful, attentive service. With a strong background in customer service and client care, she takes pride in building meaningful relationships. Kristin and her husband are proud parents to twin daughters and one son.
Jen is an Atlanta native, although she grew up in Greensboro, NC and has been a North Carolinian for most of her life. She attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she earned her BA with a double major in psychology and sociology.
As director of community development, Jen establishes and maintains RGA’s relationships with nonprofits throughout the Triangle. RGA Investments is proud to support charitable and faith-based organizations through financial contributions and volunteer work; Jen coordinates all of our charitable giving and volunteer resources so we can work with our friends and neighbors to support and strengthen our communities.
Before joining RGA Investments, Jen worked with children and young adults with physical and developmental disabilities as a Quality Developmental Disabilities Professional (QDDP). She lives in the Raleigh area with her husband, Rick, and their three children.
Avery graduated from Holy Cross in Worcester, MA in 2022. During her time at Holy Cross, she was a two-year starter and team captain for the women’s soccer team her senior year. In her spare time, she mentors young girls as an assistant coach for the Leesville Women’s Soccer Team. She married her husband, Will, in early 2025 and they welcomed their daughter in late 2026.
Jackson is an integral member of our team, bringing the same dedication to his work that he developed as a member of the NC State football team. Outside of work, Jackson enjoys mentoring young men through football as the head offensive line coach at Leesville Road High School. He married his wife, Mary Katherine, in late 2026.
Take exceptional care of the clients you have, and you’ll never have to worry about finding new ones.
— C. Wayne Gardner, grandfather of RGA President and Founder Rick Gardner
When Rick Gardner founded RGA Investments in 1996, he embraced his grandfather’s words of wisdom and worked to establish positive relationships with each one of his clients. RGA Investments is still thriving more than 30 years later, in part because we’ve always applied Rick’s grandfather’s advice as the firm’s guiding principle. As your financial steward, our team will help you adjust your investment portfolios and financial plans throughout your life.