Gray Pendleton, CFP®, PPC®, AIFA®

Gray Pendleton is the leader of Pendleton Financial, where deep client care and thoughtful financial strategy come together. With nearly 20 years of experience, Gray leads with both technical expertise and a people-first approach, creating a welcoming environment where every client feels understood, respected, and supported. The firm’s culture reflects a belief that financial planning is not just about numbers. It's about people, families, and lives in motion. 

Gray specializes in five core areas of comprehensive financial planning:

• Investment management
• Tax planning
• Estate and legacy planning
• Retirement income planning
• Risk protection

Each plan is crafted with clarity and purpose, tailored to align with the client’s values, goals, and stage of life. Portfolios may include stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, private managers, and alternative investments, with thoughtful integration of insurance where appropriate.

Pendleton Financial typically serves high-net-worth individuals, families, business leaders, and retirement plans seeking long-term partnership and meaningful planning. For those who may not meet the firm’s investment minimums, Gray occasionally provides pro bono guidance through select nonprofit and community partnerships—a quiet commitment to service and access.

Before joining Pendleton Financial, Gray worked in credit trading, treasury management, and securities accounting at Bank of America’s Investment Bank during the global financial crisis. That early experience built a strong foundation in investment strategy, risk management, and integrity under pressure. Those lessons continue to inform the work at Pendleton Financial today.

Gray considers it a privilege to do well by doing good, using these skills to serve others while building lasting relationships rooted in trust and care.

A Note from Gray
My faith has shaped how I approach this work. The message of love and inclusion found in the Gospels continues to challenge and guide me. I see financial planning not just as a profession, but as a way to serve with care, honesty, and purpose. I want every client to feel seen and supported, and I’m grateful to do this work every day.

Family

• Son: Gray Ellis Pendleton, JR 
• Son: Gordon Vaughn Pendleton

Education and Work History

• 2015 Graduate of Duke University’s Executive Program for Financial Planning
• 2011 - Current - Work with Pendleton Financial as an Investment Manager, Financial Planner, and 401k Consultant/Fiduciary
• 2009-2010 - Worked for Bank of America/ Merrill Lynch Commercial Bank as a credit and treasury analyst
• 2007-2009 - Worked for Bank of America/ Merrill Lynch Investment Bank as a credit trading analyst & accountant for trading operations
• Graduated from Hampden-Sydney College in 2007 with a BA in Economics
• Intern for ProEquities, Inc. as an investment analyst
• Intern for North Carolina Office of the State Auditor as an external auditor
• Graduated from Cardinal Gibbons High School in 2003

Designations

• CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™
• Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst®
• Accredited Investment Fiduciary®
• Professional Plan Consultant®

Community Accolades

• Triangle Business Journal's 40 Under 40
• Graduate of Leadership Raleigh
• Appointed by the Governor of NC to serve on the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors
• Eagle Scout

Community Involvement

• Member, The Wake County Estate Planning Council
• Member, Pullen Baptist Memorial Church
• Member, White Memorial Presbyterian Church 
• Member, Raleigh Kiwanis Club
• Past President, Raleigh Kiwanis Foundation
• Past President, North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors' Homeowner Recovery Fund
• Past Board Member, North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors (term ended in 2019)
• Past Fundraiser and Volunteer for Healing Transitions (formerly The Healing Place of Wake County)
• Past Fundraiser and Event Chair for Triangle Family Services
• Past Fundraiser for the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce Annual Campaign, and four-time award winner

Hobbies

• Family Time (Sports, Y Guides, Scouting, Beach, Lake, Movie Night, Game Night, Music, etc)
• Music (Plays the Guitar, Violin and Piano and enjoys live music by others)
• Time in and by the Ocean (Surfing & Wingfoiling at Topsail Beach)
• Time on the Lake (Wake sports on Falls Lake in Raleigh)
• Snow Skiing with Family 
• Astronomy