James Alan Schmidt

John Piershale is a CFP® professional with 32 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Piershale Wealth Management, LLC in Crystal Lake, Illinois, and has held prior roles at Origin Financial, Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc., Piershale Financial Group, Inc., and Triad Advisors, Inc. Piershale Wealth Management provides discretionary investment management and a variety of financial planning services to individual clients. The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation based on Modern Portfolio Theory and fundamental analysis, offering specialized tax and estate planning within a modest, single-advisor model.

William Utes is the sole advisor at UTES Wealth Strategies in Antioch, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials with 56 years of industry experience. He has worked with firms including Securities America, Inc. and Brookstreet Securities Corporation. Utes occasionally reviews insurance needs with clients in coordination with approved vendors. UTES Wealth Strategies provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning for individuals, families, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm employs a manager-selection process and combines strategic and tactical asset allocation using various investment vehicles, supplemented by client newsletters and educational seminars.

Timothy McDonald is the sole advisor at Timothy J McDonald CPA CFP, an independent firm based in Lake Barrington, IL. He holds CFP® and Series 63 designations and has 27 years of industry experience. He is also a partner in the CPA firm McDonald Doherty & Co., where he has been active since 1988. The firm provides personalized financial planning and investment management to individuals and families, integrating tax planning with investment strategies. It employs a combination of fundamental and technical analysis and asset allocation tailored to clients’ risk tolerance and goals, managing approximately $65 million across about 60 client relationships.

Roy Brown is a CFP® with 28 years of industry experience. He has been with Trueman Brown since 2007 and previously worked at Ameriprise for nine years. Outside of his advisory work, he is co-owner and vice president of RVTV Properties. Trueman Brown, LLC is an independent advisory firm managing approximately $196 million for about 128 clients, offering financial planning, consulting, and investment management services to individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, business entities, and institutional clients. The firm employs a long-term growth investment approach combining fundamental and technical analysis, and it is notable for serving pension and profit-sharing plans and recommending private placements and hedge-style collective vehicles.

Gregory Smith is a CFP® with 14 years of industry experience and has served as an independent consultant since 2009. He is the sole advisor at Long Run Investment Management, LLC, an independent firm based in Long Grove, IL. Long Run Investment Management provides discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individual investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, corporations, and unaffiliated advisers. The firm emphasizes pension consulting and retirement-plan fiduciary services, implementing portfolios using a combination of fundamental, charting, and cyclical analysis within a Modern Portfolio Theory framework.

Anton specializes in retirement planning, business tax strategy, and personalized financial advice designed to reduce taxes and support long-term financial goals. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur, a growing practice, or planning for life after work, he delivers clear, actionable guidance tailored to your situation. Most advisors specialize in either taxes or investments. Anton holds the credentials and the responsibility for both — which is what lets Sansone coordinate the two sides of your financial life under a single strategy.