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Lorence Merritt

Advisor at Independent Financial partners

Updated today

Location

Highland Park, IL

Credentials

ChFC®, Series 63, Series 65

Industry experience

45 years

About

Lorence Merritt is a financial advisor with Independent Financial Partners in Highland Park, IL, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses. He has 45 years of industry experience, with prior roles at LPL Financial and Sheridan Road Advisors, and has led The Merritt Advisory Group since 2018. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as Co-Chair of Legacy Fundraising at Temple Beth Israel. Independent Financial Partners is a nationwide enterprise firm with over 260 advisors, providing investment advisory, financial planning, trust, and retirement-plan services. The firm supports a decentralized advisory model while offering formal retirement-plan consulting and trustee services, managing over $12.5 billion in assets as of December 2024.

Client services

Based on Independent Financial partners

Financial planning Portfolio management Pension consulting Selection of other advisers Educational seminars or workshops Non-discretionary investment advice

Expertise

Based on Independent Financial partners

Retirement income strategy Tax-loss harvesting

Occupation focus

Based on Independent Financial partners

Founder/Business Owner Executive Retired

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Fee options

Fixed

Financial planning services often charged as flat fees, negotiated based on service scope and complexity

Percentage

$0+: Negotiated; may be tiered with breakpoints set by individual IARs up to 2.0% max $0+: Up to 2.5% max with Third Party Asset Managers (TPAMs) included

Commissions

Offered through affiliated broker-dealer; commissions charged on brokerage transactions separate from advisory fees

Project-based

Financial planning and consulting services may be charged on an hourly basis, fees negotiated per engagement

Other

Minimum fee: Minimum fees vary by IAR; some IARs may charge flat fees regardless of account size Fee-only: Financial planning fees charged as flat fees, negotiated per client and service complexity

Location

Highland Park, IL

Most active in

Illinois

Work history

The Merritt Advisory Group

2018 - Present (8 years)

LPL Financial

2010 - 2018 (8 years)

Independent Financial Partners

2010 - Present (16 years)

Sheridan Road Advisors, LLC

2006 - 2018 (12 years)

Disclosures

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

Business activities & affiliations

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Thomas W

Series 63, Series 65

Wilmette, IL

Northpoint Advisory LLC

Thomas Wiscomb is the sole managing member of Northpoint Advisory LLC, an independent firm based in Wilmette, IL. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has 19 years of industry experience. He has worked with XMS Capital Partners since 2010 in addition to his role at Northpoint Advisory, which he has been with since 2008. Northpoint Advisory serves individuals, high-net-worth families, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and institutional clients with investment management and select financial planning services. The firm employs a core/satellite investment approach emphasizing principal protection, diversification, liquidity, and tax efficiency, incorporating alternative strategies when appropriate.

Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Business succession planning General estate planning guidance College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
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Basil A

Series 65

Winnetka, IL

White Brook Capital

Basil Alsikafi is the sole advisor at White Brook Capital, an independent firm based in Winnetka, IL. He holds a Series 65 designation and has nine years of industry experience, including ten years with White Brook Capital. White Brook Capital provides discretionary portfolio management through separately managed accounts and model portfolios for high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, and other entities such as pensions and foundations. The firm employs a primarily bottom-up, value-oriented investment approach combined with top-down industry assessment and applies socially responsible exclusions across all strategies.

ESG / Sustainable investing Active portfolio management
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Walter E

Series 63, Series 65

Glenview, IL

Echo Prudent Capital LLC

Walter Ebner is the principal of Echo Prudent Capital LLC and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 26 years of industry experience. He previously worked at BMO Capital Markets Corp., BMO Nesbitt Burns Corp., and Bank of Montreal for 24 years. He is the founder and a board member of Cancer Calculus NFP, a nonprofit organization that assists cancer patients with economic decision-making. Echo Prudent Capital LLC provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services and financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and nonprofit organizations. The firm utilizes a range of analytical methods to build tailored portfolios and serves a concentrated client base, including charitable organizations.

Options & derivatives strategies Passive / index investing Wealth management
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Edgardo N

Series 65

Schaumburg, IL

Navarro Asset Management, LLC

Edgardo Navarro is a financial advisor at Navarro Asset Management, LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been managing investments at Navarro Asset Management since 2022. Navarro is also the Managing Director of Kocoon Investments, LLC, a family investment entity he has been involved with since 2014. Navarro Asset Management serves individuals, including high net worth clients, as well as trusts and estates, providing discretionary and non-discretionary investment management along with financial planning and consulting. The firm employs a diversified investment approach using mutual funds, ETFs, equities, bonds, options strategies, and private funds, and incorporates fundamental, technical, and charting analysis methods.

Private / alternative investments Options & derivatives strategies
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Michael A

Series 65

Elk Grove Village, IL

MOA Advisory & Financial Services Co

Michael Akinosho is the principal advisor at MOA Advisory & Financial Services Co. He holds a Series 65 designation and has five years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he held positions at Engooden Health Inc. and Global View Capital Management, Ltd. In addition to his advisory work, he serves as Manager of Technical Accounting for the American Medical Association, overseeing financial reporting and budgeting for over 240 physicians and medical students. MOA Advisory & Financial Services Co is a state-registered investment adviser that provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to individuals, families, trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, pooled investment vehicles, and small businesses. The firm integrates a long-term core asset-allocation approach with technically based, rule-driven strategies, and maintains an in-house tax and accounting practice offering tax preparation and planning services alongside its advisory work.

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Concentrated stock management
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Joseph V

CFA®

Glenview, IL

VU Financial Services, Inc

Joseph Vu is a CFA charterholder and the sole advisor at VU Financial Services, Inc., with 17 years of industry experience. He has been a full-time associate professor of finance at DePaul University since 1988, teaching MBA and undergraduate courses and conducting academic research. Additionally, he teaches CFA review classes at Becker, a division of DeVry Corporation. VU Financial Services is a single-advisor registered investment adviser that manages customized portfolios for a limited number of clients, including individuals and a broad range of institutional and corporate clients. The firm uses academically informed, quantitative methods and routinely incorporates stock options overlays to tailor portfolios to clients' specific needs.

Options & derivatives strategies Active portfolio management
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