Shreekkanth Viswanathan is a CFA® charterholder and holds the Series 66 designation with nine years of industry experience. He has been with SVN Capital, LLC since its founding in 2018, following three years at Keeley Asset Management. SVN Capital, LLC is a state-registered investment adviser serving individual and institutional clients with discretionary portfolio management, including separately managed accounts and a pooled private fund. The firm employs a bottom-up, fundamental value-investing approach focused on a concentrated portfolio and long-term horizon, managing approximately $14.3 million in discretionary assets.

James Pattie is the sole advisor at Horizon Capital Management, LLC in Lake Forest, Illinois. He holds a Series 65 designation and has 21 years of industry experience, including 22 years with Horizon Capital Management. Horizon Capital Management provides discretionary investment management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and pension or profit-sharing plans, and also offers sub-advisory asset management to other registered investment advisers. The firm’s approach is based on Modern Portfolio Theory, emphasizing diversified allocations, a buy-and-hold strategy, and regular portfolio reviews.

Brian Rhoads is a CFA® charterholder and the principal of Checkpoint Financial Planning in Highland Park, IL, with two years of experience in financial advising. He previously worked for 18 years at Quantitative Risk Management. Checkpoint Financial Planning provides fee-only, advice-only financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and businesses through project-based engagements, focusing on areas such as retirement strategies, estate planning, and business planning. The firm emphasizes risk-aware, tax-conscious planning and delivers written reports following video consultations, without managing client assets or charging fees based on assets under management.

Jeffrey Cohen is a financial advisor at US Advanced Computing Infrastructure, Inc. with a Series 65 designation and four years of industry experience. Prior to founding his firm in 2018, he worked at International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation for three years. US Advanced Computing Infrastructure provides non-discretionary stock analysis and quantitative research to institutional investors, accredited high-net-worth clients, and individual investors. The firm uses a proprietary quantitative algorithm called the Chicago Quantum Net Score to evaluate stocks and construct portfolios, delivering services primarily through written reports, client-directed research, and subscription-based content.

Michael Vodicka is the principal of Vodicka Group, Inc., an independent advisory firm based in Highland Park, Illinois. He holds a Series 65 designation and has 17 years of experience in the financial industry, including 15 years with his current firm. Vodicka Group, Inc. provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals and small corporations. The firm manages discretionary accounts tailored to clients’ objectives and risk tolerances, employing strategies such as asset allocation, dollar-cost averaging, technical analysis, and both long- and short-term trading.

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.

Hi, I'm Larry Pershing, CFP® RMA®, a flat fee financial advisor. I focus on helping people age 55+ with their retirement planning and investment management needs for a FLAT fee. Having worked in various wealth management firms in my career, I was surprised to discover many firms try to service everyone, which leads them to being average for all. Some are more concerned with amassing client assets than providing customized recommendations. I started Optimum Retirement Planning because I saw a need for specialists to help clients navigate the complex and challenging financial aspects of retirement. Our offering is different. We don’t work with everyone. We specialize in helping those who are close to and in retirement. We apply the latest financial research for retirement to help answer your complex financial questions. Optimum Retirement Planning is a flat fee financial advisor. This means we charge differently than most financial advisors. We offer retirement planning and investment management for a flat fee. For too long retirees have been overpaying for financial advice due to large commissions and/or being charged a percentage of their assets. When I’m not in the office, I’m on a tennis court, reading a book (finance or science fiction), or spending time with family and friends. I also volunteer for AARP sponsored events that help seniors receive complimentary financial advice. While I live in Chicago, I was born and raised in Los Angeles. I return often, especially during winter. You can take the guy out of California, but you can’t take the California out of the guy!

Joshua Kortenkamp is a financial advisor at Kortenkamp, Joshua F, an independent firm. He holds a Series 65 designation and has three years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Lawrence E Grandt, Powers & Moon, LLC, and Uline Shipping Supplies. The firm provides discretionary investment management services primarily to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and estates, using a top-down macroeconomic approach combined with growth, value, and momentum strategies. It emphasizes closed-end funds and employs a broader range of instruments such as options and limited partnership interests, managing about $13.5 million for approximately 15 clients.

Peter Wright is the principal of Wright Benefit Advisors Inc. in Lake Forest, IL, with 26 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at several firms, including Kingsbury Capital, LLC, and Edwin C Blitz Investments, Inc. He is also president of Wright Benefit Strategies, an insurance brokerage and consulting firm licensed for life, health, and property casualty insurance. Wright Benefit Advisors Inc. provides portfolio management, financial planning, pension consulting, and participant education to individuals, high-net-worth clients, businesses, and pension or profit-sharing plans. The firm combines fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis with modern portfolio theory to implement long-term investment approaches, with a focus on pension consulting and corporate plan services.

Nathaniel Gandy is a CFP® with eight years of industry experience, currently serving as the principal at Obar Wealth Management LLC. His background includes roles at Wealthfront Brokerage LLC and USAA Financial Planning Services. He also owns Gandy Fintech Solutions LLC, a consulting business focused on advising firms on fintech applications. Obar Wealth Management is an independent, fee-only advisory firm offering investment management, financial planning, and tax preparation for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and businesses. The firm applies Modern Portfolio Theory and provides portfolio management services to both individual and institutional clients.

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.

Edward Leszynski is a financial advisor at KGL Financial Advisors, LLC with seven years of industry experience. He holds the PFS™ and Series 66 designations and previously worked at Praetorian Wealth Management Inc for ten years. Outside of advising, he is a CPA involved in individual tax preparation and holds a significant ownership interest in a sports and events center. KGL Financial Advisors is an independent wealth management firm serving individual and high-net-worth clients with combined financial planning and discretionary portfolio management. The firm manages approximately $30 million in assets and employs a long-term investment approach using diversified portfolios of mutual funds, ETFs, stocks, bonds, and options.

Michael Mc Clain is a CFA® charterholder with nine years of industry experience. He is currently the sole advisor at PAC Capital, LLC in Lake Forest, IL. Prior to founding PAC Capital, he worked at Hedeker Wealth LLC and Hedeker Capital, LLC from 2016 to 2019. PAC Capital provides discretionary and occasional non-discretionary investment management through separately managed accounts, sub-advisory services, and institutional consulting. The firm serves individual, high-net-worth, and institutional clients, employing a multi-strategy approach that includes hedge-style strategies such as convertible arbitrage and active shorting, combining fundamental and systematic analysis tailored to client mandates.

Gary Hart is a financial advisor with Wealth Management Associates, Inc. in Lincolnshire, Illinois, holding a Series 63 designation and 38 years of industry experience. He previously worked at GSH Advisory Services, Inc. for over three decades and has been with Mowery & Schoenfeld, LLC since 2016, where he provides tax and financial consulting services. Wealth Management Associates offers discretionary portfolio management and asset-allocation services to a select group of clients, including high-net-worth individuals and institutional entities. The firm emphasizes tailored investment strategies and continuous portfolio supervision, serving a concentrated client base with approximately $78.8 million in assets under management.

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.

John Choi is the sole advisor at Epiphany Capital in Vernon Hills, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 25 years of industry experience. He has led Epiphany Capital since 2006. Choi is also licensed as an independent insurance agent specializing in fixed, indexed annuities, and health insurance. Epiphany Capital offers financial planning, coaching, and investment management by coordinating with third-party portfolio managers to implement portfolio models. The firm serves individual investors, families, and small business owners, providing services across retirement, estate, tax, college, and insurance planning.

Jeffrey Kostis is a CFP®, PFS™, and Series 65 credentialed advisor with 19 years of industry experience. He has been the principal of JK Financial Planning, Inc. since 2007, providing financial planning and investment consultation from Vernon Hills, Illinois. JK Financial Planning, Inc. offers fee-only financial planning and investment services to individuals, trusts, estates, and small businesses, focusing on major life transitions such as marriage, divorce, career changes, college funding, and retirement. The firm employs a fundamental, long-term planning approach emphasizing asset allocation, passive/index strategies, written investment policy statements, and uses scenario analysis in retirement and settlement planning.

Robert Stanley is a CFP® and ChFC® with 17 years of experience in financial advisory services at R. W. Stanley Investment Planning. He has operated the Stanley Agency since 1991, providing fire, casualty, and life insurance services. R.W. Stanley Investment Planning offers fee-only, project-based financial planning and investment advisory services primarily to individuals and families, emphasizing broad strategic asset allocation and the use of low-cost passive index funds. The firm does not take custody of client assets and provides advice on a per-project, hourly basis.

David Andalman is the principal advisor at DA Wealth Advisors with 34 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and previously worked at Millennial Advisers, PTI Securities & Futures, and has been involved with D.A.C.S. since 1979. Outside of his advisory role, he is founder and president of DACS Research, which focuses on algorithm development and research in commodity futures. DA Wealth Advisors is an independent firm providing discretionary portfolio management primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm uses a variety of analytical methods to construct diversified, long-term oriented portfolios that emphasize income production and risk management.

Michael Calzolano is a CFP® professional with 21 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Encompass Wealth Management LLC since 2010 and also holds positions with Humana, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and The Life Insurance Pro. Encompass Wealth Management LLC provides discretionary asset management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and their related trusts and estates. The firm employs asset-allocation models based on modern portfolio theory and offers access to mutual funds, ETFs, individual securities, third-party managers, and alternative investments, with a focus on personalized oversight and tailored investment strategies.