Eric Netzel is a financial advisor with First Advisors National, LLC, based in Round Lake, IL. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 30 years of industry experience. Since 2016, he has been involved with Noble Marketing Partners, where he engages in the sales of investment-related products. First Advisors National provides investment management, asset allocation advice, and retirement plan consulting primarily to individual clients, including ERISA plan participants. The firm manages approximately $506.8 million in discretionary assets and implements client strategies through third-party money managers, using tactical and strategic asset allocation with ongoing monitoring and fundamental analysis.

Bret Mooney is a financial advisor with VestGen Advisors, LLC, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 66 license, and has seven years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Triad Hybrid Solutions, LPL Financial LLC, and Sequoia Wealth Management, among others. Outside of advisory work, he is involved in insurance product solicitation and servicing through VestGen Insurance Partners, LLC. VestGen Advisors, LLC is an SEC-registered firm managing approximately $6.66 billion for nearly 23,000 clients across 53 advisors. The firm offers a range of investment management and retirement plan services, using a combination of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analyses along with modern portfolio theory, and serves a diverse client base including institutional investors.

Francesco Vitale is a financial advisor with Merit Financial Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 30 years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Cetera, and VOYA Financial Advisors. He also serves as a trustee on a family trust. Merit Financial Group, LLC is an SEC-registered advisory firm managing approximately $10.6 billion with 144 advisors serving individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and institutions. The firm employs a long-term, diversified investment approach using model portfolios and customizable sleeves, overseen by an Investment Committee and central management team.

James Schmidt is a financial advisor at Cornerstone Wealth Management, LLC with 38 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Cornerstone since 2014, following a long tenure at LPL Financial dating back to 1995. Outside of his advisory work, he sells a baseball card collection on eBay. Cornerstone Wealth Management serves individuals, trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations by providing asset management, financial planning, and retirement consulting. The firm employs advisor-led discretionary management and various LPL-sponsored programs, combining fundamental, quantitative, and qualitative analysis to tailor investment advice to client goals.

Andrew Lewis is a Series 66-registered financial advisor with LaSalle St. Investment Advisors, L.L.C. in McHenry, Illinois, and has three years of industry experience. Prior to joining LaSalle St. Securities, LLC, he worked at Dry Dock for nine years. He is also involved in a fixed insurance business outside his advisory role. LaSalle St. Investment Advisors provides fee-based financial planning and investment supervisory services to a diverse client base that includes individuals, trusts, pension plans, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm offers both non-discretionary and discretionary portfolio management programs and utilizes a range of investment vehicles and third-party manager oversight in its asset management approach.

Robert Bieniek is a financial advisor with World Equity Group, Inc. in Port Barrington, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 48 years of industry experience. He has been with World Equity Group since 2005 and has also been involved with Individual Financial Practitioners, Inc. since 1983, where he is engaged in the sale of individual life and long-term care insurance. World Equity Group, Inc. provides fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to a wide range of clients including individuals, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers managed portfolios through its wrap-fee program and combines discretionary portfolio management with access to third-party money managers.

David Robbins is a financial advisor with Archer Investment Corporation in South Barrington, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 12 years of industry experience. He has been with Archer since 2015 and is also an owner of Nieminski Robbins & Associates CPAs, where he has worked since 2005, providing tax, accounting, and wealth management services. Additionally, he is involved with Barrington Advisors Group LLC, a marketing venture connected to Nieminski Robbins & Associates. Archer Investment Corporation offers investment management primarily to individual clients, including both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth investors, through separately managed accounts and proprietary mutual funds. The firm employs a multi-branch, independent-contractor model and manages roughly $1.01 billion in discretionary assets with a range of advisory services from comprehensive financial planning to limited-scope model portfolios.

Kyle Janas is a financial advisor at CreativeOne Wealth, LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and also operates the Law Offices of Craig A Janas, where he is involved in estate planning and life insurance sales. His work history includes roles at Safe Money Concepts, INC and Family Defined Benefits. CreativeOne Wealth, LLC provides fee-based asset management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and sub-advisory services to individuals, corporations, charitable organizations, and other RIAs. The firm uses a combination of proprietary ETF-based models, third-party managers, and option strategies, supporting tailored suitability assessments and regular portfolio rebalancing.

Sanjay Asija is a financial advisor at Archer Investment Corporation with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Archer since 2017. In addition to his advisory role, he is a certified public accountant managing tax preparation and payroll services through his CPA firms. Archer Investment Corporation provides investment advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, and investment companies, managing approximately $900 million on a primarily discretionary basis. The firm offers customized portfolio management and model-based strategies, emphasizing diversified allocations across various asset classes and regular account reviews.

Theodore Buckley is a financial advisor with VestGen Advisors, LLC in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 66 credential and 11 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Triad Hybrid Solutions, Triad Advisors, Sequoia Wealth Management, and LPL Financial. Outside of his advisory work, he is an author and motivational speaker, conducting seminars and coaching sessions unrelated to investments. VestGen Advisors, LLC is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.47 billion for over 9,400 individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan services, utilizing a combination of analytical methods and third-party managers to tailor portfolios to client goals.

Eric Talbott is a financial advisor at Apollon Wealth Management, LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 registrations and has previously worked at Piershale Financial Group, Envestnet Asset Management, BMO Harris Financial Advisors, and Portfolio Brokerage Services. Apollon Wealth Management serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, businesses, and various institutional investors, providing financial planning, portfolio management, retirement plan advisory, and sub-advisory services. The firm uses a combination of centrally managed model strategies and locally managed portfolios, investing across multiple asset classes and offering specialized services including ESG models and tax-managed Direct Indexing.

Ralph Backe Jr. is a financial advisor at Prospera Financial Services, Inc. with 33 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network LLC, Wells Fargo Clearing, and Prudential Equity Group, LLC. Outside of advisory work, he co-owns a vacation home in St. Petersburg, Florida. Prospera Financial Services, Inc. is a multi-team advisory firm with 271 advisors managing approximately $14.4 billion in client assets. The firm serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and other business entities, offering financial planning, portfolio management, and access to multiple advisory programs and third-party platforms.

Keith Mooney is a CFP® and ChFC® with 31 years of industry experience. He is currently an advisor at VestGen Advisors, LLC and has previously worked at firms including LPL Financial and Sequoia Wealth Management. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as president and educator for a nonprofit that conducts financial education seminars. VestGen Advisors, LLC is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.47 billion for over 9,400 clients. The firm serves individual and high-net-worth clients with discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan services, employing a mix of analytical methods and third-party managers to implement client portfolios.

Alan Flota is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) in Elgin, Illinois. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Eagle Strategies and affiliated entities in 2025, he worked for over three decades in the School District U-46. Eagle Strategies serves individual and institutional clients by providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services through a large network of affiliated advisers. The firm offers multiple program types and emphasizes tailoring recommendations to client objectives, managing a significant portion of its assets on a non-discretionary basis.

Amanda Czosek is a financial advisor with AE Wealth Management, LLC, holding a Series 65 credential and nine years of industry experience. She has worked with AE Wealth Management since 2016 and is also the owner and president of Jager Financial Services. Additionally, she serves as a board member for the National Alliance on Student Loan Debt. AE Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, trusts, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers a platform-centered approach featuring model portfolios, discretionary asset management, financial planning, and specialized plan services.

Brian Sutherland is a financial advisor with AE Wealth Management, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Oxbow Financial, TSFG, LPL Financial, and Perdoceo Education Corporation. AE Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, trusts, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers a platform-centered approach with model portfolios, discretionary asset management, financial planning, and plan services, supported by an internal Investment Consulting Group and various licensing and sub-advisory programs.

Donald Cafero Sr. is a ChFC® credentialed financial advisor with 42 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with TLG Advisors, Inc. He has worked at several firms including The Leaders Group Inc and Highland Capital Brokerage. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in insurance brokerage through The Cafero Group and works as a point of sale and wholesale specialist with FSG. TLG Advisors, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $2.0 billion in discretionary client assets. The firm serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and institutional investors, offering services such as portfolio management, comprehensive financial and estate planning, and ERISA fiduciary services. Their investment approach combines fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory, with a direct-to-consumer program called Starlight Portfolios that tailors portfolios based on client risk profiles.

Dennis Anderson is a CFP® professional with 34 years of experience in the financial industry. He has worked at Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. since 2013, following prior roles at Wells Fargo Clearing and A. G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. In addition to his financial advisory work, he owns and operates a grain and livestock farm in Viola, Illinois. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an integrated broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a wide range of clients, offering services including financial planning, investment management, and retirement plan consulting through a team of more than 500 advisors.

Rod Russell is a financial advisor at Farther with 13 years of industry experience. He has held positions at BNY Mellon and J.P. Morgan prior to joining Farther. Outside of his advisory role, he coordinates property development activities for Lake Roots Holdings, LLC. Farther provides discretionary investment management and related advisory services primarily to individual investors, trusts, and estates through a web and mobile platform as well as in-person meetings. The firm’s investment approach is based on Modern Portfolio Theory, utilizing proprietary model portfolios, algorithmic rebalancing, and a mix of ETFs, mutual funds, equities, and fixed income, supplemented by AI tools under internal review.

Pranav Singh is a financial advisor with FIFTH THIRD SECURITIES, Inc. in Crystal Lake, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and bringing 17 years of industry experience. He previously worked at J.P. Morgan Securities and Jpmorgan Chase Bank NA for over a decade before joining Fifth Third in 2022. FIFTH THIRD SECURITIES, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutions through investment advisory and brokerage services. The firm offers multiple program types and third-party portfolio management via its Passageway Managed Account Platform and operates as a broker-dealer, SEC-registered investment adviser, and municipal advisor.