Blake Steele is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 12 years of industry experience. He has been with Creative Planning since 2017 and previously worked at Edward Jones from 2014 to 2016. Based in St. Louis, MO, Steele serves clients as part of a larger team at Creative Planning. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, pension plans, and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach that incorporates low-cost indexing, buy-and-hold strategies, and selective private market exposure, managing approximately $295.6 billion in client assets across more than 1,100 advisors.

Thomas Cordes is a CFA® charterholder with 27 years of industry experience. He is currently with &Partners, where he has worked since 2024, and previously spent 11 years at UBS Financial Services. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in managing a rental property business through an LLC he owns. &Partners serves a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations, offering investment management, financial and tax planning, and retirement-plan consulting services. The firm utilizes a combination of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis along with proprietary and third-party strategies, providing both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management.

John Kafer is a financial advisor with First Command Advisory Services in O'Fallon, Illinois, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 14 years of industry experience. He has been with First Command Financial Services and related entities since 2012. Outside of advising, he serves on the finance committee of the non-profit Airlift Tanker Association, assisting with budgeting and spending plans. First Command Advisory Services is an SEC-registered firm serving individuals, corporate, and charitable clients, with a focus on active-duty service members and their families. The firm offers financial planning and multiple wrap-fee asset management programs managed through a centralized investment team that selects and monitors model portfolios and third-party managers.

Brian Randall is a financial advisor at Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. with seven years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Larson Financial Group, LLC, the University of Missouri - St. Louis, and Doctors Without Quarters. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an integrated broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients through a network of more than 500 advisors. The firm offers a range of services including wrap-fee advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, investment management, brokerage services, insurance products, and certain M&A advisory services.

Scott Szymula is a financial advisor at Prime Capital Financial with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C., Severin Investments LLC, Wells Fargo Advisors, and Edward Jones. Prime Capital Financial is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, corporations, and retirement plans with a range of services including asset management, financial planning, and family office offerings. The firm utilizes a variety of investment strategies and provides tax and financial administration services through an affiliated accounting subsidiary.

Elliot Rybak is a financial advisor with Private Advisor Group, LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and two years of industry experience. His prior work includes over a decade at Bank of America and advisory roles at The Chamberlin Group and C2P Capital Advisory Group. Private Advisor Group serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plans, offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a fiduciary-based advisory model using a range of investment strategies and technology platforms, with access to proprietary and third-party managed account solutions.

Deric Rees is a financial advisor with Integrity Alliance, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 23 years of industry experience. He has been with Integrity Alliance since 2014. In addition to his advisory role, he is involved in fixed annuity and life insurance sales. Integrity Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans through a network of 164 independent advisers. The firm provides continuous asset management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party manager programs, employing a variety of portfolio strategies and custodial platforms.

David Krouse Jr. is a CFP® professional with 16 years of experience in the financial services industry, currently affiliated with Guardian Life and Park Avenue Securities. His career includes extensive tenure at Guardian Life and Park Avenue Securities since 2018, as well as prior roles at Mass Mutual and MML Investor Services. Outside of finance, he is involved in acting alongside his wife on a limited basis. Park Avenue Securities LLC, operating as Park Avenue® Wealth Management and a subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers a range of financial planning and consulting services and uses both advisor-led discretionary management and model-based strategies to tailor client relationships.

Charles Saenger is a financial advisor with Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc., holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at Benjamin F. Edwards since 2025 and previously spent ten years at L.M. Kohn & Company. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as CFO of a farming operation in Arkansas through Sadac, Inc. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an integrated broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients through more than 500 advisors. The firm offers a range of advisory services including wrap-fee programs, financial planning, and managed solutions that combine proprietary strategies and third-party models.

Joshua Erni is a financial advisor with Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. in St. Louis, MO, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and having 22 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Edward Jones for 20 years before joining Benjamin F. Edwards in 2022. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporations through more than 500 advisors. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, financial planning, investment management, and brokerage services utilizing both proprietary strategies and third-party models.

James Phelps is a financial advisor at &Partners with 16 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at LPL Financial, Saxony Capital Management, Saxony Securities, and Scottrade. &Partners serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, foundations, universities, trusts, private businesses, and corporations. The firm offers investment management, financial and tax planning, ERISA 3(21) consulting, and brokerage services through a combination of proprietary and third-party strategies, using both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches.

Jeffrey Luechtefeld is a financial advisor at Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. with 35 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked previously at Wells Fargo Clearing and A. G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. Outside of his advisory role, he owns drive-thru coffee kiosks in Owensboro, Kentucky. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients, offering a range of advisory, brokerage, insurance, and M&A services through over 500 advisors.

Edward O'Neal is a financial advisor at Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. with 30 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Benjamin F. Edwards since 2015. Outside of his advisory role, he is an owner of rental property in the St. Louis area. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an integrated broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients through a network of over 500 advisors. The firm offers wrap-fee advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, investment management consulting, brokerage services, insurance products, and certain M&A advisory services.

Mary Ruddy is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in St. Louis, MO, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 37 years of industry experience. She has been with GWFS Equities / Great-West Life & Annu-Ins Co since 2007. Outside of her advisory role, she has worked as a sales clerk selling jewelry at JCPenney. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as certain retail brokerage clients. The firm’s approach emphasizes long-term portfolio returns, annual rebalancing, and clients’ savings rates within an integrated platform tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative services.

Tymothy Mc Donell is a financial advisor at First Command Advisory Services with the Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. His career includes military service in the United States Air Force and ongoing service with the Illinois Air National Guard. He also works as a varsity football coach at Mascoutah High School. First Command Advisory Services is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, corporate, and charitable clients, with a focus on active-duty service members and their families. The firm provides financial planning and multiple wrap-fee asset management programs using a centralized investment management team that selects model portfolios and third-party managers.

Jefferey Prost is a financial advisor with Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. in Saint Louis, MO, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and nine years of industry experience. Prior to joining Voya in 2017, he worked at American Realty LLC and Bubba Gump Shrimp Company from 2010 to 2017. He is also active as an independent insurance agent specializing in fixed insurance products and life insurance. Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. is an enterprise-scale advisory and broker-dealer affiliate of Voya Financial that offers financial planning, portfolio management, unified managed account and wrap programs, as well as retirement-plan and IRA advisory services to a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm combines in-house and third-party strategies with technology-enabled tools to implement investment recommendations, providing a mix of non-discretionary and discretionary management options.

Brandon Gross is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, Inc. with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC and DiSys prior to joining Wells Fargo Investment Institute. Wells Fargo Investment Institute provides institutional research, manager due diligence, model portfolio construction, and asset-allocation guidance to Wells Fargo wealth and fiduciary businesses as well as select external clients. The firm’s research is organized across specialized divisions and it primarily offers impersonal research and model guidance rather than direct investment management.

Susan Frigerio is a financial advisor at Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. in St. Louis, MO, holding a Series 66 designation with nine years of industry experience. She has been with Benjamin F. Edwards & Co since 2014. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an integrated broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients through a network of over 500 advisors. The firm provides a range of services including advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, investment management, brokerage, insurance products, and certain M&A advisory services.

Troy Cox is a CFP® professional with 29 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked with Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. since 2012 and has prior experience at Wells Fargo Clearing, A. G. Edwards & Sons, Inc., Martin Wier, Inc., and OSAIC. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an integrated broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients through more than 500 advisors. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, financial planning, retirement consulting, and investment management solutions, combining proprietary strategies with third-party models and operating an internal trading desk alongside custody and clearance services.

Jason Tschudy is a CFP®-certified financial advisor at &Partners with 15 years of industry experience. He worked at Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC from 2017 to 2023. Based in Saint Louis, MO, he holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. &Partners serves a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and private businesses. The firm offers investment management, financial and tax planning, and retirement-plan consulting through both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches, utilizing a combination of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis.