Bradford Szczecinski is a financial advisor with Creative Resources Investment Advisors LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 registrations and bringing 27 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at USI, Marsh Private Client Services, and The Horton Group. He volunteers with Breakthrough Urban Ministries as a planned giving consultant and serves on the Transplant Advisory Council at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Creative Resources Investment Advisors primarily serves individual and high-income clients, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and other entities. The firm employs a long-term, value-oriented investment approach incorporating Modern Portfolio Theory and a blended strategic/tactical asset allocation, tailoring portfolios to client needs and conducting regular reviews.

Samuel McElroy is a financial advisor at Stride Investments, LLC with 13 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Stride Investments since 2013, with prior roles at Stride Financial and as owner of McElroy Financial. Outside of advisory services, he serves as Chief Operating Officer of Stride Financial, an insurance and planning services firm. Stride Investments provides fee-based investment management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporate accounts, and retirement plans. The firm focuses on purpose-based investing and retirement-income planning, using proprietary tools to assess goals and risk, and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management.

Frank Iozzo is a financial advisor at FMI Financial, Ltd. with nine years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 and Series 65 designations. His prior experience includes roles at Capital Strategies, Inc. Group and J.P. Morgan Securities, where he worked for over a decade. FMI Financial, Ltd. provides investment advisory services to institutional investors, high-net-worth individuals, corporate retirement plans, trusts, and estates. The firm emphasizes a long-term, diversified investment approach and offers discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, financial planning, and retirement-plan education.

Dale Branda is a CFP® professional with nine years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Steward Advisors, LLC since 2016. He holds a Series 65 license and is based in Chicago, IL. Steward Advisors serves individuals, businesses, trusts, estates, retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and family offices with fee-based financial planning and private portfolio management. The firm manages approximately $137 million in assets and integrates financial planning into its services, utilizing diversified portfolios and documented reporting practices.

Daniel Schlesser is a financial advisor with LaSalle St. Investment Advisors, L.L.C. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 37 years of industry experience. His career includes long-term roles at Tilden Loucks Woodnorth LLC, LaSalle St. Financial, Inc., McDermott LaSalle St Inc, and related LaSalle St. entities. LaSalle St. Investment Advisors serves individuals, trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations with fee-based financial planning and portfolio management services. The firm employs a variety of investment strategies across multiple asset classes and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary management, with a notable emphasis on non-discretionary assets.

Mark Vincent is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) with 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Stonebrook Capital Management, Inc. since 2001. Stonebrook Capital Management provides personalized, fee-only financial planning and investment management to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and small businesses, managing approximately $70.3 million for about 108 clients. The firm combines fundamental and technical analysis to create custom asset-allocation strategies with an emphasis on diversification and defensive tactics.

Jacob Kadisak is a CFP® professional with 7 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Kadisak Financial Services, Inc. in Naperville, IL, where he has worked since 2011. The firm provides discretionary investment management and financial planning to individual and trust clients, including both high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth households. Kadisak Financial Services manages approximately $65.5 million across about 77 client relationships, using an actively managed, tactical asset-allocation approach focused on diversified mutual funds and ETFs, with services that include retirement planning and employer retirement plan reviews.

Adam Smolich is a financial advisor at Clement Street Capital LLC with 14 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with Clement Street Capital since 2012. Clement Street Capital provides discretionary asset management and comprehensive financial planning primarily to high-net-worth individuals, trusts, corporations, retirement plans, and other legal entities. The firm builds tailored investment policies using a mix of asset classes and employs ongoing monitoring and rebalancing, serving a select client base with substantial account size and net-worth thresholds.

Daniel Carroll is a financial advisor at Stride Investments, LLC in Chicago, IL, with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Edward Jones for five years. Outside of advising, he is also licensed to sell insurance and spends a portion of his time on insurance sales and services. Stride Investments, LLC provides fee-based investment management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporate accounts, and retirement plans. The firm focuses on purpose-based investing and retirement-income planning, using proprietary tools to document goals and asset allocation, and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management.

Michael Perna is a financial advisor at First Choice Financial Services LLC with 18 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been involved in the financial and insurance services industry since 1983, serving as president of Michael Perna and Associates, Inc. and First Choice Insurance Agency. First Choice Financial Services LLC provides financial advice to individual and high-net-worth clients primarily through referrals to third-party money managers and offers estate-planning support services. The firm focuses on client communication, oversight of third-party managers, and employs fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis in its recommendations.

Mark Murphy is a CFP® with 11 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Sequoia Wealth Management, LLC in Chicago, IL. His career includes roles at JMC Wealth Management, Inc. and LPL Financial LLC, where he has been active since 2014. Murphy also provides financial planning and consulting services through JMC Wealth Management, Inc., an independent investment advisor firm. Sequoia Wealth Management advises individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, and employer retirement plans, offering asset management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm utilizes a combination of quantitative optimization, third-party research, and manager selection, serving clients through discretionary management and third-party strategist models.

Mary Mermel is a CFP® with 18 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Sullivan Mermel, Inc., where she has worked since 1998. The firm provides fee-only, holistic financial planning and investment management for individuals and families, including both high-net-worth and non-HNW clients. Sullivan Mermel emphasizes a retainer-based fee model, non-discretionary trade implementation, and investment strategies tailored to clients’ tax situations, risk tolerance, and cash-flow needs.

Joshua Betancourt is a financial advisor with Quantum Capital Investments, Inc. in River Forest, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 17 years of industry experience. He has been with Quantum Capital since 2009 and Quantum Capital Investments since 2011. Betancourt also has a Master’s Degree in Accounting and provides accounting and tax planning services. Quantum Capital Investments, Inc. offers discretionary asset management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and employer-sponsored plans. The firm uses a range of investment strategies tailored to client goals and risk tolerance, including fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, and incorporates affiliated tax planning and insurance services.

Paul Mardoian is a CFP® with 37 years of industry experience, currently serving at Bayworth Capital since 2025. His prior experience includes roles at Fairhaven Wealth Management and Triad Advisors. He also operates a sole proprietorship providing insurance and retirement plan services. Bayworth Capital offers financial planning, portfolio management, and pension consulting to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $62.7 million in discretionary assets and tailors portfolios using a range of investment strategies while providing ongoing account monitoring.

Matthew Kunst is a CFP® and CFA® with nine years of industry experience. He has worked at Opus Financial Solutions LLC since 2017 and previously spent eight years at MMK Financial Services. Opus Financial Solutions provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, families, business owners, executives, trusts, and other entities, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management. The firm emphasizes integrated tax and accounting support alongside investment management, utilizing a combination of strategic and tactical asset allocation with ETFs, mutual funds, and alternative investments when appropriate.

Todd Schrade is a financial advisor at Midway Capital Research & Management LLC in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 65 designation and with 14 years of industry experience. He has been with Midway Capital Research & Management since 2014. Midway Capital Research & Management provides discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, consulting, and retirement-plan advisory services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a bottom-up fundamental research investment process with a value-oriented approach and offers customized portfolios to address both long-term growth and short-term liquidity needs.

Joseph Kruse is a CFA® charterholder with 24 years of industry experience. He has been with Kruse Asset Management, LLC since 2007. In addition to his advisory role, he contributes to YCharts.com by working on ranking and rating systems based on fundamental characteristics. Kruse Asset Management advises individuals, trusts, estates, family offices, charitable organizations, and business entities, offering portfolio management and financial planning services. The firm combines Modern Portfolio Theory with proprietary quantitative equity models and uses third-party tools like YCharts to construct diversified portfolios and manage risk.

Matthew Shapiro is a financial advisor at MWS Capital Consultants LLC with 22 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 65 designation and has been with MWS Capital Consultants since 2003. The firm provides personalized investment management, wealth-planning, and consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, personal trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, and corporate clients. MWS Capital Consultants emphasizes a Classic Portfolio Management strategy focused on fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, managing mostly discretionary portfolios while allowing client-imposed restrictions and interactive financial planning through the eMoney Advisor platform.

Kirk Kreikemeier is a CFP® and CFA® with 18 years of experience in financial advising. He has worked at Pebble Valley Wealth Management since 2008, where he is one of two advisors. Pebble Valley Wealth Management serves individual, charitable, and corporate clients, offering discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and pension consulting. The firm’s investment approach focuses on asset allocation and mutual fund/ETF selection, with a notable use of derivative-based option strategies and selective digital-asset exposures within client portfolios.

Jessica Garner is a CFP® professional with six years of industry experience. She has worked at Stevard LLC since 2016 and previously spent one year at Lakeshore Financial Services. Stevard LLC provides family office and investment advisory services to high-net-worth individuals, trusts, family LLCs, partnerships, private foundations, and family businesses. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, and expanded family office functions such as accounting, tax compliance, property management, insurance review, and estate planning, with an investment approach centered on multi-asset portfolios and manager selection.