William Taratsas is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 31 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Wells Fargo Clearing since 2022. His prior experience includes roles at Cetera and Lincoln Financial Distributors. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting services to qualified ERISA plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary advice. The firm’s investment approach is IPS-driven and grounded in modern portfolio theory, with a notable inclusion of insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options among its investment offerings.

Gina Ribota is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Crown Point, Indiana, holding a Series 66 designation with six years of industry experience. She has been with Edward Jones since 2019 and previously worked at Centier Bank for 22 years. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients through a large network of financial advisors and branch offices. The firm offers a range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies, tax-efficient services, and affiliated financial products under a fiduciary standard.

Alexander Koleff is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He focuses on serving families by helping them preserve, grow, and pass on their wealth, working closely with clients who have developed successful careers or businesses and seek to establish a lasting legacy. His areas of expertise include family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, portfolio management, tax minimization, and retirement income. Alexander holds a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. He earned a Master's Degree from Indiana University and a Bachelor's Degree from Wilmington College. Outside of his professional role, Alexander enjoys golfing, spending time with his family, and playing table tennis.

Nikolaos Pitsas is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Merrillville, IN, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and possessing 32 years of industry experience. He has been with Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016 and previously worked at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC from 2014 to 2016. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as power of attorney for his parents in investment-related matters. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm providing investment advisory, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting services to individual, corporate, and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers a combination of brokerage and advisory solutions supported by research from Wells Fargo Investment Institute and third-party data.

Melissa Hilley is a financial advisor with Raymond James & Associates in Valparaiso, IN. She holds a Series 66 credential and has 19 years of industry experience, having been with Raymond James & Associates since 2006. Raymond James & Associates is a large broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser overseeing approximately $501 billion in assets. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutional and pension plans, and municipal entities, offering financial planning and non-discretionary investment consulting through various programs and affiliated research.

Brad Marker is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and five years of industry experience. His career includes positions at J.P. Morgan Securities, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Raymond James Financial Services, and GFI Wealth Partners. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors through its Institutional Consulting Services program, combining quantitative asset-allocation modeling with centralized due diligence and incorporating an ESG eligibility framework in its recommendations.

Steven Smead is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with 13 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Edward Jones since 2012. Outside of his advisory role, he is a PGA Golf Professional and provides golf instruction. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, including households, pension plans, corporate clients, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a range of investment advisory programs and affiliated financial services through a large nationwide network of advisors and branch offices.

Paul Shook is a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he has been serving clients since 2001. As a qualified Portfolio Manager, Paul provides traditional financial advice and guidance, as well as the discretionary management of customized investment strategies. These strategies may include individual stocks and bonds, model portfolios, and third-party investment options. He focuses on wealth management strategies tailored for business owners, professionals, and high net worth clients. Paul’s areas of expertise include retirement planning, education planning, equity and fixed income selection, portfolio management, tax minimization, and retirement income strategies. His approach involves a consultative and objective process to develop personalized plans suited to each client’s long-term financial goals, with an emphasis on managing risk throughout the implementation and monitoring phases. He utilizes the resources and research support available from Merrill Lynch to offer comprehensive services such as estate planning, liability management, and wealth management. Paul holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Engineering from the University of Miami, earned in 1982. He has earned professional designations including CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Benefits Consultant (RBC). Outside of his professional role, Paul enjoys gardening, hiking, music, and running.

Brock Naaman is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with one year of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked in various roles including at Kennected and ANALYTIC.LI prior to joining LPL Financial. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, financial institutions, corporations, and charitable organizations nationwide. The firm offers financial planning, advisory programs, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management approaches supported by research and technology-driven strategies.

Isabella Kowalczyk is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with one year of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has prior work experience at Oak Partners, Inc., Indiana University Bloomington, Nordstrom, and other organizations. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm provides a range of financial planning and advisory services, including discretionary and non-discretionary management, model portfolios, and retirement plan consulting.

Chad Stooksbury is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Merrillville, IN, holding a Series 66 designation and three years of industry experience. He also serves as a senior tax analyst at Cornerstone CPA LLC dba MidCoast Tax, focusing on individual and business tax preparation and consulting. His prior work history includes roles at Bethel Church and CliftonLarsonAllen. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large, diversified advisory firm serving individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a specialized Premier Retirement Income service that provides written recommendation reports and ongoing retirement-income planning advice focused on dependable income sources and tax-aware withdrawal strategies.

Ryan Alberson is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Valparaiso, Indiana. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has three years of industry experience. Prior to joining LPL Financial, he worked at Northwestern Mutual in various capacities from 2023 to 2025 and spent 18 years at Garber Chevrolet. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, credit unions, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers financial planning, advisory programs, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing model portfolios, third-party research, and various technologies across discretionary and non-discretionary management approaches.

Kyle Borkowski is a financial advisor at Stifel with eight years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® designation and Series 66 license. Prior to joining Stifel in 2021, he worked at TransUnion and KN Real Estate Investors. Stifel serves a broad range of clients, including individuals, institutions, and municipal entities, providing brokerage and investment advisory services. The firm’s investment approach relies on proprietary methodologies developed by its Investment Strategy Group to support asset allocation and financial planning decisions.

Timothy Coleman is a financial advisor at Cetera with Series 65 and Series 66 credentials. He has been with Cetera and its related entity since 2026 and previously worked at Centier Retirement Plan Services and Centier Bank. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that serves individual clients, retirement plans, corporate and charitable organizations, and institutional investors. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services through a large network of independent advisors, utilizing multiple program structures and investment options.

Andrew Kutanovski is a CFP® with 10 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at LPL Financial since 2024. His prior experience includes roles at AGIA and VALIC Financial Advisors Inc. He is also the business owner of Kutanovski Dental LLC, a non-investment-related venture. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, financial institutions, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and financial planning services, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by in-house and third-party research.

Melinda South is a financial advisor with Raymond James & Associates holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. She has been with Raymond James & Associates since 2006. Raymond James & Associates, Inc. is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $501 billion in assets. The firm serves a diverse client base, including individuals, institutional clients, charitable organizations, and state and municipal entities, offering financial planning, non-discretionary investment consulting, and institutional fiduciary solutions.

Derek Stegenga is a CFP® professional with 11 years of experience in the financial industry. He has been affiliated with OSAIC since 2024 and previously worked with Securities America Advisors and Securities America Inc for nearly a decade. Beyond his advisory role, he serves as a volunteer board member for the DeMotte Chamber of Commerce and is a Deacon at his local church. OSAIC serves a diverse client base including individual and high-net-worth investors, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations through a large network of affiliated advisers. The firm offers integrated brokerage and advisory services, employing asset-allocation tools, risk-tolerance analysis, and automated rebalancing across various investment vehicles.

Michael Dexter is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Crown Point, IN. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has 38 years of industry experience, all with Edward Jones since 1988. Outside of advising, Dexter is involved in the Crown Point Community Foundation as 1st Vice President and serves as an independent vice chair for grants and investment guidance; he is also an investor in a Napa, CA winery and participates in family farming operations. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth households, pension plans, corporate clients, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment solutions supported by a large nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Christopher Ashe is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Oak Brook, IL, holding the ChFC® and Series 66 designations and bringing 17 years of industry experience. He has worked with Equitable Advisors since 2008 and also operates Brian Ashe & Associates, a separate insurance services business. Ashe serves as a voluntary board member for Walden Clearing Manors HOA and acts as executor and trustee for his parents' estates. Equitable Advisors serves individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, corporations, and charitable organizations by offering financial planning, retirement-plan support, and access to asset management through a range of third-party managers. The firm employs a hybrid referral and implementation model and provides both advisory and brokerage/insurance services tailored to clients’ goals, risk tolerance, and time horizons.

Mario Ruiz is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 29 years of industry experience. He previously worked at SII Investments, Inc. for 20 years and has operated Ruiz Insurance and Financial Services for 30 years. Ruiz is also a licensed insurance agent involved in fixed insurance sales. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a variety of advisory programs, retirement consulting, and brokerage services with discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by extensive research and model portfolios.