Thomas Mc Guire is a financial advisor at Silver Oak Securities, Inc. with three years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 credentials and previously worked at Sentinus-Halo Securities, LLC and Morningstar Investment Services LLC. Outside of finance, he is a partner in DMC Fitness Solutions, a business that repairs and maintains fitness equipment. Silver Oak Securities serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and other entities through a network of about 101 financial professionals managing approximately $2.4 billion in discretionary assets. The firm offers a variety of advisory programs tailored to client objectives and risk tolerances, combining discretionary investment management with operational features such as ongoing model monitoring and automatic investment processes.

Theodore Buckley is a financial advisor with VestGen Advisors, LLC, holding a Series 66 credential and 11 years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at Triad Hybrid Solutions, Triad Advisors, Sequoia Wealth Management, and LPL Financial. Outside of his advisory work, Buckley is an author and motivational speaker, presenting seminars related to his book on retirement planning, and serves on the board of advisors for a social club in Lake in the Hills, IL. VestGen Advisors, LLC provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, small businesses, trusts, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm combines advisor-level client relationships with centralized portfolio construction, utilizing third-party managers and home office strategies to serve a diverse client base including institutions and sovereign entities.

Eric Talbott is a financial advisor at Apollon Wealth Management, LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at several firms including Piershale Financial Group and Envestnet Asset Management. Apollon Wealth Management is a multi-team SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $11.56 billion in client assets through a network of 145 advisors across 67 offices. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, trusts, estates, businesses, retirement plans, and insurance company clients with services that include financial planning and portfolio management, utilizing a combination of centrally managed mandates and locally managed portfolios supported by advanced technology and risk models.

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 experience in the financial industry. He is currently with VestGen Advisors, LLC and has held positions at firms including Triad Advisors, Sequoia Wealth Management, and LPL Financial. Outside of advising, he serves as president and organizer of Capital Financial Education Group, a nonprofit that provides educational seminars. VestGen Advisors, LLC offers investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan services to a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, small businesses, and institutional entities. The firm combines advisor-level client relationships with centralized portfolio construction, employing third-party managers and proprietary strategies to serve a broad range of clients.

John Pestikas is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 22 years of industry experience. He has been with PNC investments since 2009. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital discretionary model account accessible to employees with existing PNC Bank online credentials. Their approach uses approved strategies executed via mutual funds and ETFs, relying on algorithmic risk assessments and delegating portfolio management and proxy voting to third parties.

Jerome O'Reilly is a financial advisor at PlanMember Securities Corporation with 39 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and previously worked at Vista Financial Group Ltd. and OSAIC. O'Reilly is also involved in insurance sales and services through his sole proprietorship, Vista Financial Group Ltd. PlanMember Securities Corporation provides retirement-plan advisory services to employers and plan participants, acting as an ERISA Section 3(38) fiduciary for many plans. The firm employs a top-down strategic asset allocation approach and manages risk-based mutual fund portfolios, offering education, support, and personalized retirement planning to its clients.

Michael McKevitt is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at Private Advisor Group, LLC since 2015 and previously spent eight years with LPL Financial. Private Advisor Group serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plans with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a fiduciary advisory model and offers a range of managed account solutions, including its proprietary WealthSuite platform and third-party strategies.

Stevany Williamson is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Arlington Heights, IL. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has three years of industry experience. Her prior work includes roles at JPMorgan Chase Bank, J.P. Morgan Securities, and various mortgage-related firms. Before entering financial services, she operated Stevany Thomas Salon and Spa for three years. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as certain IRA and brokerage account holders. The firm’s integrated model supports services through Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, offering point-in-time financial plans and optional managed account solutions.

Terrence Crowley is a financial advisor with NewEdge Advisors who holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has 42 years of industry experience. He has worked at several notable firms, including LPL Financial LLC, Wells Fargo Clearing, A. G. Edwards & Sons, Inc., and Merrill. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a caregiver for his disabled son. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations through independent investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a wide range of portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services, utilizing multiple program structures and technology tools to support client and advisor needs.

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.

Eric Freckman is a CFP® professional with 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at Private Advisor Group, LLC since 2015 and previously spent over two decades at LPL Financial, LLC. In addition to his advisory role, Mr. Freckman serves as a notary public. Private Advisor Group serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plans by offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and managed account solutions. The firm employs a fiduciary-based model, utilizing a variety of strategies and technology platforms while often implementing advice through third-party managers and tactical asset management programs.

Joshua Walters is a CFP® with 14 years of industry experience, currently advising at Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. He has held roles at several firms including LPL Financial LLC, Calamos Wealth Management, and J.P. Morgan Chase Bank. Walters holds Series 63 registration and operates out of Arlington Heights, IL. Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. is an enterprise-scale advisory and broker-dealer affiliate of Voya Financial serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement advisory services using a combination of in-house and outside strategists, model portfolios, and technology-enabled tools, with a significant focus on non-discretionary client relationships.

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 holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has previously worked at BNY Mellon and J.P. Morgan. Outside of his advisory role, he coordinates property development activities for Lake Roots Holdings, LLC. Farther provides discretionary investment management and advisory services primarily to individual investors, trusts, and estates through a web and mobile platform supplemented by in-person meetings. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach using proprietary model portfolios, algorithmic rebalancing, and a range of investment vehicles including ETFs, mutual funds, and individual equities.

Nicholas Bova is a CFP®-credentialed advisor with 13 years of industry experience. He has worked at &PARTNERS since 2026 and previously spent 13 years at Wells Fargo. Outside of advising, he holds a 50% ownership interest in a rental property business. &PARTNERS serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, and private businesses, offering investment management, financial and tax planning, and municipal advisory services through both advisory and brokerage platforms.

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.

Anthony Ceffalio is a financial advisor at NewEdge Advisors with a Series 66 designation and three years of industry experience. His prior work history includes roles at LPL Financial and several positions outside the financial sector, including times at Athletico and University of Missouri. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a network of independent investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a broad range of services including portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to sponsored advisory programs, utilizing both in-house and third-party strategies supported by technology and centralized due diligence.

Sherwin Lesk is a CFP® professional with 24 years of experience in financial advising. He has worked at Hightower Advisors since 2017 and was previously with Leonetti & Associates, LLC for 11 years. Lesk has also practiced law as a licensed attorney in Illinois, dedicating less than 10% of his time to this activity. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individual and institutional investors such as pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm employs a multi-manager investment approach, utilizing both affiliated and third-party managers, and offers a range of portfolio management and consulting services.

Robin Stone is a financial advisor with Hightower Advisors who holds the CFP® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses. He has 26 years of industry experience, including 11 years at Leonetti & Associates and nine years at Hightower Advisors. He is based in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Hightower Advisors serves a diverse range of individual and institutional clients, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm emphasizes multi-manager solutions and uses both affiliated and third-party managers, incorporating proprietary research and a variety of investment vehicles in its advisory approach.