John Birkhauser is a financial advisor at RBC Capital Markets with 47 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Merrill for over four decades and Bank of America for 12 years before joining RBC in 2021. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, serves a diverse client base including individual investors, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm offers multiple advisory programs with tailored investment strategies implemented through a combination of in-house and third-party managers, supported by RBC’s capital-markets capabilities.

Emma Robison is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Ameriprise, she held positions in education and retail, including roles at Northern Illinois University and Walmart. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large diversified advisory firm serving both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a specialized Premier Retirement Income service that provides personalized retirement planning advice focused on income sources and tax-aware withdrawal strategies.

Viktoria Bendikova is a financial advisor with Ameriprise, holding a Series 66 designation and eight years of industry experience. She has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2015. Ameriprise offers a retirement-income planning service aimed at individuals approaching or in retirement who meet specific eligibility criteria, providing written Recommendation Reports that address income sources, Social Security options, and tax-smart withdrawal strategies. The firm delivers these services through a centralized consulting team and combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis, with an emphasis on assets held in Ameriprise Managed Accounts.

Jorge Herrera is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with four years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has prior experience with Morgan Stanley and TD Ameritrade. Outside of his advisory role, he has been involved in a business called Creative Analytical Idealist X LLC. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to plan sponsors, corporations, endowments, and other institutional clients, focusing on written asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting. Their advisory process combines quantitative and qualitative research, using forward-looking capital market assumptions to build model asset allocations.

Scott Davis is a financial advisor at LPL Enterprise with 27 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked at Prudential Insurance Company of America, Pruco Securities, LLC, and MSI Financial Services, Inc. He is also involved with Lake County Financial Planning, where he sells Medicare Supplement and Medicare Part D insurance, as well as proprietary and non-proprietary life insurance products. LPL Enterprise provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individual and high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, banks, and corporate and charitable entities. The firm uses model-driven investment implementation and offers financial planning, access to third-party managers, and affiliated insurance and trust services.

Cade Best is a financial advisor at Fidelity with eight years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including E*Trade Capital Management, JPMorgan Securities, Merrill, and Leeward Business Advisors. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, including registered investment companies and an IRS-qualified Charitable Gift Fund. The firm utilizes a combination of proprietary fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction to create model portfolios that incorporate mutual funds, ETFs, and ETPs.

Elizabeth Baldwin is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses, and has 21 years of industry experience. She has worked at J.P. Morgan Securities and JPMorgan Chase Bank since 2010 and previously held positions at Landaas & Company and Russell Investments. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to plan sponsors, corporations, endowments, and other institutional clients, focusing on written asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting within a non-discretionary program. Their advisory approach combines quantitative and qualitative research with forward-looking capital market assumptions and incorporates ESG eligibility criteria.

Mannan Abbasi is a financial advisor at Merrill with two years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has prior work experience at Bank of America and the University of Illinois at Chicago. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in a family furniture business, A-Z Furniture Company, focusing on logistics. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations with model-based and discretionary investment strategies.

Darren Woodmore is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 65 and Series 63 credentials and seven years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at J.P. Morgan Securities and BMO Bank NA. Outside of finance, he has experience with Crosskicks Fitness LLC and Nuffield Health/Fitness and Wellbeing. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolios, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms.

Sharon Shapiro is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with 39 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including PNC Bank, Regal Advisory Services, Charles Schwab, and LaSalle Financial Services. Shapiro has been with J.P. Morgan Securities and Jpmorgan Chase Bank since 2017. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to plan sponsors, corporations, endowments, and other institutional clients, focusing on non-discretionary asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting. The firm’s advisory process combines quantitative and qualitative research supported by a manager solutions team and incorporates an ESG eligibility framework within its recommendations.

Philip Fernandez is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Gurnee, IL, holding a Series 66 designation with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Edward Jones, he held positions at firms including Epividian and Hangar Two, and has a background that includes full-time education at DePaul University. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment strategies supported by a large nationwide network of advisors and branch offices.

John Negovetich Jr. is a financial advisor with Mass Mutual Investors Services and holds a Series 66 designation. He has 16 years of industry experience with prior roles at Thrivent Financial and its affiliates. Outside of his advisory work, he is the owner of a retail business specializing in guitar sales and restoration. Mass Mutual Investors Services, a subsidiary of MassMutual, provides financial planning and asset management services to individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations, using firm-approved tools to deliver detailed, collaborative financial plans.

Connor Schomig is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. Prior to joining Edward Jones in 2022, he worked at Milliken & Company and Kiefer USA. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth households and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment strategies, supported by a large network of financial advisors and branch offices nationwide.

Hannah Bruskin is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Lake Forest, IL. She holds a Series 66 designation and began her advisory career in 2025. Prior to joining LPL Financial, she worked at Deloitte Consulting for three years. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolios, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms.

Casey Sackman is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor at LPL Financial with two years of industry experience. Prior to joining LPL Financial, Casey worked at Evergreen Medical Services, Excel Ltd Inc, and Franconi Development. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with Sackman and Son Financial Services, a business affiliated with his LPL practice. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services including financial planning, model portfolio programs, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms, supported by extensive technology and oversight of over $819 billion in discretionary assets.

Kathryn Baness is a financial advisor at Thrivent Investment Management in Grayslake, IL, holding a Series 66 credential and with seven years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at LPL Financial, Wells Fargo Advisors, Morgan Stanley, and Northwestern Mutual Investment Services. She is also a notary through the National Notary Association. Thrivent Investment Management offers Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients, focusing on holistic, goal-based financial planning that covers areas such as retirement, tax, estate, and special needs planning. The firm provides planning and managed-account services separately, with periodic reviews and without discretionary trading authority for its planning engagements.

Joseph Velez is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Grayslake, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at OSAIC, SagePoint Financial, Cambridge Investment Research, Sequoia Wealth Management, and LPL Financial. Outside of his advisory work, he is co-owner of a real estate business, JAJK LLC. Ameriprise offers retirement-income planning services for individuals approaching or in retirement, primarily serving clients with significant investable assets. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to provide tailored, non-discretionary recommendations delivered through a centralized consulting team.

Sean Dwyer is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with Edward Jones, based in Lake Zurich, IL, and has 15 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2010. Outside of his financial advisory role, he is involved in managing rental properties and serves as a manager of a real estate business entity. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients with a wide range of advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary managed solutions, access to separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds. The firm operates under a fiduciary standard and is notable for its large retail advisor and branch network, as well as affiliated capabilities beyond advisory services.

Jerome Papiernik is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Libertyville, IL, holding a Series 66 designation with nine years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2016. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients, offering a range of investment advisory programs with approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management. The firm operates a nationwide network of over 23,000 advisors and provides both discretionary and non-discretionary strategies along with affiliated mutual funds and tax-efficient services.

Connor Cook is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has prior work experience in various roles, including at Jimmy Johns, Amazon, and Hy-Vee. His background also includes entrepreneurial activity with a business called Sticker Dude. 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 clients with written recommendation reports and ongoing retirement-income planning advice focused on dependable income sources and tax-aware withdrawal strategies.