David Casalena is the Senior Resident Director and Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill's Rockford, IL office. He joined Merrill in 1992 and leads a team that works with individuals and families navigating significant life transitions, such as retirement, home purchases, divorce, or the death of a spouse. David also has extensive experience assisting clients with the distribution options of employer-sponsored plans and company stock plans, including business owners and corporate executives with substantial stock options. He earned a Bachelor's degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) designation as well as the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) credential. David's advisory approach involves helping clients prioritize their essential goals, wishes, and concerns to foster confident financial decisions, protect their financial lifestyle, and manage investment risk thoughtfully. David is active in his community, serving as Chair of the Rosecrance Health Network's Foundation Board and coaching youth baseball and hockey in Rockford. He is also a board member of Rosecrance, Inc. David resides in Rockford with his wife, Jennifer, and their two children, Saxon and Kash.

Jason Crouch is a financial advisor with Stifel in Rockford, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and possessing 24 years of industry experience. He has worked at Stifel since 2018 and previously spent five years at B.C. Ziegler and Company. Stifel serves a broad range of clients, including individuals, institutional clients, and charitable organizations, offering brokerage and investment advisory services. The firm employs a proprietary methodology developed by its Investment Strategy Group to provide investment analysis and allocation guidance intended to support client decision-making.

Fred Belknap is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Rockford, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at SPC, Sigma Financial Corporation, and Wells Fargo Clearing. 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, supported by advanced operational tools and oversight of substantial discretionary assets.

Gary Love is a CFP® professional with 28 years of industry experience. He is currently affiliated with Osaic Wealth and has also worked with Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. for over 16 years. In addition to his advisory work, he serves on the Investment and Finance Committee of Rockford Christian Church. Osaic Wealth serves a diverse client base including individual and high-net-worth investors, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm provides integrated brokerage and advisory services, utilizing various tools and third-party platforms to construct and manage portfolios across multiple asset classes.

Holly Mathiesen is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and over 22 years of industry experience. She has worked at Thrivent Investment Management and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans since 2003. Outside of her financial advisory role, she occasionally performs as a musician, singing or playing instruments primarily in church settings. Thrivent Investment Management offers Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients, providing goal-based analyses and written recommendations across various financial planning topics. The firm allows clients to combine planning with managed-account programs under a consolidated billing option but does not provide discretionary trading authority for its planning services.

Ryan Jeffrey is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with 13 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Edward Jones since 2012. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a range of advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, with a large national network of advisors and branches.

Ken Bhatt is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Rockford, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 21 years of industry experience. He has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2004. Ameriprise offers a retirement-income planning service targeted at individuals nearing or in retirement, focusing on clients with significant investable assets. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to provide written, non-discretionary recommendations delivered through a centralized consulting team.

Robert Custer is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with a Series 66 designation. He has been with Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. since 2026. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, he worked in various roles at Abnormal AI, Forcepoint, Evolve Security, and Coyote Logistics. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that offers advisory programs and tailored financial planning to both individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and employs a structured planning process utilizing tools such as Monte Carlo simulations and the Global Investment Committee’s Secular Return Estimates.

Andre Irlbeck is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 11 years of industry experience. He has worked at firms including Regal Investment Advisors and currently serves as Director of Investments at Rohlík Financial Group. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is a nationwide SEC-registered adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a multi-manager platform featuring discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to third-party money managers, with over $256 billion in assets under management across a broad network of advisors.

Michael White Jr. is a financial advisor at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors with 29 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at VOYA Financial Advisors for six years. Outside of his advisory role, he is a partner in an accounting and tax preparation firm and an independent insurance agent. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and trusts. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, and retirement plan advisory services delivered through a network of independent professionals, providing both proprietary and third-party investment strategies tailored to client objectives.

Ann Ragnar is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Janesville, WI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 16 years of industry experience. She has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2010. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved in managing an independent advisory business, Fitzgerald Wealth Management, where she works as a paraplanner. Ameriprise offers a retirement-income planning service designed for clients approaching or in retirement who meet specific asset criteria, combining research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to provide tailored written recommendations. The firm serves a broad client base through advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions typical of a large institutional firm.

Bryan Orvis is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with 24 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2004 and holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as Assistant Financial Secretary for the St Anthony of Padua Church Holy Name Society in Rockford, IL. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and operates a nationwide network of more than 23,700 financial advisors, offering a range of advisory programs and investment strategies under a fiduciary standard.

Brian Aarvig is a Series 66-credentialed financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Rockford, IL, with 21 years of industry experience. He has worked at Morgan Stanley since 2009 and specifically at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. since 2015. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management serves both individual and institutional clients, offering a variety of advisory programs that include tailored financial planning through its Financial Advisors and Estate Planning Strategies Group. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and employs a structured planning process supported by firm-approved tools and modeling techniques.

James Meisch is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Rockford, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and having 38 years of industry experience. He has worked with Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association since 2015 and has been with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney since 2009. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management serves both individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs including tailored financial planning through its Financial Advisors and Estate Planning Strategies Group. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and uses structured discovery processes and firm-approved planning tools in its financial planning approach.

Tonya Kalodimos is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and with 14 years of industry experience. She has worked at J.P. Morgan Securities and JP Morgan Chase Bank since 2015, with a brief tenure at BMO Harris Bank in 2016. J.P. Morgan Securities provides investment consulting and advisory services mainly to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors, utilizing a quantitative asset-allocation approach combined with centralized due diligence and an ESG eligibility framework. The firm’s advisory services are delivered on a non-discretionary basis, with clients retaining final decision-making authority.

Michael Oberheim is a financial advisor with LPL Financial holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and 19 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at BMO Harris Financial Advisors, J.P. Morgan Securities, and Chase Investment Services Corporation. Outside of his advisory work, he is a co-promoter of Midwest Premier, a trade show business. 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 with access to model portfolios, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms, supported by extensive operational tools and a large network of over 22,800 advisors.

Sarah Johnson is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Rockford, Illinois, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and totaling 24 years of industry experience. She has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entity since 2012. Outside of her advisory work, she serves on the Board of Directors for Gigi's Playhouse Rockford, a nonprofit organization. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large advisory firm serving both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a specialized Premier Retirement Income service that provides retirement income planning advice through a collaborative, non-discretionary approach employing proprietary research and third-party data.

Rebecca Peterson is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Rockford, Illinois. She holds a Series 66 designation and has one year of industry experience. Prior to joining LPL Financial, she worked at BMO Harris Bank and NFP Insurance Solutions and was employed at Monarch Solutions for seven years. 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, and institutional platforms, supported by a large network of investment adviser representatives and advanced operational tools.

James Michelsen is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with Ameriprise in South Beloit, IL, bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has been with Ameriprise and its affiliates since 2005. Outside of his advisory role, he plays guitar and sings in a local band approximately once a month. Ameriprise provides retirement-income planning services focused on clients approaching or in retirement with significant investable assets, using a combination of research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver tailored Recommendation Reports.

Zorana Okilj is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with eight years of industry experience. She holds a Series 63 designation and previously worked at JPMorgan Chase Securities and Chase Bank. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary services. The firm’s advisory process is IPS-driven and includes a broader range of investment options, such as insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep programs, distinguishing it among large institutional advisors.