My goal is to provide working professionals with sound financial advice to help them best position themselves and their financial lives for success. While the majority of our clients have medical backgrounds or are business owners, our services are best targeted to those with investable assets and are in the asset accumulation phase of their life. I provide comprehensive financial planning services as well as investment advisory services. PVA Financial LLC is a SEC-registered RIA firm. We focus our business on providing PRACTICAL, VALUABLE and ALIGNED advice. I found that to be missing when I was looking for an advisor more than two decades ago and have vowed to keep focused on those three tenets. Before founding PVA Financial, I worked as a private equity executive. With over 15 years of financial services experience, I've spent the majority of my career evaluating businesses, investing in them, finding ways to accelerate their growth and improve their operational efficiency. This background has given me unique insight into the importance of building strong foundations and the necessity for clear and effective communication...both of which are incorporated into our relationships with clients. I graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. I also received my MBA from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago, with a focus on Finance & Accounting. I also hold the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation, which requires comprehensive knowledge in all areas of financial planning, including insurance planning, risk management, employee benefits planning, investment planning, income tax planning, retirement planning, and estate planning. On the personal side, I enjoy spending time with my wife, three kids and our goldendoodle Leo. I was the Cubmaster for my kids Scout group (sadly a while ago) and am heavily involved in a few charitable organizations. I'm an avid Chicago Bears fan and enjoy playing tennis, basketball and golf. Additional information can be found at www.pvafinancial.com and I can be reached at [email protected]

Lauren Hunt is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience. She is the sole advisor at Daybreak Wealth, LLC, where she has worked since 2022. Prior to this, she spent eight years at Pinnacle Financial Group LLC. Daybreak Wealth, LLC provides customized financial planning and ongoing wealth management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and estates and trusts. The firm focuses on primarily passive, long-term portfolios using low-cost mutual funds and ETFs, applying principles from Modern Portfolio Theory and the Fama–French three-factor model.

Brian Huckstep is a CFA® charterholder and principal of Huckstep Asset Management, LLC with five years of industry experience. He previously worked at Morningstar Investment Management from 2016 to 2019. Huckstep Asset Management provides financial planning, investment management, and model portfolio services to a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, charitable organizations, and institutional investors. The firm focuses on low-cost, globally diversified portfolios using asset allocation as the primary driver of returns and offers both strategic and tactical portfolio strategies, including customized institutional mandates and wrap-model portfolios for third-party platforms.

Andrew Baxley is a CFP® professional based in Oak Park, IL, with 10 years of industry experience. He is the principal advisor at Two Trails Financial Planning, an independent firm he has led since 2024. His prior experience includes roles at BuilderFP, The Planning Center, TIAA, Strategic Advisers, Inc., and Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC. Two Trails Financial Planning provides comprehensive financial planning and discretionary investment management to individuals and high-net-worth clients. The firm uses proprietary portfolio models blending passive and active funds tailored to client risk tolerance and preferences, including options for values-based investing, and operates on a fee-only basis without percentage-of-AUM charges.

Erik Barnes is a financial advisor at Retirement Portfolio Partners in Warrenville, IL, holding a Series 66 designation with 17 years of industry experience. He has been with The Farm Capital Management, LLC since 2008. Retirement Portfolio Partners provides wealth management services to individuals, high-net-worth households, and families, combining portfolio management with comprehensive financial planning. The firm employs passive, cost- and tax-aware strategies using mutual funds, ETFs, and select individual securities, and offers ongoing portfolio oversight through quantitative tools and client digital portals.

Brian Gilmartin is the sole advisor at Trinity Asset Management, Inc. in Clarendon Hills, IL. He holds the CFA® designation and has 27 years of industry experience, having been with Trinity since 1995. Trinity Asset Management provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management primarily for individual investors, including taxable brokerage and IRA accounts, as well as higher-net-worth clients and a family foundation. The firm constructs long-only portfolios using mutual funds, individual equities, ETFs, and fixed income, applying modern portfolio theory to tailor asset allocations based on client-specific factors.

Steven Johnson is a financial advisor with SRJ Financial Consulting LLC in Lombard, IL. He holds a Series 65 designation and has prior experience at Charles River Associates and Willamette Management Associates. Johnson operates as the sole advisor at SRJ Financial Consulting. SRJ Financial Consulting LLC is a state-registered investment adviser serving individuals, small businesses, trusts, estates, and charitable clients. The firm offers asset management, financial planning, consulting, and public educational seminars, providing non-discretionary portfolio services and tailored strategies based on fundamental and technical analysis alongside modern portfolio theory and diversification.

John Beck is a financial advisor at Midwest Retirement Partners, LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked previously at ADP LLC, ADP Broker-Dealer Inc., and Inland Securities Corporation. Midwest Retirement Partners is an independent, single-advisor firm that primarily serves pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm emphasizes quantitative analysis and a long-term investment approach, focusing on plan consulting and referring clients to third-party advisers rather than managing individual client portfolios directly.

Michael Von Lunen is the founder and sole advisor at Wheel Advisors LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with four years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Harrer Law, P.C., T3 Trading Group, LLC, and Purchasing Platform. Outside of financial advising, he owns and operates Ripple360 LLC, a professional coaching business assisting entrepreneurs in building and managing their businesses. Wheel Advisors LLC provides discretionary asset management and advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and small businesses, with an investment approach focused on asset allocation and low-cost index investing. The firm offers financial planning and small-business consultation tailored to employers with 1–20 employees and combines percentage-based asset management with hourly-billed planning services.

Theodore Barnhart is the sole advisor at Barnhart Investment Advisory in Elmhurst, Illinois, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials with 20 years of industry experience. He has led Barnhart Investment Advisory since 2009. Barnhart Investment Advisory serves individuals, families, trusts, and estates with discretionary portfolio management and investment consulting, focusing on active, tactical asset allocation and inflation-sensitive strategies. The firm manages a concentrated client base with customized solutions and requires clients to use a designated custodian platform for managed-account services.

Steven Petrovich is a financial advisor at Petrovich Capital Advisors LLC holding a Series 65 designation with nine years of prior experience at Dodger Investments LLC and eight years at NYC Health and Hospitals Corp. He has no prior industry experience as a registered advisor. Petrovich Capital Advisors provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management primarily for individuals and high-net-worth clients, focusing on long-term strategies using publicly traded liquid securities such as ETFs and individual equities. The firm employs fundamental analysis, asset allocation, and diversification without using leverage, derivatives, or private placements.

Clayton Lawrie is a Series 65 licensed financial advisor at Trac Asset Management LLC with 17 years of industry experience. He has worked at Trac Asset Management since 2015. Trac Asset Management provides investment advisory and portfolio management services to high-net-worth individuals as well as institutional clients including trusts, estates, and corporations. The firm employs both discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, using fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis across a range of investment vehicles, and offers educational seminars and workshops for clients and the public.

Elizabeth Buffardi is a CFP® and Series 65 registered advisor with 14 years of experience. She is the President and Investment Adviser Representative of Crescendo Financial Planners, Inc., where she has worked since 2009. Prior to Crescendo, she was with FinancialPlanning4Me, LLC for one year. Crescendo Financial Planners provides fee-only holistic financial planning to individuals and families, focusing on middle-income clients without a formal asset minimum. The firm emphasizes long-term, primarily passive investment strategies using ETFs and index mutual funds, and operates on a non-discretionary basis with a fee structure based on fixed retainers and hourly engagements.

Monarch Bhatt is a CFP® certificant based in Carol Stream, IL, with four years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Ascent Fintech LLC and has prior experience with firms including MBTAC Financial Services, Oak 22 Partners, and Inland Real Estate Group. In addition to his advisory role, Bhatt serves as Senior Financial Analyst for Roadrunner Transportation Services and is Executive Vice President at Ascent Infotech LLC, an IT services business. Ascent Fintech LLC is an independent advisory firm serving individuals, families, pension and retirement plans, and institutions. The firm employs both passive and active investment strategies tailored to clients’ goals, with offerings that include asset management, financial planning, and ERISA and retirement plan services.

Mark Nelson is a financial advisor at NFO Financial Advisory LLC with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked for six years at Crestline Denali Capital. NFO Financial Advisory LLC serves individual clients through a subscription membership model with no minimum asset requirement. The firm emphasizes long-term investing with strategic and tactical asset allocation, primarily recommending ETFs and mutual funds, and offers financial planning, portfolio monitoring, tax filing services, and consulting without managing client assets or taking custody.

Bradford Tyl is a CFP® professional with 22 years of industry experience and the principal of Bradford Capital Management, LLC, an independent advisory firm he founded in 2003. He also serves on the faculty of Keller Graduate School of Business since 2003. Bradford Capital Management provides investment advisory services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities. The firm emphasizes ETF-based portfolios using Modern Portfolio Theory with a passive asset-allocation and regular rebalancing approach, and it is noted for its pension consulting services and work with charitable organizations.

Brian Peterson is the principal of Pluto Wealth Management, an independent firm based in Woodridge, Illinois. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has six years of industry experience. In addition to his advisory role, he operates a corporate consulting business focused on reviewing and establishing Treasury functions and department structures on a project basis. Pluto Wealth Management serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities, providing comprehensive financial planning, discretionary investment management, and project consulting. The firm employs a mixed analytical approach to portfolio management and offers services such as subscription-style planning, client newsletters, and educational seminars.

Leela Rao is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 65 license, with 20 years of industry experience. She has been with Goodwin Asset Management Inc. since 2002. Rao serves as a director of the Raagalaya Foundation Inc., a nonprofit organization registered in Florida. Goodwin Asset Management provides discretionary investment management and comprehensive financial planning primarily to high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm employs a conservative, value-oriented investment strategy combining top-down macro allocation with bottom-up security selection, and it also offers pension-plan consulting and retirement-plan management services.

Darryl Franklin is a financial advisor at Oakwood Wealth Advisors Ltd. in Naperville, IL, holding a Series 66 designation with 16 years of industry experience. He has been with Oakwood Wealth Advisors since 2012. In addition to his advisory work, he serves as a graduate school lecturer at Benedictine University. Oakwood Wealth Advisors provides portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, offering both active and passive management along with discretionary account authority and performance-based fee arrangements for qualified clients.

Kyle Matkaitis is a CFP® professional with 15 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is the founder and Chief Compliance Officer of Whisper Wealth Builders, an independent advisory firm he established in 2020. Prior to founding Whisper Wealth Builders, Matkaitis worked at SNS Financial Group, LPL Financial, and Fidelity Brokerage Services. Whisper Wealth Builders serves individual and corporate clients, offering discretionary investment management alongside project-based and ongoing financial planning. The firm primarily uses passive investment strategies based on Modern Portfolio Theory while incorporating fundamental and cyclical analysis, and it also conducts educational seminars for groups such as college and professional athletes.