Jeffrey Tromp is a financial advisor at Cetera with 18 years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 credential. He has been with Cetera since 2007 and also serves as a senior financial analyst at Navistar Inc., where he has worked since 2017. In addition to his advisory role, he is involved with BMA Management, Ltd. as an accountant. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is a nationwide SEC-registered adviser that serves individual, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with various portfolio management options and oversees more than $256 billion in assets through a network of over 10,000 advisors.

Ben King is a Wealth Management Planning Consultant at Fidelity Investments, where he collaborates with a team of investment professionals within Fidelity Private Wealth Management. In this role, he provides high net worth clients with account administration and maintenance services and focuses on building lifelong relationships. Ben has a long tenure with Fidelity Investments, having served in various capacities since 1999. His experience includes roles such as Investment Consultant (2011-2022), Financial Representative (2009-2011), Retirement Brokerage Representative (2004-2008), and Participant Service Representative (1999-2004). This extensive experience underpins his expertise in wealth management and investment consulting. Outside of his professional career, Ben's personal interests include comedy, family activities, football, military service, and movies.

Seth Cooper is a CFP® and ChFC® with 11 years of experience in the financial industry, currently serving as a financial advisor at Edward Jones since 2015. He is based in Joliet, IL. Outside of his advisory role, he owns residential rental properties, including one held for his daughter’s college housing. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm that supports over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a broad range of investment advisory programs and services, operating under a fiduciary standard with a large nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Magdalena Lacek is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and having 10 years of industry experience. She has worked at LPL Financial since 2021 and previously at BMO Bank NA and BMO Harris Bank. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves individuals, retirement plans, banks, credit unions, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by proprietary and third-party research.

Robert Meyers is a financial advisor with Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 22 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at LaSalle St Investment Advisors LLC and Edward Jones. Outside of advising, he serves as treasurer on the board of directors for the Center of Hope and is involved in several business ventures including co-ownership of a retail business and an affiliate marketing company. Ameriprise is a large institutional firm offering a retirement-income planning service targeted at individuals approaching or in retirement with significant investable assets. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to provide tailored, written recommendation reports, primarily focusing on assets held in Ameriprise Managed Accounts.

David Marquez is a Series 63 and Series 65 licensed financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Joliet, IL, bringing 31 years of industry experience. He has been with Primerica Advisors since 1995 and with Primerica Financial Services since 1994. In addition to advisory work, he is involved in sales of loan products and home-related services through affiliated companies. Primerica Advisors sponsors a wrap-fee asset management program serving individual investors, corporate, and charitable clients. The firm operates at scale with nearly 3,700 advisors and approximately $15.5 billion in assets under management, delivering advisory services primarily via model-driven strategies created by unaffiliated asset managers.

Giulio Liotine is a Senior Financial Advisor and Portfolio Manager at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He brings extensive experience in financial services, having begun his career in 2002 and joined Merrill in 2009. Giulio specializes in managing personalized and defined investment strategies on a discretionary basis, incorporating individual stocks and bonds, Merrill model portfolios, and third-party investment strategies. His client focus areas include executive compensation, equity compensation services, family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, philanthropic planning, portfolio management services, small business strategies, and tax minimization. Giulio served honorably in the U.S. Army and earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Eastern Illinois University. He holds the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation and communicates fluently in English and Italian. Giulio’s approach centers on understanding his clients’ needs through close collaboration to craft customized financial strategies aimed at helping them pursue their goals. Outside of his professional commitments, Giulio spends time with his wife and children and enjoys activities such as biking, chess, golfing, hiking, reading, and running.

Michael Young is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Orland Park, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. He has worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. since 2015 and at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as an executor for an estate. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management provides a wide range of advisory programs to individual and institutional clients, focusing on tailored financial planning and utilizing firm-approved planning tools and models. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and offers services through both individual and corporate financial planning agreements.

Jeanette Gruber is a CFP® with 29 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Cetera. She has held positions at Cetera Advisors LLC since 2013 and operates Gruber Financial, Ltd., Gruber CPA Services, Ltd., and Gruber Law Office, all of which she has managed for over two decades. She serves on the board of trustees for the Universalist Unitarian Church of Peoria, IL. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that supports a nationwide network of over 10,000 independent advisors, serving a diverse client base including individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and retirement services through multiple program structures and a multi-manager platform with access to both affiliated and unaffiliated third-party managers.

Carson Walker is a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services with 10 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at UBS since 2018, with prior experience at Bank of America and Merrill. Outside of his advisory work, he is a part-time rideshare driver for Uber and is involved in golf course maintenance at Ruffled Feathers Golf Club. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, utilizing proprietary capital market assumptions and research to tailor financial plans. The firm combines institutional trading capabilities with wealth management services and offers a wide range of capital markets and fiduciary services.

David Polimeros is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding a Series 66 designation and 15 years of industry experience. He has worked at LPL Financial since 2018 and previously spent five years with Cetera Advisor Networks LLC. In addition to his advisory work, he is involved in tax preparation and accounting services through Financial Servicenter. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, credit unions, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and financial planning services, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by proprietary research and third-party subadvisors.

Brandon Kanagy is a financial advisor at Fidelity with 28 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at various Fidelity entities since 1997, including Fidelity Brokerage Services, Fidelity Personal and Workplace Advisors, and Fidelity Investments. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, including registered investment companies and charitable funds. The firm employs a process that combines fundamental research with quantitative analysis and algorithmic portfolio construction, and it utilizes systematic methodologies for model portfolio development.

Daniel Carroll is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 10 years of industry experience. Prior to joining LPL Financial in 2024, he worked at Mutual of America Securities LLC and Mutual of America Life Insurance Company from 2018 to 2024. Outside of advising, he serves as a committee member at Midlothian Country Club. 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 a range of advisory programs, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage services, with management approaches supported by proprietary and third-party research.

Kurt Lindemann is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 13 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. since 2015 and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC since 2012. Outside of his advisory work, he owns a personal website dedicated to the Dave Matthews Band where he posts photos and blogs. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management provides a wide range of advisory programs to individuals and institutional clients, including tailored financial planning and estate planning strategies. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and offers planning tools that incorporate market assumptions and scenario modeling.

Michael Klover is a financial advisor at Cetera with two years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has been operating Klover & Co, a tax preparation and bookkeeping service, since 2016. He is also involved with the Channahon Park District, where he has served since 2013. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm serving individuals, retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services delivered through a large nationwide network of independent advisors.

Melissa Eul is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Frankfort, IL, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and 14 years of industry experience. She has worked at LPL Financial since 2021 and has been with BMO Bank NA since 2013. 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 a range of financial planning and advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary management, model portfolios, and retirement plan consulting.

Jocelin Paredes is a financial advisor at Fidelity with seven years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has worked at Fidelity Investments since 2018, previously employed by Bank of America. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, including fund advisory and portfolio management. The firm utilizes a combination of fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction to develop model portfolios drawn from mutual funds, ETFs, and ETPs.

Michael Kusay is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding a Series 63 designation and over 37 years of industry experience. He has been with LPL Financial since 1994 and has operated Kusay Financial Services since 1986. In addition to his advisory work, he is involved in tax preparation and accounting services through related businesses. LPL Financial is a national SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of financial planning and advisory programs supported by research and model portfolios, serving both discretionary and non-discretionary client needs.

Lester Koryczan is a CFP® with 40 years of industry experience, currently serving at OSAIC since 2023. He previously worked for 30 years at FSC Securities Corporation. Koryczan is a board member, treasurer, and investment committee member of the UCP Seguin Foundation, a nonprofit organization. He also operates a tax preparation practice and holds a notary public commission in Illinois. OSAIC serves a broad range of retail and institutional clients through a large network of advisers and multiple advisory platforms. The firm provides integrated brokerage and advisory services, employing asset-allocation tools and automated rebalancing to construct diversified portfolios that include various asset types.

Mark Stevenson is a financial advisor at OSAIC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Woodbury Financial Services and LPL Financial. Outside of his advisory role, he streams video games on Twitch as a non-commercial activity. OSAIC serves a diverse client base including individual, high-net-worth, institutional, and charitable organizations through a wide network of advisers and platforms. The firm provides integrated brokerage and advisory services, employing asset-allocation tools and third-party solutions to manage portfolios across various investment types.