Robert Karstenson is a financial advisor with Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc., holding Series 65 and Series 63 designations and bringing 11 years of industry experience. He has been with Ausdal Financial Partners since 2014 and also operates Karstenson Financial Services. In addition to his advisory role, he is an insurance sales agent focusing on life, health, and accident insurance. Ausdal Financial Partners serves individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, and business entities, managing approximately $3.73 billion for over 16,000 clients. The firm offers a range of services including advisor-managed accounts, separately managed accounts, unified managed accounts, retirement-plan advisory, and financial planning, with investment strategies tailored at the advisor level and accounts managed on discretionary or non-discretionary bases.

June Dinardo is a financial advisor with Arkadios Wealth Advisors in Barrington, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and 16 years of industry experience. She has worked at Arkadios Capital since 2024 and Wayne Hummer Investments since 2008. Arkadios Wealth Advisors provides investment and wealth management services to individuals, trusts, businesses, and retirement plans using a combination of advisor-managed accounts, a wrap program, third-party money managers, and financial planning. The firm supports discretionary account management through its internal portfolio team and employs fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis in its investment approach.

John Fisher is a financial advisor with Alera Investment Advisors, LLC, holding the CFP® and Series 66 designations and bringing 15 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at OSAIC, Triad Advisors, Minnesota Life Insurance Company, and Securian Financial Services. He is also involved with GCG Financial, providing fixed insurance products to clients. Alera Investment Advisors, LLC offers investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services to individuals, families, trusts, businesses, institutions, and retirement plans. The firm uses a combination of internal management, affiliate platforms, and independent managers to construct portfolios focused on mutual funds, ETFs, equities, and fixed income with a long-term approach.

Erik Olson is a financial advisor at Arete Wealth Advisors, LLC with 21 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Arete Wealth Advisors and Arete Wealth Management since 2010. Olson serves as a board member and investment committee chair for the Converge Foundation and owns Olson Analytics, a data analysis and consulting business. Arete Wealth Advisors provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm employs both advisor-driven and proprietary rule-based model allocations, utilizes third-party sub-advisers, and acts as an ERISA fiduciary when applicable.

Andrew Mitchell is a financial advisor with Sound Income Strategies, LLC, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and six years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Charles Schwab, TD Ameritrade, and Wipfli. He also serves in a related capacity at Crystal Lake Tax and Finance, LLC. Sound Income Strategies serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporate and pension clients, and other registered advisors, offering asset management, financial planning, ERISA plan services, and co-advisory arrangements. The firm’s investment approach focuses on fixed-income and income-oriented strategies, with active portfolio management and selective use of third-party managers.

Matthew Reinhardt is a CFA® charterholder affiliated with Merit Financial Advisors in Mount Prospect, IL. He has prior experience at Biggs Mansion, CIBC Private Wealth, CIBC Bank USA, and DePaul University Athletics. Reinhardt joined Merit Financial Advisors in 2026. Merit Financial Advisors is a multi-team registered investment adviser with 264 advisors serving approximately 20,040 clients across 66 offices and managing about $23.9 billion in client assets. The firm offers coordinated wealth-management services focused on long-term, diversified portfolios supported by an internal Investment Management team and customizable investment models.

Ryan Birch is a CFP® professional with 24 years of industry experience. He has been with Kingsview Wealth Management, LLC and Kingsview Partners, LLC since 2025, following a 23-year tenure at Edward Jones. Kingsview Wealth Management serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, trusts, foundations, and corporate entities, providing wealth management, financial planning, and asset management through a network of Investment Adviser Representatives and an internal portfolio group. The firm offers tailored portfolio management, model strategies, and access to third-party managers and alternative investments.

Daniel Smyczynski is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. in Arlington Heights, IL, and has 43 years of industry experience. He has been with Ausdal since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, he is also involved in the sale of insurance products. Ausdal Financial Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA-member broker-dealer managing approximately $2.13 billion in client assets through a network of 152 advisors. The firm serves individuals, trusts, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations, offering a range of advisory programs and brokerage services that include investment management, retirement planning, and insurance products.

Chris Morgan is a financial advisor at Harbour Investments, Inc. with 34 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Beacon Wealth Advisors, LLC and Gradient Securities, LLC. In addition to advisory work, he is involved in tax preparation through Beacon Advisors LLC and is a managing member of Beacon Wealth Advisors, LLC. Harbour Investments serves a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, pension and 401(k) plans, and institutional entities. The firm offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to multiple investment approaches through internal and third-party managers.

Eric Mesko is a financial advisor with VestGen Advisors, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 22 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Triad Advisors, LPL Financial, and Waddell & Reed. He serves on the board of Bartlett Learning Centers, a school for children with mental challenges. VestGen Advisors, LLC is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.47 billion for over 9,400 clients. The firm serves individual and high-net-worth clients, offering discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan services, utilizing a blend of analytical approaches and third-party managers.

Jaime Herrera is a financial advisor at Alera Investment Advisors, LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at firms including JP Morgan Securities LLC and B. Riley Wealth Management. Herrera currently serves as a senior investment service coordinator within the Alera Group. Alera Investment Advisors, LLC provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services to individuals, families, trusts, businesses, institutions, and retirement plans. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management and ERISA-focused plan services, utilizing a combination of internal management, affiliate platforms, and independent managers with a long-term investment orientation.

James Barnash is a CFP® with over 31 years of industry experience, currently serving at Invst, LLC since 2025. His prior roles include positions at Ns Capital, LLC and several other advisory and tax-related firms. Outside of his advisory work, he has been involved in tax accounting and insurance services since 1988. Invst, LLC provides financial planning, consulting, investment management, and retirement plan services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm manages approximately $1.565 billion in assets and employs a multi-disciplinary investment approach that combines fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis.

Erich Fischer is a financial advisor at Harbour Investments, Inc. with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at The Tranel Financial Group and 818 Capital Group, LLC. Fischer also has experience with a customer service and payroll company where he worked part-time. Harbour Investments serves a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, pension and 401(k) plans, and institutional entities. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and various investment platforms with approaches that range from fundamental and technical analysis to modeling and macroeconomic strategies.

Alex Schoenbrun is a financial advisor with Lifemark Securities Corp. and holds a Series 66 designation. He has 2 years of industry experience and has been with Lifemark Securities since 2013. In addition to his advisory role, he is also involved with Midwest Benefit Consultants, Ltd., where he works as an independent insurance agent and pension administrator, focusing on life, disability, long-term care, and group insurance, as well as fixed annuities and 401(k) profit-sharing plan design and servicing. Lifemark Securities Corp. provides fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individual investors and retirement plan sponsors. The firm offers customized investment solutions including Unified Managed Accounts, Separately Managed Accounts, and other portfolio management programs, with a suitability-driven approach and accounts managed on either a discretionary or non-discretionary basis.

Stanley Nieminski is a financial advisor at Fortis Capital Advisors, LLC with 35 years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® and PFS™ designations and has worked at firms including Clearpath Financial LLC and Cetera. In addition to his advisory role, he is president of a mortgage brokerage and provides tax and accounting services through his CPA firm. Fortis Capital Advisors offers investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, businesses, and institutional clients. The firm focuses on customized portfolio construction and ongoing monitoring, employing a range of strategies including passive, active, tactical, blended, and ESG-integrated approaches.

Michael Gregory is a financial advisor with Advisory Solutions Group, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and bringing 40 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Gladstone Wealth Partners, LPL Financial LLC, and J.P. Morgan Securities. Outside of advisory work, he serves as a FINRA arbitrator. Advisory Solutions Group operates as a team firm serving retail clients through financial planning, consulting, and portfolio management, while also providing back-office and turnkey services to other registered investment advisory firms. The firm employs a diversified investment approach combining quantitative, momentum, and fundamental analysis, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary strategies.

Robert Yarosz is a ChFC® credentialed financial advisor with 36 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with World Equity Group, Inc. since 1997. Prior to and alongside his tenure at World Equity Group, he has also worked with World Lending Group and the Connecticut General Life Insurance Company. Outside of his advisory roles, he is involved in occasional sales of long-term care and life insurance products. World Equity Group, Inc. provides fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to a wide range of clients, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and various institutional entities. The firm offers managed portfolios primarily through its wrap-fee program, combining discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and third-party money managers to implement asset allocation and investment strategies.

Mary Heil is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor at Simplicity Wealth with seven years of industry experience. She has worked at Simplicity Wealth and Protected Tomorrows, where she also serves as a corporate operations manager. Additionally, she holds a Notary Public commission. Simplicity Wealth serves a diverse client base including individual and high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, corporate and institutional investors, and other financial firms. The firm employs a fund-of-funds investment approach using ETFs, mutual funds, and individual securities, and offers a range of advisory and operational services including a managed account platform and third-party model manager oversight.

Karoline O'Connor is a financial advisor with Gladstone Wealth Partners in Schaumburg, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and nearly three decades of industry experience. Her prior roles include 14 years at UBS Financial Services and five years at LPL Financial. Gladstone Wealth Partners serves individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations through a network of nearly 100 investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of investment approaches and is notable for its integration of retirement plan services and institutional manager relationships.

Bryan Dern is a Series 65 licensed advisor at Savvy with one year of industry experience. His background includes roles at Maia Wealth, Mana Financial Group, Tosaf, Inc., and prior positions in various non-financial firms. Savvy provides investment and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, businesses, ERISA plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm customizes investment plans based on client objectives and uses a primarily index-based, long-term approach complemented by active equity portfolios and tax-aware direct indexing.