Thomas Rendl Jr. is a financial advisor with World Equity Group, Inc. in Schaumburg, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 36 years of industry experience. He has been with World Equity Group since 2001. In addition to his advisory role, he is also a licensed life insurance agent providing life insurance quotes and policies for clients. World Equity Group, Inc. offers fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm provides managed portfolios through its wrap-fee program, combining discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to third-party money managers using a risk-tolerance questionnaire to guide asset allocation.

Jeffry Cook is a financial advisor with MissionSquare Retirement in Palatine, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and over 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Icma Retirement Corporation since 2007. MissionSquare Retirement serves state and local government employers, their employees, and certain nonprofit entities by administering deferred compensation and qualified retirement plans, providing plan administration, recordkeeping, education, and advisory services. Its Guided Pathways Advisory Services include discretionary Managed Accounts and nondiscretionary Fund Advice, developed in partnership with Morningstar Investment Management and delivered through multiple channels to over 40,000 participants.

Francesco Vitale is a financial advisor with Merit Financial Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 30 years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Cetera, and VOYA Financial Advisors. He also serves as a trustee on a family trust. Merit Financial Group, LLC is an SEC-registered advisory firm managing approximately $10.6 billion with 144 advisors serving individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and institutions. The firm employs a long-term, diversified investment approach using model portfolios and customizable sleeves, overseen by an Investment Committee and central management team.

James Schmidt is a financial advisor at Cornerstone Wealth Management, LLC with 38 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Cornerstone since 2014, following a long tenure at LPL Financial dating back to 1995. Outside of his advisory work, he sells a baseball card collection on eBay. Cornerstone Wealth Management serves individuals, trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations by providing asset management, financial planning, and retirement consulting. The firm employs advisor-led discretionary management and various LPL-sponsored programs, combining fundamental, quantitative, and qualitative analysis to tailor investment advice to client goals.

Andrew Lewis is a financial advisor at LaSalle St. Investment Advisors, L.L.C. with three years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Dry Dock for nine years. In addition to his advisory role, he is involved in fixed insurance activities. LaSalle St. Investment Advisors provides fee-based financial planning and investment supervisory services to individuals, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm offers both non-discretionary and discretionary management programs, with a notable emphasis on non-discretionary assets, and utilizes a variety of investment vehicles including mutual funds, ETFs, equities, fixed income, and options.

Robert Bieniek is a financial advisor with World Equity Group, Inc., holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 47 years of industry experience. He has worked with World Equity Group since 2005 and has also been associated with Individual Financial Practitioners, Inc. since 1983, where he is involved in the sale of individual life and long-term care insurance. World Equity Group, Inc. provides fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to a range of clients, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers managed portfolios through its wrap-fee program, combining discretionary portfolio management with financial planning and access to third-party money managers.

David Robbins is a financial advisor with Archer Investment Corporation in South Barrington, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 12 years of industry experience. He has been with Archer since 2015 and is also an owner of Nieminski Robbins & Associates CPAs, where he has worked since 2005, providing tax, accounting, and wealth management services. Additionally, he is involved with Barrington Advisors Group LLC, a marketing venture connected to Nieminski Robbins & Associates. Archer Investment Corporation offers investment management primarily to individual clients, including both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth investors, through separately managed accounts and proprietary mutual funds. The firm employs a multi-branch, independent-contractor model and manages roughly $1.01 billion in discretionary assets with a range of advisory services from comprehensive financial planning to limited-scope model portfolios.

Kyle Janas is a financial advisor at CreativeOne Wealth, LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and also operates the Law Offices of Craig A Janas, where he is involved in estate planning and life insurance sales. His work history includes roles at Safe Money Concepts, INC and Family Defined Benefits. CreativeOne Wealth, LLC provides fee-based asset management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and sub-advisory services to individuals, corporations, charitable organizations, and other RIAs. The firm uses a combination of proprietary ETF-based models, third-party managers, and option strategies, supporting tailored suitability assessments and regular portfolio rebalancing.

Ryan Linenger is a CFP® professional with 16 years of experience in the financial advisory industry. He has worked at Plante Moran Financial Advisors since 2016 and previously operated Linenger Wealth Management from 2010 to 2017. Linenger serves as a partner at Plante & Moran PLLC and volunteers as a board member for Wheaton Christian Grammar School. Plante Moran Financial Advisors provides investment advisory, financial planning, and estate-planning services to a diverse client base that includes individual and institutional clients, such as banks, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a variety of analytical methods and manages a broad portfolio of discretionary and non-discretionary assets, operating within the Plante Moran enterprise and offering integrated services through affiliated entities.

Sanjay Asija is a financial advisor at Archer Investment Corporation with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Archer since 2017. In addition to his advisory role, he is a certified public accountant managing tax preparation and payroll services through his CPA firms. Archer Investment Corporation provides investment advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, and investment companies, managing approximately $900 million on a primarily discretionary basis. The firm offers customized portfolio management and model-based strategies, emphasizing diversified allocations across various asset classes and regular account reviews.

Cecil Means is a financial advisor at Interactive Financial Advisors with a Series 65 credential and one year of industry experience. His prior work experience includes roles at Charles Schwab and Alight Solutions. Interactive Financial Advisors provides financial planning and discretionary portfolio management to individuals, retirement plans, and institutional clients. The firm employs fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory to construct diversified ETF and mutual fund model portfolios, supported by a multi-advisor network and proprietary tools such as the CARES process.

Thomas Mc Guire is a financial advisor at Silver Oak Securities, Incorporated with three years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and previously worked at Sentinus-Halo Securities, LLC and Morningstar Investment Services LLC. Outside of finance, he is a partner in DMC Fitness Solutions, a business that repairs and maintains fitness equipment. Silver Oak Securities serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and other business entities through a network of over 100 financial professionals, managing approximately $2.4 billion in discretionary assets. The firm offers a range of advisory programs tailored to client objectives and uses a combination of individual securities, ETFs, mutual funds, and model portfolios supported by operational features such as ongoing model monitoring and an automatic investment process.

Theodore Buckley is a financial advisor with VestGen Advisors, LLC in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 66 credential and 11 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Triad Hybrid Solutions, Triad Advisors, Sequoia Wealth Management, and LPL Financial. Outside of his advisory work, he is an author and motivational speaker, conducting seminars and coaching sessions unrelated to investments. VestGen Advisors, LLC is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.47 billion for over 9,400 individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan services, utilizing a combination of analytical methods and third-party managers to tailor portfolios to client goals.

Eric Talbott is a financial advisor at Apollon Wealth Management, LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 registrations and has previously worked at Piershale Financial Group, Envestnet Asset Management, BMO Harris Financial Advisors, and Portfolio Brokerage Services. Apollon Wealth Management serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, businesses, and various institutional investors, providing financial planning, portfolio management, retirement plan advisory, and sub-advisory services. The firm uses a combination of centrally managed model strategies and locally managed portfolios, investing across multiple asset classes and offering specialized services including ESG models and tax-managed Direct Indexing.

Chad Tuneberg is a financial advisor with World Equity Group, Inc. in Schaumburg, IL, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and bringing 29 years of industry experience. He has been with World Equity Group since 2009. In addition to his advisory role, Tuneberg serves as an alderman representing the 3rd Ward of Rockford, Illinois, participating in municipal legislative and policy-making activities. World Equity Group, Inc. offers fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as pension plans, trusts, and businesses. The firm utilizes a risk-tolerance based asset allocation process and provides access to discretionary third-party money managers through various managed portfolio programs.

Daniel Peltier is a financial advisor at CL Wealth Management LLC with 29 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Cabot Lodge Securities, SB Advisory, and Raymond James & Associates. CL Wealth Management LLC serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers portfolio advisory services, financial planning, and access to the Envestnet platform, tailoring investment strategies through fundamental and technical analysis combined with custom model portfolios and ongoing monitoring.

Ralph Backe Jr. is a financial advisor with Prospera Financial Services, Inc., holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 32 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network LLC before joining Prospera in 2019. Outside of his advisory role, he co-owns vacation condos in St. Petersburg, Florida. Prospera Financial Services, Inc. is an enterprise-scale firm serving individuals, corporate and charitable entities, and retirement plans, managing approximately $12.4 billion through about 207 advisors across 140 offices. The firm offers diversified investment advisory and financial planning services using a combination of firm models, third-party sub-advisers, and customizable allocations across multiple platforms.

Joseph Orsolini is a financial advisor with World Equity Group, Inc. in Schaumburg, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 34 years of industry experience. He has been with World Equity Group since 2002 and also serves as President and Owner of College Aid Planners, Inc., a firm specializing in college financial aid consulting and tax preparation. Outside of his advisory roles, Orsolini is involved in youth wrestling as an assistant coach and serves as Treasurer and Board Member for Rising Tide Wrestling, a nonprofit supporting economically challenged youth in the sport. World Equity Group, Inc. provides fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to a wide range of clients, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers managed portfolios through its Adhesion Money Management wrap-fee program, utilizing third-party money managers and risk-tolerance assessments to guide investment strategies.

Keith Mooney is a CFP® and ChFC® with 31 years of industry experience. He is currently an advisor at VestGen Advisors, LLC and has previously worked at firms including LPL Financial and Sequoia Wealth Management. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as president and educator for a nonprofit that conducts financial education seminars. 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 with discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan services, employing a mix of analytical methods and third-party managers to implement client portfolios.

Alan Flota is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Elgin, IL. He holds Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and has two years of industry experience. Before entering the financial industry, he worked for over three decades at School District U-46. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse range of individual and institutional clients by providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm offers multiple program types and primarily manages assets on a non-discretionary basis, working closely with both retail and institutional sponsors within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.