Steven Garrels is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and 17 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Avantax Investment Services, Avantax Advisory Services, Avantax Insurance Services, 1st Global Advisors, and Borhart Spellmeyer & Company. Outside of advising, he serves as Board Chairman of Harvard Savings Bank, a publicly traded financial institution currently in liquidation. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered adviser that offers a multi-manager platform serving individual, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm provides a range of portfolio management and planning services through a network of over 10,000 advisors and manages more than $256 billion in assets.

Steven Bergmann is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in St. Charles, Illinois, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and possessing 39 years of industry experience. He has been with LPL Financial since 2003. Bergmann is also a notary and sells non-variable insurance products, including auto, homeowners, and liability insurance, to his clients. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage services, providing both discretionary and non-discretionary management with access to model portfolios and research from multiple sources.

Ashleen Davey is a financial advisor at Merrill with eight years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at Merrill and Bank of America since 2018, following prior experience with BMO Harris Bank. Outside of her advisory role, she serves as a successor trustee for a private trust. Merrill, along with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

John Strotman is a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services with 15 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with UBS since 2010. Outside of his advisory work, he sells sports trading cards and memorabilia from his personal collection. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, utilizing proprietary research and model-based asset allocations to tailor plans to clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Kelly Bays is a financial advisor with Ameriprise, holding a Series 66 designation and 20 years of industry experience. She has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2005. Outside of her advisory role, Bays co-leads two Girl Scout troops and helps plan a volunteer-run Girl Scout day camp in the McHenry area. She is also co-author of the financial book *Intentional Legacy*. Ameriprise offers a retirement-income planning service focused on individuals approaching or in retirement with significant investable assets, combining research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to produce written recommendation reports. The firm provides a wide range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions through its large institutional platform.

Nathan Elby is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He specializes in providing tailored strategies including retirement income planning, portfolio management, tax minimization, and family wealth management planning. His expertise encompasses financial planning, retirement income planning, tax-efficient portfolios, cash flow analysis, and estate planning services. Nathan grew up during the Great Financial Crisis, which inspired him to help individuals and families prepare for financial uncertainties. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Finance from Michigan State University and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP) and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) designations. He focuses on offering financial plans characterized by honesty, transparency, and service. Beyond his professional work, Nathan is involved in community activities such as serving as a Track & Field Coach and participating in the Villas of Boulder Ridge Homeowner's Association. He also contributes to financial literacy through Junior Achievement.

Jack Algrim is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley in 2025, he held various roles including positions at LogiClean, Athene, and multiple educational institutions. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered adviser and broker-dealer offering a wide range of advisory programs to individuals and institutional clients, focusing on tailored financial planning supported by firm-approved tools and data-driven modeling.

Nilesh Patel is a financial advisor with Mass Mutual Investors Services in Schaumburg, IL, holding Series 65 and Series 63 credentials and bringing 25 years of industry experience. He has worked with Mass Mutual and its affiliates since 2013. Outside of his advisory role, Patel is involved in life and health insurance sales through RDR Financial Group, LLC. Mass Mutual Investors Services operates as a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser, serving individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and educational programs, emphasizing collaborative planning engagements supported by firm-approved analytical tools.

Cameron Hubbard is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Crystal Lake, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and with 15 years of industry experience. He previously worked at CETERA Advisor Networks LLC and has been associated with Exemplar FN since 2010. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a city council member and holds a nonprofit board position in Crystal Lake. LPL Financial is a national investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations through a large network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of financial planning, advisory programs, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing discretionary and non-discretionary management alongside research from internal and third-party sources.

Brad Herman is a CFP® and ChFC® professional with 12 years of industry experience. He is currently with LPL Financial and has held roles at BMO Bank NA, Mutual Securities, Inc., Mutual Advisors, LLC, Investacorp Inc., and Highland Capital Brokerage. Herman serves as a director at BMO Bank NA. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves a wide range of clients including individuals, retirement plans, banks, and charitable organizations through a nationwide network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers diverse advisory programs, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management alongside strategies supported by LPL Research and third-party subadvisors.

Ryan Andrews is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Arlington Heights, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 12 years of industry experience. He has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2013. Andrews serves on the Board of Directors for the Schaumburg Township Elementary School Foundation. Ameriprise provides retirement-income planning services focused on individuals nearing or in retirement with significant investable assets. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver tailored, non-discretionary recommendations, supported by a centralized consulting team and algorithmic tools.

Jonathan Ziegler is a financial advisor at LPL Enterprise with six years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Prudential Insurance Company of America, Pruco Securities, LLC, Merrill, and Lending Solutions prior to his current role. LPL Enterprise serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and institutional clients through advisory and brokerage services. The firm offers financial planning, model portfolio programs, third-party asset management, and access to various brokerage and insurance products.

Nadine Haufe is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 18 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at RBC Capital Markets, Bank of America, and Merrill. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management serves both individual and institutional clients, offering tailored financial planning and a wide range of advisory programs. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and utilizes structured planning tools and analyses as part of its advisory process.

Timothy O'Callaghan is a financial advisor at Charles Schwab with 24 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at TD Ameritrade for 20 years before joining Charles Schwab and Charles Schwab Bank. Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. serves primarily high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals through its Schwab Wealth Advisory program, offering a combination of non-discretionary and discretionary investment management, financial planning, and custody services. The firm is notable for its scale, integrated structure, and multi-asset model portfolio approach.

Frank Mccabe is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing, holding a Series 66 designation and 26 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. and Bank of America, N.A. He is based in Barrington, IL. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions supported by research and analytics from Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

Ryan Hofgesang is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with 25 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at J.P. Morgan Securities since 2017, following a 15-year tenure at Charles Schwab and Charles Schwab Bank. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, delivering asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with brokerage and investment management capabilities.

Ryan Bartlett is a financial advisor with Fidelity, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. He has been with Fidelity since 2007, including roles at 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. The firm employs a blend of proprietary fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction across a wide range of investment products.

Norbert Filian is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Rolling Meadows, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 28 years of industry experience. He has been with Equitable Advisors since 1999, including its predecessor Axa Advisors, LLC. Equitable Advisors serves individual investors, retirement plan sponsors and participants, corporations, and charitable organizations by providing financial planning, retirement-plan support, and access to asset management through LPL programs and third-party asset managers. The firm uses a hybrid referral and implementation model, combining advisory and brokerage channels to tailor services based on client goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon.

Michael Harlan is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with 27 years of industry experience. He is affiliated with Cetera in Schaumburg, IL, and has held roles at multiple firms including Kutchins, Robbin, Diamond, Ltd and Rhr Wealth Management, LLC. He is also a partner at Aprio Advisory Group, LLC, a CPA consulting and tax services firm. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is a nationwide SEC-registered adviser serving individual, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with a range of portfolio management and financial planning services, supporting both discretionary and non-discretionary account management.

Erik Gullickson is a financial advisor with Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. He has been with Raymond James since 2011. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in tax preparation through two businesses and serves as the Chair of the Finance Committee and a Board Member for The Conservation Foundation, a nonprofit focused on land and water conservation in northern Illinois. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and institutions. The firm employs fact-finding, risk profiling, and modeling tools to deliver tailored, non-discretionary planning and consulting.