Martin Lefty is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Glen Ellyn, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 43 years of industry experience. He has been with Ameriprise and its affiliate since 2015. Ameriprise offers a retirement-income planning service tailored to individuals approaching or in retirement with substantial investable assets. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to provide written, non-discretionary Recommendation Reports, delivered by a centralized consulting team in partnership with client advisors.

Karen Kwiatkowski is a CFP® professional with 43 years of industry experience, currently with LPL Financial since 2021. She previously spent 39 years at Waddell & Reed, Inc., along with extensive experience in insurance agencies and tax preparation services. Outside of her advisory work, she has been involved in tax preparation and accounting. LPL Financial serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, advisory programs, and retirement plan consulting through a national network of investment adviser representatives.

Paul Skowronski is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. With over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, he specializes in areas such as college education planning, legacy planning, personal retirement planning, and portfolio management services. Paul holds several professional designations, including the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). Paul earned both his Bachelor's degree and Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance from DePaul University. He is involved with professional organizations such as the Bull Valley Golf Club and the Union League Club. Additionally, he contributes to the community as a mentor in the Alumni Sharing Knowledge (ASK) program at DePaul University. Outside of his professional work, Paul enjoys playing baseball, gardening, golfing, listening to music, reading, and spending time with his family.

Altynai Sulaimanova is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. She has experience with firms including PFS Investments Inc. and Primerica Financial Services, and also has involvement in tax-related businesses. Sulaimanova's background includes roles in accounting and logistics. Primerica Advisors sponsors a wrap-fee asset management program serving individual, corporate, and charitable clients. The firm offers model-delivery investment strategies primarily managed by unaffiliated asset managers and operates with approximately 3,935 advisors and about $15.5 billion in assets under management.

Brittany Hafferkamp is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors with two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Wells Fargo Advisors in 2022, she worked at Paychex, Inc. for nine years. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network is a large broker-dealer and registered investment adviser that provides investment and fee-based financial planning services to individuals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm offers a broad range of planning services using proprietary research and tools, delivering tailored recommendations through meetings and client summary letters.

Dorothy Murdock is a financial advisor at Cetera with 8 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at firms including MML Investors Services and New York Life Insurance Co. Outside of her advisory role, she is an owner of Selah Ridge Wealth and is active as an insurance agent selling fixed insurance and health insurance products. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is a nationwide SEC-registered advisory firm serving individual, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a multi-manager platform that includes portfolio management, financial planning, and access to third-party money managers, managing over $256 billion in assets through a network of more than 10,000 advisors.

Janine Chun is a Financial Consultant at Fidelity Investments, a role she has held since 2022. She has over a decade of experience with Fidelity, having held various positions within the firm since 2012. Her previous roles include Planning Consultant, Relationship Manager, High Net Worth Service Representative, and Financial Representative at the Regional Center. Throughout her career at Fidelity, Janine has developed expertise in utilizing the firm's tools and resources to create customized financial plans that align with clients' individual needs. She emphasizes building relationships based on integrity to assist clients and their families in working toward their financial goals.

Charles Menges is a financial advisor at Ameriprise in Barrington, IL, holding a Series 66 designation with one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Korpack, Merkle Korff Industries (a Nidec Company), Golfcritique.com, D&W Fine Pack, and Menges Roller Company. Ameriprise offers a retirement-income planning service aimed at individuals approaching or in retirement who meet specific eligibility criteria, providing written Recommendation Reports that address income sources, Social Security options, and tax-smart withdrawal strategies. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to generate tailored retirement income recommendations.

Samuel Ruiz is a Planning Consultant at Fidelity Investments, where he collaborates with advisors to assist their clients in achieving financial clarity and confidence. He provides personalized guidance and planning services, helping individuals navigate key financial decisions, including retirement and investment strategies as well as long-term goal setting. His role focuses on simplifying complex financial topics and delivering actionable insights to empower clients throughout their financial journey. Samuel has held multiple positions at Fidelity Investments, beginning as a Financial Representative from 2023 to 2025, then serving as a Relationship Manager in 2025, before assuming his current role as Planning Consultant in 2025. Through these roles, he has developed experience in supporting clients and advisors with financial planning and relationship management. Outside of his professional responsibilities, Samuel enjoys skiing, tennis, and traveling.

Robert Gajewski Jr. is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with seven years of industry experience. He has held roles at Edward Jones since 2018 and previously worked at Service Printing Corporation and Trend Graphics Inc. He holds the Series 66 designation. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth households, corporate clients, and charitable organizations. The firm manages over $1 trillion in assets and offers a range of advisory programs, investment strategies, and affiliated services supported by a nationwide network of more than 23,000 financial advisors.

Ashley Childress is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services, holding a Series 66 designation and with two years of industry experience. Prior to joining UBS, Ashley worked in various roles including coaching junior alpine ski racers at Wilmot Mountain, a seasonal position held since 2021. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory services, utilizing proprietary research and model-based asset allocations to tailor financial plans. The firm combines wealth management with institutional trading capabilities and provides a broad range of capital markets services.

Jennifer Curtiss is a Series 66-licensed advisor at Robert W. Baird & Co. with 17 years of industry experience. She has been with Robert W. Baird since 2008. Outside of her advisory role, she serves as President of the Picnic Grove Homeowners' Association and is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Village of Fox River Grove. She is part of The DDK Group within Robert W. Baird’s Private Wealth Management practice, which advises individuals, families, pensions, corporations, and institutional clients. The group provides tailored financial planning and portfolio management services, utilizing a range of strategies and both in-house and third-party managers.

Mark Lessert is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley in Barrington, Illinois, with 15 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Morgan Stanley since 2010. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved as an advisor in a manufacturing business, NAPCO Inc., where he participates in manufacturing processes and coffee purchasing. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management serves both individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs including tailored financial planning through its Financial Advisors and Estate Planning Strategies Group. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and employs a structured planning process utilizing tools such as Secular Return Estimates and Monte Carlo simulations.

Blake Hafferkamp is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors with seven years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked in various capacities within Wells Fargo since 2017, as well as at Northwestern Mutual from 2015 to 2017. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network is a large broker-dealer and registered investment adviser that offers investment and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm provides a broad range of planning services, including niche areas such as business-owner transition and special-needs analysis, using proprietary research and planning tools.

Brianna Hook is a financial advisor at Robert Baird & Co. with 10 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at First Investments & Planning, First National Bank of Omaha, and Raymond James Financial Services. Brianna is part of The DDK Group within Baird’s Private Wealth Management team, which serves individuals, corporate clients, pensions, profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a broad range of financial planning and portfolio management services, utilizing manager-traded and model-traded SMA strategies, tax-management, and other investment approaches.

Sharon Schwager is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with a Series 66 designation and seven years of industry experience. She has held prior roles at Creekview Wealth Management and previously worked at Edward Jones. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients with a wide range of investment strategies and advisory services. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and operates a large nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Curtis Whitehouse is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Cary, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016 and previously worked at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC from 2009 to 2016. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting services to qualified ERISA and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary investment advice. The firm’s IPS-driven approach incorporates modern portfolio theory and includes a broad range of financial products, such as insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options.

Christine Messerschmidt is a financial advisor at Thrivent Investment Management with 15 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Thrivent Investment Management since 2010. Messerschmidt serves on the board of the We Raise Foundation, which partners with Christian nonprofits focused on education, workforce development, and criminal justice. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients through a network of financial advisors. The firm offers goal-based planning covering topics such as retirement, taxes, and estate planning, without discretionary trading authority, and allows clients to combine planning with managed accounts under a consolidated billing option.

Paul Maurin is a financial advisor at OSAIC with 34 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been affiliated with Royal Alliance Associates, Inc. since 2015. In addition to his advisory role, Maurin is involved in accounting and tax services through his ownership of Accountants & Financial Planning Associates and holds leadership positions in several business entities related to general accounting and insurance. OSAIC serves a wide range of retail and institutional clients, including high-net-worth individuals and charitable organizations. The firm provides integrated brokerage and advisory services, utilizing firm-provided tools and multiple investment platforms to construct diversified portfolios tailored to client needs.

Krista Simons Gliva is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Lake Zurich, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 14 years of industry experience. She has worked at PFS Investments Inc. since 2012 and has also been affiliated with Primerica Financial Services and Ross Barney Architects since 2011. Beyond her advisory role, she is involved in the sale of loan products and home-related services through affiliated companies. Primerica Advisors provides discretionary asset management through its Lifetime Investment Program, serving individual and high-net-worth clients with model-delivery strategies and separately managed account options. The firm curates third-party asset managers and uses a tiered wrap-fee structure for its services.