Elizabeth Buffardi is a CFP® and Series 65 registered advisor with 14 years of experience. She is the President and Investment Adviser Representative of Crescendo Financial Planners, Inc., where she has worked since 2009. Prior to Crescendo, she was with FinancialPlanning4Me, LLC for one year. Crescendo Financial Planners provides fee-only holistic financial planning to individuals and families, focusing on middle-income clients without a formal asset minimum. The firm emphasizes long-term, primarily passive investment strategies using ETFs and index mutual funds, and operates on a non-discretionary basis with a fee structure based on fixed retainers and hourly engagements.

James Richter is a CFP® professional with 25 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Monotelo Wealth Partners in Elgin, IL. He previously worked at Hd Vest Advisory Services and Hd Vest Investment Services before founding Monotelo Wealth Partners in 2017. In addition to his advisory role, he owns and operates Monotelo Advisors, an accounting and tax preparation practice. Monotelo Wealth Partners is an independent firm that provides discretionary portfolio management and investment advisory services to a select client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm manages balanced, diversified portfolios with a focus on exchange-traded funds and employs multiple methods of analysis to implement tax-efficient investment strategies.

Monarch Bhatt is a CFP® professional with five years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Ascent Fintech LLC. His work background includes roles at Ascent Infotech LLC and Roadrunner Transportation Services, where he is a Senior Financial Analyst in the shipping and logistics sector. He holds an executive position in an IT services business through Ascent Infotech LLC. Ascent Fintech LLC is an independent advisory firm that serves individuals, families, pension and retirement plans, and institutions, managing approximately $4.85 million in discretionary assets. The firm employs both passive and active investment strategies tailored to client goals and offers a range of services including asset management, financial planning, and ERISA-related retirement plan services.

Bradford Tyl is a CFP® professional with 22 years of industry experience and the principal of Bradford Capital Management, LLC, an independent advisory firm he founded in 2003. He also serves on the faculty of Keller Graduate School of Business since 2003. Bradford Capital Management provides investment advisory services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities. The firm emphasizes ETF-based portfolios using Modern Portfolio Theory with a passive asset-allocation and regular rebalancing approach, and it is noted for its pension consulting services and work with charitable organizations.

I’m Matthew, the founder of Maplewood Wealth. I’m a financial planning nerd, hard stop. Standard financial advice is heavily geared toward retirees, leaving mid-career professionals with complex compensation without a clear place to turn. You don't need a generic roadmap, and you certainly don't need a cheerleader. You need a dedicated expert to take the heavy lifting of tax strategy, equity compensation, and investment management completely off your plate so you can protect your time and energy. I built Maplewood Wealth specifically for high-earning professionals, law firm partners, and dual-career parents. Whether you are dealing with a complex K-1 buy-in, navigating vesting RSUs, experiencing a sudden liquidity event, or managing the intense financial realities of chronic illness, I step in to handle the mechanics so you don't have to. Why work with me? The "Professor" Flex: I actually love the complex math of this stuff so much that I teach it to the next generation of advisors as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Illinois (UIUC), and I help write official exam questions for the CFP® Board. Taxes, Minus the Stress: As an Enrolled Agent (EA) admitted to practice before the IRS, I don't just give high-level advice. I do in-house tax preparation and tax-smart investment management to ensure nothing slips through the cracks. Transparent, Flat-Fee Pricing: I don't require a $1M portfolio to work together. I offer two clear paths: a one-time $495 Clarity Session to solve an immediate, painful financial headache, or a $500/month Principal Partnership (capped at roughly 30 clients) where I take wealth and tax management entirely off your hands. I live in the Chicagoland area with my wife, our two kids, and our dog, but I operate a completely virtual practice serving professionals across the country. If you are ready to offload the mental load of your finances, let's talk.

Patrick Crowley is a financial advisor at Crowley Capital Management LLC with 19 years of industry experience. Prior to founding his independent firm in 2024, he worked for 11 years at Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated. He holds a Series 66 designation. Outside of his advisory role, he is listed as treasurer and vice president of a family-owned real estate company. Crowley Capital Management provides discretionary asset management and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, small businesses, and estates. The firm customizes portfolio management based on client objectives and risk tolerance, utilizing fundamental and technical analysis, and may employ third-party sub-advisors.

Leela Rao is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 65 license, with 20 years of industry experience. She has been with Goodwin Asset Management Inc. since 2002. Rao serves as a director of the Raagalaya Foundation Inc., a nonprofit organization registered in Florida. Goodwin Asset Management provides discretionary investment management and comprehensive financial planning primarily to high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm employs a conservative, value-oriented investment strategy combining top-down macro allocation with bottom-up security selection, and it also offers pension-plan consulting and retirement-plan management services.

Philip Statz is a financial advisor with Insight Financial Group, Inc. in Arlington Heights, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. He has worked at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments since 2005 and has been with Insight Financial Group since 2003. In addition to his advisory role, Statz operates as an independent insurance agent. Insight Financial Group serves individual clients, including high-net-worth families, and small-business owners by providing comprehensive financial planning, portfolio management, and business consulting. The firm employs an investment approach centered on asset allocation and behavior coaching, using model portfolios primarily composed of ETFs, and offers unique services such as the Virtual CFO Solution™ and a fixed-price fee model.

Steven Peshek is a financial advisor at Altruity Wealth with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with Altruity Investment Advisors, LLC since 2018. In addition to his advisory role, Peshek is president and CEO of Texture Graphics, LLC, a print and marketing firm he founded in 2002. Altruity Wealth is an independent registered investment advisor providing discretionary portfolio management and advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, pooled investment vehicles, and institutional clients. The firm offers actively managed strategies across a range of risk profiles and uses a combination of technical, fundamental, and sentiment indicators to guide asset allocation and security selection.

Gary Rychtanek is a CFP® and Series 66 registered financial advisor with 29 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at GCR Financial Services, LLC, an independent firm based in Naperville, IL. Rychtanek has worked at Chauner Securities, Inc. since 2003 and Clune & Associates since 1996. In addition to his advisory role, he provides tax preparation services as a CPA, focusing on corporate, individual, and partnership tax returns. GCR Financial Services offers fee-based financial planning, investment supervisory services, and tax preparation/advice to individual clients, trusts, small businesses, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $47.4 million across about 39 clients, operating primarily on a non-discretionary basis with diversified portfolios and quarterly supervisory reviews. Its integration of accounting and tax services into the advisory process is a distinctive feature.

Ivan Havrylyan is a financial advisor with Outside The Box Financial Planning, LLC in Wheeling, IL. He holds a Series 66 designation and has 12 years of industry experience. Prior to founding his firm in 2017, he worked at Securities America Advisors and Personal Financial Strategies, Inc. Outside The Box Financial Planning primarily serves individual clients, including high-net-worth individuals and business entities, providing comprehensive financial planning and investment management. The firm employs a primarily passive investment approach using index funds and ETFs, integrating ongoing financial planning with portfolio oversight.

Chetan Notaria is a financial advisor with Investment Resources Center in Palatine, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and 16 years of industry experience. He has been associated with Planning Resources Center since 2001, where he also serves as president of an insurance agency and is involved in technology and business development consulting. Investment Resources Center provides personalized financial planning and investment advisory services to individuals and business entities, including corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, estates, and trusts. The firm emphasizes asset allocation and offers proprietary model portfolios alongside customized management, with services that include retirement planning, tax-efficiency analysis, and estate-related investment guidance.

Henry Glodny is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with 16 years of industry experience, operating as the sole advisor at Castling Financial Planning, Ltd. in Hoffman Estates, IL, where he has worked since 2007. He is also the principal and founder of Terra Nimbus Systems, Inc., an IT consulting business focused on developing software tools for his financial planning firm. Castling Financial Planning, Ltd. is an independent advisory firm serving primarily middle-class individual clients with hourly, fee-only financial planning and investment advice. The firm utilizes an evidence-based, data-driven investment process supported by a proprietary Asset Allocation Database to deliver non-discretionary advice and emphasizes written client-specific research and virtual education.

Dale Wong is a financial advisor at Missio Investment Management LLC with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Missio since 2018. Prior to that, he was employed at Northeastern University and Convergence Investments. Missio Investment Management provides discretionary portfolio management and limited financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, endowments, and corporate clients. The firm uses a predominantly passive investment approach combined with active management for up to 30% of assets, tailoring portfolios to client-specific investment policy statements.

William Geiger is the sole advisor at Geiger Wealth Management in Oak Brook, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 14 years of industry experience. He has been associated with Geiger Wealth Management since 1995 and has operated under the firm SSB 5, Inc. d/b/a Geiger Wealth Management since 2011. Outside of advisory work, he is also an insurance agent at De Blanco Inc., dedicating a significant portion of his time to insurance activities. Geiger Wealth Management is a state-registered investment adviser offering fee-based portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm employs a tactical allocation strategy incorporating technical and cyclical analysis and provides customized investment recommendations across various instruments while also overseeing third-party money managers.

Anthony Razza is a financial advisor with Prospect Trading LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and 10 years of industry experience. He has been self-employed since 2014. Outside of financial advising, he is also a licensed real estate agent in Florida, operating through Premiere Plus Realty Co. Prospect Trading LLC provides investment management and planning services to individuals and corporate clients, utilizing both fundamental and technical analysis. The firm employs a range of strategies, including derivatives and short-selling, and offers performance-based fee arrangements for qualified clients.

Daniel Fudala is a CFP® with 18 years of industry experience and the sole advisor at Hazel Ridge Advisors, LLC, an independent firm based in Palatine, IL. He has been with Hazel Ridge Advisors since its founding in 2015. Hazel Ridge Advisors is a fee-only registered investment adviser serving primarily individual clients with discretionary portfolio management and financial planning. The firm manages client assets entirely in-house, applying a combination of fundamental, cyclical, technical, and modern portfolio theory methods to asset allocation and security selection.

Roger Manske is a CFP® professional with 25 years of experience in the financial planning industry. He has operated as a sole proprietor since 2000. His firm provides independent, fee-for-service comprehensive financial planning to individuals, couples, families, and small business owners. The firm serves approximately 25 clients, focusing on personalized advisory services without discretionary trading authority, and emphasizes a fiduciary approach with active monitoring of client holdings.

George Panopoulos is the principal advisor at The Panopoulos Group with 34 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Linsco/Private Ledger Corp. for 19 years before founding his current firm in 2017. The Panopoulos Group is an independent registered investment adviser serving high-net-worth individuals with personalized portfolio management and financial planning. The firm utilizes a combination of fundamental, technical, cyclical, and charting analyses, employing both active and passive investment strategies tailored to each client’s objectives and risk tolerance.

Dina Weiss is a financial advisor at Redwing Financial with 19 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at LPL Financial and The Lighthouse Institute, Inc. In addition to her advisory work, she is a certified holistic nutritional consultant and engages in pro bono speaking on nutritional topics. She is also a co-author and provides public speaking on financial matters. Redwing Financial is an independent firm serving primarily individual clients with investment advisory and portfolio management services. The firm manages approximately $29.5 million across about 95 client relationships and offers a combination of advisory and brokerage services, including educational seminars and pension consulting.