Michael Alexenko is a CFA® charterholder with 23 years of industry experience, serving as the sole advisor at Royal Asset Managers in St. Charles, IL since 2003. He holds the Series 63 designation and has authored numerous articles and periodic commentary. Alexenko also runs targeted programs for smaller and military clients and coordinates plan recordkeeping through selected custody arrangements. Royal Asset Managers provides discretionary asset management, financial planning, investment consulting, and business advisory services to moderate- to high-net-worth individuals, small businesses, and employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm emphasizes diversification and client-specific investment policy statements, using index funds and ETFs to manage portfolios with equity allocations ranging from 0% to about 85%, and is notable for its pension consulting and retirement-plan management services.

Andrew Powers is a financial advisor at Powers Financial Group, LLC in Naperville, IL, with 18 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Ventoux Financial Advisors and TradingBlock. Powers is also a volunteer with the Naperville Jaycees. Powers Financial Group is an independent investment adviser serving individuals, trusts, foundations, and institutional clients, including pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm manages approximately $5.73 million in client assets and employs a range of investment strategies including fundamental and technical analysis, actively managed option overlays, and block trading.

David Theis is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 27 years of industry experience. He has been the sole advisor at Fee-Only Financial Advisors, Ltd., an independent firm based in Palatine, IL, since 1995. Fee-Only Financial Advisors, Ltd. serves individuals and select organizational clients, including pension plans, trusts, estates, and charitable entities, providing financial planning, investment advisory, and consulting services on a non-discretionary basis. The firm employs a fixed-fee and hourly compensation model without commissions or performance-based fees, focusing on tailored financial plans and investment strategies primarily using mutual funds and ETFs.

Christopher Parks Jr. is a CFP® with 10 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Northwood Wealth Management, LLC. His prior roles include positions at RWA Wealth Partners, Polaris Greystone Financial Group, and Fidelity. Northwood Wealth Management offers comprehensive financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, and pension consulting primarily for high-net-worth individuals, trusts, retirement plans, and business clients. The firm employs a tailored investment approach utilizing both fundamental and technical analysis across a broad range of instruments, with a focus on tax-efficient strategies and coordination with external accounting services.

I'm a CFP and flat fee-only financial planner in Aurora, IL. I specialize in helping families answer financial questions that keep them up at night including: • What do I do to avoid tax surprises again this year and pay as little as possible? • How can I get my spouse on board and involved in our family finances? • If something unexpected happens, will our family be OK? • Are our investments the right fit for us? • How do I create something resembling a paycheck in retirement? • Can I leave this life-sucking job while maintaining my family’s financial stability? My typical clients share many of these characteristics: ✓ Are between the ages of 30 and 60 ✓ Earn a household income of $200,000 or more ✓ Are married or preparing for marriage ✓ Have combined or are seeking to combine their finances ✓ Want to journey toward or are already living a debt-free life ✓ Have kids at any age and stage, or are planning for them ✓ Hold only U.S. citizenship and own no foreign assets ✓ Have no unresolved complex income tax issues ✓ Want to exit or do not own complex, private, & illiquid investments If you are seeking clarity and confidence in making these and other important financial decisions and you live in the Chicagoland or across the country, let’s chat for 30 minutes. When I'm not deep in a client's financial plan, you'll find me on a long bike ride listening to encouraging music, sparking new ideas and fresh vision, sitting at a summer travel league baseball game cheering on the guys, or enjoying a night out with my wife and two boys here in Aurora.

Daryl Varney is a financial advisor at Lotic Financial Planning LLC in Naperville, IL, holding a Series 65 designation with one year of industry experience. Prior to entering financial planning, Varney spent 18 years in homemaking. Lotic Financial Planning LLC offers fee-only, project-based financial planning services to individuals, families, small businesses, and high-net-worth clients through limited-scope, one-time engagements. The firm’s advice incorporates modern portfolio theory and fundamental analysis, focusing on standalone planning without ongoing portfolio management or custody.

John Cox is the sole advisor at Cox Financial Group, Ltd. in Schaumburg, IL, holding a Series 63 designation with 37 years of industry experience. His career includes long-term involvement with Equity Property Management, LLC, Cox, Oakes & Associates, Ltd., and Financial Equity Associates, Inc. Outside of advisory work, he is involved in affiliated legal and real estate-related entities that sponsor and manage real estate limited partnerships, acting as a general partner in some offerings and providing related property-management and brokerage services. Cox Financial Group provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, and limited partnerships. The firm focuses on discretionary portfolio management across various asset classes, estate and retirement planning, and tax-related services, tailoring recommendations based on a comprehensive review of each client’s financial situation.

David Fortosis is a CFP® with 13 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Heritage Wealth since 2021. His prior experience includes roles at LPL Financial LLC and Northwestern Mutual in various capacities related to wealth management and insurance. He is also a licensed insurance agent involved in insurance sales. Heritage Wealth is an independent registered investment adviser managing approximately $37 million for individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm offers subscription financial planning, discretionary portfolio management using model portfolios with customization, and financial consulting services, incorporating strategic and tactical asset allocation alongside modern portfolio theory.

Mark Hines is a financial advisor with Herrick Lake Investments LLC in Naperville, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having nine years of industry experience. Prior to founding Herrick Lake in 2021, he worked five years at Left Brain Wealth Management and has been involved with Blue Harbinger Research, an independent investment research company he founded, since 2015. He also serves as volunteer treasurer for the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul Saints Peter and Paul Conference, a nonprofit organization in Naperville. Herrick Lake Investments provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients, employing a range of analytical methods and investment strategies including long-term trading, margin, and options. The firm emphasizes documented client objectives and risk tolerance and utilizes less common investment vehicles such as private placements and venture capital.

Brandon Schabell is the sole advisor at Schabell Financial, LLC, holding a Series 65 credential with one year of industry experience. He has prior experience in various business ventures, including ownership of a tax preparation service and a software/data-consulting practice. Schabell is also employed full-time outside of his advisory firm. Schabell Financial, LLC provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and legal entities, with a long-term, goals-based investment approach using diversified, low-cost funds and tailored asset allocation. The firm incorporates fundamental analysis, portfolio risk models, and tax-aware techniques, offering planning services as separate engagements and sometimes serves as a sub-advisor to other RIAs.

Phillip Baumann is a financial advisor at Independent Investment Advisor, LLC with a Series 65 designation and two years of industry experience. He has worked at BL Management One, LLC since 2017 and previously spent ten years with Windy City Harley Davidson. Outside of his advisory role, Baumann also provides accounting services. Independent Investment Advisor, LLC is a state-registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, and business entities. The firm employs a multifaceted investment approach that includes charting, fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis, offering discretionary portfolio management tailored to clients’ documented risk tolerance and asset allocation.

Jack Lubecker is the sole advisor at Integrity Investment Management with 36 years of experience in the financial industry. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and previously worked at LPL Financial from 2008 to 2017 before joining Integrity Investment Management in 2017. Integrity Investment Management is a state-registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, and charitable organizations. The firm offers investment management, referrals to third-party managers, and financial planning, employing both passive and active strategies tailored to clients’ specific objectives and risk tolerances.

Jeffrey Roberts is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 66 license with 25 years of industry experience. He has worked at North Forty Investment Advisors LLC since 2019 and previously spent 13 years at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, NA. North Forty Investment Advisors LLC serves individual and high-net-worth clients, including IRAs, trusts, foundations, and estates. The firm offers wealth advisory, discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, and project-based financial consulting, emphasizing asset allocation and third-party manager selection through tiered service levels.

John Stanton is the sole advisor at Stanton Group Wealth Partners, Inc. in Naperville, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with 21 years of industry experience. He previously spent 11 years at Seacrest Wealth Management, LLC. Stanton is also a licensed insurance agent specializing in life, long-term care, and fixed annuities. Stanton Group Wealth Partners, Inc. is a newly formed investment adviser providing wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advice to high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, and businesses. The firm uses a combination of fundamental and technical analysis to construct tailored strategy portfolios and offers a range of planning services including pension consulting and 401(k) reviews.

David Toellen is a financial advisor at Toellen Capital Management, LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He previously worked for First Trust Portfolios L.P. for ten years before founding his independent firm. Toellen Capital Management, LLC provides investment advisory services and managed accounts to individuals and high-net-worth clients. The firm offers tailored portfolio management and written investment strategies across multiple asset classes, employing asset allocation, dollar-cost averaging, technical analysis, and both long- and short-term purchase strategies aligned with client risk tolerance and time horizons.

John Eiduk is a CFP® professional with 12 years of experience in financial advisory services. He currently serves as the sole advisor at Elite Asset Management, LLC and has been involved with the firm since 2015. He also operates Eiduk Tax and Wealth Management LLC and is a producer in life, health, and long-term care insurance sales. Elite Asset Management is an independent, state-registered adviser that provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individual clients without a minimum account size. The firm employs a combination of strategic and tactical model portfolios using fundamental and technical analysis alongside Modern Portfolio Theory, and it has an affiliated tax and accounting practice under common ownership.

Kyle Long is the principal of Long Planning, LLC, an independent advisory firm based in Geneva, Illinois. He holds a Series 66 designation and has eight years of industry experience. Prior to founding Long Planning, Kyle worked at Inspire Advisors, LLC and D.L. Purvine, PLLC, where he is also employed as a CPA. He owns a public accounting firm, Kyle Long, CPA, and occasionally refers clients between his advisory and accounting practices without compensation. Long Planning provides fee-only investment advisory and financial planning services to both individual and institutional clients, including pension plans and charitable organizations. The firm combines passive and active investment strategies, employs fundamental and technical analysis, and offers discretionary portfolio management and pension consulting services. Its operational affiliation with a public accounting practice distinguishes it within the independent advisory community.

Robert Skinner is the principal of Skinner Advisory, LTD., an independent registered investment adviser based in Wheaton, IL. He holds a Series 65 designation and has 28 years of industry experience. He has operated Skinner Advisory since 1993. Outside of advisory work, he is president and co-owner of Lindstrom Antique Mall, a retail and residential rental business in Minnesota. Skinner Advisory primarily serves individual clients by managing taxable accounts, retirement accounts, and trusts, with occasional advisory services for corporate pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm focuses on no-load mutual funds and ETFs, conducting regular portfolio reviews and providing clients with quarterly reports and an annual review conference.

Glenn Cackovic is the sole advisor at GlobalMacro Capital Management, LLC in Wheaton, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 11 years of industry experience. He has been leading GlobalMacro Capital Management since 2012 and is also involved with GlobalMacro Partners, LLC, Globalmacro Consulting, LLC, and Globalmacro, LLC, all of which he has been affiliated with for over a decade. GlobalMacro Capital Management provides investment management and retirement planning services to individuals, institutions, and businesses, employing a global, multi-asset class investment approach that integrates macroeconomic, fundamental, and quantitative analysis. The firm offers a range of strategies including risk-based core allocations and alternative-focused options, and serves qualified retirement plans with fiduciary advisory services, distinguishing itself among independent advisors through its institutional portfolio management and integrated consulting capabilities.

Chwei Guang Chiou is a financial advisor at Momentum FinTech LLC with 14 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Momentum FinTech since 2018, following two years at Ausdal Financial Partners, INC. Outside of his advisory role, Chiou serves in several leadership positions within Taiwanese-American cultural and nonprofit organizations, including Treasurer of the Taiwanese American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Chicago and board member of the Friends of Taiwan Foundation. Momentum FinTech LLC provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a blend of charting, fundamental, and technical analysis across a range of strategies, including long-term holdings and active trading techniques such as short sales and options, managing approximately $7.35 million across 33 client relationships.