Patrick Hager is a CFA® charterholder with 17 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Theta Wealth Partners, an independent firm based in Chicago, IL. Prior to founding Theta Wealth Partners in 2026, he worked at Oppenheimer for 14 years. Theta Wealth Partners provides ongoing portfolio management and investment advisory services to individuals and high-net-worth clients, employing a multi-disciplinary investment approach that includes charting, fundamental analysis, modern portfolio theory, and quantitative methods. The firm offers a wrap-fee portfolio management program and typically seeks discretionary authority for accounts.

Steven Johnson is a financial advisor at SRJ Financial Consulting LLC in Lombard, IL, holding a Series 65 designation with one year of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at Willamette Management Associates and Charles River Associates. SRJ Financial Consulting LLC provides investment advisory services, financial planning, tax-planning analyses, and tax-return preparation for a diverse client base that includes individuals, small businesses, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers investment advice on a non-discretionary basis and features a formal no-fee program of educational seminars and workshops along with compensated tax-return preparation.

Marc Farmer is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Monroe Financial Inc. in Chicago, IL, where he has worked since 2019. He has 10 years of industry experience, including prior roles at HD Vest Investment Services and HD Vest Advisory Services. In addition to his advisory work, Farmer owns a CPA firm and serves on the board of directors for the Monroe Arts Center, where he reviews and presents financial statements. Monroe Financial Inc. provides financial planning, portfolio management, and pension consulting services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, and business entities. The firm offers a range of investment options, primarily recommending ETFs alongside mutual funds, equities, fixed income, real estate funds, and non-U.S. securities, with client strategies tailored through Investment Policy Statements and managed on both discretionary and non-discretionary bases.

Matthew Ward is a financial advisor with K.W. Andersen Investment Group, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and 12 years of industry experience. He has worked with K.W. Andersen Investment Group since 2017 and previously with MW Financial LLC and Advocate Financial Solutions LLC. Outside of financial advising, he works as a bookkeeper for an interior design business in Chicago. K.W. Andersen Investment Group provides financial planning, investment consultation, portfolio management, and business consultation to individuals, including high net worth clients, and small businesses. The firm employs a combination of fundamental analysis and diversified strategies to construct tax-efficient, customized portfolios managed predominantly on a discretionary basis.

Michael Von Lunen is the founder and sole advisor at Wheel Advisors LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with four years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Harrer Law, P.C., T3 Trading Group, LLC, and Purchasing Platform. Outside of financial advising, he owns and operates Ripple360 LLC, a professional coaching business assisting entrepreneurs in building and managing their businesses. Wheel Advisors LLC provides discretionary asset management and advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and small businesses, with an investment approach focused on asset allocation and low-cost index investing. The firm offers financial planning and small-business consultation tailored to employers with 1–20 employees and combines percentage-based asset management with hourly-billed planning services.

Gary Harris is the principal of GH Private Wealth Management, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 20 years of industry experience. He has worked at Ciel Bleu Private Wealth Management Inc. since 2014 and Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company since 2012. Outside of advisory services, Harris is involved in insurance brokerage and is a silent partner in a funeral home management business. GH Private Wealth Management provides fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm employs a tactical asset-allocation approach using fundamental and technical analysis and offers discretionary portfolio management, third-party money manager recommendations, and educational seminars.

Steven Petrovich is a financial advisor at Petrovich Capital Advisors LLC holding a Series 65 designation with nine years of prior experience at Dodger Investments LLC and eight years at NYC Health and Hospitals Corp. He has no prior industry experience as a registered advisor. Petrovich Capital Advisors provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management primarily for individuals and high-net-worth clients, focusing on long-term strategies using publicly traded liquid securities such as ETFs and individual equities. The firm employs fundamental analysis, asset allocation, and diversification without using leverage, derivatives, or private placements.

Mary Deshong Kinkelaar is the sole advisor at Kinkelaar & Associates in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 65 designation with 21 years of industry experience. She has led Kinkelaar & Associates since 2004. Kinkelaar & Associates is an independent, fee-only firm providing tailored financial planning and investment advice to individuals, trusts, estates, and small businesses. The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation using low-cost mutual funds and ETFs, offers educational workshops, and serves small-business and corporate plan clients without accepting commissions or managing client assets directly.

Clayton Lawrie is a Series 65 licensed financial advisor at Trac Asset Management LLC with 17 years of industry experience. He has worked at Trac Asset Management since 2015. Trac Asset Management provides investment advisory and portfolio management services to high-net-worth individuals as well as institutional clients including trusts, estates, and corporations. The firm employs both discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, using fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis across a range of investment vehicles, and offers educational seminars and workshops for clients and the public.

Zachary Fietsch is the sole advisor at Jackalope Capital and holds a Series 65 designation with six years of industry experience. He has operated Jackalope Capital since 2020 and concurrently serves as a Tax Principal and CPA at ZFP, CPA since 2016. Jackalope Capital offers discretionary investment management and financial planning to individuals, families, trusts, businesses, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a multi-disciplinary investment process and proprietary asset-allocation methodology, integrating tax and accounting considerations through its affiliation with an accounting practice.

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.

Henry Gorecki is a CFP® with 23 years of industry experience and principal of HG Wealth Management, LLC, an independent firm he has led since 2012. Based in Chicago, IL, he holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. HG Wealth Management serves individual investors as well as trusts, estates, foundations, charities, and businesses, providing financial planning, investment consultation, and investment supervisory services. The firm employs a Core + Satellite investment approach and offers tailored services including modular reviews and comprehensive plans, managing assets on both a discretionary and non-discretionary basis while coordinating with clients’ other professionals.

Patrick Brierton is a financial advisor with BWM LLC in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 35 years of industry experience. He worked at Ameriprise from 2009 to 2021 before joining BWM LLC in 2021. His other activities include serving in fiduciary roles such as trustee and personal representative. BWM LLC provides discretionary investment management and financial planning services primarily to high-net-worth individuals, trusts, and estates. The firm uses fundamental analysis and a long-term approach, constructing diversified portfolios mainly composed of mutual funds and ETFs, while employing individual stocks, fixed income, and options as needed.

Mark Nelson is a financial advisor at NFO Financial Advisory LLC in Westmont, IL, holding a Series 65 designation with six years of industry experience. He previously worked at Crestline Denali Capital from 2014 to 2020. NFO Financial Advisory LLC serves individual clients through a subscription membership model with no minimum asset requirement. The firm provides financial planning, investment guidance, tax filing services, and consulting, emphasizing long-term investing with strategic and tactical asset allocation primarily using ETFs and mutual funds. NFO charges fixed monthly fees rather than asset-based fees and does not manage or take custody of client assets.

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.

Robert Bell is a CFP® certificant with 19 years of industry experience. He has operated Mark Bell Advisory Services, Inc., an independent advisory firm based in Chicago, since 2002. The firm is a fee-only, SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, trusts, estates, and certain pension and profit-sharing plans. Mark Bell Advisory Services focuses on discretionary money management and financial planning for a limited client base, typically close family or friends. The firm constructs tax-aware, diversified portfolios using no-load mutual funds, ETFs, and individual bonds, and manages accounts primarily on a discretionary basis through institutional custody platforms.

Brian Peterson is the principal of Pluto Wealth Management, an independent firm based in Woodridge, Illinois. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has six years of industry experience. In addition to his advisory role, he operates a corporate consulting business focused on reviewing and establishing Treasury functions and department structures on a project basis. Pluto Wealth Management serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities, providing comprehensive financial planning, discretionary investment management, and project consulting. The firm employs a mixed analytical approach to portfolio management and offers services such as subscription-style planning, client newsletters, and educational seminars.

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.

Kyle Matkaitis is a CFP® professional with 15 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is the founder and Chief Compliance Officer of Whisper Wealth Builders, an independent advisory firm he established in 2020. Prior to founding Whisper Wealth Builders, Matkaitis worked at SNS Financial Group, LPL Financial, and Fidelity Brokerage Services. Whisper Wealth Builders serves individual and corporate clients, offering discretionary investment management alongside project-based and ongoing financial planning. The firm primarily uses passive investment strategies based on Modern Portfolio Theory while incorporating fundamental and cyclical analysis, and it also conducts educational seminars for groups such as college and professional athletes.

Daniel Rooker is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 12 years of industry experience. He is the principal of Rook Financial LLC, an independent advisory firm based in Oak Park, IL. His prior work includes roles at SLP Wealth, Hightower Advisors, and Private Vista, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, Rooker coaches swim classes at Tennis Corporation of America. Rook Financial LLC provides financial planning, discretionary investment management, and retirement plan consulting to individuals and small-business plan sponsors. The firm emphasizes a long-term, risk-based asset allocation with global diversification and low turnover, serving clients with substantial investable assets and employer retirement plans.