Alan Flota is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Elgin, IL. He holds Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and has two years of industry experience. Before entering the financial industry, he worked for over three decades at School District U-46. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse range of individual and institutional clients by providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm offers multiple program types and primarily manages assets on a non-discretionary basis, working closely with both retail and institutional sponsors within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Brandi Ruffalo is a financial advisor with Independent Financial Group, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 24 years of industry experience. She has been with Independent Financial Group since 2009 and is the owner of The Business Development Company, which provides administrative and bookkeeping services. Ruffalo is also involved in business valuation and forensic consulting through Valuation & Forensic Partners, LLC. Independent Financial Group, LLC is a dual-registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, charities, corporations, and plan sponsors. The firm offers brokerage, portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan services through a national network of Investment Adviser Representatives and utilizes multiple advisory platforms and third-party asset managers.

Adria Siewert is a ChFC® and Series 66 credentialed advisor with 18 years of industry experience. She has been with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC and its affiliated entities since 2013, and previously worked at LPL Financial. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans through a large network of advisors. The firm’s investment approach combines strategic asset allocation with both passive and active management, supported by quantitative and fundamental research and a structured rebalancing process.

John Pestikas is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 22 years of industry experience. He has been with PNC investments since 2009. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital discretionary model account accessible to employees with existing PNC Bank online credentials. Their approach uses approved strategies executed via mutual funds and ETFs, relying on algorithmic risk assessments and delegating portfolio management and proxy voting to third parties.

Jerome O’Reilly is a financial advisor with PlanMember Securities Corporation in Arlington Heights, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 38 years of industry experience. He worked for Royal Alliance Associates, Inc. for 20 years before joining PlanMember and Vista Financial Group Ltd., both since 2016. He operates Vista Financial Group Ltd. and provides insurance sales and services as a licensed Insurance Producer. PlanMember Securities Corporation provides retirement-plan advisory services to employers and participants, acting as an ERISA 3(38) fiduciary for many plans and offering participant-level investment options. The firm uses a top-down strategic asset allocation framework and risk-based mutual fund portfolios, supported by education, seminars, and personalized retirement planning.

Kristina Denton is a financial advisor at Corient with 10 years of industry experience and holds a Series 65 designation. She previously worked at Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC for eight years before joining Corient and its related entities in 2022. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm employs a goals-based, team investment approach that combines in-house strategies with third-party manager solutions and uses risk management tools and stress testing to align portfolios with client objectives.

Justin Wilson is a CFP® with 21 years of industry experience, currently serving at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. since 2006. He also has concurrent experience with Fifth Third Bank over the same period. Fifth Third Securities provides brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and institutional investors. The firm combines its municipal-advisor registration with a corporate affiliation to a large bank, offering multiple discretionary managed-account options, including direct indexing and tax-overlay services.

Scott Farwell is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. with 17 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Fifth Third Securities and Fifth Third Bank since 2022. Prior to that, he was with TD Ameritrade for five years and Edge Financial Advisors for one year. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and institutional investors through its Passageway Managed Account Program. The firm offers multiple discretionary managed-account programs combining third-party portfolio managers, strategist portfolios, and advisor-managed sleeves, and is notable for its municipal-advisor registration and affiliation with Fifth Third Bank.

Michael McKevitt is a CFP® with 17 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Private Advisor Group, LLC since 2015. He has also been associated with LPL Financial since 2008. McKevitt operates under the business name Purposeful Wealth, Inc. for providing investment advice through Private Advisor Group. Private Advisor Group, LLC manages over $41 billion across more than 135,000 client relationships, offering services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate and retirement plan clients. The firm provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, retirement consulting, and access to third-party asset management programs, with an investment approach that incorporates asset allocation, fundamental, technical and cyclical analysis, and various strategy time horizons.

Joseph Foltz is a CFP® with six years of industry experience and is currently an advisor at Corient. His prior experience includes roles at Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC and several other financial and educational organizations. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, and corporate entities. The firm employs a goals-based, team investment approach that integrates in-house strategies with third-party managers and utilizes risk management tools to align portfolios with client objectives.

Lewis Affetto is a Series 66-credentialed financial advisor with 16 years of industry experience, currently serving at Kestra Advisory since 2021. His prior experience includes roles at Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company and Hornor Townsend & Kent Inc, spanning over a decade. Outside of his advisory work, he is a partner in an accounting firm, Bernard A. Affetto & Co., and serves on the board of FRA NOI, a nonprofit organization. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base, including institutional and individual investors. The firm offers comprehensive services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, and investment advice, supporting a wide range of client needs with multiple management platforms and third-party solutions.

Steven Whiting II is a Series 66-licensed advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors and has been in the industry since 2024. His prior experience includes roles at Wfgia, American Airlines Group Inc., National Airlines, FedEx, and United Airlines. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves individual investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers both advisory and broker-dealer services through proprietary and third-party model portfolios, with a range of discretionary and non-discretionary program options.

Justin Ancona is a CFP®-credentialed financial advisor with eight years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC. He previously worked at Raymond James Financial Services and LPL Financial. Outside of advisory services, he owns a business called Pickleball Journey. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans, providing asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm utilizes discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management strategies and integrates technology platforms to support estate planning and asset aggregation.

Stevany Williamson is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with Series 65 and Series 63 credentials and three years of industry experience. Her prior work includes positions at JPMorgan Chase Bank, J.P. Morgan Securities, and various mortgage-related roles. Before her financial services career, she managed a salon and spa for three years. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and retail brokerage clients. The firm’s integrated approach leverages proprietary and third-party methodologies focused on long-term portfolio returns and savings rates, with services closely tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Richard Kuzniar is a CFP® with 34 years of industry experience, currently serving at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. since 2017. Prior to that, he worked at BMO Harris Financial Advisors for over a decade. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. offers brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to a diverse client base including individuals, charitable organizations, and institutional investors. The firm combines its municipal-advisor registration with its affiliation to Fifth Third Bank, providing a range of discretionary managed-account options and features such as direct indexing and tax-overlay services.

Terrence Crowley is a financial advisor with NewEdge Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 41 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Advisors and LPL Financial. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a caregiver for his disabled son. NewEdge Advisors serves a diverse clientele, including individuals, trusts, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management through a wrap fee program that integrates asset management with financial planning, utilizing a range of investment approaches and periodic portfolio reviews.

Amanda Czosek is a financial advisor with AE Wealth Management, LLC, holding a Series 65 credential and nine years of industry experience. She has worked with AE Wealth Management since 2016 and is also the owner and president of Jager Financial Services. Additionally, she serves as a board member for the National Alliance on Student Loan Debt. AE Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, trusts, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers a platform-centered approach featuring model portfolios, discretionary asset management, financial planning, and specialized plan services.

Barry Finkelstein is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) in Deerfield, IL, holding CFP® and ChFC® designations and over 44 years of industry experience. He has been with Eagle Strategies, New York Life Insurance Company, and Nylife Securities LLC since 2010. Finkelstein serves on a professional advisory committee for the Jewish United Fund, a Chicago-based organization of attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors. Eagle Strategies provides financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base including individuals, institutional investors, and plan sponsors. The firm offers multiple program types and emphasizes tailored recommendations, with the majority of its assets managed on a non-discretionary basis.

Brian Sutherland is a financial advisor with AE Wealth Management, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Oxbow Financial, TSFG, LPL Financial, and Perdoceo Education Corporation. AE Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, trusts, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers a platform-centered approach with model portfolios, discretionary asset management, financial planning, and plan services, supported by an internal Investment Consulting Group and various licensing and sub-advisory programs.

John Sias is a financial advisor with NewEdge Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 24 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at LPL Financial and Edward Jones. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations through a network of independent advisers. The firm provides a range of portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services, utilizing diverse program structures that incorporate both in-house and third-party strategies, supported by centralized due diligence and technology tools.