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.

Matthew Bappert is a financial advisor with LPL Financial based in Palatine, IL. He holds the CFP® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 10 years of industry experience. Prior to joining LPL Financial, he worked at BMO Bank, Premier Asset Management LLC, and 1834 Investment Advisors Co. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of financial planning and investment services, including access to model portfolios, third-party asset managers, and institutional platforms, supported by a network of over 22,800 advisors.

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.

Dionne Braggs is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Arlington Heights, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 22 years of industry experience. She has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2003. Outside of advisory work, she owns a business entity that manages her practice expenses and is involved in independent insurance brokering. Ameriprise serves clients primarily through its retirement-income planning service, targeting individuals with significant investable assets. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency strategies to provide tailored, written retirement recommendations delivered by a centralized consulting team.

Erika Hoffman is a Planning Consultant at Fidelity Investments, a role she has held since 2025. In this capacity, she assists clients in understanding their comprehensive financial situations and helps clarify their future financial goals. Erika's experience at Fidelity Investments spans several positions, including Central Relationship Manager (2024-2025), Life Events Consultant (2023-2024), and Financial Representative (2022-2023). Through these roles, she has developed expertise in financial planning and client relationship management. Outside of her professional work, Erika has interests in museums, puzzles, and reading.

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 with 16 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 with NAPCO Inc., a manufacturing company in Naperville, Illinois, where he advises on manufacturing processes and coffee purchasing. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individual and institutional clients with a range of advisory programs, including tailored financial planning. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and employs a structured planning process supported by approved tools and modeling techniques.

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.

Derek Wichman is a CFP® with 11 years of experience and has been with Edward Jones since 2015. He works out of the Palatine, IL office. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth households and corporate accounts. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a range of advisory strategies, affiliated mutual funds, and tax-efficient services through a nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Mario Palacios is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Arlington Heights, IL, holding the CFP® designation and Series 66 license. He has eight years of industry experience, including five years at Capital One prior to joining Edward Jones in 2018. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million clients with a range of investment programs and fiduciary advisory services. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets through a nationwide network of over 23,700 advisors and 15,000 branch offices.

David Olson is a financial advisor with OSAIC in Arlington Heights, IL, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and two years of industry experience. His previous roles include positions at JPMorgan Distribution Services, Northwestern Mutual, and Seven Bridges Golf. OSAIC Wealth, Inc. serves a diverse range of retail and institutional clients, providing integrated brokerage and investment advisory services through a large network of advisors and multiple platforms. The firm utilizes asset-allocation tools, risk-tolerance assessments, and automated rebalancing to manage portfolios across various asset classes and supports both discretionary and non-discretionary account management.

Gregory Powell is a Series 63 licensed financial advisor with 42 years of industry experience. He is currently affiliated with Cetera and has held various roles within Cetera and its associated entities since 2012. He also serves as a compliance officer at Horizon Financial Group and Horizon Financial Network. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered adviser serving a wide range of clients including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to multiple investment managers through a multi-manager platform.

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.