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.

Scott Scherrer is a financial advisor at Scherrer Financial Services with 21 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has operated his independent practice since 2004. Scherrer Financial Services provides investment management and financial planning primarily for individual clients. The firm employs a bottom-up, buy-and-hold investment approach tailored to client-specific objectives, incorporating portfolio construction with stocks, bonds, annuities, and CDs, alongside retirement, tax, and estate planning advice.

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.

John Maguire is the sole advisor at Maguire Asset Management, LLC, an independent firm based in Oak Brook, IL. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 24 years of industry experience. Maguire has been with Maguire Asset Management since 2004, overseeing both portfolio management and pension consulting services. Maguire Asset Management provides portfolio management for individual clients and pension consulting for plan sponsors, including 401(k), profit-sharing, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm combines fundamental, technical, quantitative, and qualitative analysis with asset allocation, trading strategies, and specialized pension consulting services such as Investment Policy Statement preparation and participant educational workshops.

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.

Alexander Koynoff is a financial advisor at ATK Financial Prosperity with a Series 65 designation and three years of industry experience. He previously worked at Zurich North America, Northwestern University, and Northern Trust. ATK Financial Prosperity is an independent, single-advisor registered investment adviser serving individuals and high-net-worth clients with financial planning and discretionary portfolio management. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes Modern Portfolio Theory and primarily passive portfolios constructed with index mutual funds and ETFs, supplemented by fundamental, technical, cyclical, and charting analysis.

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.

Daniel Henry is a financial advisor at Endeavor Capital Management, LLC with 18 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at J.P. Morgan Securities from 2007 to 2019 before joining IHT Wealth Management LLC in 2020. Outside of investment management, he is involved in training and onboarding new hires at Vedder Price, PC. Endeavor Capital Management provides discretionary investment management and sub-advisory services to high-net-worth individuals, legal entities, corporations, and other registered investment advisers. The firm employs a combination of fundamental valuation, technical analysis, and dividend-growth assessments to manage concentrated, long-term equity portfolios alongside passive asset allocation strategies.

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.

Robert Mesch is a CFP® with 38 years of industry experience. He is the principal of Intuitive Wealth Management, LLC, an independent advisory firm he has led since 2018, following 17 years at Linsco/Private Ledger Corp operating under the same dba. He is also a licensed insurance agent. Intuitive Wealth Management serves individual clients by providing tailored investment advisory and asset management services, including discretionary and non-discretionary managed accounts. The firm customizes portfolios based on clients’ goals and risk tolerances, employing various strategies and conducting quarterly account reviews directly by the principal.

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.

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.

Nino Lekarczyk is a financial advisor with WealthRidge Investments LLC and holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. He has seven years of industry experience, including prior roles at JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities. Outside of advisory work, he owns and leases residential real estate through Taylor and Lake Properties LLC. WealthRidge Investments LLC is an independent firm offering discretionary asset management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and business entities. The firm employs fundamental and cyclical analysis alongside Modern Portfolio Theory in its investment approach and may use sub-advisors while retaining overall client responsibility.

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.

Scott Wentsel is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ with nine years of industry experience and the principal advisor at Wentsel Wealth Management, LLC. He has managed his independent advisory firm since 2016 and has been a professor at DePaul University since 2011. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a trustee for an investment-related advisory firm. Wentsel Wealth Management provides investment management and financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth households, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a low-cost, globally diversified investment approach centered on asset allocation, combining index-oriented ETFs and mutual funds with selective active management and individual securities, and offers institutional services uncommon for a firm of its size.

James Krebec is a CFP® professional with 28 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at CIC Investment Consultants, LLC since 2003. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and maintains an Arkansas insurance license, though he spends no meaningful time in the insurance business. CIC Investment Consultants provides investment management and financial planning services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, written financial plans, and advisory services on private securities and alternative investments, using a variety of analytical methods and strategies tailored to client goals and risk tolerance.