Sean Rhodes is the principal of Rhodes Capital Management, Inc. in Batavia, IL, with 33 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Morgan Stanley, Citigroup Global Markets, Merrill, Elite Investment Team LLC, and Onyx Bridge Wealth Group LLC. Rhodes holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials. Rhodes Capital Management provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and small businesses. The firm uses a strategic asset-allocation approach that combines passive index-tracking core positions with active satellite holdings to manage cost, tax exposure, and volatility, incorporating a range of investment strategies including options and margin trading when appropriate.

Sukumar Thanawala is the principal of Vigness Advisory LLC and holds the CFA® designation. He has been working in investment research and financial analysis since 2014 as president of Vigness Analytics, and has been with Vigness Advisory since its founding in 2024. Vigness Advisory LLC is an independent investment manager offering fee-based portfolio management and financial planning to pooled vehicles, private funds, trusts, estates, and other institutional or entity clients. The firm employs a tactical allocation strategy focused on managing downside risk and seeks performance through fundamental and cyclical analysis, utilizing a broad range of investment instruments.

Thomas Carpenter is a financial advisor at Cantebury Capital, Inc. in Western Springs, IL, with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Cantebury Capital since 2002. Cantebury Capital provides financial planning, investment advisory, and portfolio management services for individuals, families, trusts, and pension plans. The firm uses a long-term, diversified buy-and-hold approach guided by an Investment Policy Statement and operates primarily on a non-discretionary basis, including institutional and pension clients in its mix and offering pension consulting services.

John Marc Berthoud is a financial advisor with Cornerstone Asset Management, Inc. in Naperville, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and over 24 years of industry experience. He has served as president of Cornerstone Asset Management since 2001 and has worked independently as an insurance agent selling life insurance and annuities since 2010. Cornerstone Asset Management offers personalized portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm manages client assets on a non-discretionary basis using a variety of analytical methods and tailored strategies, with a focus on monitoring and adjusting portfolios according to market conditions and client needs.

Chenguttuvan Surendran is a financial advisor with Quest Wealth Management Incorporated in Westchester, Illinois. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 16 years of industry experience, including 12 years as a self-employed advisor at Quest Wealth Management. In addition to his advisory role, Surendran spends a significant portion of his time as an insurance agent involved in sales and services. Quest Wealth Management Incorporated provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management services for a range of clients including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and business entities. The firm’s investment approach integrates fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, emphasizing long-term trading strategies, primarily no-load mutual funds, and options writing.

Matthew Fredericks is a financial advisor with Highline Financial LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Kyndryl, Ensono, DePaul University, and Basil Financial Group. Highline Financial LLC is a newly registered, fee-only investment adviser that plans to serve individuals, families, and various client types by providing non-discretionary investment advice and financial planning. The firm employs a structured process to recommend diversified portfolios and offers both flat-fee planning and ongoing asset-based management, with a focus on pension consulting and individualized portfolio management.

Gary Tagtmeier is the sole advisor at Financial Awareness Institute, where he has worked since 1985. He holds a Series 65 designation and has 28 years of industry experience. Based in Woodridge, IL, Tagtmeier focuses on delivering financial education and counseling services. Financial Awareness Institute primarily serves employers and their employees through workplace financial wellness programs, while also offering individual counseling and portfolio management. The firm emphasizes behavioral finance and personalized money-management strategies, providing non-discretionary advisory services with detailed employer usage reporting and educational content.

Therese Martin is a CFP® with 24 years of experience in financial advising. She is the sole advisor at Martin Financial Management, an independent firm she founded in 2002. Martin Financial Management offers personalized financial planning and investment management to individuals, trusts, and estates. The firm employs a strategic asset allocation with a core-and-satellite approach, focusing primarily on non-discretionary portfolio management and providing services through various fee arrangements.

Norman Sehnoutka III is a financial advisor at Naperville Private Wealth, LLC with nine years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at Edward Jones, Morgan Stanley, The Huntington Investment Company, and The Huntington National Bank. He is also a licensed insurance agent, dedicating a portion of his time to insurance sales and implementation. Naperville Private Wealth is an independent advisory firm serving individual and high-net-worth clients with discretionary wealth management and financial planning. The firm employs a long-term, fundamental analysis approach, using diversified mutual funds, ETFs, and individual securities, while tailoring strategies to clients’ goals and risk tolerance.

Ronald Aubrey is the sole advisor at RJ Aubrey Investments Corp., an independent firm based in Glen Ellyn, IL. He holds a Series 65 designation and has 21 years of industry experience, having founded the firm in 1989. RJ Aubrey Investments Corp. is a fee-only registered investment adviser offering discretionary investment management and limited financial planning to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm focuses on asset allocation and long-term investing, using quantitative, fundamental, and technical analysis to select securities while managing portfolio volatility through mutual funds, ETFs, and fixed income.

Jonathan Grubb is a financial advisor with Accountants Wealth Management Group LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and 10 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Archer Investment Corporation and operates an affiliated CPA practice, The Hechtman Group, providing accounting and tax services. Accountants Wealth Management Group LLC offers discretionary and non-discretionary asset management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm emphasizes fundamental analysis and long-term investment strategies, combining investment advisory with licensed accounting services.

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, holding a Series 66 designation with 18 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Ventoux Financial Advisors, Tradingblock, and Securian Financial Services. He volunteers with the Naperville Jaycees. Powers Financial Group is an independent advisory firm providing investment supervisory services, portfolio management, and modular financial planning to individuals, trusts, foundations, and institutional clients. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, cyclical, and volatility analysis, offering strategies such as actively managed option overlays and block trading tailored to client objectives and risk tolerance.

Ratnam Chitturi is a financial advisor with Gamma Group in Burr Ridge, IL, holding a Series 65 credential and 28 years of industry experience. He has been self-employed since 1997 and has worked with Gamma Group since 1996. In addition to his advisory work, he engages in part-time consulting unrelated to investments. Gamma Group provides discretionary portfolio management primarily for individual investors, IRAs, living trusts, and custodial accounts with a typical account minimum near $100,000. The firm employs a fundamentals-based, long-term investment approach using diversified allocations of no-load mutual funds, index funds, and ETFs, and operates a single-advisor model.

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.

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.