Brendan Houlihan is a financial advisor with First Advisors National, LLC in Palos Heights, IL, holding a Series 65 designation and 10 years of industry experience. He has worked at the Illinois Department of Revenue since 2014. In addition to his advisory role, Houlihan is an independent insurance agent specializing in life and health insurance sales. First Advisors National manages discretionary assets for individual and high-net-worth clients, offering investment management, third-party portfolio recommendations, and retirement plan consulting. The firm emphasizes manager selection and monitoring, combining tactical and strategic investment approaches with fundamental analysis.

Marc Horner is a CFP® professional with 25 years of industry experience, currently serving at Pure Financial Advisors, LLC. His prior roles include positions at Fairhaven Wealth Management, Triad Advisors, UBS Financial Services, and Merrill. Outside of advising, he is president of HighTide Media LLC, a financial education company that produces licensed video content under the trademark "Million Dollar Cup of Coffee." Pure Financial Advisors, LLC is a large registered investment adviser managing approximately $11 billion in assets for individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm emphasizes a financial-planning-centered approach using academic frameworks and offers comprehensive planning and discretionary portfolio management services.

Richard Gotterer is a CFP® professional with 15 years of industry experience, currently serving at Calamos Wealth Management LLC since 2015. He holds a Series 65 license and is based in Naperville, IL. Calamos Wealth Management LLC provides discretionary wealth management and institutional advisory services to high-net-worth individuals, family offices, endowments, private foundations, and retirement plans. The firm employs a structured investment process overseen by an Investment Committee and often utilizes affiliated Calamos Funds and sub-advisers while maintaining governance controls and disclosure practices.

Thomas Durment is a financial advisor with Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. in Glenview, Illinois, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 36 years of industry experience. He has been with Ausdal since 2008 and also operates Durment Financial Planning, which provides investment-related and fixed insurance sales services. Durment serves as a board member and secretary of the Optimist Foundation, where he helps organize golf outings and scholarship programs. Ausdal Financial Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA-member broker-dealer managing approximately $2.13 billion in assets. The firm serves individuals, trusts, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations through a range of advisory programs, retirement services, and financial planning, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies across multiple asset classes.

Rafia Hasan is a CFP®, CFA®, and holds a Series 66 license with 11 years of industry experience. She is currently with Perigon Wealth Management, LLC and has previously worked at Wipfli Financial Advisors, LLC and Hewins Financial Advisors LLC. Perigon Wealth Management provides customized investment advisory and wealth management services to individuals, trusts, estates, businesses, charitable organizations, and banking or thrift institutions. The firm develops portfolios tailored to client objectives and risk tolerance, often delegating day-to-day management to independent managers while maintaining oversight and conducting regular reviews.

Christopher Patras is a financial advisor at Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. with 42 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Ausdal since 2011. In addition to his advisory role, he owns an insurance sales business specializing in life, disability, and long-term care insurance, as well as group medical and dental plans for small businesses. Ausdal Financial Partners manages approximately $2.13 billion in client assets through a network of about 152 advisors. The firm offers investment advisory programs, retirement plan services, and financial planning to individuals, trusts, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations, combining brokerage, advisory, and insurance services.

Charles Baier is a CFP® and ChFC® with 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Good Life Advisors, LLC since 2021 and previously held roles at Level Four Advisory Services, LPL Financial, and Opus Wealth Management Group. In addition to his advisory work, Baier is a commissioned notary. Good Life Advisors provides investment advisory, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting services to individuals, families, businesses, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a team approach and multiple analysis methods to tailor advice, offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management alongside educational seminars and access to various third-party programs and custodial platforms.

Richard Orr is a financial advisor at Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. with 37 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 registrations and has worked previously with BCU Wealth Advisors, CUSO Financial Services, and Baxter Credit Union. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in insurance sales through MVP Financial Services, Inc. and provides accounting and financial services at KMETZ Financial Group. Ausdal Financial Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA-member broker-dealer managing approximately $2.13 billion in client assets through a network of 152 advisors. The firm offers investment advisory programs, retirement plan services, and financial planning to individuals, trusts, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations, delivering strategies across various account types with access to multiple custodians and a range of investment products.

James Keller is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with 20 years of industry experience. He has been with Highpoint Planning Partners since 2013 and also affiliated with LPL Financial since 2008. HighPoint Advisor Group serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm offers a range of advisory services and constructs client portfolios using fundamental analysis across various investment vehicles, utilizing both proprietary and third-party platforms.

Donald Wade is a CFP® with 47 years of experience in the financial industry. He is currently affiliated with Capital Analysts and has worked at Lincoln Investment since 2017, following a 28-year tenure at Legend Equities Corporation. Wade also serves as president of his own S Corporation used for tax and accounting purposes. Capital Analysts provides portfolio management and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth investors, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm combines in-house discretionary investment management with third-party offerings and uses a proprietary mutual fund screening process called CAPSL to construct model portfolios.

Christopher Jerin is a financial advisor with Calamos Wealth Management LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at Calamos Wealth Management and its affiliated firms since 2010, with a brief tenure at Beacon Pointe Advisors from 2019 to 2022. Calamos Wealth Management provides discretionary wealth management, financial planning, and institutional advisory services to high-net-worth individuals, family offices, endowments, private foundations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm’s investment approach combines asset allocation, quantitative and qualitative evaluation, and a mix of individual equities, fixed income, mutual funds, ETFs, interval funds, and private investment funds.

Kyle Schroeder is a CFP® with six years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Forum Financial Management, LP since 2020. Prior to joining Forum, he worked at Prospect Partners and Merrill. Forum Financial Management, LP provides fee-based wealth management, financial planning, qualified plan services, and educational workshops to individual and institutional clients. The firm also acts as a sub-advisor and turnkey asset management platform for independent RIAs, utilizing model asset-allocation portfolios managed primarily with DFA institutional mutual funds and ETFs following a Modern Portfolio Theory approach.

Michael Lichtfuss is a financial advisor with Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. in Downers Grove, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and possessing 17 years of industry experience. He has been with Ausdal Financial Partners since 2012 and previously worked at Safety Service Sys for 17 years. Outside of his advisory role, Lichtfuss assesses national referee candidates and keeps score for high school basketball games. Ausdal Financial Partners serves individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, and business entities, overseeing approximately $3.73 billion across more than 16,000 clients. The firm offers a range of advisory and financial planning services, employing tailored investment strategies developed at the advisor level and integrating multiple custodians and third-party managers.

Sean O’Shea is a CFP® professional with 19 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Highpoint Planning Partners. He has worked with LPL Financial since 2012 and joined Highpoint Advisor Group, LLC dba McCabe Financial Group in 2025. HighPoint Advisor Group serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as pension plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm offers discretionary asset management, financial planning, retirement plan advisory, and uses fundamental analysis to construct client portfolios across a range of asset classes.

Alfred Marwede is a financial advisor at Forum Financial Management, LP with 27 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Forum Financial Management since 2012. Outside of his advisory role, he is a member of F.A.M. LLC, which provides management services under a service agreement with Forum Financial Management. Forum Financial Management, LP offers fee-based wealth management, financial planning, and qualified plan services to individual and institutional clients. The firm also serves as a sub-advisor and turnkey asset management platform for other independent RIAs, utilizing model portfolios aligned with Modern Portfolio Theory and a mix of institutional mutual funds, ETFs, and fixed income strategies.

Michael Kennedy is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 21 years of industry experience. He has been with Forum Financial Management, LP since 2010. Outside of his advisory role, he is also a licensed insurance producer specializing in life, health, and long-term care insurance. Forum Financial Management, LP provides fee-based wealth management, financial planning, and qualified plan services to individual and institutional clients, while also serving as a sub-advisor and turnkey asset management platform for other independent RIAs. The firm utilizes model portfolios managed primarily with DFA mutual funds and ETFs within a Modern Portfolio Theory framework, overseeing approximately $9 billion in assets under management.

William Hickerson is a CFP® professional with 35 years of industry experience. He has been with Advance Capital Management Inc. since 2000. Advance Capital Management serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, foundations, and endowments, providing discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm uses an Investment Committee to guide decisions, offers a range of strategies including direct indexing and crypto-related investments, and operates with a referral-driven distribution model.

John Duckworth is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 14 years of industry experience. He has been with High Point Planning Partners, operating as Black Diamond Planners, since 2013. HighPoint Advisor Group serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm offers discretionary asset management and financial planning, implementing portfolios through fundamental analysis and a diversified allocation across various securities and investment products.

Allen Laya is a financial advisor with Capital Analysts, holding the ChFC® designation and a Series 63 license. He has 54 years of industry experience, including 21 years at Lincoln Investment Planning, Inc. and four years at PMG Asset Management Inc. Capital Analysts serves retail and institutional clients, including high-net-worth individuals, trusts, foundations, businesses, and charitable organizations. The firm offers portfolio management, custom and model portfolios, access to third-party managers, and retirement-plan advice through a nationwide network of independent advisors and firm-managed programs.

Dennis Michon is a financial advisor with Forum Financial Management, LP, holding a Series 65 license and 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Forum Financial since 2012 and concurrently operates as a partner and attorney at Michon & Buckley, a law firm specializing in estate planning and real estate services. Additionally, he serves as president of Tax & Financial Solutions, Inc., a tax and accounting firm. Forum Financial Management, LP provides fee-based wealth management, financial planning, and qualified plan services to individual and institutional clients. The firm also acts as a sub-advisor and turnkey asset management platform for other RIAs, employing model portfolios based on Modern Portfolio Theory and primarily utilizing DFA institutional mutual funds and ETFs.