Jeffrey Kocis is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 24 years of industry experience. He has been affiliated with IHT Wealth Management LLC and LPL Financial since 2015. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as Chaplain and Executive Committee Board Member for the American Legion Riders Marne Post 13. LPL Financial provides advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, institutions, and high-net-worth households. The firm offers a range of investment solutions supported by an in-house Research team, combining large-scale advisory operations with additional financial products and services.

Brendan Donlevy is a financial advisor at VestGen Advisors, LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at several firms, including Triad Advisors, Northwestern Mutual, and Capital Forensics Inc. Brendan is based in Chicago, IL. VestGen Advisors, LLC is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.47 billion for about 9,453 clients. The firm serves individual and high-net-worth clients with discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, wrap-fee programs, and retirement plan services. Their approach integrates client-specific goal setting with various analytical methods and may include third-party managers or affiliate strategies.

Deborah Hinten is a CFP® professional with 39 years of industry experience. She is affiliated with Capital Analysts and has worked at Lincoln Investment Planning, Inc. since 2011 and Consolidated Financial Resources, Inc. since 1982. Outside of her advisory role, she manages direct marketing for a skin care line and handles administrative duties in construction and flooring businesses. Capital Analysts serves a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and corporate clients. The firm employs discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management with a proprietary mutual-fund screening process and offers various advisory services through a network of several hundred advisors.

David Fischesser is a financial advisor with Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. in Wheaton, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 15 years of industry experience. His prior work includes positions at OSAIC, American Portfolios Financial Services Inc, and Grove Point Investments, LLC. Beyond advising, he owns Fisch Financial, LLC, which provides tax preparation, bookkeeping, and accounting services, and he serves as board treasurer for the Western DuPage Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the parish council at St. Michael Catholic Church. Ausdal Financial Partners serves individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, and business entities, managing approximately $3.73 billion for over 16,000 clients. The firm offers a range of advisory services and integrates multiple custodians and third-party money managers, operating as both a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer.

Phillip Smolinski is a financial advisor at Pure Financial Advisors, LLC with 19 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Fidelity Brokerage Services and Fairhaven Wealth Management, LLC. Pure Financial Advisors provides financial planning and portfolio management primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, including services for trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm employs a planning-centered investment approach overseen by an Investment Committee and combines enterprise-scale infrastructure with specialized operational features such as tax-aware strategies and advisor involvement in adult-education teaching.

Jessica Nieminski is an investment advisor representative at Fortis Capital Advisors, LLC with 13 years of industry experience. She has held positions at multiple firms, including Cetera and Network 1 Financial Securities, and operates ClearPath Financial LLC, a financial services DBA. Nieminski also sells health, life, property, and casualty insurance through ClearPath Financial Insurance, LLC. Fortis Capital Advisors serves individuals, families, businesses, retirement plans, institutional clients, and other advisers with portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm employs a range of investment strategies, including discretionary management and ESG options, and manages over $1.6 billion in discretionary assets.

David Mcclellan is a financial advisor at Forum Financial Management, LP with 11 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with Forum Financial Management since 2015. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with F.A.M. LLC as a member, providing management services related to the firm. Forum Financial Management, LP provides investment advisory and related services to individuals, retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and institutional clients. The firm emphasizes model asset-allocation portfolios based on Modern Portfolio Theory and offers a range of services including portfolio management, financial planning, and back-office support for independent advisors and RIAs.

Daniel Zolet is a CFA® charterholder with eight years at RiverFront Investment Group and five years of industry experience. Before joining RiverFront in 2018, he worked at IBM for two years and spent a year at Extended Travel. RiverFront Investment Group provides discretionary portfolio management and model-based investment solutions primarily to individual investors, trusts, pension funds, and institutional clients. The firm employs a multi-advisor platform combining strategic and tactical asset allocation with security selection under its “Price Matters” framework and manages portfolios through various account types including wrap-fee programs and separately managed accounts.

John Kwasigroch is a financial advisor at Alera Investment Advisors, LLC with 31 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at firms including Securian Financial Services, Inc. and Triad Advisors, Inc. He is also involved with GCG Financial, providing fixed insurance products and investment advisory services. Alera Investment Advisors offers investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services to individuals, families, businesses, and institutions. The firm combines internal management with affiliate and independent managers, focusing on long-term allocations to mutual funds, ETFs, equities, and fixed income, while providing ERISA-related services for retirement plans.

Steven Podgorski is a financial advisor with Capital Analysts in Lombard, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and bringing 19 years of industry experience. He has been with Lincoln Investment since 2016 and operates Aspire Financial Group, primarily servicing legacy accounts. In addition to his advisory work, he manages an LLC established for liability protection. Capital Analysts serves a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management with a focus on proprietary investment models, third-party manager access, and fiduciary advisory services.

Carlos Coutinho Maia is a financial advisor at Navy Federal Investment Services, LLC with five years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked at firms including JP Morgan Securities, Equitable Advisors, Prudential Insurance Company of America, and Edward Jones. Outside of finance, he was involved in operating Carambola Gelato and Coffee Shop LLC for two years. Navy Federal Investment Services primarily serves members of Navy Federal Credit Union, individual investors, and trusts, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan fiduciary services. The firm utilizes model portfolios managed by third-party advisers on platforms such as Envestnet, providing account monitoring, rebalancing, and optional tax and impact overlay services.

Tara Hill is a CFP® professional with four years of industry experience. She is currently associated with Mariner Independent and Fortitude Financial Partners. Her prior experience includes roles at Brown Brothers Harriman and Northern Trust. Mariner Independent serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, retirement plan consulting, tax support, insurance solutions, and access to alternative investments, utilizing both firm-built model portfolios and customized discretionary portfolios.

Jennifer Taylor is a CFP® with 29 years of experience in the financial services industry. She currently works at Pure Financial Advisors, LLC and has prior experience at Fairhaven Wealth Management and Fidelity, where she spent over 25 years in various advisory roles. Pure Financial Advisors provides financial planning and portfolio management primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm emphasizes a planning-centered investment approach overseen by an Investment Committee and incorporates tax-aware strategies, sub-advisers, and a multi-advisor platform supported by enterprise-scale infrastructure.

Howard Kite is a CFP® and ChFC® with 44 years of industry experience. He is currently with Forum Financial Management, LP, where he has worked since 2009, and previously held roles at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investment and PKS Advisory Services, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he is a member of several non-investment-related business entities, including real estate management ventures. Forum Financial Management, LP provides 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, offering model portfolios managed primarily with DFA institutional mutual funds and ETFs under a Modern Portfolio Theory approach.

Kevin Geiger is a financial advisor with Blackridge Asset Management, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 16 years of industry experience. He has worked with several firms, including The Retirement Guys Formula and Retirement Wealth Advisors. Geiger is also involved with Geiger Investments and Peak Brokerage Services, where he engages in brokerage and insurance-related activities. Blackridge Asset Management provides financial planning, investment management, and consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, corporations, retirement plans, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes model-based portfolio management, third-party money manager referrals, and estate-planning support delivered through an online platform.

Allison Tregoning is a financial advisor at Gladstone Wealth Partners with eight years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at LPL Financial, Cetera Financial Specialists LLC, and Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC. Gladstone Wealth Partners serves individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations through a network of nearly 100 investment adviser representatives. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to wrap programs and third-party manager solutions.

Paul Kaczmarczyk is a financial advisor at World Equity Group, Inc. with 19 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with World Equity Group since 2010, also working with VestGen Advisors, LLC since 2026. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as treasurer for the Schaumburg Athletic Association United Soccer Club, a nonprofit youth soccer organization. World Equity Group, Inc. provides fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as various institutional clients. The firm offers managed portfolios through its wrap-fee programs, utilizing discretionary portfolio management and third-party money managers guided by clients’ risk tolerance.

Michael Manno is a financial advisor with World Equity Group, Inc. in Schaumburg, Illinois, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 42 years of industry experience. He has been with World Equity Group since 2003. World Equity Group, Inc. provides fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities. The firm offers managed portfolios through its Adhesion Money Management wrap-fee program and related advisory programs, combining discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to third-party money managers.

Gary Richards is a CFP® professional with 32 years of experience at World Equity Group, Inc., where he has worked since 1994. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Richards is also involved as a co-owner of B&R Financial, a financial planning and investment advisory practice. World Equity Group, Inc. provides fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers managed portfolios through its wrap-fee program and discretionary third-party money management, utilizing risk-tolerance assessments to guide asset allocation.

Eric Hrebic is a CFP® professional with six years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Forum Financial Management, LP since 2020. His prior experience includes roles at 606 Wealth Management, LLC and Lowery Asset Consulting. 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 serves as a sub-advisor and turnkey asset management platform for other independent RIAs, managing approximately $9 billion in assets with a focus on model portfolios grounded in Modern Portfolio Theory.