Chad Frantesl is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding the Series 66 designation and based in St. Charles, Illinois. He has been with LPL Financial since 2024 and has 16 years of experience as the owner of Penguin Cleaning Services. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves a wide range of clients including individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers various advisory programs and brokerage services with access to model portfolios, third-party research, and a range of investment strategies.

Jeremy Eckert is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding a Series 66 designation. He has experience in accounting and tax services, having worked at Trail CPA Corporation and GPL Tax & Accounting prior to joining LPL Financial. Outside of advisory work, he has a background in agricultural business through his role at Integrated Ag LP. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, financial institutions, corporations, and nonprofits nationwide. The firm offers a wide range of advisory programs and financial planning services, using both discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by in-house research and third-party subadvisors.

Frank Petroczky is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Edward Jones in West Dundee, IL, where he has worked since 2012, accumulating 13 years of industry experience. He serves as a director for the Shabbona Lake Sportsmans Club in Shabbona, IL, where he volunteers for club outings. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a wide range of investment strategies and affiliated services, operating under a fiduciary standard, with a large nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Joel Callahan is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with eight years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at J.P. Morgan Securities and Jpmorgan Chase Bank since 2019. Prior to that, he spent one year at The Prudential Insurance Company of America and Pruco Securities. Outside of his advisory role, he operates a small e-commerce business selling shoes and clothing on Facebook Marketplace. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors through a combination of quantitative asset-allocation modeling and centralized due diligence. The firm incorporates an ESG eligibility framework and offers access to a broad range of investment products, including security-based swaps and futures.

Patrick O Connor is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at The Freeze and Northern Michigan University. Outside of his advisory role, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Senior Care Volunteer Network and is involved in their Planning and Fundraising Committee. Ameriprise offers retirement-income planning services primarily for individuals nearing or in retirement with substantial investable assets, combining research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to provide tailored, written recommendation reports through a centralized consulting team.

Elinos Whitlock III is a CFP® with 32 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Cetera. His prior experience includes roles at Avantax Investment Services, Inc. and 1 St Global Advisors, Inc. He is also president of Whitlock Healthcare, Inc., a financial services entity. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered adviser that supports a large nationwide network of independent advisors, serving individuals, retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services and operates a multi-manager platform with access to affiliated and third-party investment strategies.

Crystal Thomas is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 18 years of industry experience. She has worked at Merrill since 2022 and previously spent 13 years at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Merrill, along with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm offers model-based and discretionary investment strategies supported by internal Chief Investment Office teams and third-party managers, serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Brian Muehrcke is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Equitable Advisors and Axa Advisors. Since 2022, he has been with JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors through its Institutional Consulting Services program, combining quantitative asset-allocation modeling with centralized due diligence and applying an ESG eligibility framework in its recommendations.

Megan Pawlowski is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having nine years of industry experience. Her prior work includes roles at NYLIFE Securities LLC, New York Life Insurance Company, and Christopher Financial Group LLC. Outside of advisory work, she serves as a board member for the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and officiates high school basketball and volleyball games. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC serves a broad client base including individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with a variety of portfolio management and financial planning services, managing over $256 billion in assets through a network of more than 10,000 advisors.

Randy Domingue is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and possessing 14 years of industry experience. He has been with J.P. Morgan Securities and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. since 2012. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors through its Institutional Consulting Services program. The firm combines quantitative asset-allocation modeling with centralized due diligence and applies an ESG eligibility framework when recommending strategies.

Karina Munji is a financial advisor at Cetera with 10 years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. She has been with various Cetera entities since 2015 and previously worked at Vijay Thakkar and Associates Ltd. Outside of finance, she works as a freelance audio transcriber for multiple companies. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered adviser serving individual, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients through a large network of independent advisors. The firm offers a variety of portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement services through a multi-manager platform with access to affiliated and third-party managers.

Benjamin Miller is a CFP® with 30 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Raymond James & Associates since 2024. Prior to joining Raymond James, he was with UBS Financial Services Inc for 15 years. He is an officer involved in neighborhood management for The Preserve at Long Grove. Raymond James & Associates is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $501 billion in assets. The firm serves a diverse client base, including individuals, institutional and pension plans, and charitable organizations, offering non-discretionary financial planning and investment consulting supported by proprietary research and a range of portfolio management styles.

Patrick O'Connor is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors with 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Wells Fargo Advisors since 2011. Outside of his work at Wells Fargo, he co-owns Armada Financial Partners Ltd with his spouse. Wells Fargo Advisors is a large broker-dealer and registered investment adviser that serves individuals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm offers a broad range of financial planning services that include retirement, education, risk, and wealth-transfer planning, with specialized services requiring specific advisor credentials.

Lesley Torres is a financial advisor at Charles Schwab with one year of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Charles Schwab Bank and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. since 2022. Prior to this, she held positions at Magnit, Paylocity, and Edgars Landscaping Inc. Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. serves primarily high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals through its Schwab Wealth Advisory wrap fee program and affiliated managed-account and financial planning services. The firm combines non-discretionary advisory relationships with access to discretionary separately managed accounts and employs a multi-asset model portfolio approach supported by centralized custody and supervisory functions.

Robert Stackhouse is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and over 32 years of industry experience. He has worked with firms including Investors Capital Corporation and RPS Financial, where he is also the owner and registered representative. Stackhouse has been associated with Cetera in various capacities since 2016. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and consulting services through a large network of independent advisors, utilizing multiple program structures and third-party managers.

Richard Augustine Sr. is a financial advisor with OSAIC based in Schaumburg, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 26 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at SagePoint Financial, Lincoln Financial Advisors, and Austin Bancorp. In addition to his advisory work, he serves as president of R.J. Augustine & Associates, Ltd., a corporation offering tax, accounting, and strategic business planning services, and he is the treasurer of the Founders Club Homeowners Association. OSAIC serves a diverse client base that includes individuals, high-net-worth investors, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm provides integrated brokerage and advisory services, utilizing asset-allocation tools and risk-assessment methods to manage portfolios across various asset classes on discretionary and non-discretionary bases.

Michael Procaccio II is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and eight years of industry experience. He has worked at multiple firms, including Pro Financial Services Group, Inc. and The Procaccio Corporation, and is involved in managing Jimmy John’s franchise operations. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, and institutional accounts, offering a range of portfolio management and financial planning services through a large nationwide network of independent advisors.

Michael Barwacz is currently a Financial Consultant at Fidelity Investments, a position he has held since 2024. He has been with Fidelity since 2019, serving previously as a Planning Consultant from 2021 to 2024 and as a Relationship Manager from 2019 to 2021. Prior to joining Fidelity, Michael worked as a Premium Investment Consultant for Merrill Edge between 2017 and 2019. Michael brings over 40 years of experience in the financial industry. His background includes a decade as Director of Retail Trading at TD Ameritrade from 2007 to 2017 and over two decades as a Market Maker at the Chicago Board Options Exchange from 1984 to 2007. This extensive experience supports his focus on building comprehensive financial plans tailored to individual goals. Outside of his professional work, Michael enjoys activities such as cooking and baking, family engagements, fitness, football, music, and photography.

Benjamin Gottlieb is a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management based in Schaumburg, Illinois. He specializes in working with businesses on retirement, benefit, executive, and equity compensation program needs, supporting companies and individuals in developing retirement programs specific to their plan design. As part of a team, he follows a methodical process to review current plans and look for opportunities to improve technology, reporting, fees, and risk management to help companies fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities. Ben began his career in the financial services industry in 2008. He is a member of the Institutional Advisory Council (IACTM) at Merrill, which includes retirement and institutional designated advisors who provide input to firm management. Ben holds several professional designations, including Certified 401(k) Professional (CkP), Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Benefits Consultant (RBC). He graduated from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland and completed the UCLA Anderson School of Management Executive Education Program in 2018. Ben lives in the Northwest Suburbs of Illinois with his wife, Kristen, and their three children, Charlotte, Jack, and Taylor. In his free time, he enjoys football, golf, hockey, activities that help animals, and spending time with his family. He is involved with community organizations such as the Humane Society, Love for Liam, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Sofiya Semanyshyn is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Vermillion Financial Advisors and Le Colonial, as well as academic experience at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary services. The firm’s investment approach is IPS-driven and grounded in modern portfolio theory, with a notable inclusion of insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options among its investment offerings.