Robert Freeman is a financial advisor with Simplicity Wealth holding a Series 66 designation and seven years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and The Ayco Company, L.P./Mercer Allied. Outside of work, he volunteers with North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, a community men’s group providing programs and support services. Simplicity Wealth serves a diverse client base, including individual and high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, and institutional clients. The firm employs a fund-of-funds approach using ETFs, mutual funds, and individual securities, alongside model portfolios that are actively monitored and rebalanced, and offers technology and operational solutions for other advisers through a third-party asset management platform.

Ian Barr is a CFP® with 18 years of industry experience currently with Pure Financial Advisors, LLC. Prior to joining Pure Financial Advisors in 2024, he held roles at Morgan Stanley, Fisher Investments, and J.P. Morgan Securities. Pure Financial Advisors, LLC is a 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 services including comprehensive financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, and pension/401(k) consulting.

Matthew Fitzgerald is a financial advisor with Altitude Capital Management LLC in St. Charles, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 29 years of industry experience, including prior roles at Brighthouse Financial and Invesco Advisers, Inc. Outside of advising, he is an equity partner in a rental property business. Altitude Capital Management LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals and high net worth clients. The firm customizes strategies based on client objectives and risk tolerance, managing accounts through a multi-team structure while employing approaches such as asset allocation and technical analysis.

Michele Hansen is a financial advisor at Latitude Advisors, LLC with seven years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Latitude Advisors since 2021, previously spending six years at Starcom Worldwide. Hansen also maintains roles with Jeffrey Lasky Financial Services, LLC and GWN Securities Inc., and is a licensed life insurance producer. Latitude Advisors serves individual and business clients, offering financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, third-party manager selection, and pension consulting. The firm uses a combination of model-based strategies and fundamental/quantitative analysis, managing most client relationships on a discretionary basis.

David Settelmyer is a Certified Financial Planner® with 32 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has been with Latitude Advisors, LLC since 2009 and also operates Settelmyer Financial, where he works as a licensed title-insurance agent focusing on life, health, long-term care, and annuity insurance sales. Latitude Advisors serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, and a variety of institutional and corporate clients, offering financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, and pension consulting. The firm utilizes a combination of valuation-driven and momentum-based model strategies and provides continuous monitoring and rebalancing of client portfolios.

Gigi Verrey is a financial advisor at Alera Investment Advisors, LLC with 33 years of industry experience. She holds the ChFC® and Series 63 designations. Her career includes roles at Securian Financial Services, Minnesota Life Insurance Company, Triad Advisors Inc., and Gcg Financial, Inc. Outside of her advisory work, she is the author of the book *Okay, So I Got Fat* and owns Very Smart Ideas, LLC, a website selling inventions and household gadgets, and she also participates in acting and sponsored social media advertising. Alera Investment Advisors provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services to individuals, families, businesses, and institutions. The firm uses a combination of internal management, affiliate platforms, and independent managers to construct portfolios focused on mutual funds, ETFs, equities, and fixed income with a long-term approach, while also offering ERISA-focused services for retirement plans.

Mitchell Ratnow is a financial advisor with Alera Investment Advisors, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 34 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Securian Financial Services, Inc. and Minnesota Life Insurance Company, where he worked for 27 years, as well as positions at Triad Advisors, Inc. and GCG Financial. Ratnow is also involved with GCG Financial, providing fixed business services including long-term care, property casualty, disability insurance, and group benefits. Alera Investment Advisors, LLC offers investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services to individuals, families, institutions, and retirement plans. The firm utilizes a combination of internal management, affiliate platforms, and independent managers to construct portfolios with a long-term focus, and provides comprehensive ERISA-related plan services to plan sponsors.

Jonathon Merickel is a CFP® with 22 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Savvy. His prior roles include positions at Savant Wealth Management, Pruco Securities, Prudential Insurance Company of America, and Fidelity Brokerage Services. Savvy provides investment and financial planning services to individuals, trusts and estates, businesses, ERISA plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines primarily index-based, long-term strategies with active equity portfolios and tax-aware direct indexing, utilizing third-party sub-advisers and technology platforms to support customized client plans.

Sean Ford is a CFP®, CFA®, and holds a Series 66 license with nine years of industry experience. He is currently with LaSalle St. Investment Advisors, L.L.C., where he has worked since 2020, following prior roles at Benjamin F Edwards & Co and First Trust Portfolios. He is also involved with Acre Trader 160, LLC/Ashton Farm Investor outside of his advisory work. LaSalle St. Investment Advisors provides personalized, fee-based financial planning and investment supervisory services to a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm offers both non-discretionary and discretionary programs, emphasizing a significant asset mix managed on a non-discretionary basis, which is uncommon among large enterprise advisers.

Stuart Lasky is a financial advisor at Latitude Advisors, LLC with 12 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation and Series 66 license. Prior to joining Latitude Advisors in 2015, he was associated with GWN Securities, Inc. Since 2013, he has also worked as a marketing assistant for Jeffrey Lasky Financial Services LLC and holds a life and health insurance producer license. Latitude Advisors serves individual investors, including high-net-worth clients, and business clients by providing financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, third-party manager selection, and pension consulting. The firm employs a blend of model-based and fundamental/quantitative analysis, managing most client relationships on a discretionary basis with ongoing portfolio oversight.

Jeremy Joseph is a CFP® professional with 19 years of experience in the financial industry. He is currently with Simplicity Wealth and Protected Tomorrows, having previously worked at firms including Savant Wealth Management, Huber Financial Advisors, TD Ameritrade, Fidelity Brokerage Services, Madison Avenue Securities, and Ameriprise. Simplicity Wealth serves a diverse client base including individual and high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, corporate and institutional investors, as well as other financial firms. The firm employs a fund-of-funds approach using ETFs, mutual funds, and individual securities, and provides advisory services alongside technology and operational solutions for advisers through its managed account platform.

Richard Wilkens is a financial advisor at LaSalle St. Investment Advisors, L.L.C. with seven years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. In addition to his advisory role, he is a partner at DeMarco Sciaccotta Wilkens & Dunleavy, LLP, a certified public accounting firm where he provides accounting and business advisory services. LaSalle St. Investment Advisors offers personalized, fee-based financial planning and investment supervisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, pension plans, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm provides both non-discretionary and discretionary investment programs, including the LaSalle St. Asset Management Program (LAMP), and manages a significant predominance of non-discretionary assets.

William Paddor is a financial advisor at Vanderbilt Advisory Services with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has worked at several firms including Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC and Arlington Insurance. Vanderbilt Advisory Services serves a diverse client base including individuals, charitable organizations, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation and integrates retirement-plan and benefits services with advisory offerings, using a combination of fundamental, technical, and charting analysis tailored to client objectives.

Sarah Mika is a financial advisor at Gateway Wealth Partners, LLC with two years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Edward Jones for five years. Mika provides administrative support to Gateway Wealth Partners, an independent investment advisor firm. Gateway Wealth Partners offers financial planning, wealth management, and retirement plan consulting to individuals, corporations, and qualified employee benefit plans. The firm focuses on strategic asset allocation using low-cost, diversified mutual funds and ETFs, supplemented by individual securities or Independent Managers, and manages a mix of discretionary and non-discretionary assets.

Daniel Drallmeier is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Forum Financial Management, LP. He has worked at Forum Financial Management, LP in various capacities since 2012. Outside of his advisory role, he is a member of F.A.M. LLC, which provides management services to Forum Financial Management under a service agreement. Forum Financial Management, LP offers 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 independent RIAs, implementing portfolios primarily with DFA institutional mutual funds and ETFs following a Modern Portfolio Theory approach.

Heidi Verbiscer is a financial advisor at Forum Financial Management, LP, holding a Series 65 designation with six years of industry experience. She is also the president and owner of Generations Tax & Advisory Services, LLC, a CPA firm specializing in taxation strategy, compliance, and generational business and family wealth planning. Forum Financial Management, LP provides investment advisory and related services to individuals, retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and institutional clients. The firm utilizes model asset-allocation portfolios based on Modern Portfolio Theory, primarily implementing these through institutional mutual funds and ETFs, and offers back-office and sub-advisory services to independent advisors and RIAs.

Jeremy Belingon is a CFP® with three years of industry experience. He currently works at Facet and previously was with The Vanguard Group, Inc. for three years. Prior to his financial services career, he held positions in education and healthcare-related roles. Facet Wealth offers subscription-based financial planning and discretionary investment management primarily for individual clients across a range of wealth levels. The firm utilizes model-based asset allocations with a focus on ETFs and employs technology-driven processes to support tax-optimized portfolio implementation and ongoing account management.

Stephanie Burling is a financial advisor with Gradient Advisors, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing eight years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Bankers Life Securities and Bankers Life & Casualty. She serves on the board of the IPF Foundation, a medical nonprofit organization. Gradient Advisors, LLC offers investment management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities. The firm operates primarily through a network of Investment Advisor Representatives and third-party money managers, employing a largely non-discretionary model and utilizing tools like the Color of Money Risk Analysis in their portfolio strategies.

Tyler Vandermeer is a financial advisor with Mutual of Omaha Investor Services, Inc., holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 13 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at FBL Financial Group, Farm Bureau Financial Services, and Country Capital Management Company. He is also an insurance agent specializing in life, health, and annuities. Mutual of Omaha Investor Services, Inc. offers advisory services to individuals, corporations, and qualified retirement plans, providing financial planning, managed account programs, and retirement plan consulting. The firm works primarily through a platform relationship with Envestnet and delivers a range of managed solutions tailored to client needs.

Geno Del Boccio is a Series 65 licensed advisor with First Advisors National, LLC, based in Elmwood Park, IL, and has one year of industry experience. His background includes roles in event production and trading firms. First Advisors National provides investment management, asset allocation advice, and retirement plan consulting primarily to individual clients, utilizing third-party money managers and combining tactical and strategic asset allocation with fundamental analysis.