Allen Laya is a financial advisor with Capital Analysts in Lombard, IL, holding the ChFC® and Series 63 designations and bringing 54 years of industry experience. He has been with Lincoln Investment Planning, Inc. since 2005. Capital Analysts serves individuals, high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, trusts, foundations, charitable organizations, and corporate clients, providing discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management through various programs and access to third-party managers. The firm utilizes an in-house Investment Management & Research team and proprietary screening processes to guide investment decisions.

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.

Dar Baruchim is a financial advisor at Mariner Independent with Series 63 and 65 licenses and one year of industry experience. His prior work history includes roles at Northwestern Mutual Investment Services LLC, Kadima Wealth, and OurCrowd. Mariner Independent serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, and various institutional entities by providing financial planning, portfolio management, retirement plan consulting, tax support, insurance solutions, and access to alternative investments. The firm leverages affiliated businesses and a broad range of investment tools to deliver integrated financial services.

Teresa Young is a financial advisor with First Advisors National, LLC, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and bringing 18 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at W&S Brokerage Services, Western Southern Life, Alliant Credit Union, and LPL Financial. She volunteers as a tax preparer and quality examiner for Ladder Up in Chicago, assisting low-wage earning families with pro bono tax preparation. 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 tactical allocation, utilizing fundamental analysis and formal annual reviews to guide its investment process.

Martin Pomrehn is a CFP® and PFS™ with 37 years of industry experience. He has worked at Forum Financial Management, LP since 2016 and previously held positions at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Inc. and Cetera. Outside of his advisory role, he is president and shareholder of MP360° Tax Services, Ltd., a CPA firm providing accounting and tax planning services. Forum Financial Management, LP serves individuals, retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and institutional clients through discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm utilizes model asset-allocation portfolios based on Modern Portfolio Theory and offers a range of investment solutions including mutual funds, ETFs, separately managed accounts, and access to held-away accounts via third-party platforms.

Matthew Frederick is a financial advisor with Pure Financial Advisors, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 34 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Advisors and Pacific Life Insurance Company. He is also licensed in life and health insurance. Pure Financial Advisors provides financial planning and portfolio management primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as services for trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm’s investment approach is planning-centered and overseen by an Investment Committee, incorporating modern portfolio theory, tax-aware strategies, and the use of sub-advisers for specialized investment sleeves.

Ethan Rosenbloom is a CFP® professional with eight years of experience in the financial services industry. He is a wealth advisor at Alera Investment Advisors, LLC, where he has worked since 2017. Prior to that, he held roles at Triad Advisors, Inc., Securian Financial Services Inc, and Discovery Group. Outside of his advisory work, Rosenbloom has also worked as a delivery driver for food delivery services. Alera Investment Advisors provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to individuals, families, trusts, businesses, and institutions. The firm uses a primarily long-term, fundamental-analysis approach with portfolios constructed from mutual funds, ETFs, individual equities, and fixed-income securities, serving as a fiduciary to its clients.

Alejandro Pastrana is a financial advisor with Packerland Brokerage Services, Inc. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has nine years of industry experience. Prior to joining Packerland in 2025, he worked at Northwestern Mutual and Serene Financial Group. He is the sole owner of Serene Financial Group, LLC, where he dedicates time to life, health, long-term care, and disability insurance services. Packerland Brokerage Services, Inc. serves individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth individuals, trusts, corporations, and retirement plan sponsors, through a network of 176 advisors with $1.358 billion in assets under management. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, wrap-fee and unified managed account programs, and retirement-plan consulting, providing investment solutions directly and via third-party managers.

Steven Mogul is a financial advisor at Arete Wealth Advisors, LLC with 29 years of industry experience. He previously worked at UBS Financial Services for 17 years and at Miramar Capital for 3 years. He serves on the board of the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital Children’s Research Fund. Arete Wealth Advisors provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, pension plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm manages assets primarily on a discretionary basis using both advisor-driven and proprietary model allocations, and it employs third-party sub-advisers while acting as an ERISA fiduciary when applicable.

Paul Wong is a CFP® professional with 30 years of experience at La Salle St. Securities, Inc. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with the firm since 1997. Wong serves as Treasurer and Committee Member of the Mission Related Investment Committee at Grace Church. LaSalle St. Investment Advisors, L.L.C. offers personalized, fee-based financial planning and investment supervisory services to individuals, trusts, pension plans, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm provides both non-discretionary and discretionary management programs, as well as third-party manager selection and consulting.

John Berger is a financial advisor with LaSalle St. Investment Advisors, L.L.C., holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 41 years of industry experience. He has worked with LaSalle St. Investment Advisors since 2000 and with La Salle St. Securities, Inc. since 1991. LaSalle St. Investment Advisors offers fee-based financial planning and investment supervisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing 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 approximately $3.9 billion in non-discretionary assets alongside $1.84 billion in discretionary assets.

Kevin Tavas is a financial advisor at Silver Oak Securities, Incorporated with 25 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 credential and has worked at firms including Cetera, Bright Futures Wealth Management, and Lifetime Financial Group, where he continues to serve as an Investment Advisor and Equity Strategist. Silver Oak Securities provides advisory services to individuals, families, corporations, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, managing over $2 billion in discretionary assets. The firm offers individualized portfolio management and unified managed account programs, delivering investment advice primarily on a discretionary basis tailored to client objectives and risk tolerances.

David Paske is a financial advisor with Saxony Capital Management, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Saxony Securities since 2003. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a special education teacher at Lyons Township High School. Saxony Capital Management provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as institutional clients such as retirement plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm operates with a multi-team model and employs a range of investment strategies, including technical and fundamental analysis, while also offering third-party advisory services.

Robert Freeman is a Series 66 credentialed advisor with seven years of industry experience. He currently works at Simplicity Wealth and Protected Tomorrows, and previously held roles at Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and The Ayco Company, L.P./Mercer Allied. In addition to his financial advisory work, he volunteers with North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, a community men’s group that provides programs and support for local residents. Simplicity Wealth serves a diverse client base including individual and high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, institutional investors, and other financial firms. The firm uses a fund-of-funds approach with ETFs, mutual funds, and individual securities, offering model portfolios, third-party manager due diligence, and technology-driven advisory and operational services.

Ian Barr is a CFP®-designated financial advisor at Pure Financial Advisors, LLC with 18 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Morgan Stanley and Fisher Investments. 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 modern portfolio theory and offers comprehensive services including discretionary portfolio management, 401(k) consulting, and donor-advised fund solutions.

Michael Clark is a CFP® with 49 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with M Holdings Securities, Inc. since 2001. He has also been associated with Jamieson Financial Services, LLC for 15 years and has operated as a self-employed advisor under Clark & Ennen for 37 years. Clark serves on the Finance Council at Our Lady of Peace Parish and is a council member of the Diocesan Finance Council, providing volunteer financial advisory services. M Holdings Securities, Inc. serves individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and other entities through a nationwide network of independent firms and professionals. The firm offers a broad range of advisory and brokerage services, including investment management, retirement plan consulting, financial planning, and insurance advisory, with a focus on suitability-based recommendations and ongoing portfolio monitoring.

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 CFP® professional with 31 years of industry experience. He has been with Latitude Advisors, LLC since 2009 and also operates Settelmyer Financial, where he works as a licensed insurance agent specializing in life, health, long-term care, and annuity insurance. He has held roles at GWN Securities, Inc. and the National Senior Advisory Council since 2001. Latitude Advisors serves individual and business clients, providing financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, third-party manager selection, and pension consulting. The firm employs a combination of model-based strategies and fundamental/quantitative analysis, managing most client relationships on a discretionary basis.

Kathleen Gfrorer is a CFP® with 44 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at VestGen Advisors, LLC. Her career includes roles at LPL Financial LLC, Securities America, Inc., and Landmark Capital, Inc. She also serves as secretary for the Somonauk Gardens Owners Association. 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, utilizing a blend of analytical methods and third-party managers to implement portfolios.

Daniyal Ahmed is a financial advisor with Avantax Planning Partners, Inc. in Oak Brook, IL, holding a CFP® designation and Series 66 license with eight years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Cetera Wealth Services, Avantax Insurance Agency, ProEquities Inc, and Honkamp Krueger Financial Services, where he also serves as a financial associate. Avantax Planning Partners, Inc. provides portfolio management, financial planning, and managed retirement plan services primarily through a network of CPA firms and registered advisor representatives. The firm manages approximately $7.57 billion in assets for individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and businesses, utilizing firm-designed allocation models and tax-intelligent strategies.