Stuart Mcdermott is a CFA® charterholder and the sole advisor at Defender Asset Management LLC in Evanston, IL, with six years of industry experience. He previously worked as a self-employed advisor and spent sixteen years at Holland Capital Management. Defender Asset Management provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, closely held businesses, and pension or profit-sharing plans. The firm coordinates with third-party investment managers who execute client strategies, focusing on diversified manager allocations and ongoing performance monitoring rather than discretionary trading.

David Raub is a financial advisor at Outlook Capital Management, LLC in Arlington Heights, IL, holding a Series 65 designation with 21 years of industry experience. He has been with Outlook Capital Management since 2004. Outlook Capital Management is a small, discretionary advisory firm managing portfolios primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a fundamental analysis-based, concentrated long-term equity strategy focused on financially strong, large-cap U.S. companies, with portfolios managed on a discretionary basis and tailored to client objectives and risk tolerance.

Peleg Halpern is a financial advisor at North Star Wealth Management with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked previously at Revere Financial LLC and CoMiMa LLC. North Star Wealth Management provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and business entities. The firm utilizes a combination of fundamental and quantitative analysis, primarily recommending ETFs and fixed income instruments, and employs derivatives and options strategies within separately managed accounts.

Corissa Landphair is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 11 years of industry experience. She founded and has led Landphair Wealth Management LLC since 2016, serving clients from Winnetka, IL. Landphair Wealth Management LLC is an independent, single-advisor registered investment adviser that provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning primarily to individuals and high-net-worth clients. The firm emphasizes asset allocation based on modern portfolio theory, combining long-term passive equity strategies with active fixed-income management, and serves both individual and pension or profit-sharing plan clients.

Aron Routman is a financial advisor at Foresight Strategic Partners, LLC in Evanston, IL, holding a Series 65 designation with seven years of industry experience. He has been with Foresight Strategic Partners since 2017 and has also operated Routman Asset Management since 2001. Foresight Strategic Partners primarily serves individual and high-net-worth clients with discretionary portfolio management, managing approximately $10.5 million across 32 client relationships. The firm employs proprietary research focused on large-cap equities and utilizes option strategies, including longer-dated options and multi-leg spreads, alongside cash equity positions. Its performance-based fee arrangements and concentrated client base distinguish its investment approach.

Michael Knight is a CFP®-credentialed financial advisor with 22 years of experience, currently serving as the principal of Knight Investment Planning, LLC. He has led his independent firm since 2004 in Libertyville, IL. Michael also serves as a FINRA arbitrator in Chicago, a role he has held since 2011. Knight Investment Planning, LLC provides fee-only financial planning and investment consultation services to individuals, trusts, estates, and businesses. The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation using low-cost, passive investment vehicles and operates on an hourly billing basis without accepting commissions or performance-based fees.

Lorrie Minor is a CFA® charterholder with 26 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Cardinal Mark LLC since 2007. She holds Series 65 and Series 66 licenses. Outside of financial advising, she is the Chief Accounting Officer and Controller at NYRC Management, LLC, a fast casual dining company. Cardinal Mark LLC provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients, managing approximately $11.3 million across 21 accounts. The firm employs a mix of quantitative optimization, computer modeling, and technical analysis to construct portfolios tailored to clients’ financial situations and risk tolerances.

Joshua Lelah is a CFP® professional with 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. He founded Lelah Financial, LLC in 2018 after working three years at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. He is also licensed as an insurance agent and provides insurance products and services through unaffiliated issuers. Lelah Financial, LLC offers financial planning and portfolio management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and small businesses. The firm uses a Core + Satellite investment approach combining passive indexed core holdings with select active positions and provides retirement-plan advice, modular planning, and business consultation.

Herbert Lichtman is a financial advisor at Arena Consulting, LLC with 15 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has led Arena Consulting since 2009. Outside of advisory work, he serves in a general oversight role for Continuity, LLC, a special-purpose entity involved in investment and consulting activities. Arena Consulting advises family offices and high-net-worth individuals on private investments connected to high-stakes civil litigation, particularly in intellectual property disputes within the software, semiconductor, and biotech sectors. The firm presents non-discretionary, transaction-by-transaction opportunities and emphasizes the risks and timeframes associated with litigation-related investments.

Joshua Mangoubi is a CFA® charterholder and the sole advisor at Considerate Capital, LLC, with six years of industry experience. He previously operated Mangoubi Advisory for five years before founding his current firm in 2020. Considerate Capital provides retirement-focused wealth management and financial planning to pre-retirees, retirees, business owners nearing a sale, surviving spouses, and multi-generational families, including related trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm employs an intrinsic value–oriented investment philosophy, using a range of techniques and investment vehicles tailored to client objectives, and also offers research and consulting services such as fund due diligence and portfolio construction for institutional-type clients.

Luke Sauter is a PFS™ credentialed financial advisor with two years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Vidarrow Investment Advisors and previously worked at Walgreens Boots Alliance for eight years. Vidarrow Investment Advisors is a fee-only independent firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm provides discretionary portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, emphasizing employer retirement-plan services and integrating a variety of investment strategies within a modern portfolio theory framework.

Robert Mitchell is a CFA® charterholder with six years of industry experience. He has worked at BNY Mellon from 2013 to 2018 and has been with Dukes Lane Investments LLC since 2019. Mitchell holds a Series 63 license and operates out of Lincolnshire, IL. Dukes Lane Investments provides investment management and financial consulting services to individuals, trusts, and estates, including high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a tailored approach using quantitative optimization, technical analysis, and third-party research, with a primary focus on non-discretionary portfolio management and strategies such as hedging, covered calls, and managing concentrated stock positions.

Arthur Busby is the sole advisor at Stratford Investment Advisory Group, Inc., with 28 years of industry experience. He has been with the firm since 1990. Stratford Investment Advisory Group is a small, independent firm that provides customized portfolio management for individuals, high-net-worth clients, family trusts, and pension/profit-sharing accounts. The firm emphasizes a conservative, capital-preservation approach using fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, and focuses on maintaining personal contact to align asset allocation with clients’ cash-flow needs and risk tolerance.

Daniel Kaibel is a CFP® professional with 18 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Purpose Financial Planning LLC in Arlington Heights, IL. His prior experience includes roles at Elite Investment Team, LLC and Vantage Financial Partners Limited. Purpose Financial Planning serves individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth individuals and businesses, offering portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning. The firm uses a mix of passive and active management strategies, employing ETFs, mutual funds, and individual equities, and utilizes fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to guide investment decisions.

John Couleur is the sole advisor at Couleur Investments in Wilmette, Illinois, holding a Series 65 designation with five years of industry experience. He has managed Couleur Investments since 2020 and previously operated under his own name from 2000 to 2022. Couleur Investments provides investment management and standalone financial planning services to individuals, families, trusts, estates, foundations, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm employs a top-down investment approach focusing on high-quality growth and undervalued securities, incorporating fundamental, technical, cyclical, and event-driven analysis with a long-term holding strategy.

John Eiduk is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with over 13 years of industry experience. He is the principal of Elite Asset Management, LLC, an independent advisory firm based in Palatine, IL, and has previously worked at Equitable Advisors and Stride Investments, LLC. In addition to advisory services, he also engages in insurance sales, focusing on life, health, and long-term care insurance. Elite Asset Management serves individual clients by providing portfolio management and financial planning without a minimum account size. The firm employs both strategic and tactical investment approaches using fundamental and technical analysis alongside Modern Portfolio Theory, and it operates an affiliated tax and accounting practice under common ownership.

James Malinowski is a CFP® professional with 30 years of industry experience. He is the principal of The JM Financial Planning Group, Ltd. in Mundelein, IL, where he has worked since 1991. His background includes roles at United Planners' Financial Services and ownership of his own advisory and insurance businesses. The JM Financial Planning Group, Ltd. provides portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning primarily for individuals and high-net-worth clients. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary asset management, written financial plans, and advice on employer-sponsored retirement accounts, using documented goals and risk-tolerance assessments to guide client strategies.

Richard Ford is a financial advisor at Lloyd Park, LLC in Wilmette, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 11 years of industry experience. He has been with Lloyd Park since 2014. Lloyd Park, LLC is an independent firm providing discretionary asset and portfolio management primarily to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and related trusts and estates, with $167.3 million in assets under management. The firm tailors investment programs to client objectives and risk tolerance, employing a range of investment vehicles and quantitative analysis, and also serves charitable organizations within its account policies.

Jerry Keaton is the sole advisor at Keaton Capital Management L.L.C. in Barrington, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 37 years of industry experience. He has worked at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments and Keaton Capital Management since 2014. Keaton Capital Management provides portfolio management and advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, corporations, and pension plans. The firm constructs diversified portfolios based on fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, emphasizing risk management and time horizon alignment, with regular account monitoring and formal portfolio reviews.

Sam Bakou is a CFP® with 21 years of experience in the financial industry. He is the sole advisor at Sora Wealth, LLC, an independent firm he has led since 2021, having previously worked for 18 years at Vantage Financial Partners Limited. Sora Wealth, LLC provides personalized wealth management, financial planning, and discretionary portfolio management services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm uses a combination of fundamental and technical analysis to build individualized investment plans and employs a broad set of instruments and strategies, including options and alternative funds, while delegating day-to-day trading and operations to a sub-adviser.