Michelle Smalenberger is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with 14 years of industry experience. She has worked at Financial Design Studio, Inc. since 2017 and previously spent 12 years at Kabarec Financial Advisors, Ltd. Financial Design Studio, Inc. serves individuals, small businesses, and charitable organizations with portfolio management and financial planning. The firm provides additional services including personal tax preparation, business bookkeeping, and educational seminars, emphasizing long-term asset allocation and buy-and-hold strategies using mutual funds and ETFs.

Matthew Kuhn is a financial advisor at Kuhn Wealth Management Inc. with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has held positions at Dai Securities LLC, Concorde Investment Services LLC, and Northwestern Mutual Investment Management. Kuhn also operates Kuhn Financial, where he prepares financial plans and provides investment advice. Kuhn Wealth Management provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm emphasizes ETF-based model strategies, combining fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis, and implements portfolios on a wrap-fee basis using third-party managers and platforms.

Ryan Siepka is a financial advisor at Rudwall Wealth Management LLC with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Videckis Financial Services, Inc. since 2019 and at Comprehensive Insurance Agency, LLC since 2009. Rudwall Wealth Management LLC provides investment advisory and consulting services to individuals, trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a client-tailored, fundamentally oriented, long-term investment approach and manages discretionary portfolios across various asset classes.

George Maroudas is a CFP® professional with seven years of experience in financial advising. He is currently with PMG Wealth Management and has also worked with LPL Financial. His background includes roles at John Cabot University and Michigan State University. PMG Wealth Management serves individuals, trusts, estates, and business owners with discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, and charting analysis to manage customized portfolios and offers strategies such as the “Advance & Protect” approach, blending in-house management with outside managers to address diverse client needs.

Brett Detterbeck is a CFP®, CFA®, and Series 66-registered advisor with 24 years of industry experience. He has been with Detterbeck Wealth Management since 2000, where he is part of a three-advisor team based in Palatine, IL. Detterbeck Wealth Management is a small SEC-registered firm managing approximately $252 million for individuals, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm employs a Core & Satellite investment approach combining low-cost passive core allocations with actively managed satellite exposures and offers discretionary investment management alongside comprehensive financial planning services.

Brian Dunn is a financial advisor at Black Elm Advisers, LLC in Skokie, IL, with 10 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has served as president of Epic Sky, Inc., a marketing company, since 2015. Dunn is also involved in hedge fund management through Black Prime, LLC, an affiliated entity. Black Elm Advisers provides discretionary investment management to individual and high-net-worth clients, employing a mix of fundamental and quantitative analysis. The firm utilizes a range of strategies, including long and short positions, margin trading, and options, with performance-based compensation and active use of derivatives distinguishing it from many peers.

Maria Graft is a financial advisor at Simplified Wealth Management, LLC in Barrington, IL, with five years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and is involved in several outside business activities, including serving as a marketing manager for MJG Construction, LLC and working as an insurance agent with Our Family Office, LLC. Simplified Wealth Management provides discretionary and non-discretionary asset management and financial planning for individual and high-net-worth clients, managing approximately $23 million. The firm employs a diverse investment approach that includes fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis and offers strategies ranging from long-term holdings to options trading, along with ongoing portfolio monitoring and reporting.

Daniel Dame is a financial advisor at PMG Wealth Management with 40 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses. He has worked at PMG Wealth Management since 2016 and has been associated with LPL Financial since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, he acts as a broker for various non-variable insurance products through Dame Financial Services. PMG Wealth Management serves individuals, trusts, estates, and business owners with discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm manages customized portfolios using a combination of fundamental, technical, and charting analysis, often blending in-house management with outside managers to address client-specific needs.

Matthew Nadeau is a CFA® charterholder with 20 years of industry experience. He is a principal at Barzideh & Nadeau Wealth Management LLC, a firm he joined in 2025. His prior experience includes roles at Apollon Wealth Management, Triad Advisors Inc, Piershale Financial Group, and Ameriprise. Barzideh & Nadeau Wealth Management serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities, managing approximately $60 million across about 93 client relationships. The firm combines fundamental, technical, quantitative, and sector analysis within asset-allocation frameworks, providing discretionary portfolio management that integrates financial planning and implements investments across various asset classes.

Donald Monsen is a CFP® professional with 19 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Woodfield Financial Advisors, Inc. He has previous experience with Independent Financial Group LLC and Woodfield Planning Corp, where he has worked since 1986. Woodfield Financial Advisors provides personalized financial planning and investment management services to individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, and small businesses, managing approximately $230 million for several hundred clients. The firm focuses on portfolio construction based on client risk profiles, ongoing management, and detailed insurance planning, offering both discretionary management and limited-scope planning engagements.

Daniel Levy is a financial advisor at Kuhn Wealth Management Inc. in Schaumburg, IL, holding a Series 66 credential with nine years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at DAI Securities LLC, Concorde Investment Service, LLC, T3 Trading Group, LLC, and Bottarelli Research. Kuhn Wealth Management provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, using a wrap-fee investment approach that incorporates fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis alongside modern portfolio theory and both long- and short-term trading strategies.

Barbara Bridgman is a financial advisor at Succession Financial, Inc. with a Series 65 credential and three years of industry experience. Her prior work includes roles at WealthStar Advisors, LLC, Mueller Financial Services, Inc., and operating her own advisory practice. Succession Financial, Inc. serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients, offering discretionary investment management, comprehensive financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and tax preparation services. The firm utilizes a combination of fundamental analysis and modern portfolio theory with both passive and active strategies.

Elizabeth Schneider is a CFP® professional with 31 years of industry experience. She currently serves as an advisor at Whealthy Empowerment Network and is also involved with Infinity Wealth Company, LLC, where she provides investment advisory services. Her prior roles include positions at CliftonLarsonAllen Wealth Advisors, LLC, and Adviceperiod, LLC. WHealthy Empowerment Network offers discretionary investment management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm employs a tactical allocation strategy across a broad investment universe and serves clients through a two-advisor team without imposing account minimums.

Leslie Herr is a financial advisor at Simplified Wealth Management, LLC with 18 years of industry experience and holds the Series 66 designation. Herr has worked at firms including JP Morgan Securities and Auburn Group, and is involved in non-investment activities such as managing office operations for Signal Hill Partners and MJG Construction, as well as serving as a managing member and insurance agent at Our Family Office, LLC. Simplified Wealth Management serves individual and high-net-worth clients with discretionary and non-discretionary asset management and financial planning. The firm employs a mix of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to support various investment strategies, including options trading, and provides client-specific portfolio monitoring and reporting.

Stephen Smith is a financial advisor with Stephen Smith Financial Inc. in Schaumburg, Illinois. He holds a Series 65 designation and has 10 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Significant Wealth Partners LLC, Capital Management Consultants, Inc., and Atkins & Associates. He is also an author. Stephen Smith Financial Inc. provides discretionary investment advisory and managed-account services to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm offers tailored portfolio management across various asset classes and utilizes AI and machine-learning tools alongside traditional financial planning methods.

Jeffrey Moran is a CFA® charterholder and an advisor at SCV Capital LLC with five years of experience at the firm and 22 years in the industry, including 17 years at PPM America. He is based in Tower Lakes, Illinois. SCV Capital LLC provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management primarily to pooled investment vehicles and institutional clients such as banks, pension funds, and nonprofit organizations. The firm employs fundamental analysis for public equities and detailed reviews for private securities, focusing on long-term strategies while allowing for shorter-term adjustments as needed.

Melissa Dailey is a financial advisor at Clearwater Capital Partners with 25 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses. Her prior experience includes roles at Lincoln Financial and Northwestern Mutual, among others. Clearwater Capital Partners serves individual, high-net-worth, and institutional clients, offering family office services, private wealth management, and retirement plan advising. The firm employs a range of investment strategies and provides coordinated tax, cashflow, and insurance solutions through affiliated entities.

Beau Toth is a financial advisor at Legacy Capital Wealth Partners, LLC with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. His prior work includes positions at Sextant Securities, Merchant Investment Management, LPL Financial, AXA Distributors, and Neuberger Berman. Outside of his advisory role, he is the manager and owner of Precise Access LLC, a non-investment business. Legacy Capital Wealth Partners serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, family offices, trusts, charitable foundations, and retirement plans. The firm provides holistic financial planning and discretionary and non-discretionary investment management with a focus on fundamental analysis and long-term orientation.

David Andrews is a CFP® professional with 27 years of industry experience. He is currently with Sequoia Wealth Management, LLC, where he has worked since 2015, and also maintains a role at LPL Financial. Sequoia Wealth Management advises individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, and employer retirement plans with services including asset management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm combines quantitative optimization, third-party research, and manager selection to tailor portfolios and offers both discretionary management and third-party strategist models.

Patricia Musachio is a financial advisor at Walsh & Associates, LLC with 34 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at LPL Financial (Dba Kinnare & Associates Financial Consultants) since 2003. She joined Walsh & Associates in 2025 as part of an eight-advisor team. Walsh & Associates serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans, providing portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $660 million on a discretionary basis and employs strategies that emphasize asset allocation along with fundamental, quantitative, and qualitative security analysis.