Megan Smolinske is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor at Northern Trust Securities, Inc. in Chicago, IL, with four years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. and Independent Advisors Group. Northern Trust Securities, Inc. is a subsidiary of Northern Trust Corporation providing discretionary portfolio management to high-net-worth individuals, retail investors, and institutional clients. The firm offers model-driven portfolios featuring proprietary and third-party mutual funds, ETFs, and separately managed accounts through the Fidelity Managed Account Xchange platform.

Ruth Goran is a financial advisor with Avantax Planning Partners, Inc. in Skokie, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 24 years of industry experience. She has been with Avantax Planning Partners since 2001 and maintains a CPA tax practice serving closely held companies and their owners. Outside of her advisory role, she is president of Entertain2Educate, a company focused on developing educational scripts, and is actively involved in several nonprofit organizations in board and treasurer roles. Avantax Planning Partners provides investment advice and related planning primarily to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and businesses through collaborative referral arrangements with independent CPA firms and registered advisor representatives. The firm employs model-based style allocation strategies and discretionary portfolio management, supported by an Investment Advisory Committee and centralized trading and reporting.

Madeline Holley is a financial advisor at B. Riley Wealth Advisors, Inc. with eight years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including National Securities Corporation and B. Riley Wealth Management. Her background also includes roles at the University of Illinois and its Office of Government Relations. B. Riley Wealth Advisors provides investment advice and portfolio management to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers multiple investment programs and manages approximately $4.21 billion in client assets through a team of about 173 advisors.

David Bolanos is a financial advisor at VestGen Advisors, LLC with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at LPL Financial LLC, Wealth Management Group, LLC, and Private Client Services. VestGen Advisors is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.47 billion for over 9,400 clients. The firm serves individual and high-net-worth clients, offering discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan services, utilizing a range of analytical methods and third-party managers to implement portfolios.

Jeannette Adcock is a financial advisor with Thurston Springer Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 39 years of industry experience. She previously worked at Wayne Hummer Investments for 13 years before joining David A. Noyes & Company, where she has worked for the past nine years. Thurston Springer Advisors serves a broad client base including individuals, corporations, retirement plans, foundations, endowments, estates, and trusts. The firm provides tailored advisory services through a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary programs, utilizing a range of investment approaches from buy-and-hold to active tactical strategies.

Luis Sepulveda is a financial advisor with B. Riley Wealth Advisors, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 63 designation and 34 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Stifel, National Securities Corporation, National Asset Management, and B. Riley Wealth Management. He is also involved in health and life insurance sales through a related affiliated business. B. Riley Wealth Advisors provides investment advice and portfolio management to individual clients, pension plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers multiple program options, including internally managed models and third-party managed accounts, overseeing approximately $4.21 billion in client assets.

Frank Lanza is a financial advisor at Zacks Investment Management, Inc. with 24 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with Zacks and its affiliated firms since 2008. Zacks Investment Management provides discretionary portfolio management to a diverse client base, including individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, charitable and corporate entities, and institutional investors. The firm combines quantitative and qualitative analysis using proprietary models centered on earnings-estimate revisions and offers a wide range of strategies and investment vehicles across retail, institutional, and third-party distribution channels.

William Karstenson Jr. is a financial advisor with Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. in Arlington Heights, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has been with Ausdal since 2010 and has operated Karstenson Financial Services since 1997. Outside of his advisory work, Karstenson serves as a permanent deacon for the Archdiocese of Chicago, performing liturgical and ministerial duties. Ausdal Financial Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA-member broker-dealer managing approximately $2.13 billion in client assets through a network of 152 advisors. The firm offers investment advisory programs, retirement plan services, and financial planning to individuals, trusts, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations, utilizing a range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies across various asset classes.

Scott Schwartz is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with eight years of industry experience. He has been with Plante Moran Financial Advisors since 2017, following prior roles including at the Michigan Export Growth Program and Michigan State University. Based in Chicago, IL, Scott provides financial advisory services within a multi-team firm. Plante Moran Financial Advisors serves individual and institutional clients, offering investment advisory, financial planning, and estate-planning services. The firm employs fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis alongside proprietary equity valuation models to develop strategic asset allocations and manage a substantial portfolio mix through discretionary and non-discretionary arrangements.

Joann Seagren is a financial advisor at Chicago Capital, LLC with 16 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and has previously worked at JAG Capital Management LLC, CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc, and Geneva Advisors, LLC. Chicago Capital provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, and consulting services to a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, foundations, other registered investment advisers, and corporations. The firm employs an active management approach combining fundamental and technical research to create individualized portfolios across various asset classes, focusing on long-term portfolio value and risk mitigation.

Timothy Brennan is a financial advisor at Merit Financial Advisors with 37 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and previously worked at Pinnacle Financial Group and Commonwealth Financial Network for 26 years. He is also a notary public. Merit Financial Advisors is a multi-team registered investment adviser with over 260 advisors serving more than 20,000 clients across 66 offices. The firm offers coordinated wealth-management services and employs a long-term, diversified investment approach with customizable portfolio models overseen by an internal Investment Management team.

Christian Luna is a financial advisor at Maia Wealth with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at multiple firms, including Wealth Watch Advisors and Senior Solutions LLC. Luna has also served in the United States Naval Reserve. Maia Wealth provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, and businesses, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management. The firm uses a variety of analytical approaches with a long-term focus and coordinates estate-planning and tax services through third-party specialists.

Ali Carmen is a financial advisor with Northern Trust Securities, Inc. in Chicago, IL. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has 25 years of industry experience, including 11 years with Northern Trust Securities. Northern Trust Securities, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA-registered broker-dealer serving high-net-worth individuals, retail investors, and institutional clients. The firm offers model-driven discretionary portfolio management through Separately Managed Accounts, Fund Strategist Portfolios, and Strategist UMAs delivered via the Fidelity Managed Account Xchange platform.

Koffi Toulaboe is a financial advisor at Zacks Investment Management, Inc. with seven years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Merrill, Financial Management Systems, and Astra Bank. Zacks Investment Management, Inc. provides discretionary investment management to individuals, trusts, retirement plans, and institutional clients, offering a range of strategies that combine proprietary quantitative models with qualitative portfolio management. The firm manages mutual funds and ETFs and distributes strategies through wrap-fee and unified managed account programs.

Allan Kaplan is a financial advisor with M HOLDINGS SECURITIES, Inc., holding the ChFC® designation and a Series 63 license, with 39 years of industry experience. He has worked at M. Holdings Securities since 2001 and The Robinson Financial Group, Inc. since 2017, following a 32-year tenure at New Century Planners. Kaplan serves as a trustee for Lake Forest Academy, a nonprofit high school board position. M Holdings Securities, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and corporations through a nationwide network of independent firms and financial professionals. The firm offers a broad range of advisory and brokerage services, including discretionary investment management, retirement plan consulting, financial planning, and insurance advisory, utilizing both in-house portfolio management and third-party sub-advisors.

Brian Rippel is a financial advisor with Northern Trust Securities, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and with 14 years of industry experience. He has been with Northern Trust Securities since 2015 and is also involved as a bartender at The Globe Pub in Chicago. Northern Trust Securities, Inc. is a multi-team firm that provides discretionary portfolio management primarily for high-net-worth individuals, retail investors, and institutional clients through model-driven, wrap fee programs delivered on the Fidelity Managed Account Xchange platform.

Bradley Underwood is a financial advisor with World Equity Group, Inc. in Schaumburg, IL, holding a Series 66 credential and over 23 years of industry experience. He has been with World Equity Group since 2015. Outside of his advisory role, Underwood is involved in several entrepreneurial and consulting activities, including providing payroll, benefits, and HR services through Professional Employer Organizations as an independent contractor and offering prepaid legal and identity protection services. World Equity Group, Inc. provides fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to a broad client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, pensions, trusts, and business entities. The firm employs risk-tolerance questionnaires to guide asset allocation and offers managed portfolios with discretionary authority granted to third-party money managers and investment adviser representatives.

Sean Conway is a financial advisor with Curi Capital, LLC in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. He has worked at RMB Capital Management since 2008. Curi Capital serves individuals, families, institutional and corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm employs a long-term, fundamental bottom-up approach for equity strategies and a fundamental relative-value orientation for fixed income, combining in-house strategies with external managers and proprietary risk analysis tools.

Randall Cohen is a financial advisor with IHT Wealth Management LLC in Skokie, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Bank of America, Merrill, and LPL Financial. IHT Wealth Management serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, trusts, and corporations. The firm employs a blended investment approach combining fundamental stock selection with quantitative tools and offers discretionary asset management, financial planning, and ERISA plan consulting through a network of approximately 153 advisors.

Ann Gunst is a CFP® with 16 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Trustmont Advisory Group, Inc. She previously worked at Halo Securities LLC and Sentinus, LLC. Outside of her advisory role, she is a partner involved in accounting and bookkeeping for Graber Family LLC. Trustmont Advisory Group serves a diverse client base including individuals and various institutional clients, providing financial planning, investment advice, and discretionary portfolio management. The firm employs a long-term investment outlook and combines public research with adviser judgment in its approach.