James Neaylon is a financial advisor at IP Financial Advisory Services LLC with 39 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at MML Investors Services, Inc. for 25 years and Equitable Advisors for one year. Outside of his advisory work, Neaylon serves as president of the Illinois Manufacturing Foundation, a nonprofit focused on adult education, and holds board positions with several nonprofit organizations related to mental health and education. IP Financial Advisory Services primarily serves individual retail clients, offering portfolio management, financial planning, managed account programs, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm emphasizes customized portfolios and a focus on non–high-net-worth individuals, combining traditional investment advisory services with insurance and risk management consulting.

John Braeseke is a financial advisor at Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC with 39 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. for 35 years. Outside of finance, he is involved in voiceover and acting work. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC serves a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, endowments, and corporations, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement services. The firm employs a long-term, diversified investment approach with customized portfolios and sponsors affiliated pooled investment vehicles.

Michele Strauts is a financial advisor with Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. in Park Ridge, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 22 years of industry experience. She has been with Ausdal Financial Partners since 2010. Outside of her advisory work, Michele is an online influencer focusing on interior design, seasonal decor, and table setting. 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 both discretionary and non-discretionary strategies across a wide range of investment products.

Kenneth Guttentag is a financial advisor with Northern Trust Securities, Inc., holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 30 years of industry experience. He has been with Northern Trust Securities since 2000. 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 a wrap fee program that includes Separately Managed Accounts, Fund Strategist Portfolios, and Strategist UMAs delivered via the Fidelity Managed Account Xchange platform.

Rishit Shah is a financial advisor at Simplicity Wealth with a Series 65 credential and one year of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he has held positions at NMS Portfolios, Discover, Kin and Carta, and other firms, including work as a software engineer. Outside of his advisory work, he is a registered health insurance broker assisting individuals during open enrollment. 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 offers financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services, utilizing a fund-of-funds strategy with ETFs, mutual funds, and model portfolios that incorporate independent managers and optional overlays like tax optimization.

Luke Pawelkiewicz is a financial advisor with FourStar Wealth Advisors, LLC in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 11 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Northwestern Mutual Investment Services and Corey McQuade. FourStar Wealth Advisors serves a wide range of clients including high-net-worth individuals, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm employs both fundamental and technical analysis to tailor portfolios across various asset classes and also provides retirement plan consulting and private fund advisory services.

Saraphina Peters is a financial advisor at Merit Financial Advisors in Chicago, IL, with two years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked with Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Commonwealth Financial Network, and Blueprint Wealth Advisors. Merit Financial Group is a multi-team SEC-registered advisory firm serving individual investors, employer-sponsored retirement plans, ESOPs, and institutional clients. The firm employs a long-term, diversified asset allocation strategy overseen by an internal investment team and allows advisers to customize model portfolios, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary account options.

Michael Drozd is a financial advisor with LaSalle St. Investment Advisors, L.L.C. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has 12 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Bank of America, Merrill, Citigroup, and JPMorgan Chase Bank. LaSalle St. Investment Advisors provides fee-based financial planning and investment supervisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, pension plans, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm offers both non-discretionary and discretionary investment approaches, managing a substantial portion of assets on a non-discretionary basis through programs like the LaSalle St. Asset Management Program (LAMP).

Kathleen Hosty is a CFP® with 36 years of experience in the financial industry. She is currently with IHT Wealth Management LLC, where she has worked since 2019. Her prior experience includes roles at LPL Financial, Independent Financial Partners, and J.P. Morgan Securities. Hosty serves as a board member for the Chicago Finance Exchange, a nonprofit organization. IHT Wealth Management serves individuals, corporate and institutional clients, and retirement plan sponsors by providing discretionary asset management, financial planning, ERISA plan consulting, OCIO arrangements, and access to third-party managers. The firm’s investment process uses proprietary model portfolios and combines fundamental value screening, quantitative optimization, and periodic rebalancing to tailor portfolios to client objectives and risk tolerances.

Edward Malysiak Jr. is a financial advisor at Chicago Capital, LLC with 36 years of industry experience. He held a position at William Blair and Company, L.L.C. for 20 years before joining Chicago Capital in 2024. He serves on the Investment Policy Committee of The Carle Foundation, a nonprofit hospital in Urbana, Illinois, and has been a member of its investment committee since 1990. Chicago Capital provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, families, foundations, registered investment advisers, and corporations. The firm employs an active management approach combining fundamental and technical research to construct individualized portfolios and manages over $4.8 billion in client assets with a focused team of 11 advisors.

Kyle Dell is a financial advisor with LaSalle St. Investment Advisors, L.L.C., holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at LaSalle St. Securities, RHM, Avenue Logistics, Airliner, and American Metalcraft. LaSalle St. Investment Advisors offers personalized, 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, with a notable predominance of non-discretionary assets under management.

Arash Kadivar is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 15 years of industry experience. He is affiliated with Highpoint Planning Partners and has worked at firms including LPL Financial and TD Ameritrade. Kadivar also provides administrative support to Highpoint Advisor Group. Highpoint Advisor Group serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers discretionary asset management and financial planning services, constructing client investment policies through personal consultations and employing a varied approach that includes mutual funds, ETFs, individual securities, and third-party platforms.

Kyle Laska is a financial advisor at Northern Trust Securities, Inc. with six years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at North Shore Sign Company, The Ayco Company, L.P./Mercer Allied, and Clybourne. 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, combining advisory, brokerage, and custody services.

Dennis Wojcicki is a financial advisor at Forum Financial Management, LP with 28 years of industry experience. He has been with Forum Financial Management since 2013 and previously worked at DSL Group from 1997 to 2013. He holds a Series 63 designation. Forum Financial Management, LP provides fee-based wealth management, financial planning, qualified plan services, and educational workshops to individual and institutional clients. The firm also serves as a sub-advisor and turn-key asset management platform for other independent RIAs, managing portfolios primarily with DFA institutional mutual funds and ETFs following a Modern Portfolio Theory approach.

Steven Schmuhl is a financial advisor at McAdam LLC in Chicago, IL, with eight years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has previously worked at Madison Avenue Securities, Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, The Heico Companies, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. McAdam LLC provides financial planning, investment management, and retirement plan consulting to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and government entities. The firm employs a discretionary management approach with diversified portfolios that include mutual funds, ETFs, individual securities, and alternative investments, alongside innovative services such as a subscription-based planning product and AI integration in advisory work.

John Vires is a CFP® and CFA® with 10 years of industry experience. He is currently a financial advisor at Forum Financial Management, LP and also provides financial advice through Mathieson, Moyski, Austin & Co., an accounting firm. Outside of his advisory roles, he volunteers with the Lions Club of Wheaton and serves as a Park Commissioner for the Wheaton Park District. Forum Financial Management, LP offers fee-based wealth management, financial planning, and qualified plan services to individual and institutional clients. The firm also serves as a sub-advisor and turnkey asset management platform for other independent RIAs, implementing primarily Modern Portfolio Theory-based portfolios using institutional mutual funds, ETFs, and other fixed income strategies.

David Pazdan is a financial advisor at Northern Trust Securities, Inc. with 29 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Northern Trust Securities since 2014. Northern Trust Securities, Inc. is a subsidiary of Northern Trust Corporation that provides discretionary portfolio management through a model-driven wrap fee program. The firm serves high-net-worth individuals, retail investors, and institutional clients, offering a range of managed account solutions with brokerage and custody services integrated into its platform.

Craig Ibrahim is a financial advisor with Highpoint Planning Partners, holding a Series 66 credential and 22 years of industry experience. He has worked at Highpoint Advisor Group, LLC since 2016 and has been affiliated with LPL Financial since 2009. HighPoint Advisor Group serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm provides discretionary asset management, financial planning, retirement plan advisory, and operates a wrap-fee program, utilizing fundamental analysis and a range of investment vehicles to implement client portfolios.

Benjamin Offenhartz is a financial advisor at Savvy with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 license and has worked at firms including Nuveen and Northern Trust. Savvy provides investment and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, businesses, ERISA plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a primarily index-based, long-term approach while also offering active equity portfolios and tax-aware direct indexing, utilizing third-party sub-advisers and technology platforms to support customized investment plans.

Richard Kitick is a CFP® professional with 22 years of industry experience. He has been with Highpoint Planning Partners, doing business as OnPath Financial, since 2013 and has also been associated with LPL Financial since 2007. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in amateur hockey as an assistant coach and a referee in the Chicagoland area. HighPoint Advisor Group serves a broad client base including individuals, pension plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm provides discretionary asset management, financial planning, retirement plan advisory, and manages wrap-fee programs, implementing portfolios through fundamental analysis and a variety of investment vehicles across multiple platforms.