Steven Garrels is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and 17 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Avantax Investment Services, Avantax Advisory Services, Avantax Insurance Services, 1st Global Advisors, and Borhart Spellmeyer & Company. Outside of advising, he serves as Board Chairman of Harvard Savings Bank, a publicly traded financial institution currently in liquidation. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered adviser that offers a multi-manager platform serving individual, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm provides a range of portfolio management and planning services through a network of over 10,000 advisors and manages more than $256 billion in assets.

Andrew Garcia is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with eight years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. His prior work includes roles at Investment Distributors, Inc., Concourse Financial Group Securities Inc., and Protective Life Insurance Company. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory strategies, affiliated mutual funds, and operates under a fiduciary standard.

James Donenberg is a financial advisor at LPL Financial in Deerfield, IL, with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at LPL Financial since 2023, following more than two decades with Securities America Advisors, Inc. and Securities America, Inc. Outside of advising, he is also a licensed notary public and has experience in tax preparation and accounting through Warady & Davis LLP. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of financial planning and investment services, utilizing model portfolios, third-party subadvisors, and customized strategies supported by advanced operational tools.

Samuel Roller is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management in Geneva, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and with two years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at DHI Mortgage Company and Moody Bible Institute. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients, focusing on holistic, goal-based analyses and written recommendations across a broad range of planning topics without including implementation of those recommendations.

Ashleen Davey is a financial advisor at Merrill with eight years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Merrill and Bank of America since 2018, following two years at BMO Harris Bank. She serves as a successor trustee for a family trust outside of her advisory role. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm offers model-based and discretionary strategies for a range of clients, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Dennis Riley is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Bensenville, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and over 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Primerica Advisors since 2000 and previously worked at H&R Block for one year. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in sales of loan products and home-related services through affiliated companies and acts as a representative for United Health Care. Primerica Advisors provides discretionary asset management through its Lifetime Investment Program, serving individual and high-net-worth clients with model-delivery strategies and selectively managed account options. The firm employs third-party asset managers and offers a tiered wrap-fee structure while maintaining oversight of its investment models.

Sean Grady is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Arlington Heights, IL, with nine years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Edward Jones since 2017. Outside of his advisory role, Sean is the owner and CEO of KSG Hospitality Consulting, providing expertise in culinary and restaurant management. He also serves as a judge for a high school investment competition hosted by District 214 High Schools. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a broad range of advisory programs and maintains a large network of financial advisors and branch offices nationwide.

John Stevens is a financial advisor with RBC Capital Markets in Buffalo Grove, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 16 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Bank of America, N.A., Merrill, and City National Bank. RBC Wealth Management serves a broad client base including individual investors, institutional clients, and charitable organizations, offering advisory programs with tailored strategies implemented through a mix of in-house and third-party investment managers. The firm provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, custody, and brokerage services.

John Strotman is a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services with 15 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with UBS since 2010. Outside of his advisory work, he sells sports trading cards and memorabilia from his personal collection. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, utilizing proprietary research and model-based asset allocations to tailor plans to clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Kelly Bays is a financial advisor with Ameriprise, holding a Series 66 designation and 20 years of industry experience. She has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2005. Outside of her advisory role, Bays co-leads two Girl Scout troops and helps plan a volunteer-run Girl Scout day camp in the McHenry area. She is also co-author of the financial book *Intentional Legacy*. Ameriprise offers a retirement-income planning service focused on individuals approaching or in retirement with significant investable assets, combining research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to produce written recommendation reports. The firm provides a wide range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions through its large institutional platform.

Nathan Elby is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He specializes in providing tailored strategies including retirement income planning, portfolio management, tax minimization, and family wealth management planning. His expertise encompasses financial planning, retirement income planning, tax-efficient portfolios, cash flow analysis, and estate planning services. Nathan grew up during the Great Financial Crisis, which inspired him to help individuals and families prepare for financial uncertainties. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Finance from Michigan State University and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP) and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) designations. He focuses on offering financial plans characterized by honesty, transparency, and service. Beyond his professional work, Nathan is involved in community activities such as serving as a Track & Field Coach and participating in the Villas of Boulder Ridge Homeowner's Association. He also contributes to financial literacy through Junior Achievement.

Jack Algrim is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley in 2025, he held various roles including positions at LogiClean, Athene, and multiple educational institutions. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered adviser and broker-dealer offering a wide range of advisory programs to individuals and institutional clients, focusing on tailored financial planning supported by firm-approved tools and data-driven modeling.

Steve Richenberger is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with 20 years of industry experience. He has been with J.P. Morgan Securities since 2012 and has worked at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. since 2011. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations. J.P. Morgan Securities provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors through its Institutional Consulting Services program. The firm combines quantitative asset-allocation modeling with centralized due diligence and applies an ESG eligibility framework when recommending investment strategies.

Magdy Abd is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with a Series 66 designation and three years of industry experience. He previously worked for TCF National Bank and Huntington National Bank for eleven years each. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and affiliated investment products, supported by a large network of financial advisors and branch offices nationwide.

Stefanie Pyferoen is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in Glenview, IL. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been with J.P. Morgan Securities since 2025, having worked at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. since 2015. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides institutional consulting services to corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with affiliated brokerage and investment management capabilities.

Patrick Hoch is a financial advisor at Stifel with 40 years of industry experience. He has held the Series 63 and Series 65 designations and previously worked at Morgan Stanley DW Inc. for nine years before joining Stifel in 2007. Stifel serves a broad range of clients, including individuals, institutional clients, and charitable organizations, providing brokerage and investment advisory services. The firm’s investment approach is based on proprietary capital market assumptions and probabilistic modeling developed by its Investment Strategy Group to support asset allocation and financial planning decisions.

Nilesh Patel is a financial advisor at Mass Mutual Investors Services with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has been with Mass Mutual Investors Services since 2014. He is also involved in ownership and sales activities at RDR Financial Group, LLC, focusing on individual life, health, and group insurance products. Mass Mutual Investors Services is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that provides financial planning and asset management services to individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm offers collaborative, goal-based financial planning supported by software tools and educational seminars.

Ranjeet Rai is a financial advisor at Stifel with 15 years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. He has worked at Stifel Nicolaus & Co Inc since 2019 and has prior experience at Bank of America, Merrill, and involvement with local school districts and the YMCA. Stifel serves a broad range of clients including individuals, institutional clients, and charitable organizations, offering both brokerage and investment advisory services. The firm’s investment approach is based on a proprietary methodology developed by its Investment Strategy Group, providing capital market assumptions and probabilistic modeling for asset allocation and financial planning.

Brad Herman is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with 12 years of industry experience. He holds the CFP®, ChFC®, and Series 66 designations. His prior work includes roles at BMO Bank NA, Mutual Securities, Inc., and Investacorp Inc. He also serves as a director at BMO Bank NA. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services including financial planning, model portfolios, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms.

Ryan Andrews is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Arlington Heights, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 12 years of industry experience. He has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2013. Andrews serves on the Board of Directors for the Schaumburg Township Elementary School Foundation. Ameriprise provides retirement-income planning services focused on individuals nearing or in retirement with significant investable assets. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver tailored, non-discretionary recommendations, supported by a centralized consulting team and algorithmic tools.