Oscar Villalva is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. In his role, he works closely with individuals and families to develop personalized financial strategies that address education planning, family wealth management, personal retirement planning, and retirement income. He provides guidance on various financial matters including investing, retirement planning, and saving for unexpected events, and also connects clients with Bank of America specialists for banking, credit, home financing, and small business solutions. Oscar holds a Bachelor's Degree from Escuela Bancaria y Comercial and is a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). He is fluent in both English and Spanish, enabling him to serve a diverse client base. Outside of his professional work, Oscar enjoys playing soccer and tennis, and spending time with his family.

Paul Sylvia is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Gurnee, IL, holding the CFA® designation and Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses. He has 10 years of industry experience with prior roles at firms including Northwestern Mutual and Aon Corporation. Sylvia operates through Ellio Wealth Advisors, LLC, the ownership entity for his practice. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large, diversified firm serving individual and institutional clients, offering a specialized Premier Retirement Income service that provides tailored retirement planning advice focused on dependable income and tax-aware withdrawal strategies.

Bradley Rish is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Lake Forest, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and seven years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Clearing, Sur La Table, Insight Securities, and Hamra Enterprises. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management provides a range of advisory programs to individuals and institutional clients, offering tailored financial planning through its Financial Advisors and Estate Planning Strategies Group. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and employs a structured planning process supported by firm-approved tools and modeling techniques.

Benjamin Perkins is a financial advisor with RBC Capital Markets in Lake Forest, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Mariani Landscape and Lake Forest College. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, LLC, serves individual investors, institutions, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations by offering a range of advisory programs with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, custody, and brokerage services. The firm customizes strategies based on each client’s risk profile and utilizes a mix of in-house and third-party managers along with various account administration options.

Marta Soltys is a financial advisor at Merrill with 11 years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. She has been with Merrill since 2014. 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 investment strategies to individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Michael Germain is a financial advisor at Fidelity with 29 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. His prior roles include positions at Scura Paley Securities, MS Howells & Co, and O'shares. Strategic Advisers LLC, a Fidelity Investments company, offers investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients. The firm utilizes a combination of proprietary fundamental research and quantitative analysis to construct model portfolios from mutual funds, ETFs, and ETPs, and it serves a range of clients including registered investment companies and an IRS-qualified Charitable Gift Fund.

Vicki Nielsen is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 19 years of industry experience. Her work history includes roles at Voya Financial Advisors and Integrity Financial Professionals, where she is also president and owner. Nielsen is an alumni member of Leadership Greater McHenry County and participates in local community activities such as the McHenry County Task Force on Aging and serving as a volleyball scorekeeper at Alden-Hebron High & Middle School. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that serves a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with a wide range of portfolio management and financial planning services, supported by a network of over 10,000 advisors and managing over $256 billion in assets.

Michael Rymsza is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with 25 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has worked at J.P. Morgan Securities since 2012, following seven years at Chase Investment Services Corp. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to plan sponsors, corporations, endowments, and other institutional clients through a select group of Wealth Advisors. The firm’s non-discretionary program focuses on written asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting.

Sophia Cajiao serves as a Client Experience Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. In this role, she works directly with clients to assess their financial situations and introduce them to solutions offered through Merrill and Bank of America. Her approach focuses on helping clients identify their financial goals and develop strategies to pursue them. Sophia holds a Bachelor's Degree from Elmhurst University and has earned professional designations including Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). These credentials support her expertise in retirement planning and investment advisory services. Beyond her professional work, Sophia is involved with UNIVERSIDAD UTE, indicating a commitment to community engagement.

Dean Labelle is a financial advisor with Cetera who holds the Series 66 designation and has 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Cetera and its affiliate Cetera Financial Specialists LLC since 2004 and also owns and operates Dean Labelle Accounting, providing accounting, bookkeeping, payroll, and tax services since 1992. Additionally, he serves as a music director and worship service planner for a religious organization. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC serves a broad client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients, offering a variety of portfolio management and financial planning services through a large network of independent advisors.

Teresa Ferrer is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with 18 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and has been with J.P. Morgan Securities since 2012, also maintaining a role at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. since 2004. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to plan sponsors, corporations, endowments, and other institutional clients through a select group of Wealth Advisors. Their advisory program is non-discretionary, focusing on written asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting.

Stacey Stickle is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with Edward Jones, based in Wauconda, IL, and has 16 years of industry experience. She has been with Edward Jones since 2009. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients, offering a range of investment advisory programs and affiliated financial services. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets with a large national network of advisors and branch offices.

Allen Hall is a financial advisor with LPL Financial holding a Series 66 designation and 17 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Merrill, Bank of America, Edward Jones, and Cetera Advisor Networks. He is also associated with Exemplar Financial Network, operating a related business entity. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that offers advisory and brokerage services to individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm provides a range of financial planning and investment management solutions utilizing both proprietary and third-party strategies, supported by advanced operational tools.

John Gottwald is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with Series 65 and Series 63 credentials and eight years of industry experience. He previously worked at Merrill Lynch/Bank of America for six years and has held roles at National Asset Management, National Securities Corp, Modern Woodmen Of America, and the University of Dayton. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management and offers a range of investment strategies, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee programs, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard.

Laurence Kuhl is the sole advisor at Kuhl Investments Inc. in Lake Bluff, IL, holding the PFS™ designation and Series 65 license with 27 years of industry experience. He has managed Kuhl Investments since 1997 and also owns Kuhl Financial Services, a separate business providing tax preparation and comprehensive personal financial planning. Kuhl Investments Inc. operates as an independent firm focused on serving individual clients.

Robert Blameuser is a ChFC®-designated financial advisor with 23 years of industry experience. He is the principal of Blameuser Asset Management, having previously worked for First Midwest Securities, Inc. for 16 years. Outside of finance, he is an active trumpet player in various bands and may also teach music. Blameuser Asset Management provides portfolio management and financial planning services for both institutional clients and individual investors. The firm combines individualized investment strategies with insurance brokerage services and manages approximately $4.5 million in assets across about 25 clients.

Keith Schoepke is a CFP® professional with 19 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Wynstone Investment Advisors, LLC, an independent firm based in Crystal Lake, IL. His prior experience includes roles at J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and LaSalle Financial Services, Inc. Wynstone Investment Advisors serves clients independently, focusing on personalized financial planning and investment management.

Patrick Scholz is the sole advisor at JH Kaufman LLC in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with 29 years of industry experience. He has previously worked at Corhaven Technologies LLC and BCD Advisors. JH Kaufman LLC is an independent advisory firm providing investment management and educational seminars to a small client base of approximately 16 households. The firm combines ongoing portfolio management with financial-product sales and client education, operating at a boutique scale.

Douglas Renz is a financial advisor at Renz Financial Group, LLC with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. In addition to his advisory role, Renz works as a Business Intelligence Architect at Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Renz Financial Group, LLC is an independent firm serving clients with personalized financial advice.

Mathew Vanderkloot is a Personal Financial Specialist (PFS™) and Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with 24 years of industry experience. He has been with VanderKloot & Company, P.C. since 1990, serving as the sole advisor at the firm. In addition to his advisory role, he allocates part of his time to non-advisory activities within the same company. VanderKloot & Company, P.C. is an independent advisory firm based in Bannockburn, IL, serving clients through personalized financial planning and investment services.