Megan Sowinski is a CFP® professional with 13 years of experience in the financial services industry. She is currently with Edelman Financial Engines and has previously worked at firms including Fidelity Investments, JP Morgan Chase Bank, LPL Financial, and Old National Bank. Edelman Financial Engines provides technology-enabled investment advisory and financial planning services to individual investors, retirement-plan participants, and institutional clients. The firm uses a proprietary, committee-driven modeling process combined with planner delivery and online tools, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary investment management focused on diversified model portfolios and long-term investment strategies.

Timothy Wielinga is a financial advisor at Stifel with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Stifel, he worked at CoAd and Group Management Services, among other roles spanning digital marketing, communications, polymers, and retail. Stifel serves a broad range of clients including individuals, institutional investors, and charitable organizations, providing both brokerage and investment advisory services supported by a proprietary investment methodology developed by its Investment Strategy Group.

Poonam Trivedi is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in Naperville, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 22 years of industry experience. She has been with J.P. Morgan and its affiliated entities since 2006, including roles at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Chase Investment Services Corp. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to plan sponsors, corporations, endowments, and other institutional clients, focusing on written asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting. The firm’s advisory process combines quantitative and qualitative research, with recommendations limited to eligible strategies that may incorporate an ESG framework.

Timothy Nelson is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Lemont, IL, holding the CFP® and CFA® designations with 20 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2011, totaling 15 years at the firm. 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, offering a range of advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard.

Eugene Paquette is a financial advisor with Cetera who holds a Series 63 designation and has 43 years of industry experience. He has been with Cetera since 2004 and operates Paquette Financial Services, which provides investment, retirement, and health insurance planning. Additionally, he prepares simple tax returns for a small number of elderly clients. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm serving individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts through a broad network of independent advisors. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services, utilizing various program structures and third-party money managers.

Phillip Faso is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors with four years of industry experience. He previously worked at Cetera and Wintrust Investments and is registered with the Series 66 credential. Outside of advising, he is involved in Dino's Food and Liquors, where he serves as a bartender. Wells Fargo Advisors serves individuals, trusts, and institutional clients with a range of investment and financial planning services, utilizing proprietary research and planning tools to create tailored client recommendations.

Kevin Finlon is a financial advisor with OSAIC Wealth Inc. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 credentials and has 12 years of industry experience. Prior to joining OSAIC in 2024, he worked at Pruco Securities LLC and The Prudential Insurance Company of America for ten years. He is also involved in insurance sales through his single-member LLC, Finlon Insurance. OSAIC Wealth serves a diverse range of retail and institutional clients, including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, charities, and corporate clients. The firm offers brokerage and advisory services with a focus on model-based asset allocation and portfolio optimization, supporting both discretionary and advisor-managed strategies across multiple platforms.

Charles Cucuras is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has held roles at firms including VOYA Financial Advisors, Cetera Advisor Networks, and PPG Industries. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in sales management for a chemical distributor. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, retirement plans, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of financial planning and investment management solutions, supported by research-driven portfolios and various institutional platforms.

Melissa Colby is a financial advisor at Fidelity with 18 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations. Her prior work includes roles at TIAA and TIAA-CREF. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, employing a process that combines fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction. The firm is notable for its advisory roles to registered investment companies, use of AI in research, and delivery of model portfolios to intermediary platforms.

Gabriel Chavez is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Woodridge, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and over 21 years of industry experience. He has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2004. Outside of his advisory work, he serves on the board of directors for the West Suburban Community Pantry and owns GJC Legacy & Associates, a practice management company. Ameriprise offers a retirement-income planning service targeted at individuals nearing or in retirement with significant investable assets, providing detailed recommendation reports and combining research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis. The firm also delivers a broad range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions through affiliated entities.

Stefanie Walthier is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. She focuses on providing personalized wealth management strategies that align with each client’s financial goals, particularly in areas such as liquidity management, personal retirement planning, and retirement income. Stefanie leverages the investment insights of Merrill and the banking and lending solutions offered by Bank of America to help clients navigate changing market conditions. Stefanie holds a Bachelor's degree in Finance from Butler University, earned in 1992. She obtained the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP) certification in 2000 and holds additional professional designations including CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). Her early career included roles as a financial advisor with Edward Jones from 1992 to 1995 and BMO Harris Bank from 1996 to 2004, where she worked with individuals and families on retirement planning. Since joining Merrill in 2004, Stefanie has been focused on a planning-oriented service model and was a founding member of the JLW Group advisory team in 2014, which provides planning, portfolio management, and client service. In addition to her professional work, Stefanie values community involvement and volunteers with local organizations. Her personal interests include cooking, gardening, and reading. Her professional philosophy emphasizes working collaboratively with clients to develop financial strategies that support their long-term goals.

Malcolm Todd is a CFP® professional with 39 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has been with Primerica Advisors since 1986 and Primerica Financial Services since 1985. His other business activities include part-time involvement in sales of loan products and home security and automation referrals through Primerica affiliates. Primerica Advisors offers discretionary asset management primarily through its Lifetime Investment Program, serving individual and high-net-worth clients with model-delivery strategies and selective separately managed accounts. The firm uses a tiered wrap-fee structure and curates third-party asset managers while delegating trading responsibilities to BNY Mellon Advisors.

Aaron Tokh is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in Naperville, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 20 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Merrill, Bank of America, and Citigroup, with over 16 years at Citigroup/Citibank prior to joining J.P. Morgan in 2025. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to plan sponsors, corporations, endowments, and other institutional clients through a non-discretionary program focused on asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting. The firm’s advisory process leverages centralized due diligence and combines quantitative and qualitative research, with investment recommendations incorporating ESG criteria and supported by affiliations with related investment management entities.

Carroll Klotz is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. His career includes positions at Stifel Independent Advisors, LPL Financial, Wayne Hummer Investments, and Citicorp Investment Services. Outside of advisory work, he operates a tax preparation service. Equitable Advisors serves individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and asset-management programs through a network of Investment Adviser Representatives. The firm emphasizes matching clients to investment models and third-party managers, offering a range of mutual funds, ETFs, separately managed accounts, and select alternative investments.

Michael Hullinger is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and 11 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at BMO Bank NA, JP Morgan Chase Bank NA, and Capital One Auto Finance. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that provides advisory and brokerage services through a large network of representatives to individuals, institutions, and retirement plan participants. The firm offers a range of investment solutions including financial planning, model portfolios, and access to third-party asset managers, supported by advanced operational tools and a broad platform that includes both advisory and non-advisory financial services.

Lawrence Lehman is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding the PFS™ designation and Series 65 and 63 licenses, and has 20 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Cetera in 2025, he worked at Avantax Advisory Services and Avantax Investment Services, among other roles. He serves as a board member for his homeowners association and for The Daniel Strada Foundation, a nonprofit established in memory of a family member. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered advisor serving individuals, retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients through a nationwide network of independent advisors. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with a range of discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management options, including model portfolios, third-party managers, and bespoke strategies.

Sagar Thakkar is a financial advisor at Cetera with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been involved in his own financial services firm since 2019. In addition to his advisory role, Thakkar is active in real estate leasing and sales through One Real Estate Chicago. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm serving a diverse client base that includes individual investors, retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients, offering a range of portfolio management and consulting services through a multi-manager platform.

Carolyn Hartnett is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor at Edward Jones with 18 years of industry experience. She has been with Edward Jones since 2007. 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 through a nationwide network of more than 23,700 advisors and offers a range of advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds.

James Allen is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 licenses and bringing 31 years of industry experience. He has worked at LPL Financial since 2010 and previously held roles at Edward Jones and Morgan Stanley DW Inc. 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 various financial planning and investment management services, utilizing model portfolios, third-party subadvisors, and customizable strategies, supported by advanced operational tools but not relying on them for client investment decisions.

Steven Samson is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in Orland Park, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and possessing 27 years of industry experience. He has worked at J.P. Morgan Securities since 2012 and has been affiliated with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. since 1993. Between 2014 and 2017, he was involved with the Steven Samson Living Trust. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to plan sponsors, corporations, endowments, and other institutional clients through a non-discretionary program focused on asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting. The firm’s advisory process is supported by centralized due diligence and incorporates a range of investment strategies, including ESG criteria.