Paul Sylvia is a CFA® charterholder with nine years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with Ameriprise in Arlington Heights, IL, having held prior positions at firms including Northwestern Mutual and 303 Securities LP. Ameriprise provides retirement-income planning services primarily for individuals approaching or in retirement who meet specific asset thresholds, combining research-driven modeling and tax-efficient strategies to deliver personalized recommendation reports.

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 at RBC Capital Markets with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has prior work experience including roles at Mariani Landscape and Lake Forest College. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, LLC, serves a wide range of clients including individual investors, institutions, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers various advisory programs that provide both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, custody, and brokerage services tailored to clients’ risk profiles and investment preferences.

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 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has been with J.P. Morgan Securities since 2012. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides institutional consulting services to corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. The firm delivers these advisory services alongside affiliated brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

Sophia Cajiao is a financial advisor at Merrill with two years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. Her work history includes positions at Bank of America and Merrill, as well as a role in event staff at Andy Frain Services. She assists patrons at arenas and theaters on weekends as part of her non-investment-related activities. 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, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

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 Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and has worked at J.P. Morgan Securities since 2012, with prior experience at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. dating back to 2004. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors, combining quantitative asset-allocation modeling with centralized due diligence and an ESG eligibility framework to guide its recommendations.

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 prior work includes roles at Exemplar Financial Network, Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, Bank of America, and Merrill. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations nationwide. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by in-house and third-party research.

John Gottwald is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with eight years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses. Prior to joining Edward Jones in 2025, he worked at Merrill Lynch/Bank of America for six years and 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 and offers a range of advisory programs and investment strategies through a large national network of financial advisors and branch offices.

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 financial advisor at Blameuser Asset Management with 23 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation and Series 63 license and has been associated with First Midwest Securities, Inc. since 1993. Outside of his advisory work, he plays the trumpet in various bands and may also teach music. Blameuser Asset Management provides portfolio management and financial planning services to both institutional clients and individual investors. The firm employs individualized portfolio management strategies and also offers insurance brokerage services, operating on a small scale with about $4.5 million in assets under management across roughly 25 clients.

Keith Schoepke is a CFP® professional with 19 years of industry experience based in Crystal Lake, IL. He is the sole advisor at Wynstone Investment Advisors, LLC., an independent firm. Schoepke has worked with J.P. Morgan Securities Inc since 2007. Wynstone Investment Advisors serves clients seeking personalized financial guidance with an independent approach to 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.