John Christopher is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Downers Grove, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 23 years of industry experience. He has been with Eagle Strategies since 2016 and is also involved with Christopher Financial Group, LLC, Mahoney Financial Organization LLC, and Exodus Business Strategies LLC. Christopher serves as a board member of the Medinah Country Club. Eagle Strategies provides financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse clientele including individual investors, institutional plans, and charitable organizations. The firm delivers tailored advice through various program types, emphasizing non-discretionary asset management and integrated advisory services within the New York Life affiliate structure.

Jennifer Frahm is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 22 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been associated with GWFS Equities, Inc. and Great West Life & Annuity Insurance Company since 2009. Outside of her advisory role, she teaches financial fluency to high school students and medical students at the University of Illinois Medical School through her initiative, Intentional Investment Education. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management mainly to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage account holders. The firm’s approach emphasizes long-term portfolio returns, annual rebalancing, and clients’ savings rates, delivering services through an integrated model tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

William Mc Carty IV is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked at Fifth Third Bank and Fifth Third Securities since 2023, following prior roles at Charles Schwab and First Trust Portfolios. Outside of his advisory work, he engages in personal item sales on eBay and Facebook Marketplace. Fifth Third Securities provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate and business clients, and institutional investors. The firm offers multiple discretionary managed-account programs through its Passageway Managed Account Program and operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fifth Third Bank, combining bank affiliation with a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser structure.

Michael Muersch is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services in Downers Grove, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 18 years of industry experience. He has been with Principal Securities Inc. since 2016 and with Principal Life Insurance Company since 2008. He is also involved in health and fixed life insurance brokerage activities. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and business entities. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions.

Connor Simios is a CFP® and Series 65-licensed advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC. He has six years of industry experience, including prior roles at Vermillion Financial Advisors and Willow Creek Community Church. He joined Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services in 2025. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and specialized retirement consulting through a network of advisors, employing a strategic investment process that combines passive and active management guided by an internal Investment Committee.

Jesus Olmedo is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF and holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. He has 16 years of industry experience, including prior roles at J.P. Morgan Securities and JPMorgan Chase Bank. Olmedo has been with TIAA-CREF since 2018. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm combines point-in-time planning services with ongoing managed account programs that utilize model or customized portfolios, and it acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Robert Courser is a CFP® professional with 31 years of experience in the financial industry. He has worked at Brookstone Capital Management since 2020 and was previously with Kalos Capital, Inc. for 11 years. Outside of his primary advisory role, he is involved with Ron Courser & Associates, where he provides financial advisory services including the sale of fixed insurance and securities products. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser serving a broad client base that includes individuals, retirement plans, corporations, charitable organizations, other registered investment advisers, sovereign wealth funds, and banking institutions. The firm delivers investment management primarily on a discretionary basis through model portfolios, unified managed accounts, and separately managed accounts, supported by a large advisor network and a turnkey asset management platform.

Bart Newman is a financial advisor with Brookstone Capital Management LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and eight years of industry experience. He previously worked at IAMS Wealth Management and Secure Investment Management. Outside of his advisory role, Newman has been an independent insurance agent since 2004 and serves as a football official and assignor for the Dukane conference. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser providing fee-based asset management and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, charitable organizations, and institutional clients such as sovereign wealth funds and banking institutions. The firm delivers investment management primarily on a discretionary basis through model portfolios, unified managed accounts, and separately managed accounts, and supports a large advisor network with back-office and turnkey asset management platform services.

Michael Kreger is a CFP® with 19 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Lincoln Investment. His prior roles include positions at Agia and VALIC Financial Advisors. Outside of investment advisory, he is involved with Agia as an agent for non-securities insurance products. Lincoln Investment serves individuals, charitable organizations, businesses, and employer-sponsored retirement plans, with a focus on educators and 403(b)/457(b) participants. The firm combines proprietary and third-party investment strategies and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary advisory programs.

Grace Bossert is a CFP® professional at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. with two years of industry experience. Her work history includes roles at Mercer Global Advisors since 2021, as well as positions at MOKA and T. Anton Investment House. Outside of finance, she was involved with Rags Consignments for five years. Mercer Global Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth families, small business owners, corporate plan sponsors, foundations, and nonprofits. The firm’s investment approach is based on Modern Portfolio Theory, focusing on globally diversified, risk-appropriate portfolios using low-cost index vehicles and multi-factor tilts, complemented by financial planning, retirement consulting, tax support, and estate-planning coordination.

Christian Wathen is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Wheaton, IL, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF and TIAA since 2014. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals with ties to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans, as well as to trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans. The firm provides separate broker-dealer services and manages a donor-advised fund, employing a fiduciary standard with various managed account options.

Joseph Dowling is a financial advisor with Brookstone Capital Management LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and 14 years of industry experience. He has been with Brookstone since 2016. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as an Independent Insurance Producer and teaches community education courses at Joliet Junior College. Brookstone Capital Management offers fee-based asset management and financial planning to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, and other business entities. The firm employs a range of investment strategies including strategic and dynamic asset allocation models, Unified Managed Accounts, and options-enhanced strategies, and it acts as both a primary advisor and sub-advisor through its turnkey asset management platform.

Cristopher Valladares is a financial advisor at PNC Wealth Management with 14 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at Edward Jones and J.P. Morgan Securities. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through several model-based programs, including an online discretionary model account available to select employees. The firm employs algorithm-driven portfolio recommendations and uses third-party strategists and delegates for investment implementation.

Johnathan Ellison is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with six years of industry experience. He currently works at Citigroup Global Markets and has previously held roles at several firms including Morgan Stanley, E*Trade Capital Management, and JPMorgan Chase Bank. Citigroup Global Markets serves a diverse client base ranging from workplace and high-net-worth individuals to ultra-high-net-worth segments. The firm offers a range of investment advisory programs and execution services, implementing multi-asset, multi-manager strategies through both discretionary and non-discretionary programs.

Jason Lackner is a financial advisor with The Huntington Investment Company in Naperville, IL, holding a Series 66 credential and eight years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Bank of America, Merrill, BMO Harris Bank, and Busey Bank. Outside of his advisory work, he owns and manages a rental property. The Huntington Investment Company, operating as Huntington Financial Advisors, serves individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and other entities with advisory and brokerage services. The firm employs an open-architecture investment model combining third-party and proprietary portfolio management solutions.

Daniel Ogrodny is a financial advisor at Mariner with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Mariner Wealth Advisors since 2021, following prior roles at Arlington Wealth Management and The Planning Group. Mariner serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations, offering customized investment management, financial planning, retirement consulting, and coordinated tax services. The firm combines in-house research with third-party manager allocations and provides integrated tax and accounting services uncommon among large advisory enterprises.

Jason Williams is a financial advisor with Guardian Life and holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. He has three years of industry experience, including roles at Northwestern Mutual and Park Avenue Securities. His career also includes a long tenure at Travelers Insurance prior to his financial advisory positions. Park Avenue Securities LLC, operating as Park Avenue® Wealth Management, serves individual and institutional clients with brokerage, financial planning, retirement consulting, and advisory programs. The firm combines proprietary and third-party investment strategies and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary advisory services.

Jordan Beadle is a financial advisor at Mariner Wealth Advisors with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with Mariner since 2018, including the firm's current Oakbrook Terrace, IL office. Prior to joining Mariner, he worked at VS Technology, Inc. Mariner serves a diverse client base, including individuals, trusts, and institutional accounts, offering investment management, financial planning, retirement consulting, and tax services. The firm combines customized discretionary portfolios with in-house research and third-party managers, and it integrates tax and accounting services along with administrative family office and financial wellness capabilities.

Jonathan Baker is a CFA® charterholder with 10 years of industry experience. He is currently with Corient, where he has worked since 2022, following prior roles at Balasa Dinverno Foltz and CIPW Service Company. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, trusts, pension plans, and corporate entities. The firm uses a goals-based, team investment approach that combines in-house strategies with third-party managers and specialized offerings such as family office and trustee services.

Kevin Mc Kay is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services and holds the ChFC® designation along with Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. He has three years of industry experience and previously worked at firms including LPL Enterprise, Prudential, Northwestern Mutual, and New York Life. Mc Kay has a background in law, having been affiliated with the Fair Housing Clinic at UIC Chicago School of Law and UIC School of Law for several years. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning, retirement consulting, and access to third-party money managers through advisory and promoter arrangements.