Versie Walker II is a financial advisor at PNC Wealth Management in Naperville, IL, with 13 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 licenses. His prior roles include positions at Fidelity Investments, Merrill, and Bank of America. He also has experience in a business unrelated to finance, having worked at Hot-N-Poppin Inc. for six years. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an invitation-only discretionary digital account pilot for employees, which uses algorithm-driven portfolio selection and implements investments via approved strategies with mutual funds and ETFs.

Benjamin Rogina is a financial advisor with Lincoln Investment in Joliet, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Lincoln Investment, he has worked in warehouse logistics at Amazon and assists with operations at Rogina Engineers & Surveyors LLC. Lincoln Investment Planning, LLC is a large enterprise advisory and broker-dealer serving a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth investors, trusts, charities, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, consulting, and portfolio management through a combination of advisor-managed and firm-managed model portfolios, supported by an in-house investment management team and third-party managers.

Carla Merlak is a financial advisor with Brookstone Capital Management LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 14 years of industry experience. She has worked at Brookstone since 2016 and also operates Merlak Tax Advisory Group Inc, where she provides tax preparation, planning, and insurance services. Additionally, she is involved with natural wellness product sales and financial and retirement planning through Next Phase Financial LLC. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser serving a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm offers fee-based asset management and financial planning primarily through a turnkey asset management platform and wrap-fee programs, utilizing a range of investment strategies including tax-aware and ESG models.

Bradley Mills is a financial advisor with Fifth Third Securities, Inc. in Elmhurst, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Fifth Third Securities since 2005. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. provides brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to a diverse client base, including individuals, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and institutional investors. The firm offers multiple discretionary managed-account options and features such as direct indexing and a tax-overlay service, supported by its affiliation with Fifth Third Bank and use of platforms like Fidelity Institutional Wealth Adviser.

Shaila Maloney is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 18 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Nuveen Asset Management, CUNA Mutual Group, and Bank of America. Her current role at TIAA-CREF involves serving clients in Wheaton, Illinois. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm distinguishes between one-time planning services and ongoing portfolio management, offering model and customized managed accounts with a fiduciary standard applied to its RIA services.

James Gazis is a CFP® with 19 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Independent Financial Partners since 2025. He has also been affiliated with Balanced Asset Strategies, Ltd for over 16 years, where he is the owner of a wealth management business. Independent Financial Partners provides investment advisory, financial planning, trust, and retirement-plan services through a nationwide network of independent Investment Adviser Representatives. The firm supports a multi-advisor platform serving tens of thousands of clients with a decentralized advisory model and notable retirement-plan advisory and pension consulting capabilities.

Charles Schuster is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with a Series 65 designation and one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Monroe Capital LLC and Madison Boats LLC, along with four years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals and institutional clients. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach emphasizing low-cost indexing, buy-and-hold strategies, and selective private market exposure, managing over $295 billion in client assets through more than 1,100 advisors.

Katherine Morris is a CFP® professional with 22 years of industry experience, currently serving at Planmember Securities Corporation. She has held positions at Veritrust Wealth Management since 2013 and was a member of the Oswego Police Pension Board from 2010 to 2018. In addition to her financial advisory work, she is involved in a non-investment administrative business. Planmember Securities Corporation provides retirement-plan advisory services to employers and plan participants, acting as an ERISA Section 3(38) fiduciary for many plans. The firm employs a top-down strategic asset allocation approach and manages risk-based mutual fund portfolios while offering participant education and support services.

Nicholas Curcio is a CFA® charterholder with 10 years of industry experience. He has worked at TIAA since 2017 and joined TIAA-CREF in 2025. His prior experience includes roles at HarrisDirect LLC and E*TRADE Capital Management LLC. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and corporate entities, often serving clients with pre-existing TIAA employer retirement plan relationships. The firm offers customized portfolio management and operates as adviser to a donor-advised fund, applying a fiduciary standard within its vertically integrated advisory model.

Rachel Kowalczyk is a CFP® credentialed financial advisor with 11 years of industry experience. She has been with Mariner since 2018 and previously worked at Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC for four years. Kowalczyk operates out of Mariner’s Oakbrook Terrace, IL office. Mariner serves a diverse group of clients including high-net-worth individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations, offering investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and coordinated tax services. The firm employs customized portfolio strategies supported by an internal investment team and third-party managers, and provides integrated tax, accounting, and family office capabilities alongside traditional advisory services.

Jesse Zaragoza is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Downers Grove, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 36 years of industry experience. His background includes roles at Prudential Insurance Company of America, U.S. Bancorp Investments, and New York Life Insurance Company. Outside of securities, he is involved in brokering insurance and property and casualty products. Eagle Strategies serves a wide range of individual and institutional clients, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm offers multiple program types tailored to client objectives, with a significant focus on non-discretionary asset management and advisory services linked to insurance and annuity products.

Steve Shyman is a financial advisor at Brookstone Capital Management LLC with 14 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 credential and has worked at Brookstone since 2015. Additionally, he operates Wilsave Financial and is involved as a distributor of water ionizer machines. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser providing fee-based asset management and financial planning to a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, charitable organizations, other RIAs, sovereign wealth funds, and banking institutions. The firm delivers investment management primarily through discretionary model portfolios, unified managed accounts, and separately managed accounts, and supports a large advisor network with back-office and turnkey asset management platform services.

Sarah Krapec is a financial advisor at Principal Financial Services with 10 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations. Her prior work includes roles at Global Retirement Partners, LLC, Strategic Retirement Partners, and Kestra Financial, Inc. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a broad client base, including individual investors, 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.

Corey Speck is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor at Mariner with three years of industry experience. He has been with Mariner since 2018. Outside of his advisory role, he serves on the board of the Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation, where he helps raise funds and coordinate events. Mariner serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations through investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm offers customized discretionary portfolios supported by in-house research and third-party managers, along with integrated tax, accounting, and family office services.

Whitney King is a financial advisor at PNC Wealth Management with 18 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at Bank of America, Merrill, and JPMorgan Chase. Outside of finance, she performs as a singer-guitarist in an Alice in Chains tribute band. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services primarily through model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital discretionary model account that uses algorithm-driven risk assessment and invests via mutual funds and ETFs.

Thomas Ferraro is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Merrill and Wells Fargo in various capacities. Outside of his advisory role, Ferraro coaches wrestling and other sports and serves as a board member of a religious organization. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across multiple wealth segments, offering a broad range of investment advisory programs, broker-dealer execution, and custody services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies and maintains unique market roles, including functioning as a swap dealer and futures commission merchant.

Juan Jasso is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Merrill and Fifth Third Bank. Outside of his advisory role, he owns a car rental business in West Chicago, IL. Fifth Third Securities provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and institutional investors through its Passageway Managed Account Program. The firm offers multiple discretionary managed-account options and features such as direct indexing and a tax-overlay service, operating as a subsidiary of Fifth Third Bank with a distinctive municipal-advisor registration.

Alexandria Dotson is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 11 years of industry experience. She has worked at PNC Investments since 2016 and at PNC Bank from 2016 to 2018. Outside of her advisory role, she has been involved as a property owner-landlord. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services, including a model-based digital discretionary portfolio program available by invitation to employees. The firm’s approach uses algorithm-driven risk assessment and approved model strategies managed by PNC or third-party strategists, focusing on mutual funds and ETFs with annual rebalancing.

Andrea Jevne is a financial advisor at Brookstone Capital Management LLC with 23 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked previously at Morgan Stanley and Ameriprise. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser providing fee-based asset management and financial planning through a turnkey asset management platform and wrap-fee program. The firm serves a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, charitable organizations, other RIAs, sovereign wealth funds, and banking institutions.

Daniel Laya is a financial advisor with Lincoln Investment, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Lincoln Investment Planning, Inc. since 2006. Outside of his advisory work, he is a member of CORNER SPORTS LLC, a ski and snowboard rental, tuning, and delivery business. Lincoln Investment Planning, LLC serves a diverse client base including individual and high-net-worth investors, trusts, charities, and retirement plans, with a long history in educator and 403(b)/457(b) markets. The firm offers financial planning, advisor-led consulting, and portfolio management through model portfolios and third-party managers, supported by an in-house Investment Management & Research team.