Bernard Czerwinski Jr. is a financial advisor at Ascension Financial with a ChFC® designation and a Series 65 license, bringing three years of industry experience. His career includes roles at RLK-PLG Investment Management, LLC, Forever Companies, and GM Casting House, Inc. Outside of his advisory work, he is the managing member of Czerwinski Consulting, which provides consulting services on operational strategy and technology for B2B manufacturers and direct consumer retail. Ascension Financial is a fee-only investment adviser that manages customized portfolios for individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm uses a combination of quantitative optimization, fundamental and technical analysis, and institutional investments, actively monitoring and adjusting portfolios to meet clients’ objectives, incorporating derivative strategies and leverage where appropriate.

Brian Bardachowski is a financial advisor at Pensinger Financial, Inc. with one year of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has operated Wisdom Financial, Inc., a mortgage brokerage firm, since 2007 where he serves as owner and mortgage loan originator. Pensinger Financial provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and small businesses, focusing on long-term investing through indexed equities and fixed income using mutual funds and ETFs. The firm emphasizes documented risk tolerance, regular portfolio monitoring, and annual reviews.

Kevin Susmarski is a financial advisor at First Choice Financial Services LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has a background in law enforcement, serving as a sergeant and patrol division supervisor at the Village of Hinsdale Police Department since 2001. In addition to his advisory role, he is a licensed insurance agent operating as a sole proprietor. First Choice Financial Services LLC serves individual and high-net-worth clients by providing financial advice primarily through referrals to third-party money managers and estate-planning support. The firm acts as a liaison in client communications and oversight, focusing on client goals and risk tolerance without directly managing assets.

Bradford Szczecinski is a financial advisor with Creative Resources Investment Advisors LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 registrations and bringing 27 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at USI, Marsh Private Client Services, and The Horton Group. He volunteers with Breakthrough Urban Ministries as a planned giving consultant and serves on the Transplant Advisory Council at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Creative Resources Investment Advisors primarily serves individual and high-income clients, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and other entities. The firm employs a long-term, value-oriented investment approach incorporating Modern Portfolio Theory and a blended strategic/tactical asset allocation, tailoring portfolios to client needs and conducting regular reviews.

Frank Iozzo is a financial advisor at FMI Financial, Ltd. with nine years of industry experience. He holds the Series 65 and Series 66 designations and has worked at Capital Strategies, Inc. Group, J.P. Morgan Securities, and Chase Investment Services Corp. He is based in Oak Brook, Illinois. FMI Financial, Ltd. serves institutional investors, high-net-worth individuals, corporate retirement plans, trusts, and estates with services including discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, financial planning, and retirement-plan education. The firm focuses on long-term, diversified investment strategies and offers both discretionary asset management and non-discretionary consulting.

Jacob Kadisak is a CFP® professional with 7 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Kadisak Financial Services, Inc. in Naperville, IL, where he has worked since 2011. The firm provides discretionary investment management and financial planning to individual and trust clients, including both high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth households. Kadisak Financial Services manages approximately $65.5 million across about 77 client relationships, using an actively managed, tactical asset-allocation approach focused on diversified mutual funds and ETFs, with services that include retirement planning and employer retirement plan reviews.

Adam Smolich is a financial advisor at Clement Street Capital LLC with 14 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with Clement Street Capital since 2012. Clement Street Capital provides discretionary asset management and comprehensive financial planning primarily to high-net-worth individuals, trusts, corporations, retirement plans, and other legal entities. The firm builds tailored investment policies using a mix of asset classes and employs ongoing monitoring and rebalancing, serving a select client base with substantial account size and net-worth thresholds.

Michael Perna is a financial advisor at First Choice Financial Services LLC with 18 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been involved in the financial and insurance services industry since 1983, serving as president of Michael Perna and Associates, Inc. and First Choice Insurance Agency. First Choice Financial Services LLC provides financial advice to individual and high-net-worth clients primarily through referrals to third-party money managers and offers estate-planning support services. The firm focuses on client communication, oversight of third-party managers, and employs fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis in its recommendations.

Michael Fry is a financial advisor at RWC For Life with 23 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Steward Financial Services, Inc. since 1993. Fry also creates financial education content through his business, Dashing Upward. RWC For Life provides comprehensive financial planning, targeted consulting, and investment management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and corporate entities. The firm manages approximately $30 million in discretionary assets and offers customized and model portfolios with regular reviews.

Matthew Kunst is a CFP® and CFA® with nine years of industry experience. He has worked at Opus Financial Solutions LLC since 2017 and previously spent eight years at MMK Financial Services. Opus Financial Solutions provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, families, business owners, executives, trusts, and other entities, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management. The firm emphasizes integrated tax and accounting support alongside investment management, utilizing a combination of strategic and tactical asset allocation with ETFs, mutual funds, and alternative investments when appropriate.

Charles Brown III is a financial advisor at CB3 Financial Group, Inc. in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, with 21 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has been with CB3 Financial Group in various capacities since 2006. The firm provides investment management and wealth-planning services to individuals, families, business entities, and nonprofit organizations. CB3 offers discretionary portfolio management through several programs that utilize fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis, including an aggressive strategy focused on global equities and emerging companies in generative artificial intelligence.

William Laipple is a CFP® with 25 years of industry experience, currently a partner at Stonebridge Wealth Management LLC in Oak Brook, IL. He has worked at Stonebridge since 2011 and has held roles at APW Capital, Inc. and Comprehensive Asset Management Serving Inc. since 2016. Stonebridge Wealth Management serves individuals, trusts, corporations, partnerships, tax-exempt entities, and other legal entities, managing approximately $283 million for around 288 clients. The firm provides customized portfolio construction and offers discretionary investment management, financial planning, and family-office/business consulting services.

Peter Claeys is a financial advisor with Arbor Financial Services, LLC in Downers Grove, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 27 years of industry experience. He has been with Arbor Financial Services since 2012 and is also involved with Profitability Concepts & Consulting, LLC, a holding company for Arbor Financial Services. Arbor Financial Services provides discretionary portfolio management and limited financial planning to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as trusts and estates. The firm uses firm-developed model portfolios and a combination of analytical methods to manage client assets, typically on a discretionary basis, and offers both bundled wrap-fee and unbundled advisory services.

Andrew Kaminski is a financial advisor with HK Private Client, LLC in Naperville, IL, holding Series 66 and Series 65 credentials and with 10 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Fifth Third Bank, The Northern Trust Company, Calamos Advisors LLC, and Osaic FA, Inc. HK Private Client is a small, supported registered investment adviser serving individual and high-net-worth clients with discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services. The firm uses quantitative tools and model-driven analysis to tailor portfolios and integrates financial planning into advisory relationships while also offering standalone planning engagements.

Reynaldo Cruz is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 37 years of industry experience. He is the principal of Cruz Investments & Wealth Management in Aurora, IL, and has held roles at Madison Avenue Securities, LLC and Gf Investment Services, LLC. Outside of financial advising, he operates a retail business selling financial-themed products and content through Sparton Eye Candy, LLC. Cruz Investments & Wealth Management serves pooled investment vehicles and institutional clients, focusing on financial planning, qualified plan management, and third-party investment adviser selection. The firm employs an asset allocation approach using external research, provides non-discretionary portfolio management, and monitors third-party managers based on multiple criteria.

Patrick Kirvan is a financial advisor with Advanced Planning Advisors Group Inc. in Naperville, IL, holding a Series 65 credential and 14 years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at Advanced Planning Advisors Group Inc. since 2017 and Gradient Advisors, LLC from 2012 to 2021. Kirvan is also involved in fixed insurance sales as a licensed insurance agent. Advanced Planning Advisors Group Inc. provides investment advisory services primarily to individual clients, including high-net-worth individuals, as well as trusts and estates. The firm focuses on asset management through a co-advisor arrangement with Gradient Investments, LLC, offering financial planning services at no additional charge.

Charles Meeder is a CFP® professional with 25 years of experience at Sound Asset Management, Inc. He has been working in the financial industry for over 35 years through his own CPA firm, Charles Meeder, CPA, Inc. Sound Asset Management serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and small businesses. The firm provides personalized financial planning and investment management on a fee-only basis, focusing on strategic asset allocation and global diversification.

Norman Chiodras is a CFP® professional with 40 years of experience in the financial industry. He has been associated with Mack Investment Securities, Inc. for 36 years and owns Retirement Planners, Inc. (dba RPI, Inc.), where financial planning and fixed insurance products are offered. Outside of finance, he is a freelance trumpet player with the DuPage Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet and serves as treasurer for Holy Spirit Ministries, a nonprofit organization, as well as a board member of the Briarwood Lakes HOA in Oak Brook, IL. Mack Investment Securities, Inc. advises individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and other custodial accounts through discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, manager-of-managers programs, and financial planning. The firm’s investment approach combines oversight of independent sub-advisers with firm-run model strategies that employ technical, seasonal, and tactical indicators, allowing for tactical asset shifts and use of ETFs, including leveraged and inverse products.

Mary Kilberg is a financial advisor with Masus Financial Group, Ltd., holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and possessing 16 years of industry experience. She has been with Masus Financial Group since 2005. In addition to her advisory role, she is a licensed notary public. Masus Financial Group provides wealth management, investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and businesses. The firm employs a multi-disciplinary research approach and manages diversified portfolios, serving approximately 296 client relationships with $190.6 million in discretionary assets under management as of December 31, 2025.

Darin Roth is a financial advisor with Cambier Capital, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and 11 years of industry experience. He has previously worked at 2642 Capital, LLC, Stenger Tax Advisory, LLC, Stenger Family Office, LLC, Morgan Stanley, and Guggenheim Investments. Roth is a co-founder and former operational manager of Stenger Tax Advisory LLC, a certified public accounting firm. Cambier Capital provides wealth management and investment services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and business entities. The firm offers customized portfolios using mutual funds, ETFs, individual equities, and fixed-income securities, employing a long-term investment approach alongside fundamental and technical analysis.