Nasser Afzali is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 33 years of industry experience. His background includes various roles related to tax, accounting, insurance, and pro bono financial training, with involvement in nonprofit organizations such as The Promise Land Charities Inc and volunteer work with Caris Pregnancy Counseling and Resources. He also provides estate planning document preparation through Net Law Inc and supports The Farsi Church in Chicago Land with tax and accounting services. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, pension plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm offers a range of advisory and broker-dealer services, combining proprietary and third-party model portfolios with discretionary and non-discretionary management options.

Linda Sabo is a financial advisor with Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. in Wheaton, IL. She holds a Series 66 designation and has 16 years of industry experience, all with Benjamin F. Edwards. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers a range of fee-based wrap programs, financial planning, and investment consulting services supported by a large network of advisors and extensive assets under management.

Nathanial Chapel is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with nine years of industry experience. He is currently with Farther and has operated Chapel Financial Group Inc. since 2017, where he is involved as a president and insurance agent focusing on fixed annuities, Medicare Supplement, life insurance, and long-term care. Chapel has also maintained advisory roles at Tru Financial Strategies under his ownership since 2017. Farther provides discretionary investment management and advisory services mainly to individual investors, trusts, and estates, utilizing a web and mobile platform alongside in-person meetings. The firm’s investment approach is based on Modern Portfolio Theory, employing proprietary model portfolios or customized allocations with algorithmic rebalancing, and it integrates AI tools to supplement advisor judgment.

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.

Eric Andresen is a financial advisor with NewEdge Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at LPL Financial since 2005 and joined NewEdge Advisors in 2023. Andresen is involved in tax preparation and accounting services through Midwest Small Business Accounting. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a broad range of services including portfolio management, financial planning, retirement consulting, and access to sponsored advisory programs, utilizing model-based strategies and technology tools to support advisors and clients.

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.

Dominic Colletti is a CFP® professional with 12 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. since 2022. Prior to joining Mercer, he worked at Polaris Wealth Advisory Group and Fidelity Investments. Mercer Global Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base including individuals, families, business owners, and nonprofit organizations. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based investment approach with globally diversified portfolios and offers a range of solutions such as discretionary and non-discretionary management, financial planning, and retirement consulting.

Lisa Shake is a financial advisor at William Blair with three years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at William Blair since 2021. Prior to joining William Blair, she spent nine years at Fifth Third Private Bank. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs active, research-driven strategies across various asset classes and provides access to proprietary models, third-party sub-managers, and private investment opportunities.

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.

Jason Brooks is a CFP® with 27 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Independent Financial Partners since 2019. His prior roles include tenures at First Heartland Consultants and Signature Financial Services. Outside of advising, he provides bookkeeping, accounting, and tax preparation services on a part-time basis. Independent Financial Partners offers investment advisory, financial planning, trust, and retirement-plan services through a nationwide network of independent advisors. The firm supports a multi-advisor platform with flexible investment approaches, including centralized asset management options and specialized retirement-plan advisory capabilities.

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.

Maxwell Bromley is a financial advisor at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. with 10 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Morningstar Investment Services LLC, TD Ameritrade, PeopleFirst Bank, and Midwestern Securities Trading Co. LLC. 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 employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach featuring globally diversified, risk-appropriate portfolios with multi-factor tilts and utilizes a variety of implementation options such as ETFs, mutual funds, separate accounts, and direct indexing.

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.