Eric Behrends is a financial advisor with Fifth Third Securities, Inc., holding Series 65 and Series 63 registrations and three years of industry experience. Prior to joining Fifth Third Securities and Fifth Third Bank in 2023, he worked at the State Farm Gary Behrends Agency for seven years and spent a year as a stay-at-home dad. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. serves individual and institutional clients through investment advisory and brokerage channels, offering various managed account programs via the Passageway platform. The firm is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fifth Third Bank and provides access to multiple investment strategies, including mutual fund and ETF models, SMA strategies, tax-overlay services, and direct indexing.

Natalie Fisk is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 26 years of industry experience. She previously worked at Harris Investor Services, Inc. for 15 years and Huntington Securities, Inc. for one year before joining Empower in 2025. Outside of finance, she has a longstanding involvement as a hair and makeup artist under the name Lotus Flower. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and select retail brokerage clients. The firm integrates its services with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, offering point-in-time financial plans and optional managed account solutions.

Michael Mortell is a financial advisor at CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc. with 30 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Atlantic Trust Investment Advisors, Gnv Advisors, LLC, and Geneva Investment Management of Chicago. Mortell is also a partner in Mortell Associates Real Estate LLC, which focuses on homesite development. CIBC Private Wealth Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, and investment companies, offering portfolio management, financial and estate planning, and coordinated Family Office services. The firm combines internal investment teams and external managers to create customized portfolios and is notable for its high assets under management per advisor and its advisory role with investment company clients.

Michael Rarey is a CFA® charterholder with seven years of industry experience. He has worked at Creative Planning since 2025, including roles with Creative Planning Institutional Advisors, and previously spent six years at Capital Strategies Investment Group. 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 that emphasizes low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies for long-term goals, alongside selective private market exposure and other tailored investment solutions.

Scott Wertz is a financial advisor with The Huntington Investment Company in Melrose Park, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 31 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Ameriprise Financial Services, LPL Financial, and Firstmerit Bank. The Huntington Investment Company, operating as Huntington Financial Advisors, provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and business entities. The firm uses an open-architecture investment model combining third-party sub-managers and affiliate Private Bank offerings, delivering services through various wrap-fee programs on the Envestnet MAS platform.

Brenda Crump is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with 17 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. Her prior experience includes 13 years at JPMorgan Securities LLC and 15 years at JPMorgan Chase Bank NA. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering multi-asset, multi-manager investment strategies through discretionary and non-discretionary programs, as well as broker-dealer execution and custody services. The firm combines large institutional scale with specialized market roles, including in-house research and derivatives services.

Allen Saffrahn is a financial advisor with Oppenheimer in Chicago, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and nine years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at UBS Financial Services, JP Morgan Securities LLC, and JP Morgan Chase. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of programs and advisory services across equity, balanced, and fixed-income portfolios, with both discretionary and non-discretionary management.

Norbert Lieblang is a CFP® professional with 27 years of industry experience, currently advising at Citigroup Global Markets since 2022. His prior experience includes roles at Pruco Securities, LLC, Prudential Insurance Company of America, and Allstate Insurance Company. He serves as a board member of the Apple Country Homeowners Association. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering multi-asset, multi-manager investment strategies through discretionary and non-discretionary programs, as well as brokerage, custody, and derivatives services.

Charisma Lariosa is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors in Chicago, IL, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses with five years of industry experience. She has worked at Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2020 and concurrently with World Financial Group, Inc. since 2018. Outside of advisory work, she is a physical therapist providing therapy staffing services through Select Rehabilitation. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves individual investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers advisory and broker-dealer services, including a range of proprietary and third-party investment models, with both discretionary and non-discretionary program options.

Glenn Stears Jr. is a financial advisor with United Planners' Financial Services of America, holding CFP® and ChFC® designations and bringing 46 years of industry experience. His prior work includes 37 years at Waddell & Reed, Inc., and he also serves as vice president and secretary of Sagrado & Stears, Inc. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in an insurance agency he has operated since 1980. United Planners Financial Services is a national wealth-management enterprise serving a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm delivers advisory and brokerage services through independent representatives and emphasizes non-discretionary account management.

Gregg Anderson is a financial advisor at CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc. in Chicago, IL, with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. His prior work includes roles at Atlantic Trust Investment Advisers, Gnv Advisors, and Geneva Investment Management of Chicago. CIBC Private Wealth Advisors serves individuals, families, trusts, employee benefit plans, corporations, and investment companies with a range of services including portfolio management, financial and estate planning, and coordinated Family Office services. The firm combines proprietary and external investment strategies and is notable for its high assets under management per advisor and management of investment company portfolios.

Lauren Kramer is a financial advisor at William Blair with 10 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at William Blair since 2022 and previously at Morgan Stanley from 2015 to 2022. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across multiple asset classes and provides proprietary models as well as access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Lucas Perkins is a CFP® with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving at VALIC Financial Advisors since 2011 and holding a concurrent position at Agia since 2022. He is based in Chicago, IL, and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. At Agia, he is involved with non-securities insurance products. VALIC Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models and operating at scale with over 1,200 advisors.

Marcel Myszewski is a financial advisor at Cresset Asset Management, LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has previously worked at BBR Partners, LLC and Northern Trust Corporation. Cresset Asset Management, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $71.9 billion in client assets for a diverse client base that includes individuals, families, trusts, retirement plans, and charitable organizations. The firm focuses on diversified, asset-allocation-driven portfolio construction using both active and passive strategies, supported by a structured due-diligence program and private-fund management across multiple asset classes.

Ephraim Okeke is a financial advisor at Schwab Wealth Advisory with eight years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 credential and has previously worked at UBS Financial Service Inc., Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Bank of America, N.A., and Merrill Lynch. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as the Treasurer and a board member for F.Y.T.C (For You, The Culture) INC, where he manages financial affairs and budgets. Schwab Wealth Advisory provides non-discretionary fiduciary investment advice through the Schwab Wealth Advisory program, offering clients annual financial reviews, retirement planning, and investment recommendations across various asset classes using Schwab research tools and standard asset allocation models.

Danielle Artz is a financial advisor at William Blair with Series 65 and Series 63 credentials and eight years of industry experience. She has worked at William Blair since 2021 and previously spent three years with Fisher Investments. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs active, research-driven management across multiple asset classes and provides proprietary models and access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Patricia Dechant is a financial advisor at CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 40 years of industry experience. She has worked at CIBC Private Wealth Advisors since 2017, previously spending time at Atlantic Trust Investment Advisors and Geneva Investment Management of Chicago. CIBC Private Wealth Advisors provides investment and wealth advisory services to individuals, families, trusts, employee benefit plans, corporations, and investment companies. The firm employs a combination of internal teams and external managers to deliver customized portfolio management and financial planning, managing approximately $67.8 billion in assets with a focus on serving high net worth clients and offering coordinated Family Office services for complex needs.

Darinka Lora Stepan is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) in Chicago, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing eight years of industry experience. She has held roles at New York Life Insurance Company and Nylife Securities LLC since 2015 and operates her own advisory and insurance solutions firm. Outside of advisory work, Stepan serves on the boards of two nonprofit organizations focused on first-time homebuyer education and youth tennis scholarships. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individuals and institutions, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm offers tailored advice through various program types and emphasizes non-discretionary asset management within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Roger Albrecht Jr. is a CFA® charterholder with 22 years of industry experience. He is currently with Focus Partners Wealth, LLC and has previously worked at The Colony Group, LLC, Connectus Wealth, Mid-Continent Capital, and Bufka & Rodgers LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he is the owner and managing director of Blue Sapphire Capital 1 LLC, an investment real estate business. Focus Partners Wealth, LLC serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients with a range of wealth management and advisory services. The firm’s investment approach combines active and passive strategies within an enhanced open architecture framework, emphasizing long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive portfolio construction.

Alaina Anderson is a financial advisor at William Blair with 20 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has been with William Blair & Company since 2006. 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 an active, research-driven approach across multiple asset classes and provides access to proprietary models, third-party sub-managers, and private investment opportunities.