Scott Stratford is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He provides wealth management guidance to a select group of individuals, families, and institutions across the country, including many active and retired business owners. Scott works closely with clients to tailor wealth management strategies that align with their goals and evolving life circumstances, focusing on protecting the wealth they have accumulated. Scott joined Merrill in Chicago in 1987 after earning a bachelor's degree from Marquette University. He holds several professional designations, including Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP), and Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA). As a Portfolio Manager, he manages Personalized or Defined Strategies on a discretionary basis, which may include individual stocks and bonds, Merrill model portfolios, and third-party investment strategies. A long-time Chicago resident, Scott has volunteered for over 25 years with the World’s Largest Block Party sponsored by Old St. Patrick’s Church. He has also served as president of the Marquette Club of Chicago and on the national board of the Marquette University Alumni Association, as well as on the board of the Chicago Athletic Association. Scott lives in Barrington Hills with his wife and son.

Jing O'Brien is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with 19 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 credential and previously worked at Edward Jones for three years before joining LPL Financial in 2010. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved in tax preparation and accounting services through her DBA, Jade Accountants & Tax Services. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning and access to model portfolios, supported by a large network of investment adviser representatives and multiple technology tools.

Richard Desmedt is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Arlington Heights, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 40 years of industry experience. He has been with Equitable Advisors and its predecessor AXA Advisors since 1999. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with an outside insurance brokerage and serves as trustee and successor trustee of trusts established in 2023. Equitable Advisors serves individual clients across wealth levels, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, charitable organizations, and institutional clients. The firm offers financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and various asset management programs, utilizing both proprietary offerings and third-party asset managers.

Claire Llewellyn is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley in Barrington, IL, holding a Series 66 designation with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley in 2025, she worked at The Rathskeller and FANUC America Corporation. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer providing a broad range of advisory programs to individuals and institutional clients, including customized financial planning supported by firm-approved tools and methodologies.

Agata Kowalyk is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Park Ridge, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 33 years of industry experience. She has been with Primerica Advisors since 1992 and Primerica Financial Services since 1990. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved in the sale of home security and automation products through affiliated companies and participates in mortgage loan product sales. Primerica Advisors provides discretionary asset management through its Lifetime Investment Program, offering model-delivery strategies and a limited selection of separately managed account options to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm curates third-party asset managers and employs a tiered wrap fee structure, focusing on retail clients rather than institutional pension or profit-sharing plans.

Stephan Diol is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing who holds a Series 66 designation and has 27 years of industry experience. He has been with Wells Fargo in various capacities since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as president of the Aspen Grove Homeowners Association in Wauconda, IL. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm offering investment advisory services, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage solutions to individual, corporate, and institutional clients. The firm integrates research and analytics with a range of financial products distributed through bank and insurance affiliates.

Mark Stack is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding a Series 66 designation and six years of industry experience. He has worked at firms including Avantax Investment Services and 1st Global Advisors, and provides tax consulting and compliance services as a tax manager at Lumsden & McCormick LLP. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a variety of portfolio management and financial planning services through a multi-manager platform with access to both affiliated and third-party investment managers.

Alex Hickman is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in Arlington Heights, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and six years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Trader Joe's and Subway. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides institutional consulting services to corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. As a subsidiary of J.P. Morgan, the firm combines institutional advisory services with brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

Michael Burdick is a CFP® professional with 30 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Ameriprise in Elk Grove Village, IL. He previously spent 30 years with Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. Ameriprise offers a retirement-income planning service targeted at individuals nearing or in retirement with significant investable assets, delivering tailored, research-based recommendations through a centralized consulting team. The firm provides a broad range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions typical of a large institutional firm.

Patrick Spiedel is a Financial Consultant currently working at Fidelity Investments since 2023. He brings a decade of experience in financial services to his role, having held positions as an Investment Consultant at Fidelity Investments from 2022 to 2023, a Private Client Banker at JPMorgan Chase, N.A. from 2018 to 2022, and a Relationship Banker at JPMorgan Chase, N.A. from 2015 to 2018. His professional focus is on understanding clients' unique financial situations and partnering with them to build and implement comprehensive financial plans. Throughout his career, Patrick has worked closely with clients to provide ongoing support as their life circumstances and financial goals evolve. He relies on a breadth of knowledge accumulated over ten years to assist clients in their financial journeys. Outside of his professional work, Patrick has interests in fitness, gardening, parenthood, reading, running, and volunteering.

Indra Josephs is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 17 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC since 2016. Josephs serves on the board and finance committee of the School District 95 Educational Foundation in Lake Zurich, Illinois. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management offers a range of advisory programs and financial planning services to individuals and institutional clients, managing approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets. The firm’s planning process uses structured discovery and approved tools but does not provide individual security recommendations as part of standalone plans.

Ryan Minehart is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Elgin, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and nine years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2017. Prior to his advisory role, he was affiliated with Illinois State University from 2013 to 2017. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth households and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management and offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard.

Trevor Hart is a Wealth Management Advisor and Senior Vice President at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, based in the Schaumburg, Illinois office. He has been serving the needs of high-net worth clients since 1993, primarily working with individuals, business owners, and corporate executives. Mr. Hart offers a range of services including retirement and wealth transfer forecasting, asset allocation and investment style analysis, asset and discretionary portfolio management, as well as cash management, banking services, and lending through Bank of America, NA. He uses a defined process to integrate clients' circumstances into tailored financial strategies and meets regularly with clients to ensure alignment with their personal situations. He holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. and a Bachelor's degree in Finance from Bradley University, where he also lettered in varsity basketball. Trevor resides in Barrington, Illinois, with his wife and three children.

Artur Stypula is a financial advisor at LPL Enterprise with 21 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at several firms including Wells Fargo Clearing and The Prudential Insurance Company of America. Outside of finance, he is involved as an artist and musician with NBC Universal. LPL Enterprise provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a wide range of clients, including individual and high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, and institutional entities. The firm utilizes model-driven investment implementation and offers access to third-party asset managers and financial planning services.

Nathan Stevens is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Barrington, IL, holding a Series 66 credential and two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley in 2024, he worked at BCH Wealth Management in 2022 and was affiliated with the University of Kentucky and Sport Court Midwest from 2020 to 2023. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer offering a range of advisory programs to individuals and institutions, including tailored financial planning supported by structured discovery and firm-approved tools. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and provides planning services that utilize the Global Investment Committee’s return estimates and Monte Carlo simulations.

Joshua Ezzo is Vice President and Financial Consultant at Fidelity Investments, a position he has held since 2022. He has been with Fidelity Investments since 2012, progressing through roles including Financial Consultant, Investment Consultant, Relationship Manager, Financial Representative, and Retirement Brokerage Services. Throughout his career at Fidelity, Joshua has worked closely with clients to develop wealth strategies aimed at benefiting them and their families now and in the future. He holds a California Insurance License, supporting his expertise in financial and insurance matters.

Jeff Mende is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 17 years of industry experience. He has been with J.P. Morgan Securities since 2011 and with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. since 2008. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides institutional consulting services to corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. As a subsidiary of J.P. Morgan, the firm combines large institutional advisory operations with brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

Eric Hilgart is a financial advisor with LPL Financial who holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has 22 years of industry experience. He has worked at LPL Financial since 2019 and at Harris Investor Services, Inc. since 2009. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolios, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms, supported by advanced operational and research tools.

Jason Swedo is a financial advisor at Cetera with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at Cetera and Cetera Wealth Services since 2021. He also serves as an account director and relationship manager at J.D. Power. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm serving individual investors, employer-sponsored retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a broad range of portfolio management and financial planning services through a multi-manager platform with access to both affiliated and third-party managers.

W Grigg is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Elgin, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Ameriprise and its affiliates since 2009. Ameriprise provides retirement-income planning services primarily for individuals nearing or in retirement with significant investable assets, offering customized written Recommendation Reports that cover income sources, Social Security options, and tax-efficient withdrawal strategies. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax analysis to support its advice and emphasizes the use of Ameriprise-managed accounts within its investment approach.