Fred Rutler III is a financial advisor with Creative Planning in Oak Brook, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 27 years of industry experience. His prior roles include six years at Lockton Investment Advisors, Lockton Financial Advisors, and Lockton Companies. Rutler has been with Creative Planning since 2021. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a broad client base, including high-net-worth individuals, pension plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach that emphasizes low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supplemented by private market exposure and tax-efficient techniques.

Adam Helwich is a financial advisor at Brookstone Capital Management LLC with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Brookstone since 2015. Outside of his advisory work, he owns an independent insurance agency focused on fixed insurance products. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser serving a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, charitable organizations, sovereign wealth funds, and banking institutions. The firm delivers investment management primarily on a discretionary basis through model portfolios, unified managed accounts, and separately managed accounts, supported by a large advisor network and a turnkey asset management platform.

John Freiburger is a CFP® and ChFC® with 35 years of industry experience, currently serving at Kestra Advisory since 2016. He previously worked at Kestra Investment Services, LLC for 10 years. Freiburger is also the Chairperson of the Board for the nonprofit organization Zero Matters. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a range of institutional and individual clients, offering fiduciary services, plan-level investment advice, and access to multiple management platforms. The firm serves large institutional investors, including sovereign wealth funds, and manages approximately $79.8 billion in assets.

William Melka is a financial advisor at William Blair with 23 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has been with William Blair since 2014. 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 proprietary models as well as access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

James Brandt is a financial advisor with Independent Financial Group, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 40 years of industry experience. His career includes long-term roles at Fortis Investors, Inc. and his own firm, Brandt Financial Concepts. Outside of his advisory work, Brandt volunteers as a FEMA-certified trainer for disaster preparedness and serves as president of a homeowners association and a trustee on the Palatine Fire Pension Board. Independent Financial Group, LLC provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional plans. The firm offers financial planning and portfolio management through multiple platforms, utilizing both firm- and third-party models that combine strategic asset allocation with ongoing manager due diligence.

Clayton Eaton is a financial advisor with T. Rowe Price Advisory Services, Inc. He holds a Series 66 designation and has 12 years of industry experience, all with T. Rowe Price since 2013. T. Rowe Price Advisory Services offers a retirement-focused advisory program that combines nondiscretionary financial planning, retirement income planning, and discretionary investment management. The firm serves individual investors and households, utilizing model portfolios invested exclusively in T. Rowe Price mutual funds and ETFs, with features such as tax-aware rebalancing and Monte Carlo-based retirement income projections.

Kimberly Riewerts is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 20 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Creative Planning since 2014. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm employs a financial planning–led investment process that emphasizes low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supported by additional approaches such as direct indexing and tax-loss harvesting.

Kevin Meehan is a financial advisor at Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC with over 41 years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® and ChFC® designations and has been associated with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services and related entities since 2013. Outside of his advisory role, Meehan is involved in real estate through DHC Realty LLC. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services provides financial planning, asset management, and retirement-plan consulting for individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages over $122 billion in assets and emphasizes diversified, risk-class based investment strategies blending passive and active management overseen by an internal Investment Committee.

Chad Cook is a CFP® and ChFC® with 19 years of industry experience. He is currently with Allworth Financial, L.P. and its affiliated broker-dealer, AW Securities. His prior experience includes roles at TIAA, Principal Financial Services, COUNTRY Trust Bank, and Wealth Enhancement Group. Outside of advisory work, he serves as president of a small family rental business. Allworth Financial is a fee-based SEC-registered adviser serving individuals, qualified retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers customized portfolio strategies, including model allocations and specialized approaches, and employs technology to manage held-away employer retirement accounts.

Lisa Hanley is a financial advisor at Lincoln Investment with one year of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at James Noe and in roles outside the financial services industry, including media companies Jun Group and Bazaarvoice. Lincoln Investment Planning, LLC serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth investors, trusts, charities, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, and advisor-led consulting with a strategic investment approach supported by an in-house Investment Management & Research team and multiple third-party managers.

Michael Sirvinskas is a financial advisor at William Blair with 39 years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair & Company L.L.C. since 1993 and holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials. 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 proprietary models, third-party sub-advisers, and access to private funds through its MB Investments Program.

Charis Ellis is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network in Wheaton, IL, holding CFP® and Series 66 designations. She has 11 years of industry experience, including roles at Edward Jones and Timothy Financial Counsel, Inc. Charis also serves as an event coordinator for College Church in Wheaton, organizing weddings and other church events on an as-needed basis. Commonwealth Financial Network is a national dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser supporting approximately 2,900 advisors and managing over $212 billion in client assets. The firm provides a comprehensive platform that includes managed-account programs, third-party asset manager access, and custody/clearing services.

Adam Larson is a CFA® charterholder with 18 years of industry experience. He is currently with Corient, where he has worked since 2022, following previous roles at Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC and Savant Capital Management. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm uses a goals-based, team investment approach that combines in-house strategies with third-party managers and employs risk management tools alongside alternative investments where appropriate.

William Buhr is a CFA® charterholder with 13 years of industry experience. He is currently with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC and has prior experience at JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, and Wells Fargo Advisors. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving a broad client base including individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and specialized retirement consulting through a combination of passive and active investment strategies overseen by an internal Investment Committee.

Richard Bentel Jr. is a financial advisor with PlanMember Securities Corporation in Naperville, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 30 years of industry experience. He has worked with Veritrust Wealth Management since 2013 and has experience in tax preparation at HR Block. Outside of financial services, he has worked as a delivery person for Domino's Pizza. 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 across risk-based mutual fund portfolios and offers education and support services including retirement planning and separation counseling.

Aris Tatevosian is a financial advisor with Fifth Third Securities, Inc. based in Oak Park, Illinois, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 24 years of industry experience. His career includes positions at J.P. Morgan Securities, Northwestern Mutual, and Arlington Capital Management. Fifth Third Securities serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional accounts through investment advisory and brokerage services. The firm offers a range of managed account programs and utilizes third-party portfolio managers on the Passageway platform.

Jeffrey Stensland is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory who holds the PFS™ designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 35 years of industry experience, including over 20 years with Kestra Investment Services and a decade at Kestra Advisory. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as president of AFS Group Ltd., which provides administrative support. Kestra Advisory Services offers investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a wide range of institutional and individual clients, including large plan sponsors. The firm provides services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, and investment advisory, with a client base that includes sovereign wealth funds and other large investors.

Douglas Clermont is a financial advisor with TLG Advisors, Inc., holding a Series 63 designation and 26 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at The Leaders Group, Inc., GBS Insurance & Financial Services, Principal Life Insurance Co., and PrinCor Financial Services. He is also licensed as an outside insurance agent, selling fixed life, fixed annuities, disability, long-term care, and health insurance. TLG Advisors, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $2.0 billion in discretionary client assets. The firm serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and institutional investors, offering investment supervisory and portfolio management, comprehensive financial and estate planning, and ERISA fiduciary services. Its approach combines fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory, with a direct-to-consumer program called Starlight Portfolios that uses risk questionnaires to customize portfolios reviewed quarterly.

Frank Schoen is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors in Hoffman Estates, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 27 years of industry experience. He is the owner of The Force Agency, Inc. and S2C Tax & Accounting Services LLC, where he provides tax preparation and accounting services. Schoen has been with Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers both advisory and broker-dealer services with a range of proprietary and third-party investment models in discretionary and non-discretionary programs.

Christopher Pontarelli is a Series 66-licensed advisor with seven years of industry experience. He is currently with Fifth Third Securities, Inc. and Fifth Third Bank, having joined in 2022. His prior experience includes three years at Edward Jones and eight years at Competitive Property Solutions, LLC. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. serves a diverse range of individual and institutional clients through investment advisory and brokerage services. The firm offers multiple program types via the Passageway Managed Account Program, providing access to various managed account strategies and portfolio management options.