Brady Peat is a CFP® with four years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC. His prior experience includes roles at Hightower Advisors, PrairieView Partners, and Googins Advisors. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC serves individuals, families, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans through a network of independent advisors, offering discretionary investment management, financial planning, and family office services. The firm employs customized portfolios using mutual funds, ETFs, individual equities, and fixed income with a primarily long-term investment approach.

Ernest Macvicar III is a financial advisor at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC with 42 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. His work history includes positions at Kovitz Investment Group Partners, Relative Value Partners, and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC. He serves as a member of the Investment Committee at Kenilworth Union Church, where he reviews and recommends asset allocation for the endowment fund. Focus Partners Wealth, LLC serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients with wealth management and advisory services. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach that blends active and passive strategies within an enhanced open architecture framework.

Liam Mulligan is a financial advisor at Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC with two years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at L.M. Kohn & Company and Benjamin F. Edwards. Mulligan also spent several years in education before transitioning to financial services. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise firm serving a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and specialized consulting, employing a strategic investment approach that combines passive and active management guided by an internal Investment Committee.

Richard Kasher is a financial advisor with Independent Financial Group, LLC in Schaumburg, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 registrations and bringing 31 years of industry experience. He has been with Independent Financial Group since 2009 and is also the sole owner of Diversified Tax Services, Inc., where he serves as an officer and director providing accounting and tax consulting services. Kasher is involved in consulting engagements related to business valuation and forensic analysis. Independent Financial Group, LLC offers investment advisory and brokerage services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, corporate and pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes a model-driven investment approach combining passive and active strategies, with portfolio management and financial planning delivered through multiple platforms and third-party asset managers.

Preeti Gupta is an advisor with Fifth Third Securities, Inc., holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and currently located in Wheeling, IL. She has been with Fifth Third Bank since 2022 and joined Fifth Third Securities in 2026. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional entities through both advisory and brokerage services. The firm offers multiple investment programs via the Passageway Managed Account platform, allowing clients to select strategies tailored to their risk profiles.

Daniel Bolan is a financial advisor with Allworth Financial, L.P. He holds the CFP® designation along with Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and has 22 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Charles Schwab Wealth Management, FNBC Bank & Trust, and 83 Rd St. Wealth Management. 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 using model approaches, third-party sub-advisers, and technology to manage held-away accounts, and is notable for its ownership structure and specialized divisions such as its Airline division.

Katelyn Depew is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 14 years of industry experience. She currently works at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. and previously spent 11 years at TIAA-CREF and Tiaa. Mercer Global Advisors serves individuals, families, small business owners, plan sponsors, foundations, non-profits, and endowments, providing a range of investment advisory, financial, tax, retirement, and estate planning services. The firm follows an investment approach based on Modern Portfolio Theory with globally diversified portfolios implemented through low-cost ETFs, index funds, separate account managers, and other strategies.

Charles Villano is a CFP® professional with 31 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently affiliated with Primerica Advisors and has an extensive background including roles at Guardian Life Insurance Company and Park Avenue Securities. Outside of his advisory work, Villano serves as a CPE instructor for local CPAs and operates a life coaching program for business owners. Park Avenue Securities LLC serves a diverse retail client base, offering both brokerage and advisory services along with financial planning and business consulting. The firm employs a variety of investment strategies through proprietary and third-party platforms, managing approximately $15 billion in regulatory assets under management.

Nicole Mayer is a financial advisor at Allworth Financial, L.P. with 19 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Arbor Point Advisors and Securities America. Outside of her advisory role, Mayer is an author and consultant for Senior Services of Illinois, focusing on life and health insurance. Allworth Financial is a fee-based SEC-registered adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers customized portfolio management using various model strategies and employs third-party sub-advisers when appropriate.

Mingdong Tan is a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors with 22 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Hightower Securities, LLC and Hightower Advisors since 2012. Outside of his advisory work, he serves on the board of Asphalt Plus LLC, a construction company. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base that includes individual and institutional investors. The firm emphasizes manager selection and multi-manager solutions, utilizing both affiliated and third-party managers alongside proprietary research and a range of investment vehicles.

Timothy Reid is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Arlington Heights, IL. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry, including roles at New York Life Insurance Company and NYLIFE Securities LLC. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse range of individual and institutional clients, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm offers tailored advice through multiple program types and focuses primarily on non-discretionary assets, working within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Linda Diebold is a financial advisor at Cetera Planning Partners with 27 years of industry experience and holds a Series 65 designation. She previously worked at Avantax Planning Partners, Inc. for 27 years and has been affiliated with Honkamp Krueger Financial Services and Diebold & Associates during her career. Cetera Planning Partners serves individual and high-net-worth clients, focusing on pre-retirees and retirees by providing investment management, comprehensive financial planning, Social Security optimization, and retirement-related advice. The firm offers additional services such as tax planning, bookkeeping, payroll support, and estate-planning through a third-party provider, and integrates resources from the broader Cetera network.

Edward Meek is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with 34 years of industry experience. He is currently with Cerity Partners LLC and has previously worked at Edge Portfolio Management, LLC for 21 years and Alpha Cubed Investments, LLC for one year. He is also a licensed independent agent selling life, health, and disability insurance on a limited basis. Cerity Partners provides customized wealth management and related services to a broad national client base, including high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, and institutional investors. The firm utilizes tailored asset allocation, manager selection, and proprietary quantitative tools to build client investment programs.

Chad Stein is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Wheaton, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and possessing 25 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2006. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm combines point-in-time planning with ongoing portfolio management using both model and customized portfolios, and also acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Andrew Blessman is a CFP® professional with eight years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Creative Planning since 2019. Prior to joining Creative Planning, he worked at Sebold Capital Management from 2015 to 2019. He holds the Series 66 designation and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm emphasizes a financial planning–led investment process with low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, complemented by supplemental approaches such as direct indexing and tax-loss harvesting, supported by a broad team and centralized investment infrastructure.

Mark Hughes is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services in Downers Grove, IL, holding the ChFC® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 38 years of industry experience, including roles at Hughes Financial since 2000 and positions at Principal Life Insurance Company and Principal Securities INC dating back to the late 1980s. In addition to advisory services, he is involved in selling and servicing fixed life, fixed annuities, and health insurance products through an outside insurance business. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, businesses, and active-duty military personnel overseas. The firm offers financial planning, retirement consulting, and access to third-party money manager solutions through various advisory and promoter arrangements.

Pavel Yurevich is a CFP® professional at PNC Wealth Management with eight years of industry experience. He has previously worked at Fidelity Investments, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, and Capital One. Outside of his advisory role, Pavel is an owner and operator of residential rental properties. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an online discretionary model account available by invitation to employees. The firm employs algorithm-driven risk assessments and external portfolio delegates, focusing on mutual funds and ETFs with annual rebalancing.

Trevor Merkley is a financial advisor at &Partners with Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and one year of industry experience. His prior work includes positions at K Force, Chicago Public Schools, and JPMorgan Securities LLC. &Partners serves a diverse range of individual and institutional clients, offering investment management, financial and tax planning, ERISA consulting, and brokerage services through both discretionary and non-discretionary strategies. The firm utilizes a combination of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis and oversees accounts managed directly by advisors or third-party managers.

Scott Biestek is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 15 years of industry experience. He has been affiliated with Commonwealth since 2013 and operates Biestek Wealth Management, LLC, where he is involved in both advisory services and insurance sales. In addition, Biestek maintains a law practice as an attorney. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,900 advisors and managing over $212 billion in client assets. The firm provides a broad adviser-support platform including managed-account programs, access to third-party asset managers, retirement consulting, and custody services.

Thomas Drennan is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors who holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 22 years of industry experience. He has been with Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012 and has also worked with World Financial Group since 2002. In addition to his advisory work, he is involved in the sale of insurance products affiliated with Transamerica Financial Advisors. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a broad client base including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and businesses. The firm employs a model portfolio and third-party manager approach to investment advisory services, supported by a large advisor network and multiple program platforms.