John Lothery is a financial advisor at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked with OSAIC and Journey Financial Group. Focus Partners serves a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients, offering comprehensive wealth management and advisory services. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach combining active and passive strategies within an enhanced open architecture framework.

John O'Callaghan is a financial advisor with SPC in Mount Prospect, IL, holding a ChFC® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 52 years of industry experience and has been with Sigma Planning Corporation and Sigma Financial Corporation since 2014. Outside of his advisory role, he is an independently licensed insurance agent operating under Touch Financial Group in Northfield, IL. SPC serves a diverse client base including individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and a range of ERISA-related retirement plan services, delivering both discretionary and nondiscretionary management through a large network of advisers.

Max Wasserman is a financial advisor at Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC with 27 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Miramar Capital LLC and UBS Financial Services Inc. 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 uses a diversified, risk-class based investment approach that combines passive and active management with quantitative, momentum, and fundamental analysis.

Brian Rapacki is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Wheaton, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and having 19 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2015. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals and various entities, often serving clients connected through TIAA-administered retirement plans. The firm operates a fiduciary advisory model with a mix of model and customized portfolios and acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Todd Kemp is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 28 years of industry experience. He has been associated with Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012 and has also been involved with several other ventures, including ownership of The Kemp Group and serving as a registry instructor at the Heartland Institute of Financial Education. Additionally, he offers estate planning services through Net Law. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a wide range of clients, including individual investors, pension plans, trusts, and corporations, providing both advisory and broker-dealer services. The firm offers proprietary and third-party model portfolios with discretionary and non-discretionary program choices and supports plan clients through affiliated retirement and recordkeeping entities.

Michael Warren is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network, based in Lombard, IL, with 39 years of industry experience. He has been affiliated with Commonwealth and Garrett Consulting since 2008 and has been self-employed since 1985. His additional business activity includes work in fixed insurance. 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 around $212.7 billion in client assets. The firm provides a comprehensive adviser-support platform, including managed-account programs, third-party asset manager access, and custody services.

Laura Linger is a financial advisor at William Blair with 21 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been with William Blair & Company, LLC since 2004. Outside her advisory role, she owns Exquisite Presentations, a tapestry placement business with inventory held for charitable donations. 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, third-party sub-managers, and access to private funds through its MB Investments Program.

Laura Davis is a financial advisor at Park Avenue Securities with 40 years of industry experience. She holds the ChFC® and Series 63 designations and previously worked at Primerica Advisors and Guardian Life Insurance Company. Outside of her advisory role, she operates Advanced Strategies & Design, LLC, focusing on wealth accumulation and preservation strategies. Park Avenue Securities serves a diverse retail client base, offering both brokerage and advisory services with a range of proprietary and third-party investment programs. The firm combines a large-scale integrated model with multiple investment management approaches and specialized account services.

Jamie Gaballa is a financial advisor with Fifth Third Securities, Inc., holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Fifth Third Securities in 2024, Jamie was employed at Fifth Third Bank since 2022 and was self-employed from 2013 to 2021. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. offers brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and institutional investors. The firm combines its municipal-advisor registration with its affiliation to Fifth Third Bank, providing clients access to multiple discretionary managed-account programs and features such as direct indexing and tax-overlay services.

Eric Behrends is a financial advisor with Fifth Third Securities, Inc. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has three years of industry experience. His prior roles include working at Fifth Third Bank and the State Farm Gary Behrends Agency. He also spent a year as a stay-at-home dad. Fifth Third Securities serves individual and institutional clients through investment advisory and brokerage services, offering multiple program types on the Passageway Managed Account platform, including advisor-directed models and separately managed accounts with tax-overlay and direct-indexing options. The firm operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fifth Third Bank and provides services through a large network of advisors.

Rita Latnhotha is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 18 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Mesirow Financial and Princor Financial. Creative Planning serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans, managing approximately $217 billion in assets. The firm employs a financial planning–led investment process focused on low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, complemented by supplemental approaches such as direct indexing and tax-loss harvesting, and offers integrated retirement plan services alongside affiliated legal, trust, and recordkeeping businesses.

Robert Blanford is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network in Lombard, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and five years of industry experience. He has worked at Garrett Consulting and Rockstar Rodeo in prior roles. Outside of finance, Blanford is also a musical performer. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that supports a national network of approximately 2,900 advisors and their individual and institutional clients. The firm provides a broad platform including managed-account programs, access to third-party asset managers, and custody services.

Jorge Palacios Murphy is a financial advisor at &Partners with 14 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing Services, JP Morgan Securities, and JPMorgan Chase Bank. &Partners serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and private businesses, offering investment management, financial and tax planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm employs a variety of analytical approaches and investment strategies, managing accounts through both in-house advisors and third-party managers.

David Zinck is a financial advisor at Sanctuary Advisors, LLC with 24 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has been associated with Noyes Advisors LLC since 2015 and David A Noyes & Company since 2000. Sanctuary Advisors, LLC serves a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations, providing investment advisory and financial planning services through over 400 independent advisors. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and consulting services using various analytical approaches and maintains unique features such as negotiating performance-based fees for qualified institutional buyers and employing multiple custodial arrangements.

Ryan Block is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Mesirow Financial, Inc. for 15 years before joining Creative Planning in 2023. 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, supplemented by additional portfolio management techniques and a range of retirement plan services.

Jonathan Neuman is a CFP® professional with 25 years of industry experience. He has worked at notable firms including Wells Fargo Clearing and Morgan Stanley prior to joining &PARTNERS in 2025. He serves as a FINRA arbitrator, facilitating arbitration cases. &PARTNERS serves a diverse client base that includes high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers investment management and financial planning services through both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches, employing a range of strategies and third-party managers.

Christopher Karam is a financial advisor with Independent Financial Partners in Schaumburg, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at Independent Financial Partners since 2011 and previously held roles at LPL Financial and Sheridan Road Financial, LLC. Karam also serves as a Supervisor of Cuba Township in Barrington, Illinois, overseeing the township’s operations and finances. Independent Financial Partners provides investment advisory, financial planning, trust, and retirement-plan services through a nationwide network of independent advisers. The firm supports a multi-advisor platform focused on individualized investment strategies and is noted for its retirement-plan advisory and pension consulting services.

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.

Jordan Flowers is a Series 65-registered advisor with Brookstone Capital Management LLC in Wheaton, IL, where he has worked for 10 years. He has a decade of industry experience and maintains a licensed insurance agent role, offering life insurance and annuities through Wealth Financial Services & Tax Advisory. Brookstone Capital Management provides fee-based asset management and financial planning services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, and other entities. The firm employs a range of investment strategies including strategic and dynamic asset allocation models, Unified Managed Accounts, and options-enhanced strategies, supported by proprietary funds and external sub-advisors.

Jin Liu is a financial advisor with Hightower Advisors in Deerfield, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and six years of industry experience. Prior to joining Hightower Advisors in 2019, Liu worked for Navistar Inc. from 2014 to 2019. Outside of advisory work, Liu is a partner in Ecommerce Express LLC. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individual and institutional investors. The firm employs a multi-manager approach that incorporates both affiliated and third-party managers, leveraging proprietary research and offering a range of portfolio construction strategies.