Maria Tipton is a financial advisor at KCD Financial, Inc. with 38 years of industry experience. She has worked at KCD Financial since 2012 and was previously with PRUCO Securities, LLC. from 1998 to 2011. In addition to her advisory work, she is licensed as an insurance agent and sells fixed annuities, life insurance, long-term care, and disability products. KCD Financial, Inc. is a multi-team registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporate pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset management, financial planning, and portfolio appraisal services, using a range of investment strategies and third-party management programs.

Owen Duncan is a CFP®-certified financial advisor at Curi Capital, LLC with nine years of industry experience. He has worked at RMB Capital Management LLC since 2017 and previously held roles at The Prudential Insurance Company of America and Pruco Securities, LLC. Based in Chicago, IL, he holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Curi Capital provides wealth management, investment management, retirement plan consulting, family office services, and a subscription offering for early-career medical professionals. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional clients, employing a long-term, fundamentally driven investment approach across a variety of account types and strategies.

Joel Clousing is a financial advisor with Highpoint Planning Partners in Downers Grove, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 39 years of industry experience. He has been with Highpoint Advisor Group, LLC and LPL Financial since 2013. Outside of his advisory role, he prepares personal taxes as a CPA and serves as a basketball referee. HighPoint Advisor Group serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm provides discretionary asset management, financial planning, retirement plan advisory, and sponsors wrap-fee programs, utilizing personal consultations to build client investment policies and diversified portfolios across multiple asset classes.

Nicholas Wilkins is a financial advisor with Merit Financial Advisors in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 25 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Blue Print Wealth Advisors, Commonwealth Financial Network, Securian Financial Services, and New England Securities. Outside of his advisory work, he is the owner of Huron Leavitt LLC and serves as trustee for the George and Linda Wilkins Trust. Merit Financial Group is a multi-team SEC-registered advisory firm serving individual investors, employer-sponsored retirement plans, ESOPs, and other institutional clients. The firm uses a long-term, diversified asset allocation approach with both internal and third-party management, supporting discretionary and non-discretionary accounts and offering a range of financial planning and retirement consulting services.

Jack Grzenia is a financial advisor with Forum Financial Management, LP in Lombard, IL, holding Series 65 and Series 66 designations and bringing 10 years of industry experience. He has been associated with Forum Financial Management and Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments since 2016, and also has involvement in MP360 Financial Services and MP360 Tax Services. Outside of advising, he is a partner in a vinyl sign installation business and operates as a sole proprietor in insurance sales. Forum Financial Management provides investment advisory and related services to individuals, retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and institutional clients. The firm uses model asset-allocation portfolios based on Modern Portfolio Theory, employing institutional mutual funds and ETFs, and offers sub-advisory and back-office services to independent advisors and RIAs.

John Lancaster III is a financial advisor with Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc., holding CFP® and ChFC® designations and over 40 years of industry experience. He has been with Ausdal Financial Partners since 2009 and also serves as president of The Lancaster Company, Inc., a firm specializing in insurance brokerage. Ausdal Financial Partners serves individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, and business entities, managing approximately $3.73 billion for more than 16,000 clients. The firm offers a range of services including advisor-managed accounts, separately managed accounts, unified managed accounts, and retirement-plan advisory, tailoring investment strategies to client objectives and utilizing multiple custodians and third-party money managers.

Tina Meckaroski is a financial advisor with Highpoint Planning Partners who holds a Series 66 designation and has 16 years of industry experience. Her prior work includes roles at Nuveen Investments, Merrill, Morgan Stanley, PIMCO Investments, and LPL Financial. She provides financial planning and consulting services through HighPoint Advisor Group, an independent registered investment advisor. HighPoint Advisor Group serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as pension plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm offers discretionary asset management, financial planning, retirement plan advisory, and operates a wrap-fee program, implementing portfolios using fundamental analysis across various securities and leveraging multiple platform solutions.

Reginald Smith is a financial advisor at Zacks Investment Management, Inc. with three years of industry experience. He previously worked at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC for three years before joining Zacks in 2026. Zacks Investment Management provides discretionary investment management to individuals, trusts, retirement plans, and institutional clients. The firm combines proprietary quantitative models with qualitative portfolio management across a variety of strategies and distributes its offerings through multiple wrap-fee and unified managed account programs.

Lori Hall is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with 25 years of industry experience. She has worked at Sowell Financial Services, LLC since 2016 and previously at Concert Wealth Management Inc for four years. In addition to her advisory role, she is involved as a planning specialist at Sapphire Wealth Management, where she supports sales, client relationship management, and financial planning. Sowell Management is a multi-team registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, corporations, and other RIAs. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services through an independent-contractor model with over 100 investment advisor representatives.

Brandon Mull is a CFP®, CFA®, and Series 66-licensed advisor with eight years of industry experience. He currently works at Savvy and previously held roles at Zhang Financial LLC, Morgan Stanley, and TransMarket Group. Savvy provides customized discretionary and non-discretionary investment and wealth management services to individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and other entities. The firm combines an index-based core with tailored strategies such as direct indexing with tax-loss harvesting, active and passive stock portfolios, and ESG-focused models, supported by a parent technology platform and third-party tools.

Brian M. Ahern is a financial advisor at VestGen Advisors, LLC with over 25 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation and Series 66 license. His prior experience includes roles at The LAT Group, Raymond James Financial Services, Bank of America, Merrill, and Morgan Stanley. VestGen Advisors, LLC provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, small businesses, and institutional investors. The firm combines advisor-level client relationships with centralized portfolio management and uses third-party managers alongside proprietary strategies.

Christian Whittemore is a financial advisor at Zacks Investment Management, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 66 designation with 23 years of industry experience. He has been with Zacks Investment Management since 2002. Zacks Investment Management provides discretionary portfolio management to a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, retirement plans, and institutional investors. The firm employs a proprietary investment process combining quantitative and qualitative analysis, offering a broad range of strategies and serving both direct clients and third-party advisers through model portfolios and indices.

Craig Norris is a CFP® with three years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Mariner Independent in Chicago, IL. He has held advisory roles at Archiwealth and Mariner Platform Solutions and serves on the advisory board of The H Foundation, a nonprofit focused on cancer research. Additionally, he creates content for an internet-based sports media channel called Game On Media. Mariner Independent provides investment advisory, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers access to model portfolios, third-party managers, and a range of retirement plan services, supported by institutional affiliations that enhance its investment and fiduciary capabilities.

Kelsey Narish is a CFP® with eight years of industry experience, currently serving at Arete Wealth Advisors, LLC since 2023. She also operates Narish Financial Service, where she provides life insurance and annuities as part of comprehensive financial planning. Prior to her financial advisory roles, she worked at Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School for one year. Arete Wealth Advisors offers investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm employs both advisor-driven and proprietary model-based allocation strategies and uses third-party sub-advisers while acting as an ERISA fiduciary when applicable.

Daniel Cardell is a CFA® charterholder with 15 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC since 2018. He previously worked at Chancellor Financial Group WB LLC and has held roles at Waveco Energy LLC and Roadwave LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he is a partner in Holborn Village LLC, a real estate property management business. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC serves a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, endowments, and corporations, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement services. The firm utilizes a long-term, diversified investment approach focused on fundamental analysis and customized portfolios, and is notable for sponsoring affiliated pooled investment vehicles and serving insurance company clients.

Claire Fischer is a financial advisor with First Advisors National, LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and based in Oak Park, IL. She has no prior industry experience and worked in various roles outside finance, including healthcare and hospitality. First Advisors National provides investment management, asset allocation advice, and retirement plan consulting primarily for individual clients, utilizing third-party money managers and offering discretionary portfolio management combined with fundamental analysis and regular reviews.

Andrea Schreiber is a financial advisor at Forum Financial Management, LP with 14 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and has been with Forum since 2012. In addition to her advisory role, she is the owner of The Schreiber Group, Inc., a certified public accounting firm she has operated since 2001. Forum Financial Management, LP provides investment advisory and related services to individuals, retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and institutional clients. The firm utilizes model asset-allocation portfolios based on Modern Portfolio Theory and offers a range of services including discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and sub-advisory support for independent advisors and RIAs.

William German is a CFP® professional with 16 years of industry experience, currently serving at JMG Financial Group Ltd since 2012. He holds Series 63 registration and is involved in managing farming-related business ventures as treasurer of 4G Holdings, LLC and secretary of SRD, Inc., where he assists with financial record maintenance and evaluations of farmland operations. JMG Financial Group advises individuals, trusts, retirement plans, business entities, and charitable organizations, providing comprehensive wealth management, portfolio management, and consulting services. The firm employs a planning-based, long-term investment approach focused on strategic asset allocation and offers a variety of investment options including ETFs, mutual funds, equities, fixed income, and private investments.

Brett Simms is a financial advisor with Interactive Financial Advisors in Chicago, holding a Series 65 designation and 12 years of industry experience. He has been with Interactive Financial Advisors since 2014. Interactive Financial Advisors provides financial planning and discretionary portfolio management to individuals, retirement plans, and institutional clients, using fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory to build diversified ETF and mutual fund model portfolios. The firm operates a large multi-advisor network and offers a proprietary process for client portfolio reviews.

Nicholas Lopez is a financial advisor at Zacks Investment Management, Inc. with six years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Edward Jones and LBMZ Securities, Inc. Prior to his advisory career, he was involved with Henry County Public Schools and the Henry County/Martinsville YMCA. Zacks Investment Management provides discretionary portfolio management to a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, retirement plans, and institutional investors. The firm employs a proprietary stock-ranking approach based on earnings-estimate revisions and offers a range of strategies and investment vehicles, while also licensing indices and model portfolios to other advisers and sponsors.