Annette Rumas is a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services with 17 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked at UBS Financial Services since 2014, with a brief gap in 2021. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients by offering brokerage and investment advisory services, including fee-based financial planning and portfolio management. The firm combines institutional trading capabilities with wealth management and utilizes proprietary research and model-based asset allocations to tailor client strategies.

Elijah Rothschild is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at FTI Consulting and Indiana University. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management serves individual and institutional clients with a range of advisory programs, including tailored financial planning that utilizes structured discovery processes and firm-approved tools. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and offers both direct and corporate financial planning services.

Vishal Bhuta is a Financial Consultant at Fidelity Investments, a position he has held since 2025. He has over 10 years of experience in the financial services industry, having worked as a Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley from 2013 to 2023 and as a Wealth Relationship Manager at Citi Personal Wealth Management from 2023 to 2025. Vishal specializes in providing financial planning services tailored to clients' individual goals and priorities. He emphasizes listening and understanding clients' needs to build trust and lasting relationships, aiming to bring confidence and peace of mind to their financial journeys. Outside of his professional work, Vishal has personal interests that include cars, comedy, food, movies, and parenthood.

Maurice Griffin is a financial advisor at Stifel with 40 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has been with Stifel Nicolaus & Co. Inc. since 2014. Stifel serves a broad range of clients, including individuals, institutional clients, charitable organizations, and municipalities, offering both brokerage and investment advisory services. The firm’s investment approach is based on a proprietary methodology developed by its Investment Strategy Group, which uses forward-looking capital market assumptions and probabilistic modeling to guide asset allocation and planning.

John Messerschmidt is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management in Barrington, IL, where he has worked since 2008. He has 18 years of industry experience and has been with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans throughout his career. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients, offering comprehensive written recommendations across various planning topics without portfolio management. The firm uses goal-based analyses and allows clients to combine planning with managed-account programs through a consolidated billing option while maintaining separate services.

Emily Werner is a financial advisor at Fidelity with Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and four years of industry experience. Prior to joining Fidelity, she worked at Acceptance Now (Rent a Center LLC) and held various roles in education and retail. Fidelity's Strategic Advisers LLC provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, utilizing a combination of fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and systematic portfolio construction with a focus on mutual funds, ETFs, and ETPs. The firm is noted for its use of algorithmic methods and AI in research, its role as an advisor to multiple registered investment companies, and its management of model portfolios for Fidelity Institutional Wealth Adviser.

Mark Haussermann is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management with over 15 years of experience, primarily focused on corporate retirement plans. Since joining Merrill in 2003, he has developed a corporate retirement plan practice aimed at delivering tailored financial strategies for both plan sponsors and participants. His advisory approach emphasizes fiduciary responsibility and personalized wealth management, working closely with clients to address their specific goals and challenges. Mark holds several professional designations, including Certified 401(k) Professional (CKP), CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Benefits Consultant (RBC). He earned a Bachelor's Degree from Colgate University. His expertise spans areas such as corporate benefits, executive services, employee financial health, retirement income strategies, and divorce transition planning. Outside of his professional role, Mark participates in community volunteer activities aligned with Merrill's tradition of community involvement. His personal interests include cooking, golfing, music, tennis, and spending time with his family.

Kenneth Lerner is a financial advisor at Fidelity with 18 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 and Series 63 designations and has worked at several firms, including Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC and Feltheimer Cohn & Associates. Prior to his financial services career, he spent 13 years at GK Medical Management. He is affiliated with Strategic Advisers LLC, a Fidelity Investments company that provides investment management and advisory services to both retail and institutional clients. The firm employs a blend of proprietary fundamental research and quantitative analysis to construct model portfolios using systematic methodologies and long-term asset allocation benchmarks.

Michael Taylor is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Barrington, IL, where he has worked since 2010. He has 19 years of industry experience. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals and institutions with a range of advisory programs, including tailored financial planning. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and employs a structured financial planning process supported by firm-approved tools and methodologies.

Lisa James Pope is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where she directs the team in providing advisory and investment management services. She specializes in designing customized global financial strategies for affluent individuals and families, focusing on their primary objectives to develop and implement detailed, results-driven portfolios tailored to individual risk tolerance and investment policies. With over two decades of experience in financial services, Lisa holds certifications to offer Alternative Investments and is a Portfolio Manager, capable of managing personalized or defined investment strategies on a discretionary basis. She is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). Lisa received her Master's degree from Loyola University Chicago and her Bachelor's degree from Howard University. Prior to her financial career, she served ten years in the U.S. Army. Lisa is active in several professional and community organizations, including the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, DuSable Museum of African American History, Eta Creative Arts Foundation, and The Link Incorporated, Lake Shore Links Chapter. Her personal interests include interior decorating, music, painting, photography, and yoga. She emphasizes understanding clients' life priorities to create personalized financial plans that align with their family, goals, and aspirations.

Evelyn Berthold is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Schaumburg, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and three years of industry experience. She previously worked at JP Morgan Chase for five years and Fifth Third Bank (formerly MB Financial Bank) for twelve years. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large, diversified advisory firm serving individual and institutional clients. It offers a specialized Premier Retirement Income service that provides written Recommendation Reports and ongoing planning advice focused on retirement income, using proprietary research, third-party data, and algorithmic tools.

Elizabeth Silverman Zurek is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors based in Des Plaines, IL. She holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has nine years of industry experience. Beyond her advisory role, she owns and operates several businesses in large format printing and photography under ESZ Marketing Inc., Intellisource Inc., Color Image Inc., and Portraits by Liz LLC. Primerica Advisors serves primarily individual investors as well as corporate and charitable clients through a wrap-fee asset management program that employs model-delivery strategies from unaffiliated asset managers. The firm supports its advisory services with discretionary portfolio management, trade execution, and account custody, operating at scale with thousands of advisors and billions in assets under management.

Michael Ryder is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Glenview, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. He has worked at Edward Jones since 2021 and previously held roles at Timothy O'Tooles and Levy Restaurants. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, including various household types, pension plans, corporate clients, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a range of advisory and investment solutions through a nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Bradley Cordes is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Wells Fargo Advisors since 2019, following three years at Wells Fargo Clearing. In addition to his advisory work, he serves as an executor for an estate and is a notary public in Highland Park, IL. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network provides investment and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, and institutional clients, offering a broad range of planning options that include retirement, education, and specialized business-owner transition and divorce planning. The firm uses proprietary research and planning tools to develop tailored recommendations, with clients choosing how to implement them.

Todd Bracy is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing in Barrington, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 42 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Mesirow Financial Investment Management, Inc. and Mesirow Financial, Inc. from 2001 to 2013. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with services including investment advisory, financial planning, wrap-fee programs, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers a range of brokerage and advisory solutions supported by research and analytics from Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

Daniel Iscra is a Wealth Management Advisor with over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. He began his career at The Northern Trust Company in Chicago in 1988 and later earned his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. In 2007, Daniel joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he focuses on helping clients achieve their financial goals through personalized wealth management strategies. Daniel’s expertise includes financial forecasting, budgeting, investment analysis, and socially responsible investing. He works closely with business owners and multi-generational families to assist in creating, preserving, and transferring wealth. He also supports non-profit organizations and families interested in aligning their investments with their values. His approach to wealth management involves collaboration with specialists in retirement planning, life insurance, trust and estate planning, and banking solutions offered through Bank of America NA. Additionally, Daniel partners with clients' CPAs and attorneys to ensure financial decisions align with their broader tax and estate plans. Daniel holds several professional designations, including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®), CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). He earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois System and a Master’s degree from the University of Chicago. Daniel resides in Crystal Lake with his wife and four sons and is actively involved in leadership roles within community organizations related to church, education, children’s activities, healthcare, and community development.

Erik Feldhaus is a financial advisor at Merrill with 25 years of industry experience and a Series 66 designation. His career includes roles at Bank of America, BMO Harris Financial Advisors, J.P. Morgan Securities, Citigroup Global Markets, and Merrill. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as an employee for the Village of Rosemont, Illinois, assisting with traffic control for events. Merrill provides managed account services through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations with model-based and discretionary investment strategies.

Ross Krause is a CFP® professional with 10 years of experience in financial advising. He is currently with LPL Financial and has previously worked at firms including Edward Jones, Mass Mutual Investors Services, and Northwestern Mutual Investment Management. Outside of advising, he is a freelance writer. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, utilizing both proprietary and third-party investment strategies across discretionary and non-discretionary accounts.

Jackson Tavenner is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley in Glenview, IL, holding a Series 66 license with four years of industry experience. His previous roles include positions at Riverfront Investment Group, Alps Distributors, and Breakthru Beverage Group. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individual and institutional clients with a variety of advisory programs and tailored financial planning services. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and employs structured planning tools alongside broad retail and institutional offerings.

Stephen Yates is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 33 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Morgan Stanley in various roles since 2010, including Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A., since 2015. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving both individual and institutional clients with a broad range of advisory programs, including tailored financial planning and estate planning strategies. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and uses structured planning tools and modeling techniques in its financial planning process.