Bradley Buening is a financial advisor at First Command Advisory Services with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and three years of industry experience. He served in the United States Air Force from 2001 to 2023 before transitioning to roles within First Command, including insurance, advisory, and brokerage services. First Command Advisory Services is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, corporate, and charitable clients, with a focus on active-duty service members and their families. The firm offers financial planning and multiple wrap-fee asset management programs, utilizing centralized portfolio management and prescreened third-party managers within an employee-owned structure.

Curtis Wilcox is a financial advisor with Lincoln Investment in Lombard, Illinois, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and totaling 15 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Lincoln Investment in 2026, he was with VALIC Financial Advisors for 16 years. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in MCW Development, LLC, a real estate company he co-owns that develops small real estate projects. Lincoln Investment Planning, LLC is a large enterprise advisory and broker-dealer serving a broad client base including individuals, high-net-worth investors, trusts, charities, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management using proprietary models and third-party managers, and advisory services often led by advisors using Lincoln’s platform and Investment Management & Research team.

Brian Ellerman is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services in Downers Grove, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has been with Principal Securities and Principal Life Insurance Co since 2015. Ellerman serves on the board of the Kenilworth Community Fund, a nonprofit that raises donations for local community organizations. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager programs under both adviser and promoter arrangements.

Merrick Robison is a financial advisor with Guardian Life and holds a Series 66 designation. He has one year of industry experience and has worked with both Guardian Life Insurance Company and Park Avenue Securities. Outside of his advisory role, he operates a non-investment-related business called Merrick R - Rover Services. Park Avenue® Wealth Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers brokerage services, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and a variety of investment advisory programs including discretionary and non-discretionary options.

Benjamin Welch is a financial advisor at Lincoln Investment with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has prior work history at LPL Financial, J. McGovern and Associates, Lincoln Investment Planning, and Merrill. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a Boys U5 Division Coordinator and board member for a youth soccer organization. Lincoln Investment Planning, LLC is an enterprise investment advisory and broker-dealer serving individual and high-net-worth investors, trusts, charities, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, and advisor-led consulting supported by an in-house investment research team and access to third-party managers.

Dane Sauer is a CFP® with 10 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. in Schaumburg, IL. He has been with Mercer since 2016 in various roles. Mercer Global Advisors provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, families, small business owners, plan sponsors, and non-profits. The firm employs a globally diversified, risk-appropriate investment approach using low-cost ETFs, index funds, and other strategies, and offers a broad range of specialized services including retirement plan consulting and family office solutions.

Julie Bucaro is a CFP®-credentialed financial advisor with 14 years of industry experience. She is currently with Corient, where she has worked since 2022, following a 13-year tenure at Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, and corporate entities. The firm employs a goals-based, team investment approach that integrates in-house strategies with third-party managers and utilizes risk management tools and alternative investments as appropriate.

Jorge Seda Rivera is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services, holding a CFP® designation and 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at Principal Securities Inc and Principal Life Insurance Company since 2020, following prior roles at The Huntington Investment Company and PNC Investments. Outside of financial advising, he manages behavioral health practice management businesses, providing administrative and consulting support. Principal Securities offers brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm’s advisory services emphasize direct advisory programs, financial planning, and access to third-party money manager solutions, with investment implementation generally carried out on a discretionary basis by these managers.

Bradley Hills is a CFP® and Series 65-licensed advisor at EP Wealth Advisors with one year of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Rappaport Reiches Capital Management and several financial firms, as well as involvement with the National Literacy Trust. EP Wealth Advisors serves individuals, corporate clients, and retirement plans, offering wealth management, discretionary portfolio management, and financial planning services. The firm utilizes a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to construct customized model portfolios and provides additional services such as tax preparation and estate-document preparation for qualifying clients.

Daniyal Ahmed is a financial advisor at Cetera Planning Partners with eight years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® and Series 66 credentials and has previously worked at Avantax Planning Partners, Avantax Insurance Services, and Honkamp Krueger Financial Services Inc. Outside of advisory work, he has been involved in client consulting and account servicing at Honkamp Krueger Financial. Cetera Planning Partners serves individual and high-net-worth clients, particularly pre-retirees and retirees, offering investment management, comprehensive financial planning, and retirement-related advice. The firm’s investment approach focuses on diversified mutual fund and ETF allocations tailored to clients’ objectives, supported by a formal planning process and ancillary services such as tax planning and estate strategies.

Zachary Dombrowski is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) who holds a Series 66 designation and has 16 years of industry experience. He has been with Eagle Strategies since 2015 and previously worked at Rogers Financial Group from 2021 to 2024. Outside of his advisory role, Dombrowski serves as an elder board member at CityLine Bible Church and participates as an election judge with the Chicago Board of Election. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individual investors, institutional plans, and charitable organizations. The firm provides financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services with an emphasis on tailored recommendations, managing primarily non-discretionary assets within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Nikola Plavsic is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and two years of industry experience. His background includes roles at Principal Securities, Liquid Wealth Advisors, LPL Enterprise, and J.P. Morgan Securities, as well as prior positions in banking and retail. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and active-duty U.S. military personnel abroad. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions.

Frank Nemeth is a financial advisor at NewEdge Advisors with 34 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations. His prior experience includes roles at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC, Wells Fargo Clearing, and A. G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a network of independent investment adviser representatives. The firm provides a range of portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services, utilizing both in-house and third-party strategies along with technology tools to support advisor and client needs.

Russell Game is a financial advisor with Brookstone Capital Management LLC, holding a ChFC® designation and Series 63 and 66 licenses, with 36 years of industry experience. He has worked at Brookstone since 2017 and previously spent time with Center Street Advisors and Center Street, as well as owning and operating Game & Associates Financial Services, Inc. Outside of his advisory work, he is the owner and president of Game & Associates Financial Services, which sells insurance products including fixed annuities. Brookstone Capital Management provides fee-based asset management and financial planning to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, and other entities. The firm utilizes strategic and dynamic asset-allocation models alongside a diversified mix of investment vehicles and serves both as a primary advisor and sub-advisor through its turnkey platform.

Maureen Zygler is a financial advisor at Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. with nine years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Mutual of Omaha Investor Services, Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company, and Vipco Advisors. Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. is an enterprise-scale advisory and broker-dealer affiliate serving individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement advisory services, utilizing model portfolios and technology-enabled tools to support mostly non-discretionary client relationships.

Thomas Panoplos is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 24 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Mesirow Financial, Inc. for 22 years before joining Creative Planning in 2023. Outside of advising, he is involved as a co-manager in a real estate investment LLC. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm emphasizes a financial planning-led investment process with low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supplemented by direct indexing, tax-loss harvesting, and other approaches, supported by a broad advisory team and integrated investment infrastructure.

Bryan Brooks is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has held roles at firms including Charles Schwab, Fidelity, Nuveen, and TIAA. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing TIAA-administered employer retirement plan relationships. The firm provides both point-in-time planning and ongoing portfolio management services, acting as adviser to a donor-advised fund and operating within a vertically integrated structure that includes affiliated funds.

Eric Walania is a CFA® charterholder with 27 years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair And Company, L.L.C. since 2004. He holds a Series 63 designation and is based in Western Springs, IL. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division provides investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm emphasizes active, research-driven management across multiple asset classes and offers proprietary models as well as access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Samuel Awad is a CFP® professional with nine years of experience in financial advising. He has worked at Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC since 2026, following six years at HighTower Advisors LLC and four years at Private Vista, LLC. Outside of financial advising, he provides operational and IT consulting and executive coaching, assisting with strategic IT programs and coaching high-potential executives. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC serves individuals, families, trusts, businesses, and retirement plans through a network of independent financial advisors. The firm offers discretionary investment management, financial planning, family office, and retirement plan advisory services, employing a primarily long-term investment approach with customized portfolios and a variety of model and wrap-fee program options.

Joseph Florina is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional with seven years of industry experience. He is currently with Brookstone Capital Management LLC and Wealth Financial Services & Tax Advisory. His prior experience includes roles at Interactive Brokers, First American Bank, and Mass Mutual Investors Services. Brookstone Capital Management provides fee-based asset management and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and trusts. The firm utilizes strategic and dynamic asset-allocation models, a turnkey asset management platform, and a range of investment strategies including ETFs, mutual funds, and options-enhanced approaches.