Thomas Benedict is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. In his role, he focuses on helping clients define their life goals and align their financial plans accordingly. He holds the professional designation of Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) and earned a Bachelor's Degree from Northwestern University. Thomas applies his expertise to assist clients in developing strategies that connect their personal aspirations with their financial objectives.

Jeffrey Smiejek is a financial advisor with Cetera who holds a Series 66 designation and has 17 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Avantax Investment Services, Porte Brown Wealth Management, and 1st Global Advisors. He is also a partner at Porte Brown LLC, where he manages staff, clients, and new business development, and leads the valuation and transition planning team. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC serves a broad client base including individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with access to affiliated and third-party model portfolios, discretionary and non-discretionary management options, and a range of program structures supported by ongoing supervision and client reviews.

Anthony Caracciolo is a Planning Consultant at Fidelity Investments, where he collaborates with individuals and families across various life stages to develop and implement tailored financial plans. He emphasizes ongoing discussions to align financial strategies with clients' unique goals. Anthony has been with Fidelity Investments since 2021, progressing through roles including Financial Representative and Relationship Manager before his current position. His experience encompasses client relationship management and comprehensive financial planning. Outside of his professional work, Anthony has interests in art, board games, golf, museums, snowboarding, and traveling.

Connor Schomig is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. Prior to joining Edward Jones in 2022, he worked at Milliken & Company and Kiefer USA. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth households and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment strategies, supported by a large network of financial advisors and branch offices nationwide.

Mallory Giesen is a CFP® and Series 66 credentialed financial advisor with Edward Jones in Skokie, IL, with 12 years of industry experience, all of which has been with Edward Jones since 2014. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a wide range of investment strategies, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee programs, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard.

Wendy Jacobson Rosen is a financial advisor with LPL Enterprise, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 33 years of industry experience. Her career includes long tenures at Prudential Insurance Company of America and Pruco Securities, LLC, as well as prior work at Marc Jacobson & Associates. LPL Enterprise serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and institutional clients through advisory and brokerage channels. The firm offers financial planning, access to model portfolios, third-party asset management arrangements, and a wide range of brokerage and insurance products, supported by an integrated platform that combines adviser programs with active sales of financial products.

Hannah Bruskin is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining LPL Financial and Wintrust Bank in 2025, she worked at Deloitte Consulting from 2022 to 2025. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers financial planning, advisory programs, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage services, providing both discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by in-house and third-party research.

James Rammel is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Deerfield, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 10 years of industry experience. He has been with Equitable Advisors since 2016, including time when the firm operated as AXA Advisors, LLC. Equitable Advisors serves a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients, by providing financial planning, broker-dealer services, insurance distribution, and access to third-party asset management programs. The firm operates as both an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, utilizing a range of sponsored programs and endorsed third-party managers to deliver advisory and brokerage solutions.

Leonard Digate is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding the ChFC® and Series 63 designations and bringing 52 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. for 14 years and operated Leonard Digate Income Planning for 20 years. He is also licensed as an insurance broker specializing in non-variable insurance. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, credit unions, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning and portfolio management, supported by research and technology-based strategies.

Matthew Pusateri is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Northbrook, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 22 years of industry experience. He has been with UBS since 2012. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with 8 Rope LLC, where he serves on a committee with management and supervisory functions. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through a range of brokerage and investment advisory services. The firm combines institutional trading capabilities with wealth management, offering tailored financial planning and portfolio management supported by proprietary research and market insights.

Nataliia Malysheva is a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. She specializes in corporate benefits, executive compensation, family wealth management strategies, and individual and corporate investment strategies. Her mission is to transform financial complexity into clarity, confidence, and lasting wealth. Before joining Merrill Lynch, Nataliia held director-level positions at Mondelēz International and AB InBev, where she managed profit and loss, revenue strategy, and enterprise transformation across more than 15 global markets. Her core expertise includes financial strategy, profit and loss management, data-driven decision making, revenue growth, and enterprise transformation. She brings a unique perspective, having extensive experience understanding how business decisions, equity, and personal wealth intersect from the inside. Nataliia holds an MBA from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and a master's degree from Lesya Ukrainka Volyn State University. She completed accredited certificate programs at the Kellogg School of Management and Vanderbilt University. She is a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) and a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). Nataliia is also engaged in community involvement as a mentor with Imerman Angels and is fluent in English, Ukrainian, and Russian.

Melinda Camardella is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Arlington Heights, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to her current role, she worked at Edward Elmhurst Health and has ongoing involvement in acupuncture through Momentum Health Care and Return to One Acupuncture. She serves as a board member of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation Board of Acupuncture and has held leadership roles in the Illinois Society of Acupuncturists. Equitable Advisors provides financial planning, retirement support, and asset management services to individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, corporations, and charitable organizations, utilizing a hybrid referral and implementation model with third-party asset managers and advisory programs.

Martha Naselli is a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services with 29 years of industry experience. She has been with UBS since 1996 and holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations. Outside of her advisory role, she is also a lead singer involved in musical entertainment. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory services, including fee-based financial planning and portfolio management. The firm combines institutional trading capabilities with wealth management and offers proprietary research and a broad range of capital markets services.

John Thompson is the Senior Resident Director at Merrill, with professional experience dating back to 1985. He has served as a Senior Vice President and Wealth Management Advisor, specializing in providing financial strategies tailored to individual clients' goals and long-term growth. John leads a team that focuses on diverse and disciplined portfolio management, utilizing Model Portfolio Strategies to implement discretionary portfolio management on behalf of clients. John holds a Bachelor's Degree from Northern Illinois University and has earned professional designations including Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). His areas of expertise encompass college education planning, family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, liquidity management, personal retirement planning, individual and corporate investment strategy, and tax minimization. He emphasizes helping clients understand and manage risk effectively across their financial portfolios. Residing in the Arlington Heights community with his family, John enjoys baseball, boxing, football, music, reading, running marathons, and spending time with his family. He values building long-term relationships with clients and providing clear, accessible guidance through different stages of their financial lives.

Henry Moreno Alzate is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with one year of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked as an independent solar broker and was involved in coaching soccer through the Wilmette Wings Soccer Club. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, with over $1 trillion in assets under management and a widespread network of advisors and branch offices. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment solutions, operating under a fiduciary standard.

Frederick Phillips is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He focuses on providing guidance in family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, liquidity management, personal retirement planning, and portfolio management services. As a Senior Vice President – Wealth Management Advisor, he collaborates with clients to develop personalized financial strategies that align with their goals. Phillips holds a Bachelor's degree from Iowa State University and has earned several professional designations, including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP), CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). He emphasizes the importance of a disciplined investment process incorporating diversification and customized asset allocations to support long-term investment success. In addition to his professional work, Phillips serves as the Board Chair of Care For Friends and is involved with the Apalachia Service Project and the Church of the Holy Comforter. His personal interests include baseball, cooking, and golfing.

Karla Hernandez is a financial advisor at Osaic Wealth, Inc. with 13 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Osaic since 2023, previously spending nine years at IHT Wealth Management LLC and LPL Financial. Outside of her advisory role, she assists with payroll at El Tapatio, Inc., a family-owned business importing Mexican products. Osaic Wealth, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individual investors, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm provides integrated brokerage and investment advisory services, employing tools such as asset-allocation models and risk assessments to manage portfolios that include a range of investment products across discretionary and non-discretionary accounts.

Brad Steinback is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors, holding a Series 66 designation and 22 years of industry experience. He has been with Equitable Advisors since 2003, including its predecessor AXA Advisors, LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he is a partner in Infinity Strategic Partners, LLC, where he manages books, records, HR, and operations, and serves as an advisory board member for the Rhonda Abrams Legacy Impact Group. Equitable Advisors serves individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, corporations, and charitable organizations by providing financial planning, retirement-plan support, and access to asset management through third-party managers. The firm employs a hybrid referral and implementation model, utilizing multiple program sponsors and emphasizing individualized financial planning and fiduciary services.

Lyle Berkson is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has been with J.P. Morgan Securities since 2014. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in a residential rental business. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides institutional consulting services to clients such as corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines institutional advisory operations with brokerage and investment management capabilities.

Kenneth Busch is a CFP® professional with 21 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. His prior experience includes roles at Edward Jones and several other firms. He has also been involved in independent insurance brokering, focusing on whole life insurance. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large, diversified firm serving individual and institutional clients, offering a specialized Premier Retirement Income service that provides written recommendation reports and annual retirement-income planning advice centered on dependable income sources and tax-aware withdrawal strategies.