Brad Freitag is a CFP® professional with 17 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at LPL Financial since 2021 and previously held roles at Waddell & Reed, Edward Jones, and various insurance carriers. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved with Chicago Portable Power Co. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory services including financial planning, model portfolio programs, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms.

Thomas Palumbo is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor at Ameriprise with two years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Wintrust Financial Corporation, Glen Ellyn Bank & Trust, and Elmhurst University. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large, diversified advisory firm serving individual and institutional clients, offering specialized retirement income planning through its Premier Retirement Income service, which focuses on tax-aware withdrawal strategies and dependable income sources.

Christopher Gonzales is a financial advisor at Osaic Wealth, Inc. with 12 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Brickwork Financial Planning, Ltd., 4 Wealth Advisors, Inc., IPI Wealth Management, Inc., Investment Planners Inc., and Cetera Wealth Services, LLC. Gonzales is also licensed as an insurance agent and sells fixed insurance products including life, health, disability, annuities, and long-term care. Osaic Wealth, Inc. serves a diverse client base that includes individual and high-net-worth investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers integrated brokerage and investment advisory services using a variety of platforms and employs asset-allocation tools, risk-tolerance questionnaires, and automated rebalancing to manage portfolios across a broad range of investment types.

Carlos Ortiz is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Fidelity Investments and various J.P. Morgan entities since 2015. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting through a team of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with broker-dealer, investment adviser, and commodity-related registrations to deliver a broad range of services.

Violette Hawkins is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license, serving as a financial advisor at Edward Jones since 2007 with 19 years of industry experience. She is based in Lombard, IL. Outside of her advisory role, she owns a real estate partnership that holds her Edward Jones office. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients with approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management. The firm offers a range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies, affiliated mutual funds, and operates under a fiduciary standard.

William Del Cotto is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Oakbrook Terrace, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 22 years of industry experience. He has worked at Ameriprise since 2017, as well as Edward Jones and First Trust Portfolios earlier in his career. Del Cotto is co-owner of Absolute Group LLC, a business unrelated to investments. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large advisory firm serving individual and institutional clients, known for its specialized Premier Retirement Income service that offers written recommendations and ongoing planning focused on income sources and tax-aware withdrawal strategies.

Dariusz Caputa is a financial advisor at Cetera with 22 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 credentials. He has been associated with Cetera and its affiliates since 2004 and has operated his own CPA and tax practice, Caputa & Associates, Ltd, since 2009. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable entities, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services through a multi-manager platform that includes both affiliated and third-party managers.

James Smith is a financial advisor at Merrill with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 30 years of industry experience. He has been with Merrill since 1997. Merrill serves a broad range of clients, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, charities, and institutional clients, offering managed account programs, third-party manager selection, discretionary portfolio management, and brokerage execution services through multiple program strategies governed by the firm’s CIO and platform oversight.

Brian Page is a financial advisor at Osaic with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and previously worked at Woodbury Financial Services from 2015 to 2024. He is also involved with Kiefer Financial Group, a joint financial advisory business. Osaic Wealth, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individual investors, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations through a broad network of affiliated advisers. The firm offers integrated brokerage and investment advisory services, utilizing asset-allocation tools, risk-tolerance assessments, and automated rebalancing to manage portfolios across various asset classes.

Joseph Sutton is a CFP® with 19 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Wells Fargo Advisors and its affiliated entities since 2009. Sutton is currently based in Oakbrook, IL. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network is a large broker-dealer and registered investment adviser affiliated with Wells Fargo, serving individuals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm offers a broad range of investment and financial planning services, utilizing proprietary research and planning tools to develop tailored recommendations.

Davion Pelmore Shelton is a financial advisor with Charles Schwab who holds a Series 66 designation and has three years of industry experience. His prior work history includes roles at Wells Fargo and Wells Fargo Clearing Services. He has also worked in various positions outside the financial services industry, including at Buffalo Wild Wings and Taco Bell. Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. serves a large client base primarily composed of high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals through its Schwab Wealth Advisory wrap fee program and affiliated managed-account and financial planning services. The firm provides a combination of non-discretionary advisory guidance and access to discretionary separately managed accounts, supported by a multi-asset model portfolio approach and centralized operational infrastructure.

Silvia Corral is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with 15 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked within various divisions of JPMorgan Chase and J.P. Morgan Securities since 2010. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides institutional consulting services to corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting. The firm delivers these services on a non-discretionary basis, combining institutional advisory operations with brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

John Weber is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Warrenville, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 20 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Edward Jones in 2018, he worked at ED&F Man Services Inc. and spent a decade at SG Americas Securities, LLC and Newedge USA LLC. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm that serves individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth households and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a range of advisory programs and investment solutions, operating under a fiduciary standard.

Matthew White is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in Naperville, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 18 years of industry experience. He has been with J.P. Morgan in various capacities since 2009. Outside of finance, he owns and operates The Coop and Scoop, LLC, a mobile coffee and ice cream food trailer. J.P. Morgan Securities provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors, combining quantitative asset-allocation modeling with centralized due diligence and applying an ESG eligibility framework in its recommendations.

Mark Albian is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Lisle, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 42 years of industry experience. His prior work includes extended tenures at Waddell & Reed and various insurance carriers, as well as a brief period leading EMRJ, LLC. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individual investors, retirement plans, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolio programs, and third-party asset management, supported by extensive operational and research tools.

Richard Scheele is a financial advisor with Osaic Wealth, Inc. based in Chicago, IL. He holds a Series 66 designation and has nine years of industry experience, including nine years at Lincoln Financial Advisors Corporation prior to joining Osaic in 2025. Scheele is also a partner and manager at The Next Level Planning Group, LLC, where he participates in strategic decision-making and operational roles. Osaic Wealth, Inc. serves a broad range of retail and institutional clients through a large network of affiliated advisers and multiple advisory platforms. The firm offers integrated brokerage and investment advisory services, utilizing asset-allocation tools, risk-tolerance assessments, and automated rebalancing to construct diversified portfolios including traditional and alternative investments.

Stephanie Thompson is a financial advisor at OSAIC with 20 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has previously worked at Woodbury Financial Services, Mass Mutual Investors Services, and MetLife Securities. Outside of her advisory role, Thompson owns and consults for Special Needs Mom Squad, a service providing special needs planning and resources for families and professionals, and serves as president of its nonprofit organization. OSAIC Wealth, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individual, high-net-worth, institutional, and charitable clients through a large network of affiliated advisers and multiple advisory platforms. The firm offers integrated brokerage and advisory services, utilizing asset-allocation tools, risk-tolerance assessments, and automated rebalancing to manage portfolios that may include various asset classes across discretionary and non-discretionary accounts.

Jared Brooks is a financial advisor at Thrivent Investment Management with six years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked with Thrivent since 2020. Prior to his financial career, he spent over a decade at Planes Moving and Storage of Chicago. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients, offering both one-time and ongoing planning engagements. The firm focuses on holistic, goal-based analyses and allows clients to combine planning with managed-account services under a consolidated billing option called “WealthPlan,” while keeping these services separate.

Nathan Kraus is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Oak Brook, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 13 years of industry experience. He has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2014 and previously spent time at Axa Advisors and Edward Jones. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in an outside insurance brokerage business. Equitable Advisors serves a broad client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and asset management through a network of Investment Adviser Representatives and third-party program referrals.

Mark Pautsch is a financial advisor with Cetera who holds a Series 66 designation and has 19 years of industry experience. He has worked at various Cetera entities since 2015. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered adviser that serves individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts through a large network of independent advisors. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and consulting services, utilizing a multi-manager platform that includes affiliated and third-party model portfolios along with customized strategies.