Richard Espenschied is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with Series 66, Series 7, and APMA(R) designations. Before joining Ameriprise in 2025, he worked at Anheuser-Busch for nine years in economics and strategy. Ameriprise offers a retirement-income planning service designed for individuals with substantial investable assets, combining research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to produce written recommendation reports. The firm provides a broad range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions through affiliated companies.

Jeffrey Laughlin is a CFP® with 17 years of industry experience and has been with Fidelis Financial Planning, LLC since 2011. He holds a Series 65 license and is based in Saint Charles, MO. Outside of his advisory role, he is the owner and managing member of a non-investment related real estate entity. Fidelis Financial Planning serves middle-income and high-net-worth individuals, as well as various institutional clients, offering integrated financial planning and discretionary portfolio management. The firm employs a structured investment approach grounded in academic research, focusing on broadly diversified, low-cost funds and ETFs.

Jahanguir Azodi is the principal of Virtual Investment Planning LLC and holds Series 65 and Series 66 licenses with 28 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Aspire Wealth Management, Berthel Fisher & Company Financial Services, and America's Financial Center, among others. Azodi also operates America's Financial Center, a wealth management and tax services firm, and is an author of a book related to accounting and tax services. Virtual Investment Planning LLC provides wealth management, discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement account advice to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and businesses. The firm manages approximately $23.7 million across about 102 clients, utilizing a long-term-focused investment process that combines fundamental and technical analysis, employing diversified mutual funds, ETFs, individual stocks and bonds, and insurance consulting through affiliated businesses.

Michael Mills is the sole advisor at Mills Barrington Advisors, LLC, an independent firm based in Chesterfield, MO. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 24 years of industry experience. Mills has led his firm since its founding in 2013, following prior experience at major brokerage firms. Mills Barrington Advisors provides discretionary portfolio management and investment advisory services to individuals, trusts, and businesses. The firm emphasizes global diversification and uses a combination of quantitative analysis with fundamental and technical inputs, employing a range of strategies including margin, options, and short sales alongside longer-term holdings.

Richard Murray is a financial advisor with Midwest Advisors LLC in Saint Louis, MO, holding a Series 65 credential and 10 years of industry experience. He has worked at Midwest Advisors LLC since 2012, including a period from 2017 to 2019 at Sorin Capital Management. Midwest Advisors LLC is a small, independent firm managing approximately $39.1 million on a discretionary basis for a select client base. The firm specializes in investment management focused on U.S. real estate industry securities, employing both long-short and long-only strategies with options used for hedging, and follows a fundamental, value-biased investment approach supported by frequent industry engagement and detailed research.

Gary Cassell is the sole advisor at Premier Wealth Advisory Services, Inc. in Chesterfield, MO, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses with 38 years of industry experience. He has been with Premier Wealth Advisory Services since 1998 and also has experience at Ceros Financial Services Inc. since 2012. In addition to his advisory role, he acts as an independent insurance agent for various companies. Premier Wealth Advisory Services provides portfolio and active management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and retirement plans using a combination of technical and fundamental analysis, relative strength, and modern portfolio theory. The firm offers both discretionary and non-discretionary management across multiple asset classes and regularly monitors and reviews client accounts.

Stephen Parkin is the sole advisor at S.P. Parkin & Co, an independent firm based in Chesterfield, MO. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 23 years of industry experience. His career includes long-term roles at Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America, Integrated Asset Management, Inc., and his own firms dating back to 1981. In addition to advisory services, Mr. Parkin is licensed to sell insurance through his firm, primarily to benefit clients. S.P. Parkin & Co. serves individual investors, corporations, churches, and endowments by providing investment supervisory services, portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting. The firm manages assets on a discretionary basis using four model portfolios with tactical sector rotation and employs multiple forms of analysis to adjust allocations. It also publishes a quarterly newsletter and operates an affiliated insurance agency, features that are uncommon among solo independent advisers.

In 2018, I launched Oakview Wealth Solutions - a St Charles Fee-Only Financial Planner. As an industry-leading CFP® professional I help our clients eliminate debt, invest smarter, and retire faster. Since launching Oakview Wealth Solutions, I have helped clients buy their dream home, quickly and safely pay down debt, protect their wealth, and retire on their terms. All so they can live richer lives now. I’m a proud graduate of the College of Architecture, Design and Construction at Auburn University and the Certified Financial Planner program at Northwestern University. In addition, I hold the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation – exemplifying my commitment to the highest standards of integrity and professionalism in the industry. When I'm not helping clients realize their dreams, I like to spend my time at concerts, traveling with my family, and watching college football. War Eagle!

Evan Buenger is a financial advisor at Vertumnus Capital LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds Series 66 and Series 63 designations and has previously worked at firms including Stifel Nicolaus and Buenger Capital Partners, LLC. Vertumnus Capital LLC provides investment advisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, and small businesses. The firm offers tailored portfolio management and financial planning, utilizing strategies such as active management, tactical trading, and options, and includes an advisory program for selecting and overseeing sub-advisers.

With over 25 years of experience in investment research, portfolio management, and advisory operations, I founded my RIA to provide expert guidance to financial advisors and investors. As a CFA Charterholder, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®), my goal is to simplify the complexities of investing and help clients make informed decisions about stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, annuities, alternatives, and private investments. For advisors, I offer tailored support for creating model portfolios, conducting investment committee meetings, and developing retirement plan strategies, all aimed at enhancing advisor-client relationships and delivering better outcomes. Over the years, I’ve worked in various roles, from equity research and fixed income trading to serving as the de-facto Chief Investment Officer for a large RIA. My services cover a wide range of needs, including life insurance analysis, capital gains budgeting, structured product and annuity evaluations, options-based strategies for individual stock positions, IPS reviews, enhanced prospect conversions, and the development of customized model portfolios. I pride myself on providing data-driven insights to help advisors improve their practices, better serve their clients, and grow their businesses. In addition to my professional work, I enjoy spending time with my wife and four kids, golfing, traveling, coaching youth sports, and mentoring students. I’m passionate about investing in future generations and advancing the fields of finance and investing. My technical expertise, combined with a personal approach, allows me to work alongside advisors to elevate their client offerings, streamline operations, and achieve lasting success.

Richard Baldwin is the sole advisor at Baldwin Wealth Management, LLC in St. Louis, MO. He holds the CFA® designation and Series 63 license, with 15 years of industry experience. Baldwin has led his independent firm since 2010, focusing on investment management and financial consulting. Baldwin Wealth Management serves individuals, trusts, estates, endowments, foundations, businesses, and participant-directed retirement plans, providing fiduciary investment advice and portfolio management. The firm employs a long-term investment approach based on Modern Portfolio Theory, utilizing diversified asset-class allocations with rules-based tilts and a buy-hold-rebalance strategy.

Christopher Harrell is a financial advisor with CKHFinancial LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 23 years of industry experience. His background includes roles at NEXT Financial Group and LPL Financial, as well as work as an independent insurance agent since 2017. He has also served as an adjunct professor teaching finance courses at Harris-Stowe State University. CKHFinancial LLC is an independent, fee-based registered investment adviser serving individuals, businesses, and charitable organizations. The firm offers personalized financial planning, hourly consultation, and ongoing investment management with a focus on broadly diversified portfolios and regular client reviews.

Joshua Wheeler is the principal of Wheeler Financial Planning LLC in St. Charles, MO, with 14 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at firms including VP Pro, Futaba, AIC, RC America, and Archway Coatings. Outside of advising, Wheeler owns a Smoothie King store where he assists with payroll and management, and he is involved in marketing for Archway Industrial Coatings and AIC as well as product testing and research for RC America. Wheeler Financial Planning provides advisory services to individual clients by directing them to third-party investment advisers, primarily placing assets in mutual funds and fixed-income securities. The firm operates on a non-discretionary basis, using a passive, buy-and-hold investment approach grounded in modern portfolio theory and conducts ongoing due diligence on selected advisers.

John Hawver is an advisor at Mark V Capital with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has previously worked at Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Broadway Technology, and Sun Trading LLC. Mark V Capital Advisors LLC is an independent investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional clients such as family offices and trusts. The firm uses a data-driven investment approach combining quantitative and qualitative analysis, managing assets through separately managed accounts with periodic portfolio reviews.

Alfred Hicks is a CFP® professional with 27 years of experience in financial advising. He has been the president of Financial Planning Advisors, Inc. since 1994. In addition to his advisory role, Hicks is involved in insurance and fixed annuity sales through a separate business. Financial Planning Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning and investment services to a diverse client base that includes individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm employs targeted asset allocation, discretionary management, and a combination of fundamental and technical analysis to manage portfolios and offers educational seminars and project-based planning services.

Eric Amundson is the managing director of Adaptive Wealth Management, LLC in Chesterfield, MO, with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at Concorde Investment Services, LLC since 2012. Outside of advisory work, he serves on the board of the St. Louis Chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and is involved in business consulting through Bridge Profit Solutions, LLC. Adaptive Wealth Management is a state-registered independent investment adviser providing discretionary portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals, businesses, charities, and pension plans. The firm employs an active, market-timing approach using trend-following technical analysis and neural-network-based intermarket indicators to guide daily trading decisions, tailoring investment programs to each client’s financial situation and risk tolerance.

Thipp Ratsaboutseua is a financial advisor at QuantumLeap Wealth Management, LLC with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has been with QuantumLeap Wealth Management since 2014. QuantumLeap Wealth Management provides investment supervisory services and individualized portfolio management to private individuals, including high-net-worth clients. The firm integrates derivatives and borrowing strategies into separately managed accounts and employs a combination of fundamental and technical analysis tailored to client objectives.

Michael Mariani is a financial advisor with Consolidated Wealth Management in Clayton, MO, holding a Series 65 designation and 14 years of industry experience. He has worked at Asset Planners, Inc. since 2016 and Buckingham Asset Management, LLC since 2011. Outside of his advisory work, Mariani and his wife operate a property management LLC that manages a small number of multi-family investment properties for a family member. Consolidated Wealth Management provides individualized financial planning and portfolio management for high-net-worth and other individual clients. The firm’s approach emphasizes fundamental analysis and long-term buy-and-hold strategies, utilizing diversified allocations with low-cost exchange-traded funds and software-driven scenario analysis.

Susan Liu is a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. She began her financial services career in 2015 and has since completed her training as a financial advisor. Susan holds professional designations as a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) and a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). Susan’s approach to financial planning focuses on helping clients navigate the complexities of their unique life priorities, which she identifies as family, finances, health, home, leisure, work, and giving. Her client focus areas include college education planning, divorce transition planning, family wealth management strategies, employee financial health, international wealth management, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, small business strategies, and women and wealth. She earned a master’s degree from Washington University in Saint Louis, a bachelor’s degree from Beijing Technology and Business University, and an additional master’s degree from the University of Hertfordshire. Susan is fluent in Chinese and English. Service to the community is important to Susan. She has served as a consultant at the Light of Christ Lutheran Chinese Mission in St. Louis and is a member of both the Asian American Chamber of Commerce and the Asian Pacific American Advocates. Her volunteer work reflects her commitment to supporting the local Chinese community and other organizations. Outside of her professional work, Susan enjoys chess, cooking, gardening, hiking, and yoga.

Andres Bonifacio Jr. is a financial advisor at Bonifacio & Company, LLC in Saint Louis, MO, holding a Series 65 designation with 22 years of industry experience. He has been with Bonifacio & Company since its founding in 2009. Bonifacio & Company provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, model portfolios, and allocation research primarily to other investment advisors, broker-dealers, fiduciaries, and institutional accounts. The firm uses in-house quantitative models to guide investment decisions, implementing strategies largely through ETFs across both passive and active asset-allocation approaches, and also offers licensing and white-label solutions to third parties.