CFP®-certified, business Financial Management financial advisors in Des Plaines, IL

Candace Vondra is a CFA® charterholder with 23 years of industry experience, currently serving at William Blair since 2006. She holds the Series 63 designation and is based in Des Plaines, 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 employs an active, research-driven approach across multiple asset classes and offers proprietary models, third-party sub-advisers, and access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Nancy Morales Calara is a Financial Consultant currently working at Fidelity Investments since 2024. Prior to this role, she held positions including Relationship Manager and Transition Services Specialist at Fidelity Investments, as well as various roles at Merrill and Banker's Life and Casualty Co. Her career demonstrates a progressive experience in financial services and client relationship management. Nancy emphasizes the importance of listening and building trust in financial planning. She approaches financial discussions with a focus on understanding each client's unique circumstances, whether addressing retirement, investments, or unforeseen financial events. Her professional philosophy centers on providing clarity and support as clients navigate their financial situations. Outside of her professional work, Nancy has interests in art, badminton, cars, food, social events, and traveling.

Nancy Szymula is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Des Plaines, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 40 years of industry experience. She has been with UBS Financial Services since 2013. UBS Financial Services Inc. serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, combining institutional trading capabilities with wealth management services. The firm provides fee-based financial planning, portfolio management, and access to proprietary research and capital markets services.

Krzysztof Garlewicz is a CFP® and Series 66-registered advisor with 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at ProsperiFi LLC since 2017 and previously spent seven years with LPL Financial. In addition to his advisory work, he is an author associated with the Financial Freedom Formula and has engaged in speaker and content creation activities. ProsperiFi LLC provides advisory services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and family-owned businesses. The firm employs a multi-faceted investment approach incorporating fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis, along with modern portfolio theory, and offers access to alternative investments and third-party money managers.

Michal Walaszek is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in Des Plaines, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and six years of industry experience. He has worked at J.P. Morgan Securities since 2019 and has prior experience with Northwestern Mutual Investment Management and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Additionally, he was involved with RzConstruction from 2016 to 2018. 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.

Amanda Fleming is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Lexington, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Edward Jones, she was involved with several businesses including Max Travels, LLC, a travel agency she founded and where she designed vacations for clients, primarily family. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients with a range of investment programs and advisory services supported by a nationwide network of over 23,000 financial advisors.

Thomas Helmig Jr. is a financial advisor at Merrill with 18 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at Merrill since 2007 and Bank of America, N.A. since 2011. Merrill serves a broad range of clients including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and institutional investors. The firm offers managed account programs, discretionary portfolio management, and brokerage services through a combination of personal financial advisors and an affiliated registered broker-dealer, with a focus on manager selection and tax-efficient investment strategies.

Zachary Olinger is a CFP® with 11 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at CAP Partners, LLC since 2018. Prior to joining CAP Partners, he worked at Guardian Life from 2015 to 2018. CAP Partners, LLC is an SEC-registered, multi-member investment adviser that provides personalized investment management, financial planning, and counseling to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm typically employs a long-term, buy-and-hold investment approach combined with fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis.

Heath Biller is a Series 65-credentialed advisor with Fiduciary Financial Advisors in Grand Rapids, MI, bringing five years of industry experience. He also works part-time as a registered nurse at Mary Free Bed hospital. Fiduciary Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, families, trusts, retirement plans, corporations, and foundations. The firm offers a range of services such as discretionary investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and outsourced CFO engagements, with a noted emphasis on digital-asset advisory and formal trust arrangements.

Michael Turvey is a CFP® with 12 years of industry experience and currently serves at Soltis Investment Advisors, LLC. His prior experience includes positions at Charles Schwab and Co., Inc., Td Ameritrade Institutional, and Thinkorswim Advisors, Inc. Soltis Investment Advisors provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, and pension/401(k) consulting to individuals, institutions, trusts, endowments, and retirement plans. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory–based investment process combining quantitative and qualitative analysis and manages approximately $13 billion in client assets.

Sarah Currier Barrella is a CFP® professional with 26 years of experience in financial advisory services. She currently works at Santander Securities LLC and Santander Bank, NA, having previously held positions at TD Bank and Citizens Securities, Inc. Barrella is based in Boston, MA. Santander Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base with approximately $3.14 billion in regulatory assets under management across 10,800 client relationships. The firm offers investment advisory services, portfolio management through wrap-fee programs, and financial planning, operating both as a registered investment adviser and a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.

Elanna Gould is a CFP® professional with six years of experience, currently advising at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors in Cleveland, OH. Her background includes roles at PepsiCo and The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Center, as well as academic experience at The Ohio State University. She is also an independent insurance agent for various companies. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a broad client base, including individuals, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through a network of independent professionals. The firm provides a range of portfolio management options, proprietary and third-party strategies, and various custody platforms tailored to client objectives.

Ethan Siekkinen is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, currently serving as a financial advisor with Plante Moran Financial Advisors. He has one year of industry experience and has previously worked at J Wilson Wealth Management and operated Rizzo Lawn Care. Plante Moran Financial Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory, financial planning, and estate planning services to a diverse client base including individual households, institutional clients, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm employs a multi-disciplinary investment process and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, manager search, and tax-lot accounting services.

Jace Hart is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience and currently serves as a financial advisor at Rockwall Wealth Management. His prior experience includes roles at Leo Wealth, LPL Financial, and Fidelity Brokerage Services. Rockwall Wealth Management provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, trusts, plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm emphasizes diversified, low-cost ETF model portfolios with a focus on tax efficiency, liquidity, and systematic macro tilts, offering both traditional and advanced investment strategies tailored to client objectives.

Jeffrey Macdonald is a CFP® and ChFC® with 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at Investment Management & Planning LLC and LPL Financial since 2010, following two years at Wells Fargo Clearing. Investment Management & Planning LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm constructs tailored portfolios using mutual funds, ETFs, equities, and fixed-income securities, employing fundamental analysis and continuous supervision, and operates as both a wrap program sponsor and affiliated registered representatives of LPL Financial.