Independent, debt 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 66 and Series 63 licenses and six years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Northwestern Mutual Investment Management and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Walaszek also spent two years working in the construction industry. J.P. Morgan Securities provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors through its Institutional Consulting Services program. The firm combines quantitative asset-allocation modeling with centralized due diligence and integrates an ESG eligibility framework when recommending strategies.

Timothy Coyne is the sole advisor at Coyne Capital Management, LLC in Westlake, Ohio, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Coyne Capital Management since 2010. Coyne Capital Management provides discretionary investment management and standalone financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations, typically serving clients with at least $500,000 in investable assets. The firm emphasizes asset-class diversification, utilizes both fundamental and technical analysis, and offers tailored Investment Policy Statements to align with clients’ goals and risk tolerance.

Jorden Bastien is a financial advisor at LifeSteps Financial with 13 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with LifeSteps Financial (formerly Foothill Financial Advisors, Inc.) since 2012. The firm serves individuals, families, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, businesses, retirement plan participants, and charitable organizations. LifeSteps Financial employs an ETF-centric investment approach based on Modern Portfolio Theory, offering discretionary and non-discretionary advisory services combined with integrated financial planning and a hands-on bill-payment and reconciliation service.

Don Larson is a CFP® with 20 years of experience in the financial advisory industry and has operated Larson Wealth Management, LLC since 2011. He holds Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and also manages Larson Business & Tax Solutions, providing bookkeeping and tax preparation services. Additionally, Larson serves as secretary and treasurer for AEM International (US) Ltd. Larson Wealth Management offers investment supervisory and consulting services to individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and employee benefit plans. The firm employs customized strategic asset allocation with a combination of fundamental and technical analysis, managing portfolios primarily through mutual funds and ETFs across multiple asset classes.

Marilynne Shadow is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Canton, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and nine years of industry experience. She previously worked at Morgan Stanley, E*TRADE Securities, Fidelity Brokerage Services, and Charles Schwab. Outside of her advisory role, she is the sole proprietor of The Barking Crab, an art and culture business based in Centennial, Colorado. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and participants, as well as Empower Premier IRA and retail brokerage clients. The firm integrates its services with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms and emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing in its planning approach.

Kari Wolfson is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with 13 years of industry experience. She has worked at Adviser Investments, LLC from 2011 to 2024 before joining RWA Wealth Partners in 2024. RWA Wealth Partners serves a broad client base including individuals, families, trusts, charitable organizations, business entities, and retirement plans. The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation using an open-architecture platform and integrates fundamental and quantitative methods in its investment strategies, alongside offering financial planning, tax services, and retirement plan advisory.

Jared Fruth is a financial advisor at Northwest Asset Management with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Securities America, Inc., KMS Financial Services, Inc., Oppenheimer Funds, and John Paul Mitchell Systems. Northwest Asset Management is a registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.6 billion for nearly 3,000 clients, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charities, and corporations. The firm employs a customized, fiduciary approach using Modern Portfolio Theory and strategic asset allocation, combining fundamental and technical analysis to build diversified portfolios with periodic rebalancing.

Edwina Martin is a Series 65 licensed financial advisor with two years of industry experience, currently with Waverly Advisors, LLC. She previously worked at 9258 Wealth Management for five years and was employed at Teradata Corp for eleven years. Martin also serves as assistant director of tax planning at 9258 Tax and Planning, a non-investment related business. Waverly Advisors is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing portfolios for individuals, retirement plans, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm combines traditional equity and fixed-income strategies with alternative and private-market allocations, offering a range of investment management and financial planning services.

Craig Mcdaniel Jr. is a financial advisor with Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC in Columbia, SC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Capital Investment Group, Inc. and The McDaniel Corporation since 2012. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in life insurance sales and serves as an independent agent for annuities and related products. Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and supervisory services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers customized investment management through discretionary mandates, third-party managers, and private-label model portfolios, using a blend of analytical methods with ongoing portfolio monitoring.

David Hart is a financial advisor with Martin Wealth Management, LLC in Irvine, CA. He holds a Series 65 credential and has 15 years of industry experience. Hart previously worked with Safeguard Investment Advisory Group and LifePro Asset Management. He is also a Certified Financial Fiduciary and volunteers as an instructor with the Foundation for Fiduciary Education, providing unbiased fiduciary financial education to the public. Martin Wealth Management offers investment advisory services primarily to individuals and high-net-worth clients by co-advising and directing accounts to a third-party money manager, Matson Money. The firm focuses on client onboarding, documentation, and ongoing review of third-party manager accounts rather than direct asset management.

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.