CFP®-certified, retirement income strategy 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.

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.

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.

Willie Myles is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2016, previously serving at Axa Advisors and MSI Financial Services. Outside of advising, he is a co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for Alpha Light Fund Inc., a nonprofit focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a range of clients including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement consulting, and asset management through a network of representatives and third-party managers. The firm offers various investment vehicles and ERISA fiduciary services, relying on third-party program sponsors and an affiliation with a publicly traded parent company.

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.

Gordon Brown III is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with 18 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Edward Jones since 2008. 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 advisory programs and investment options, operating under a fiduciary standard.

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.