Large-firm, planning for children with special needs financial advisors in Downers Grove, IL

John Gritis is a financial advisor with Bentley Financial Group and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 39 years of industry experience and has been with Bentley Financial Group since 2014. Prior to this, he worked at LPL Financial starting in 2009 and has operated his own firm, Domino, Gritis & Co., since 1976. Gritis is also a one-third owner of a manufacturing company and provides tax preparation and corporate accounting services through his accounting firm. Bentley Financial Group provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, pension plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm manages approximately $393 million in discretionary client assets, employing fundamental analysis and third-party managers, while offering a range of LPL-sponsored managed account programs and a proprietary wrap program.

Matthew Kunst is a CFP® and CFA® with nine years of industry experience. He has worked at Opus Financial Solutions LLC since 2017 and previously spent eight years at MMK Financial Services. Opus Financial Solutions provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, families, business owners, executives, trusts, and other entities, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management. The firm emphasizes integrated tax and accounting support alongside investment management, utilizing a combination of strategic and tactical asset allocation with ETFs, mutual funds, and alternative investments when appropriate.

James Cannan is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors who holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 45 years of industry experience. He has been with Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network since 2016 and also owns Yorkshire Financial Advisors Inc., a financial planning practice based in Downers Grove, IL. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network is a large broker-dealer and registered investment adviser serving individuals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning and investment services, including specialized planning for business-owner transitions, special-needs analysis, and divorce planning, delivered through a network of financial advisors.

Ryan Knudsen is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Downers Grove, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2007. Outside of his advisory role, he participates as a member of the Center Of Influence in Darien, IL. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets through a broad network of financial advisors and branch offices, offering a range of advisory programs and investment solutions under a fiduciary standard.

Lisa Mccarthy is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding the Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 12 years of industry experience. She worked at Wayne Hummer Investments L.L.C. for 10 years before rejoining LPL Financial in 2025. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that offers advisory and brokerage services to individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm provides financial planning and a variety of investment management options, utilizing both proprietary and third-party strategies, supported by technology tools for operational and research purposes.

Amanda Quicke is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors in Richmond, VA, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. She has worked within Wells Fargo entities since 2016. Outside of her advisory role, she has ownership interests in an investment-related business, Granite Wealth Management, LLC. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network serves individuals, trusts, and institutional clients by providing a broad range of investment and financial planning services. The firm utilizes proprietary research and planning tools to develop tailored recommendations, offering both brokerage and advisory programs.

Rudenca Blloshmi serves as a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. In this role, she helps clients develop personalized wealth management strategies tailored to their individual financial goals. She provides access to Merrill’s investment insights alongside the banking and lending solutions offered by Bank of America. Rudenca focuses on client areas including family wealth management, personal retirement planning, philanthropic planning, tax minimization, retirement income, special needs planning, managing new wealth, and women and wealth. Rudenca holds multiple professional designations, including Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (AWMA), CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA), and Sports & Entertainment Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (SE-AWMA). She attended Pace University without earning a degree and conducts business in both English and Albanian. Rudenca is involved with the Global Albanians Foundation and enjoys baseball, biking, golfing, music, and photography in her personal time.

Matthew Seale is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Baytown, TX, holding CFP® and ChFC® designations and registered Series 63 and Series 66. He has 21 years of industry experience, all with Edward Jones since 2004. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, managing approximately $1.01 trillion in assets through a network of more than 23,700 financial advisors.

Lanis Webb is a financial advisor at G. A. Repple & Company with 25 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with G. A. Repple & Company since 2012. In addition to his advisory role, Webb works as an independent fixed insurance sales agent. G. A. Repple & Company provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including retail individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and corporate entities, employing various analytical approaches to portfolio construction and offering multiple investment program options.

Evan Hirano is a CFP® and CFA® with 10 years of experience in the financial industry. He has worked at Mok Capital Management since 2015 and at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments since 2017. Mok Capital Management provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, living trusts, charities, foundations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and business entities. The firm employs a value-oriented investment approach combining fundamental and technical analysis, managing portfolios that may include individual stocks, bonds, ETFs, and limited options strategies.

Jeffrey Park is a financial advisor at Merrill with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Merrill and affiliated firms since 2011, including roles at JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities. Outside of his advisory work, he is a sole owner and co-owner of family rental properties in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

Scott Mahoney is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in New York, NY, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley since 2009, including roles at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved with Giants Foot Cubed LLC. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a large SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a wide range of advisory programs and financial planning services supported by structured planning tools and broad investment resources.

Elizabeth Brown is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in New York, NY, where she has worked since 2012. She has 26 years of industry experience. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to clients such as corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

Wesley Pool is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at JPMorgan Securities LLC for seven years. Outside of finance, he has been involved with #TagMeBro LLC and Fry Street Public House. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions.

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.