Independent, equity compensation tax strategy financial advisors in Elgin, IL

Michael Ellsworth is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Elgin, Illinois, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has worked with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2005. Outside of his advisory role, he has real estate ownership interests unrelated to investment activities. Ameriprise provides retirement-income planning services targeted at individuals nearing or in retirement who meet specific asset criteria, delivering non-discretionary, research-driven recommendations that integrate tax-efficient strategies and Social Security options. As a large institutional firm, Ameriprise offers a broad range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions through its affiliated companies.

Kevin Sanders is a financial advisor with AE Wealth Management, LLC, holding a Series 65 credential and 12 years of industry experience. He is also the owner and sole proprietor of The Sanders Law Firm, where he provides legal services including real estate closing advice and estate planning. His prior work includes roles at Guardian Wealth Advisory Group and Sanders Financial Services Inc. AE Wealth Management offers fee-based portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, trusts, and ERISA plan sponsors. The firm uses discretionary model portfolios and a variety of analytical methods to implement investment decisions, managing approximately $49.8 billion for over 127,000 clients.

Joseph Holakovsky is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management in Elgin, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 13 years of industry experience. He has been with PNC Investments since 2016. PNC Wealth Management provides retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital offering that uses algorithmic risk assessment and manages investments via approved model strategies with mutual funds and ETFs.

Raymond Ercoli is a Series 66-credentialed financial advisor at Edward Jones in Elgin, IL, with 11 years of industry experience, all of which he has spent at Edward Jones since 2015. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, including both non‑high‑net‑worth and high‑net‑worth households, pension plans, corporate clients, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management and offers a range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies, tax-efficient services, and affiliated capabilities through a nationwide network of advisors and branch offices.

Alexander Lenz is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in Elgin, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 20 years of industry experience. He has worked at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and J.P. Morgan Securities since 2015. 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 an ESG eligibility framework to support its recommendations.

Lee Chen is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Pasadena, California, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. He has been with UBS since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, Chen serves on the board of directors for the San Gabriel Country Club. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, combining proprietary capital market research with a broad range of financial planning and portfolio management solutions.

James Cannon is a financial advisor at Cannon Wealth Group LLC in Eagle, Idaho, with 14 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has led his independent firm since 2014. Cannon Wealth Group LLC is a fee-based financial planning and investment management firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, and employer retirement plans. The firm offers tailored investment programs, comprehensive planning, and specialized pension consulting, including ERISA advisory and discretionary investment manager services.

Joseph Niehaus is a financial advisor at Jefferies Investment Advisers LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds the CFA® designation and Series 63 license. Prior to joining Jefferies in 2023, he worked at Golden 1 Credit Union and SAFE Credit Union. He also serves as a part-time lecturer at California State University, Sacramento, teaching a graduate-level financial markets course. Jefferies Investment Advisers LLC provides fee-based financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, foundations, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities through a customized planning process that includes balance sheet reviews, tax and estate planning, executive compensation, and philanthropic planning.

Seth Halley is a financial advisor with Goldman Sachs Wealth Services in Dallas, TX, holding a Series 66 designation and six years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at The Ayco Company, L.P./Mercer Allied and Tyson Foods/GDH Consulting. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services advises a diverse client base ranging from individual investors to institutional clients, offering financial planning, portfolio management, and specialized services such as Private Family Office and Executive Wealth programs. The firm integrates strategic allocation models, manager selections, and advanced analytics within the broader Goldman Sachs network to tailor solutions for client objectives.

Eldin Foco is a financial advisor at Sterling Advisory Group LLC with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at several firms including CIG Capital Advisors and Cco Investment Services Corp. since 2012. Sterling Advisory Group provides portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting to individuals, families, trusts, foundations, businesses, and employer-sponsored plans. The firm manages client accounts on a tailored basis and also serves institutional clients, offering a range of strategic investment models that emphasize asset allocation, diversification, and Shariah-compliant selection.

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.