Top early retirement planning financial advisors in Illinois

Kevin Hanrahan is a financial advisor with Merrill in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 31 years of industry experience. He has been with Bank of America and Merrill since 2009. 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. The firm offers model-based and discretionary investment strategies supported by internal and third-party managers, serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Jessica Stanley is a financial advisor at Rezny Wealth Management, Inc. in Aurora, IL, holding a Series 65 designation with 13 years of industry experience. She has been with Rezny Wealth Management since 2009. Rezny Wealth Management primarily serves individual investors, including high-net-worth clients, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, offering discretionary portfolio management and integrated financial planning on a fee-only basis. The firm manages approximately $506 million in client assets, utilizing a Global Tactical Opportunity Portfolios framework that combines quantitative and fundamental analysis across a range of investment styles.

Michael Hankes is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 40 years of industry experience. He has been with LPL Financial since 2006. Hankes is a 20% partner in an LLC involved in investment-related activities outside his advisory role. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, financial institutions, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, financial planning, and consulting services, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by model portfolios and research.

Kristine Iverson is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 31 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been associated with Morgan Stanley and its affiliates since 2007, including roles at Morgan Stanley Private Bank and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management provides a range of advisory programs to individual and institutional clients, offering tailored financial planning supported by firm-approved tools and strategies. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and delivers services that include estate planning and structured investment approaches.

Roland Szilard is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Olympia Fields, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 29 years of industry experience. He has worked at Valic Financial Advisors since 2006 and is also affiliated with Agia since 2022. Outside of his advisory role, Szilard serves as a board member involved in organizing youth soccer training and play activities and acts as a youth soccer referee. Valic Financial Advisors, Inc. serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and discretionary unified managed accounts through a large network of advisors. The firm manages approximately $29.2 billion and utilizes centralized technology and model solutions to support its client base of nearly 300,000 across more than 1,200 advisors.

Aubrey Williams is a financial advisor at Open Path Financial with a Series 65 designation and two years of industry experience. He has a background in defense technology, having worked as an Associate Director of Program Management at Raytheon Technologies from 2021 to 2025 and previously at Lockheed Martin Corporation for 17 years. In addition to his advisory role, he is involved in an affiliated education business focused on public financial education and workshop content. Open Path Financial provides fee-only financial planning and advisory services primarily on an hourly or fixed-project basis, serving individuals, families, businesses, and trusts. The firm emphasizes long-term, diversified investment strategies using low-cost index funds and ETFs and operates without managing assets or charging percentage-based fees.

Jonah Lemieux is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Woburn, MA, holding a Series 66 designation with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Edward Jones, he worked in various roles including positions at UPS, UKG, ClearCompany, and Insurance Consultants of VA. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients, offering a range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies, affiliated mutual funds, and tax-efficient services. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and operates a large network of financial advisors and branch offices across the country.

Hi, I'm Steve. I've loved financial planning ever since I was a kid watching the ticker tape on CNBC as my mom, a homemaker learned about finances herself. I grew up in a very frugal household who taught me about working hard and saving for the future. My mother was a homemaker or "domestic engineer" as she calls it and my father was a federal employee. I was fortunate to be introduced to Rita Abel and become the owner of her small, family owned financial planning firm in 2019. Today we work with approximately 60 families. What makes us unique is our passion to be "accountability partner's" for our clients to ensure they take care of the important financial matters in their lives. We are part financial advisors and party financial therapists for our married couples but most importantly we are organized, proactive and have a passion for financial planning. Looking forward to meeting and if you want to know more, I encourage you to read our google reviews online. Just search "Abel Financial Reviews" in google.

After nearly a decade in corporate finance at Phillips 66, I now help high-income professionals and their families with investment, tax, and retirement planning. Before launching Refined Wealth, I completed the CFP® education program at Rice University and gained hands-on experience at two Houston firms, where I was part of teams that collectively served over 250 families and oversaw more than $650M in client assets. I also earned advanced certifications in tax planning (TPCP®) and retirement income planning (RICP®) to deliver more targeted advice. Now I’m building the firm I’d want for myself, my family, friends, and former colleagues. Most of my clients are: ◻︎ High-income professionals (O&G, medicine, sales, dual-income households) ◻︎ Retirees with complex assets and income sources ◻︎ Families navigating liquidity events (real estate sales, inheritances, business exits) Refined Wealth is an independent, fee-only fiduciary firm built on transparency and alignment. No product sales. No commissions. If this resonates, let’s connect for a complimentary introductory call to see if we’re a fit.

Kevin Matthews is a financial advisor with Wealth More Enterprise, Inc., holding Series 65 and Series 66 credentials and four years of industry experience. Before joining Wealth More Enterprise, he worked at WillowTree and held positions at Novozymes, Citigroup, and Capital One LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he is the CEO and owner of Building Bread, an education-focused business where he also serves as an author and speaker. Wealth More Enterprise provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individual clients through a mobile-first platform. The firm uses proprietary software-based risk scoring and algorithmic account management combined with model portfolios that are implemented discretionarily and reviewed by an internal investment committee.