Top general estate planning guidance financial advisors working with millennials 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.

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.

Kayla Santos is a financial advisor with Mass Mutual Investors Services and holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses. She has 10 years of industry experience, including roles at MetLife Securities and Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company. In addition to her advisory work, she operates as an independent insurance agent specializing in life, fixed annuities, disability, long-term care, and health insurance. Mass Mutual Investors Services, LLC is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm provides ongoing financial planning, asset management, and educational seminars, utilizing firm-approved tools to develop collaborative, goal-oriented financial plans.

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.

William Soltow is a financial advisor at Smith & Wyatt with 13 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked previously at CoreCap Advisors and Cambridge Investment Research. Outside of his advisory role, he is the founder of Frontier Wealth Management and works as an independent insurance agent with Goosehead Insurance. Smith & Wyatt serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, and corporations, managing approximately $207 million for around 724 clients through a team of eight advisors. The firm offers financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, and estate-planning consulting, tailoring investment advice to clients’ objectives and risk tolerances primarily through mutual funds and ETFs.

Thaddeus Phelps is a CFP® professional with 28 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC since 2019 and previously spent 14 years with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. In addition to his advisory work, Phelps owns a tax preparation business and an accounting support service, and he serves in fiduciary roles such as trustee and executor. Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm offers discretionary investment management through a wrap asset management program and emphasizes an individualized approach with asset allocation supported by fundamental, sector, and technical analysis, including risk management strategies such as put options and conservative cash instruments.

Drew Feutz, CFP®, is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and Founder of Migration Wealth Management, LLC, a fee-only wealth management firm that specializes in providing financial planning and investment management to people in their 30s and 40s. Drew got his start in financial planning as an Intern in May 2014, began working part-time as a Financial Planning & Investment Analyst during his final semester of college, and started working as a Financial Planner full-time upon graduation. Drew graduated Summa Cum Laude from Indiana State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science with a double major in Financial Planning and Investments. During his time at ISU, Drew was a Scholar in the Networks Professional Development Program, a Service-Learning Scholar partnered with Junior Achievement of the Wabash Valley, President of the ISU Financial Planning Association Student Chapter, member of the Investment Club, and a University Honors Program student. He spent his summers during college studying abroad at the Athens Centre in Athens, Greece, interning at First Direct Logistics in Dublin, Ireland, and interning at a fee-only wealth management firm in Indianapolis. He is a Board Member for the Hendricks County Community Foundation as well as Susie's Place Child Advocacy Centers and previously served as Chair of the NAPFA Genesis Committee, Treasurer of Young Professionals of Central Indiana, and as a board member of the Indiana State University Financial Planning Advisory Board. Additionally, Drew co-founded and co-hosts the Circle City Success Podcast. Drew is also a former Fellow in Class V of the Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation Fellowship and Member of Leadership Hendricks County Class of 2023. Read Drew's blog here: https://migrationwealthmanagement.com/blog/

WHY JERRY CHOSE TO BE A FINANCIAL PLANNER: His lack of financial literacy was not by choice. It was because personal finance was not taught in school or in his community. As a first-generation wealth builder, Jerry's money journey has been shaped by a profound understanding of both cultural and financial expectations. His experiences have uniquely positioned him to empathize with the challenges faced by first-generation families, inspiring a distinctive approach to financial guidance. His moment of profound solitude occurred during his transition from the Marine Corps back to civilian life. In uniform, Jerry felt in control, with camaraderie, financial stability, and a consistent salary. However, the day he left, all that stability vanished giving way to a cascade of emotions - depression, anxiety, and fear. Jerry, who had grown up facing financial hardships, relying on food stamps, and public aid, knew it was time to stop merely talking about wanting to build wealth and start acting. The realization struck deep: He needed to make a difference not just for himself, but for others facing similar issues. Motivated by a desire to help his family and friends, Jerry decided to be the guide he wished he'd had. He obtained his license, college degree, and joined a firm not only to enhance his life but the lives of other 1st-time wealth builders. After a few years of helping high net worth individuals grow their assets, Jerry felt the firm wasn't built to help families like his. In 2024, Jerry took the leap and launched Confianza Wealth Management as a guide for aspiring wealth builders. Jerry is on a mission to empower 1st-time wealth building families. Jerry wants to bridge the financial planning accessibility gap by helping these millennial families take control of their financial futures.

Jamieson enjoys playing golf, basketball and baseball. You can also find him catching up on all the Netflix and Hulu specials, and planning his next big vacation. Having moved to the Seattle area in 2021, Jamieson looks forward to being closer to his family and having an opportunity to explore his other passion outside of personal finance, working with animals at the local shelter. Jamieson works directly with clients in developing holistic financial plans. He oversees the development, implementation, and ongoing oversight of clients’ financial plans in coordination with Levi. Professional Designations & Certifications: Jamieson is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional and EQUITY COMPENSATION ASSOCIATE. CFP® professionals are held to strict ethical standards to ensure financial planning recommendations are in your best interest. What’s more, a CFP® professional must acquire several years of experience related to delivering financial planning services to clients and pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Exam before they can use the CFP® designation. An ECA is qualified in the fundamentals of equity compensation taxation, plan design, law, and very basic accounting, and can address these topics intelligently with equity plan participants.

Hi, I’m Andrew! I founded Wrought Financial Planning to help entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals forge their path to financial freedom. We help our clients manage their cashflow, reduce their taxes, and grow their wealth. I’ve been interested in history, finance, and psychology since I was a kid growing up in Ocean City, New Jersey. After graduating from The College of New Jersey with honors, I began my financial services career in the alternative investment industry (private equity, hedge funds, commercial real estate and other fancy investments) first with Merrill Lynch Alternative Investments in Princeton, New York, and Boston and then with FS Investments based in Philadelphia. I grew tired of getting on airplanes for work and being away from my family so with the entrepreneurial spirit calling me I began my wealth management practice at Merrill Lynch and then I founded the independent and fee-only firm Wrought Financial Planning. I am married to my beautiful and patient wife and together we reside in Haddonfield, NJ with our two young daughters and Labrador Retriever. We enjoy traveling and sharing new experiences with my girls and being involved with their sports teams and activities. I am the Vice President and soon to be President of the Rotary Club of Haddonfield where we provide grants and scholarships to deserving organizations and underprivileged students. With whatever free time is left to me I love to read, listen to podcasts, and stay active by jogging with my dog and squeezing in a round of golf when possible.

Rajiv Eluthesen is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He began his career with Merrill Lynch in 2010 after graduating from the University of California at Berkeley's Haas School of Business. Rajiv works collaboratively with clients across various stages of their financial lives, developing tailored wealth management strategies to support retirement, education planning, stock options, and RSUs management, among other goals. He holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification and Personal Investment Advisor designation. Rajiv's professional expertise includes education planning, family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, socially responsible and ESG investing, women and wealth, tax minimization, and retirement income strategies. He is a member of the Peninsula Velo cycling team. Outside of his professional work, Rajiv enjoys cycling, ski trips, hiking, camping, cooking, reading, and spending time with his family. He has combined his interests in travel and cycling through activities such as riding from Barcelona to France.