Independent, general retirement planning financial advisors in Illinois

The right financial advisor for you depends on how you weigh location, expertise, experience, the clients they typically serve, and how they work with you.

You might be planning your retirement and wondering how to balance your savings, Social Security, and other income sources to last through your retirement years. Without careful planning, you could run out of money too soon or miss out on ways to make your savings work harder for you.

  • Income sequencing. Ask how they plan the order of withdrawals from your accounts to minimize taxes and maximize income.
  • Social Security timing. Confirm if they help decide the best age to start Social Security benefits based on your full financial picture.
  • Inflation impact. Check how they factor rising costs into your retirement budget to keep your purchasing power steady.
  • Property tax awareness. Since Illinois has no tax on retirement income but high property taxes, see how they incorporate this into your overall plan.

Here are top matches to get you started. Review each profile to compare experience, credentials, and approach.

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Kevin H

Series 63, Series 65

Chicago, IL

Merrill

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.

Tax-loss harvesting Active portfolio management Wealth management
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Jessica S

Series 65

Aurora, IL

Rezny Wealth Management, Inc.

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.

Annuities Active portfolio management General estate planning guidance Retired
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Michael H

Series 63, Series 65

Downers Grove, IL

LPL Financial

Michael Hankes is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and over 40 years of industry experience. He has worked at LPL Financial since 2006 and previously spent seven years with UBS Financial Services. Outside of his advisory role, he is a 20% partner in an LLC related to investment activities. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms, supported by a large network of investment adviser representatives.

Wealth management Retirement income strategy College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Tax-loss harvesting Annuities Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Kristine I

Series 63, Series 65

Chicago, IL

Morgan Stanley

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.

General estate planning guidance
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Roland S

Series 63, Series 65

Olympia Fields, IL

Valic Financial Advisors

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.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting Retirement income strategy
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Sarah C

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Boston, MA

Santander Securities LLC

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.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting General retirement planning Income planning Founder/Business Owner
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Amanda S

Series 66

Ft. Wayne, IN

Raymond James & Associates

Amanda Scheele is a financial advisor with Raymond James & Associates in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, holding a Series 66 designation and 16 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Raymond James in 2024, she worked at Wells Fargo Clearing from 2016 to 2024 and is involved with Lucky Duck since 2025. Raymond James & Associates is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base that includes individuals, institutions, and municipal entities. The firm offers financial planning and non-discretionary consulting services, drawing on various portfolio management styles and affiliated research.

General retirement planning Retirement income strategy Business succession planning Founder/Business Owner Executive

Lori F

Series 66

East Lansing, MI

Edward Jones

Lori Fell is a Series 66 credentialed financial advisor with Edward Jones in East Lansing, MI, where she has worked since 2009, accumulating 17 years of industry experience. Outside of her advisory role, she is the owner of LAF Properties LLC, a business she maintains in East Lansing. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment solutions, including managed account strategies and affiliated mutual funds, and operates under a fiduciary standard.

Charitable giving & philanthropy Multi-generational wealth transfer General retirement planning Wealth management Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Kenneth B

Series 63, Series 65

Portland, ME

Headinvest

Kenneth Blaschke is a financial advisor at HeadInvest in Portland, ME, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 16 years of industry experience. He has been with HeadInvest since 2009. HeadInvest serves a diverse range of clients, including individuals, trusts, endowments, and government entities, providing discretionary portfolio management and financial planning. The firm employs a holistic, asset-allocation driven approach, combining fixed-income selection with low-cost ETFs and emphasizing tax efficiency.

Wealth management General retirement planning Tax strategies for small businesses Founder/Business Owner Retired
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Michael I

Series 63, Series 65

Livingston, NJ

Raymond James Financial

Michael Ipp is a financial advisor with Raymond James Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 42 years of industry experience. He has been with Raymond James Financial Services Advisors since 2010 and serves as an independent contractor for 1792 Wealth Advisors. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors provides financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary planning and uses analytical tools to support client decision-making, while also maintaining specialized programs such as municipal advisory services and SIMPLE IRA Employer Advisory & Consulting Services.

Wealth management Tax strategies for small businesses Business succession planning General estate planning guidance Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Jared F

Series 65

Huntington Beach, CA

Northwest Asset Management

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.

Retirement income strategy Wealth management Active portfolio management Founder/Business Owner
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Edwina M

Series 65

Cincinnati, OH

Waverly Advisors, LLC

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.

Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Options & derivatives strategies Tax-loss harvesting Multi-generational wealth transfer Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Craig M

Series 63, Series 65

Columbia, SC

Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC

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.

Active portfolio management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Annuities Options & derivatives strategies Founder/Business Owner Retired
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David H

Series 65

Irvine, CA

Martin Wealth Management, LLC

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.

Medicare planning Annuities
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Sarah C

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Boston, MA

Santander Securities LLC

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.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting General retirement planning Income planning Founder/Business Owner
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