Top financial advisors working with university employees 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.

Fionn Allen is a financial advisor at Adaptive Wealth Engineering based in Las Vegas, NV, holding a Series 65 credential. Allen has experience at Summit Portfolio Management and has worked in various roles outside the financial industry, including positions in education and hospitality. Adaptive Wealth Engineering provides discretionary portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals, retirement plans, and businesses. The firm utilizes an evidence-based investing framework with a focus on global diversification and factor-aware equities, maintaining a relatively small client base to support concentrated advisor-client relationships.

Mark Teichman is a financial advisor at C2 Investment Group with 20 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has worked with C2 Investment Group since 1998. He is a co-owner of C2, LLC, which operates Tracker, a portfolio accounting and reporting application. C2 Investment Group provides non-discretionary investment consultation to institutional clients, such as municipalities and public funds, focusing on government bond index tracking using US Treasury and Agency securities. The firm offers index-tracking optimization tools to assist clients with portfolio rebalancing and does not provide discretionary portfolio management.

James Bradley is a CFP® and CFA® with 28 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Penobscot Financial Advisors since 2011 and previously held roles at Mid Atlantic Financial Management, Inc. and Mid Atlantic Capital Corporation. Outside of finance, he is a flight instructor and pilot at Maine Coastal Flight Center and serves as Treasurer and volunteer board member for Hospice Volunteers of Hancock County. Penobscot Financial Advisors is a team-based firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm employs a multi-disciplinary investment approach with a long-term orientation and offers both comprehensive wealth management and standalone financial-planning services.

Andrea Russo is a financial advisor at Darden Wealth Group in Ann Arbor, MI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 20 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Darden Wealth Group in 2026, Russo worked at Altrius Capital Management over multiple periods totaling approximately 12 years, and briefly at Kroon & Mitchell in 2023. Darden Wealth Group serves private individuals, university faculty, business owners, foundations, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations, offering comprehensive wealth management, financial planning, retirement and pension consulting, and business-owner advisory. The firm’s investment approach combines fundamental analysis with multi-year horizons and tactical allocations, utilizing individual securities alongside ETFs and mutual funds.

Jon Michael Carrick is a financial advisor at Hanson Financial Group with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Hanson Financial Group since 2023. Carrick also has a long-term academic role at Stetson University, where he has been employed since 2011. Outside of advising, he serves as Director of Alta Peaks, Inc., an investment holding company that was previously active in selling market research reports. Hanson Financial Group primarily serves pooled investment vehicles and institutional or business clients through discretionary investment supervisory and portfolio management services. The firm employs a tactical allocation approach across various asset classes and does not use a percentage-of-assets fee model.