Large-firm financial advisors working with clients approaching retirement in Naperville, IL

Nolan Clifford is a financial advisor with Arkadios Wealth Advisors in Naperville, IL. He holds a Series 66 designation and has one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Arkadios Capital, he worked with the Colorado Rockies for one year and spent four years at Creighton University. Arkadios Wealth Advisors is a multi-team firm serving individuals, trusts, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm offers customized investment plans using a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, deploying them through various managed account solutions and third-party managers.

Susan Ahlfeld is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 23 years of industry experience. She has been with Advisors Capital Management, LLC since 2023, following a 21-year tenure at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Outside of her advisory work, she is the managing member of Taking A Siesta LLC, a real estate rental business. Advisors Capital Management, LLC provides discretionary portfolio management and proprietary model strategies to individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, and governmental entities. The firm employs a combination of top-down macro analysis and bottom-up fundamental, quantitative, and qualitative research to manage custom private accounts and model strategies.

Bharati Thakkar is a financial professional with 13 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Cetera. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked with Cetera Investment Advisors LLC since 2020 and Cetera Financial Specialists since 2013. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved as an assistant in accounting, tax, and financial services at Vijay Thakkar and Associates Ltd. Cetera Investment Advisors LLC is an SEC-registered firm that serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with a range of portfolio management options, financial planning services, and access to third-party money managers.

Larsa Heil is a financial advisor with Fifth Third Securities, Inc. in Naperville, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 11 years of industry experience. She has been with Fifth Third Securities since 2014 and also has a background with Fifth Third Bank dating back to 2011. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. offers brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and institutional investors. The firm combines its municipal-advisor registration with its affiliation to Fifth Third Bank, providing access to multiple managed-account programs and features such as direct indexing and tax-overlay services.

Richard Williams is a financial advisor with LPL Financial based in Naperville, IL. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has four years of industry experience. Prior to joining LPL Financial, he worked at BMO Bank NA and US Bank. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving a wide range of clients, including individuals, retirement plans, banks, and corporations. The firm offers various advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement consulting through a national network of investment adviser representatives.

Willie Myles is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2016 and previously at AXA Advisors, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for the nonprofit Alpha Light Fund Inc., focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual, high-net-worth, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients, offering financial planning, broker-dealer services, insurance distribution, and access to third-party asset management programs. The firm operates as both an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, leveraging LPL-sponsored programs and endorsed TAMPs to deliver advisory and brokerage solutions.

Stavroula Koutsfetsoulis is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with 25 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2011. In addition to her advisory role, she is involved in fiduciary activities as an attorney-in-fact (power of attorney). Ameriprise is a large institutional firm that provides retirement-income planning services primarily to individuals with substantial investable assets. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver written recommendation reports through a centralized consulting team, focusing on tailored retirement income strategies.

Barbara Brewer is a financial advisor at RBC Capital Markets with 20 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been with RBC Capital Markets Corporation since 2008. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, serves individual investors, institutional clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers various advisory programs with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, custody, and brokerage services, tailoring strategies to clients’ Advisory Risk Profiles through a mix of in-house and third-party providers.

Richard Martin is a financial advisor at Cetera with 29 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has a background that includes nearly three decades at Avantax Advisory Services and eight years at Avantax Insurance Agency. Outside of his advisory work, he is the owner and sole proprietor of Martin & Pellegrin, CPAs, a tax preparation and accounting firm. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm provides a multi-manager platform offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to various program structures and third-party money managers.

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.

Jeffrey Park is a financial advisor at Merrill with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Merrill and affiliated firms since 2011, including roles at JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities. Outside of his advisory work, he is a sole owner and co-owner of family rental properties in Lawrenceville, Georgia. 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, offering model-based and discretionary strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

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.

Elizabeth Brown is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in New York, NY, where she has worked since 2012. She has 26 years of industry experience. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to clients such as corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

Wesley Pool is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at JPMorgan Securities LLC for seven years. Outside of finance, he has been involved with #TagMeBro LLC and Fry Street Public House. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions.

Willie Myles is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2016 and previously at AXA Advisors, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for the nonprofit Alpha Light Fund Inc., focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual, high-net-worth, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients, offering financial planning, broker-dealer services, insurance distribution, and access to third-party asset management programs. The firm operates as both an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, leveraging LPL-sponsored programs and endorsed TAMPs to deliver advisory and brokerage solutions.