Independent financial advisors in Ottawa, IL

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 seek an independent financial advisor in Ottawa, IL when you want advice free from firm product pressures, ensuring your plan centers on your goals. A common pitfall is working with advisors tied to firms that prioritize their own products over your best interests.

  • Firm independence. Confirm the advisor operates without obligations to sell specific products or services.
  • Local tax insight. Since Illinois doesn't tax retirement income but has high property taxes, ask how they factor this into your long-term plan.
  • Experience depth. Independent advisors often bring varied backgrounds; inquire how their years of practice shape their approach to your unique needs.
  • Fee transparency. Independent status can mean diverse fee structures; clarify how they charge to avoid surprises.

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

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Stephen K

Series 63, Series 65

Ottawa, IL

Equitable Advisors

Stephen Killelea is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Ottawa, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 37 years of industry experience. He has been with Equitable Advisors and its predecessor, Axa Advisors, since 1999. Outside of his advisory work, he volunteers with Marquette High School in fundraising activities. Equitable Advisors serves individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, corporations, and charitable organizations by providing financial planning, retirement-plan support, and access to asset management through LPL programs and third-party asset managers. The firm employs a hybrid referral and implementation model, combining advisory and brokerage channels to tailor services based on client goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon.

Retirement income strategy Social Security optimization Founder/Business Owner Retired Executive Approaching retirement Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964)
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Heliodoro R

CFP®, Series 66

Ottawa, IL

Edward Jones

Heliodoro Ruvalcaba is a CFP® professional with 19 years of experience in the financial industry. He has been with Edward Jones since 2006. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients with a wide range of investment programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and operates through a nationwide network of more than 23,000 financial advisors.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Multi-generational wealth transfer Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Bradley A

CFP®, Series 63

Ottawa, IL

Armstrong & Associates, Inc.

Bradley Armstrong is a CFP® with 40 years of experience in financial advising. He is president of Armstrong & Associates, Inc., where he has worked since 1987. Armstrong also serves as a director on the board of First Ottawa Bancshares, Inc. Armstrong & Associates, Inc. provides retirement, estate, and investment planning for individuals, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning and uses both fundamental and technical analysis across a broad range of investment instruments.

General retirement planning Business Financial Management Founder/Business Owner
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Attilio B

ChFC®, Series 63, Series 65

Ottawa, IL

LPL Enterprise

Attilio Bianchi is a financial advisor with LPL Enterprise and holds the ChFC® designation, along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 43 years of industry experience, including long tenures at Pruco Securities, LLC and Prudential Insurance Company of America. Bianchi serves as a board member of The Nell's Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Ottawa, Illinois. LPL Enterprise serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and institutional clients through advisory and brokerage channels. The firm offers financial planning, access to model wealth portfolios, third-party asset management programs, and a range of brokerage and insurance products supported by an integrated platform.

General retirement planning Tax-loss harvesting Self-Employed Founder/Business Owner
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Donna H

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Ottawa, IL

Raymond James Financial

Donna Hunt is a CFP® with 33 years of experience in the financial industry. She is currently associated with Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. and also serves as Operations Manager at Armstrong & Associates, Inc., where she assists financial advisors. Her career includes long-term roles at First Ottawa Financial Corporation and The First National Bank of Ottawa. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning and investment consulting to a diverse client base, including individual, high-net-worth, institutional, and charitable clients. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary planning and supports its clients with advanced analytical tools, municipal advisory services, and customizable retirement plan programs.

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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