CFP®-certified, general estate planning guidance financial advisors in Skokie, IL

Julian Van Ostrand is a financial advisor with Northern Trust Securities, Inc. in Skokie, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 21 years of industry experience. He has been with Northern Trust Securities since 2008. Northern Trust Securities, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA-registered broker-dealer that provides discretionary portfolio management through a model-driven wrap fee program serving high-net-worth individuals, retail investors, and institutional clients. The firm offers a variety of managed account solutions and combines advisory, brokerage, and custody services, including access to both proprietary and third-party investment products.

Gabriel Reyes is a financial advisor at Fidelity with 14 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked at firms including Princor Financial Group, Principal Life Insurance Co, and PNC Wealth Management. Reyes is also an officer of Invictus Capital Holdings, LLC, a passive investment-related entity. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, employing a blend of proprietary fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction to deliver model portfolios across various investment vehicles.

Leonard Fensterheim is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with 11 years of industry experience. He is the principal of HealthQuant Associates LLC, where he has worked since 2014. In addition to his advisory role, he serves as Director of Clinical Outcomes and Analytics at Catamaran Corporation and is a partner at Highbeam Capital LLC, where he dedicates time to research on biotechnology and healthcare investments. HealthQuant Associates LLC is a state-registered investment adviser that provides discretionary portfolio management with an investment approach combining fundamental, technical, and cyclical economic analysis. The firm focuses on tailored portfolios primarily in the healthcare and life-sciences sectors, employing strategies ranging from long-term buy-and-hold to shorter-term trading, including the use of short sales and options.

Merrick Robison is a financial advisor at Guardian Life with one year of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at Guardian Life and Park Avenue Securities since 2024. Outside of his advisory role, he operates a non-investment-related business called Merrick R - Rover Services. Park Avenue Securities LLC, a subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers tailored client relationships through a combination of advisor-led discretionary management and model-based strategies, utilizing proprietary programs and third-party platforms.

Ari Lazar is a financial advisor at Baldwin Wealth Partners, LLC with eight years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations. Prior to joining Baldwin Wealth Partners, he worked at Levin Capital Strategies and RGA Investment Advisors. Outside of his advisory role, Lazar coaches and judges high school gymnastics in Illinois. Baldwin Wealth Partners provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse range of clients, including individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm employs a combined top-down macro framework and bottom-up fundamental research, managing portfolios across five core asset classes with attention to ESG factors and offering specialized services such as management of private funds and tax-aware equity strategies.

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 in Warwick, RI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 10 years of industry experience. She has worked at Mass Mutual Investors Services since 2017 and previously at MetLife Securities. In addition to her advisory role, Santos is an independent insurance agent, offering life, fixed annuities, disability, long-term care, and health insurance products. Mass Mutual Investors Services, LLC is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that serves individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm provides financial planning, asset management, wrap and money-manager programs, and educational seminars, structuring engagements as annual collaborative relationships focused on goal analysis and written recommendations.

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 previously worked at CoreCap Advisors, LLC. Outside of advising, he is the founder of Frontier Wealth Management and serves as an independent insurance agent with Goosehead Insurance. Smith & Wyatt serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, and corporations, managing approximately $207 million across 724 clients. The firm provides tailored financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, estate-planning consulting, and specialized educational programs, utilizing mutual funds and ETFs as primary investment vehicles.

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.

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.

Elanna Gould is a CFP® professional with six years of experience, currently advising at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors in Cleveland, OH. Her background includes roles at PepsiCo and The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Center, as well as academic experience at The Ohio State University. She is also an independent insurance agent for various companies. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a broad client base, including individuals, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through a network of independent professionals. The firm provides a range of portfolio management options, proprietary and third-party strategies, and various custody platforms tailored to client objectives.

Ethan Siekkinen is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, currently serving as a financial advisor with Plante Moran Financial Advisors. He has one year of industry experience and has previously worked at J Wilson Wealth Management and operated Rizzo Lawn Care. Plante Moran Financial Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory, financial planning, and estate planning services to a diverse client base including individual households, institutional clients, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm employs a multi-disciplinary investment process and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, manager search, and tax-lot accounting services.

Jace Hart is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience and currently serves as a financial advisor at Rockwall Wealth Management. His prior experience includes roles at Leo Wealth, LPL Financial, and Fidelity Brokerage Services. Rockwall Wealth Management provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, trusts, plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm emphasizes diversified, low-cost ETF model portfolios with a focus on tax efficiency, liquidity, and systematic macro tilts, offering both traditional and advanced investment strategies tailored to client objectives.

Jeffrey Macdonald is a CFP® and ChFC® with 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at Investment Management & Planning LLC and LPL Financial since 2010, following two years at Wells Fargo Clearing. Investment Management & Planning LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm constructs tailored portfolios using mutual funds, ETFs, equities, and fixed-income securities, employing fundamental analysis and continuous supervision, and operates as both a wrap program sponsor and affiliated registered representatives of LPL Financial.