Top stock option exercise strategy financial advisors in Skokie, 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.

If you have stock options nearing their expiration or a significant vesting event, you need an advisor who understands the timing and tax implications of exercising those options. Without expert guidance, you might exercise too early or too late, missing out on potential gains or facing unexpected tax bills.

  • Exercise timing insight. Ask how they balance market conditions and option expiration to optimize your exercise schedule.
  • Tax impact awareness. Confirm they explain how exercising affects your income taxes, especially considering Illinois' property tax environment.
  • Liquidity planning. Check if they help plan for the cash needed to exercise options without disrupting your broader financial goals.
  • Exit strategy coordination. See if they integrate your stock option exercises with your overall investment and retirement plans to avoid surprises.

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

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Julian V

Series 63, Series 66

Skokie, IL

Northern Trust Securities, Inc.

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.

Passive / index investing Active portfolio management ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Gabriel R

Series 63, Series 65

Skokie, IL

Fidelity

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.

Charitable giving & philanthropy Active portfolio management
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Leonard F

Series 65

Skokie, IL

HealthQuant Associates LLC

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.

Active portfolio management
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Merrick R

Series 66

Skokie, IL

Guardian Life

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.

Business exit / sale strategy Tax-loss harvesting Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Charitable giving & philanthropy Founder/Business Owner Executive Financial Professional Approaching retirement Established Professionals Mid-Career Professionals
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Ari L

Series 63, Series 65

Skokie, IL

Baldwin Wealth Partners, LLC

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.

ESG / Sustainable investing Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Concentrated stock management Wealth management Founder/Business Owner Executive Established Professionals

Andrew G

Series 66

Cincinnati, OH

Merrill

Andrew Grombala is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He focuses on serving corporate executives and high-earning professionals who have complex compensation structures, including equity awards such as RSUs, stock options, ESPP programs, deferred compensation packages, and performance awards. In his role, he helps clients manage concentration risk, reduce tax implications, and align their equity compensation with long-term, goals-based wealth strategies. Since entering the industry in 2017, Andrew has adopted a structured, plan-first approach that incorporates compensation, cash flow, family priorities, retirement planning, and overall risk management. He guides clients through various financial events, including vesting, diversification, liquidity management, and retirement income planning. His expertise extends to executive compensation, family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, managing new wealth, portfolio management services, and tax minimization. Andrew holds FINRA Series 7 and Series 66 registrations and is licensed in Accident & Health, Life, and Variable Insurance. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, where he also competed as a student-athlete in football and lacrosse. He resides in Anderson Township with his wife and two children. Outside of work, Andrew enjoys boating, golfing, football, ice hockey, music, and spending time with his family.

Exec comp design Stock option exercise strategy Equity Recipients (RS/RSU, SOP, ESPP) Liquidity event planning Concentrated stock management Executive Parents
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Tyler M

Series 65

Vienna, VA

Rembert Pendleton Jackson

Tyler Morris is a financial advisor at Rembert Pendleton Jackson with a Series 65 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining RPJ, he worked at Clarendon Wealth Management and has experience with Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and Brambleton Bettas. Rembert Pendleton Jackson provides investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and business consulting to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals and institutional clients. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach and manages both discretionary and non-discretionary assets.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Stock option exercise strategy Charitable giving & philanthropy General tax planning Founder/Business Owner Retired

Eric B

CFP®, Series 66

Santa Maria, CA

Edward Jones

Eric Bravo is a CFP® professional with 18 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Edward Jones since 2007. He is based in Santa Maria, CA. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs and investment strategies supported by a large nationwide network of advisors and branch offices.

Retirement income strategy Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Liquidity event planning Startup equity planning Wealth management Founder/Business Owner
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Robin C

Series 63, Series 65

Knoxville, TN

Knox Wealth Partners Advisory

Robin Clark is a financial advisor with Knox Wealth Partners Advisory, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 17 years of industry experience. He has worked with LPL Financial since 2008 and has been with Knox Wealth Partners Advisory since 2018. Outside of advisory services, he operates an independent insurance agency specializing in fixed insurance products. Knox Wealth Partners Advisory serves primarily high-net-worth individuals and business owners, managing approximately $231 million across a seven-advisor team. The firm employs an open-architecture investment approach that includes a variety of asset classes and strategies, and it offers both discretionary and non-discretionary management alongside financial planning and consulting services.

Business ownership considerations Business succession planning Stock option exercise strategy Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Arriana N

Series 65

Palm Beach Gardens, FL

LRI Investments

Arriana Neese is a financial advisor at LRI Investments with a Series 65 credential and three years of industry experience. She previously worked at Advanced Insurance Strategies, Inc and Retirement Income Strategies, Inc. Neese also serves as a marketing associate at Lindberg & Ripple through M Holdings Securities. LRI Investments, LLC provides financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, businesses, financial institutions, and certain government entities. The firm manages approximately $2.78 billion with a team of 25 professionals, focusing on customized asset allocation and a long-term investment approach across mutual funds, ETFs, and equities.

Stock option exercise strategy Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Retirement income strategy Tax strategies for small businesses Charitable giving tax strategies Founder/Business Owner Retired Self-Employed Executive Mid-Career Professionals HENRY (High Earners, Not Rich Yet)
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