Sharon Young

Bruce Krieg is a financial advisor at Midwest Investment Advisors, LLC in Fenton, Missouri, holding a Series 65 designation with 15 years of industry experience. He has been with Midwest Investment Advisors since 2010 and also has a long-standing association with Kriegl Lohbeck & Co dating back to 1992. Midwest Investment Advisors serves individual, high-net-worth, institutional, and business clients, providing discretionary portfolio management and financial planning. The firm employs multiple analysis methods and manages all portfolios in-house, overseeing a notably high client load for a solo advisor and maintaining an affiliation with an accounting firm to offer complementary services.

Jeffrey Mcgovern is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with 13 years of industry experience. He is currently the sole advisor at Haven Wealth Planning, where he has worked since 2022. Prior to that, he spent six years at Buckingham Strategic Wealth, LLC. Haven Wealth Planning provides discretionary investment management and financial planning services primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs an evidence-based, passive investment approach grounded in Modern Portfolio Theory and the Fama–French framework, often utilizing index mutual funds and ETFs, and integrates financial planning with investment advice.

Daniel Heffernan is the principal of Heffernan & Associates, Inc. in St. Louis, MO, holding the CFP® designation and Series 63 license with 28 years of industry experience. He has been with Heffernan & Associates since 1985. Heffernan is also licensed as a life insurance agent for fixed annuities with Jackson National Life Insurance Company and AssetMark Trust Company. Heffernan & Associates provides investment advice and financial counseling to individuals, families, and related entities, managing approximately $17.12 million in client assets as of December 31, 2024. The firm employs a fundamental, long-term investment approach with a focus on macroeconomic assessment, credit analysis, and valuation, operating primarily on a non-discretionary basis with ongoing consultation and financial planning services.

John Gower is the sole advisor at John C. Gower, CFP, EA, an independent firm based in St. Louis, MO. He holds the CFP® and Series 65 designations and has seven years of industry experience, with his firm operating since 1996. In addition to financial advising, he also provides tax preparation services. The firm offers fee-only financial planning and discretionary investment management primarily for high-net-worth individuals, small businesses, trusts, and retirement plans. It employs a strategic asset-allocation approach focused on diversification, cost containment, tax management, and ongoing portfolio oversight.

Charles Heisner is a CFP® and Series 65-registered financial advisor with 24 years of industry experience. He is the principal of Heisner Financial, LLC, an independent firm he founded in 2001 in St. Louis, MO. Heisner maintains an active CPA license, which he uses to supplement his financial advisory services. Heisner Financial, LLC provides personal financial planning and investment advisory services to individuals, trusts, and select business clients, integrating tax, bookkeeping, and business consulting with investment advice. The firm manages approximately $37 million in client assets on a non-discretionary basis and offers both ongoing and hourly consulting engagements.

Joseph Darpel is a CFP® with 32 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is the principal advisor at Smart Steps Wealth Management LLC, having previously worked at Gunpowder Capital Management, Hayden Royal, and Raymond James Financial Services. He is also president of Jos F Darpel Investment Co., a non-investment-related support company. Smart Steps Wealth Management LLC offers discretionary asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm combines fundamental, quantitative, and technical investment analysis and provides institutional and retirement-plan services alongside individual wealth management, including the use of derivatives in managed accounts.