Steven Gardner

David Marrone is a ChFC® credentialed financial advisor with 28 years of industry experience. He has been associated with Financial Synergy, Inc. since 1993 and Commonwealth Financial Network, Inc. since 1995. Outside of advising, he serves as a notary public. Financial Synergy, Inc. serves individual clients by providing financial planning, portfolio management, tax preparation, and planning services. The firm operates primarily on a non-discretionary basis, integrating accounting and tax expertise with advisory and insurance services in a small, hands-on practice.

Scott Willenbrock is the sole advisor at Willenbrock Financial Planning in Champaign, Illinois, holding a Series 65 designation with 16 years of industry experience. He has been a professor of physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign since 1993, balancing his academic career with financial advisory work. Willenbrock Financial Planning serves individual clients, trusts, estates, and small entities by providing comprehensive personal financial planning and discretionary investment management. The firm employs a diversified, low-cost index fund strategy tailored to clients’ time horizons and risk tolerances, operating on a fee-only, single-advisor model with no third-party compensation.

Xinhong Liu is a CFP® professional with nine years of industry experience, currently practicing at an independent financial planning and asset management firm in Champaign, IL. Prior to founding the firm, Liu worked at Cozad Asset Management, Inc. and M Holdings Securities, Inc. from 2016 to 2019. Liu also serves as Treasurer of the Chinese American Association of Central Illinois. The firm provides financial planning and investment management services tailored to individual clients and trusts, along with retirement plan consultation for small businesses. Portfolios are customized based on client circumstances and risk tolerance, emphasizing long-term, diversified allocation with quarterly and annual reviews.

William Cooper is a financial advisor at W.K. Cooper II Asset Management Corporation in Champaign, IL, holding Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 licenses with 25 years of industry experience. He has been with his current firm since 2000. W.K. Cooper II Asset Management Corporation serves high-net-worth individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, and corporate clients by providing discretionary portfolio management and wealth-management services focused on risk management. The firm uses third-party research and offers personalized investment oversight through a combination of informal monitoring and formal annual reviews.

Scott Cline is a financial advisor with Cline Financial Concepts, LLC in Champaign, IL, holding a Series 65 designation and 20 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Miller Financial Planning LLC from 2014 to 2016. In addition to his advisory work, he consults on MS Excel clean-up for an agricultural consulting company during off trading hours. Cline Financial Concepts provides discretionary investment management and fee-based financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm emphasizes fundamental analysis and a generally long-term investment approach, utilizing low-cost, diversified mutual funds and ETFs, with selective use of individual securities, and serves a multi-million dollar client asset base.

Todd Lester is a financial advisor with Lester Financial Group, LLC in Champaign, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and over 30 years of industry experience. He has worked at multiple firms including OsaiC Wealth, Inc., Arbor Point Advisors, and Securities America Advisors, Inc. Additionally, he offers fixed insurance products as an insurance agent. Lester Financial Group, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm manages discretionary accounts through a small team, tailoring portfolio management and planning based on client objectives, time horizon, and risk tolerance.