7 Local Financial Advisory Firms Near Carbondale and Marion to Consider in 2026
By Novak Financial Partners · Updated September 2026
Disclosure: Novak Financial Partners published this article and is included in the comparison. We have a financial interest in prospective clients considering our practice. We evaluated each practice using the same general criteria and relied on publicly available information as of September 2026. This is not a ranking or an exhaustive list of financial advisors serving Southern Illinois. Services, affiliations, fees, and personnel may change, so confirm current information directly with each practice.
Key takeaways
- Southern Illinois is home to several credible, locally based or independently branded financial planning practices, not just national branch offices
- Each firm brings its own specialties, advisor credentials, and approach to serving Carbondale, Marion, and the surrounding region
- The right choice depends on your goals, the advisor's experience, and the kind of relationship you want, not the brand name alone
Southern Illinois has a deeper bench of financial planning talent than many residents realize. Seven locally based or independently branded practices are compared here: 1618 Wealth, Alliance Wealth Management, Arcadia Wealth Group, Blacklock Wealth Management, Forbes Financial Group, Liberty Wealth Management, and Novak Financial Partners. Together, they serve Carbondale, Marion, Carterville, and the wider region with genuinely different specialties, credentials, and approaches, evidence that residents don't have to look outside the region to find capable, credentialed financial guidance.
Comparing local firms near Carbondale and Marion
| Practice | What stands out | Best suited for |
|---|---|---|
| 1618 Wealth | Specialized guidance built around the SURS pension election, plus dedicated planning tracks for physicians, business owners, and tech professionals | SIU faculty and staff, physicians, and other professionals wanting specialized fee-only planning |
| Alliance Wealth Management | A Carbondale practice since 2011, offering both advisory services through its own registered investment adviser and brokerage services through LPL Financial | Households wanting a long-standing local practice with advisory and brokerage options |
| Arcadia Wealth Group | A team of advisors and client service staff serving business owners, families, and institutions such as endowments and foundations | Marion-area business owners and higher-net-worth families wanting a team-based local practice |
| Blacklock Wealth Management | Led by Barbara Blacklock, an advisor of more than three decades, alongside a growing private wealth team including Rachael Asbury, CFP® | Affluent and multigenerational families wanting a personalized wealth-management relationship |
| Forbes Financial Group | Founded by John Forbes, a CPA and former KPMG accountant, bringing a tax and accounting background to financial planning | Southern Illinois families wanting comprehensive guidance from a long-standing local practice |
| Liberty Wealth Management | Founded by Joel Sambursky, a former SIU quarterback, SIU Board of Trustees member, and past Carbondale Chamber of Commerce director | Households wanting broad financial-planning guidance through a locally connected practice |
| Novak Financial Partners | Published flat annual fee of $4,000 or $6,000, no asset minimum, and direct access to one of the practice's two CFP® professionals | Households wanting comprehensive flat-fee planning without an asset minimum, from accumulation through retirement |
Information as of September 2026. Services and personnel may change, so confirm current details directly with each practice.
How we selected these firms
We selected these seven practices because they are based in or maintain a local office near Carbondale, Marion, or Carterville; operate under a locally based or independently branded practice name rather than a national firm's own branch identity; provide financial planning, investment management, wealth management, or retirement-planning services; and publish enough information to make a useful comparison.
Why aren't Edward Jones and Wells Fargo Advisors included?
This guide focuses on locally based or independently branded practices that may be less visible than national branch networks. Their exclusion is not a judgment on those firms or their advisors; it simply reflects the scope of this comparison.
What makes a financial advisor independent?
Local practices often use national firms like LPL Financial, Raymond James, or &Partners to handle custody, brokerage, compliance, or technology, while still maintaining their own practice name, local presence, and direct client relationships. That's a normal and common structure across the industry, not a sign that a practice is any less locally connected or personally attentive.
Whatever structure a firm uses, it's worth understanding how your advisor is compensated and what's included in your relationship. Every practice in this guide can answer those questions directly, and asking is a normal part of getting started with any advisor, local or national.
A closer look at each firm
1618 Wealth
Best for: SIU faculty and staff, physicians, and other high-income professionals wanting fee-only planning
Founded by Mark Chalem, CFP®, a Carbondale native and SIU finance graduate, 1618 Wealth brings something genuinely useful to the region: dedicated planning resources built for specific groups rather than one-size-fits-all advice. The firm has developed real expertise in the SURS pension election that SIU faculty and staff face early in their careers, a decision many employees only get to make once, alongside tailored planning for small business owners, physicians, and tech professionals navigating equity compensation or a career transition. Advisory services are offered through Independent Wealth Network, with 1618 Wealth as the locally branded practice.
What's distinctive is how specific that specialization is. Dedicating real content and process to something as narrow as the SURS Traditional-versus-Portable-versus-RSP decision is unusual for a market this size, and it's the kind of depth that can be hard to find outside a major metro. For SIU-affiliated households or high earners who want a planner fluent in their particular situation, that's a genuine advantage.
Alliance Wealth Management
Best for: Households wanting a long-standing local practice with both advisory and brokerage options
Alliance Wealth Management has been part of downtown Carbondale's business community since 2011, and current owners Brad Wills, CFP®, and John Alongi have built on that foundation since taking over the practice in 2019. Wills began his career at A.G. Edwards & Sons before helping found the group that became Alliance, and Alongi brings nearly two decades of local business ownership experience from running his family's restaurant. Investment advisory services are offered through Alliance's own registration, alongside securities offered through LPL Financial.
What stands out is the continuity: this is a firm that has changed hands only once in over a decade while continuing to serve the same Southern Illinois communities, including Carbondale, Marion, Murphysboro, and Carterville, the whole time. For households that value a practice with deep local roots and a broad range of services, from investment planning to insurance, Alliance offers exactly that kind of staying power.
Arcadia Wealth Group
Best for: Marion-area business owners and higher-net-worth families wanting a team-based local practice
Arcadia Wealth Group brings a team-based model to Marion, led by Ben Bruce and William Hartmann and supported by a dedicated client service staff. That structure lets the firm serve a genuinely broad range of clients, business owners, multigenerational families, endowments, foundations, and retirees, each with services built around their specific needs: succession planning for entrepreneurs, wealth transfer for families, and mission-aligned guidance for nonprofits. Securities and advisory services are offered through Raymond James Financial Services.
That structure may offer broader internal support for complex situations involving business ownership or significant family wealth. For Marion-area business owners and families who want that breadth of expertise close to home, Arcadia is a strong local option.
Blacklock Wealth Management
Best for: Affluent and multigenerational families wanting a personalized wealth management relationship
Barbara Blacklock founded her Carbondale practice after decades as an advisor at a national firm, bringing that experience home to build something more personal. The practice has since grown into a small team, including Rachael Asbury, CFP®, Director and Private Wealth Advisor, and Gabe Sareli, Private Wealth Advisor, giving clients access to both Blacklock's long track record and additional dedicated planning support. Securities and advisory services are offered through &Partners, with client assets custodied through Fidelity. The firm describes its mission simply: personalized planning and wealth management for clients across Southern Illinois and beyond.
What stands out is the pairing of Blacklock's decades of experience with a growing advisory team that includes a CFP® professional. That combination is well suited to serving both the everyday needs of a growing family and the more intricate planning that comes with real accumulated wealth. For families who want a wealth management relationship that feels genuinely personal, Blacklock is worth a look.
Forbes Financial Group
Best for: Southern Illinois families wanting general wealth accumulation and legacy planning through a long-standing local practice
John Forbes brings an accounting background to financial planning, having started his career as a staff accountant at KPMG before becoming a CPA and building Forbes Financial Group in Carbondale. He holds Accredited Behavioral Finance Professional and Accredited Asset Management Specialist designations, and describes the firm's purpose plainly: serving a select number of Southern Illinois families across the full arc of accumulating wealth, generating retirement income, and preserving a legacy. Securities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial.
What's distinctive is that financial-and-tax background working together; a planner who has spent real time in the numbers behind a balance sheet brings a useful lens to a comprehensive plan, not just the investment side of it. For families wanting a long-tenured local advisor who thinks about the full financial picture, Forbes is a solid, established choice.
Liberty Wealth Management
Best for: Households wanting general financial planning through a local practice
Joel Sambursky founded Liberty Wealth Management in 2012 after several years as an LPL advisor, following an earlier career leading the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce. His roots in the community run deep: a former SIU quarterback with an MBA from the university, he later served on the SIU Board of Trustees and has stayed active coaching youth sports around Carterville. Securities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial, and the practice covers the planning basics most households need: retirement, education savings, insurance, and home purchases.
What stands out is how embedded Sambursky is in the community he serves; a founder whose involvement spans the university, local youth sports, and the Chamber of Commerce brings a level of local connection that's hard to manufacture. For households wanting a well-known, well-connected local advisor for their core financial planning needs, Liberty is a natural fit.
Novak Financial Partners
Best for: Households wanting comprehensive flat-fee planning without an asset minimum, from accumulation through retirement
Max and Zach Novak were born and raised in Carterville and attended Southern Illinois University, where Max also earned his MBA. Before establishing Novak Financial Partners, they gained experience working within established national financial-planning and wealth-management firms. They brought that experience home to build a practice serving professionals and families across different financial stages, from accumulating wealth to preparing for and navigating retirement.
Clients work directly with one of the practice's two CFP® professionals for a published flat annual fee of $4,000 or $6,000, with no asset minimum and ongoing investment management included. Because pricing is not based on investable assets, the model can accommodate high-income households still building their portfolios and may also be cost-effective for households with substantial assets.
Novak is based in Carterville and primarily operates virtually, allowing the practice to serve clients locally and nationwide. Max and Zach also meet with Southern Illinois clients in person when helpful. Advisory services are offered through Core Planning LLC.
How to choose a financial advisor near Carbondale or Marion
- What credentials does the advisor hold? CFP® (Certified Financial Planner), CPA, CFA, and AIF® all represent different training and standards. Verify any credential directly with the issuing body (for CFP®, at cfp.net/verify-a-cfp-professional) rather than taking a title at face value.
- Is the advisor fee-only or fee-based? Fee-only advisors are compensated solely by client-paid fees. Fee-based advisors may also earn commissions on products they sell, which is a different, and not inherently worse, compensation model, but one worth understanding.
- Are you working with an adviser, a broker, or both? An investment adviser generally owes a fiduciary duty within the scope of the advisory relationship. A broker-dealer, under Regulation Best Interest, must act in a retail customer's best interest when making a securities or account recommendation, but does not necessarily have the same ongoing duty to monitor the relationship. Some advisors, particularly those affiliated with LPL, Raymond James, or &Partners, may act in either capacity depending on the account.
- Is investment management included, or is it a separate service? Some firms bundle investment management into a single fee; others charge for it separately or offer it only through certain account types.
- Who will be your primary point of contact, and can that change? Ask directly who your advisor will be, whether that could change over time, and what the firm's succession plan is if that person leaves or retires.
- Does the advisor have a track record with clients in your situation? A firm that regularly works with SIU faculty, business owners, physicians, or retirees will likely be more efficient at addressing the decisions specific to that situation than a generalist practice.
- What is your total cost? Ask for a written fee schedule that includes advisory fees, any commissions, product expenses, and transaction charges, not just the headline number.
- Does the firm serve your account size and situation? Some practices are built for higher-net-worth or business-owner relationships; others serve a broader range of household sizes and complexity.
Frequently asked questions
What are some financial advisory firms near Carbondale and Marion?
Locally based or independently branded practices serving the area include 1618 Wealth, Alliance Wealth Management, Arcadia Wealth Group, Blacklock Wealth Management, Forbes Financial Group, Liberty Wealth Management, and Novak Financial Partners. National firms such as Edward Jones and Wells Fargo Advisors also maintain branches in the area but are not covered in this comparison.
How do I find a fiduciary financial advisor in Southern Illinois?
Ask any advisor directly whether they act as a fiduciary in every part of your relationship, not just during financial planning. Investment advisers generally owe an ongoing fiduciary duty; brokers operate under a different standard that applies at the point of a recommendation. You can also confirm an advisor's registration and any disclosures through FINRA BrokerCheck and the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure database.
What is the difference between a fee-only and fee-based financial advisor?
Fee-only advisors are compensated exclusively through fees paid directly by clients, with no commissions from product sales. Fee-based advisors may charge fees and also earn commissions on certain products, such as insurance or brokerage transactions. Neither model is automatically better; the right one depends on your preferences and the complexity of your situation.
Are LPL and Raymond James advisors independent?
Advisors affiliated with LPL Financial or Raymond James may operate under their own locally branded practice names while using those national firms for brokerage, advisory, custody, compliance, or other infrastructure. The exact ownership and regulatory structure varies by practice, so ask the advisor directly how the relationship is structured.
How much does a financial advisor cost in Southern Illinois?
Costs vary by firm and compensation model. Fee-only advisors may charge a flat annual fee, an hourly rate, or a percentage of assets managed. Fee-based and commission-based advisors may charge a mix of advisory fees, product commissions, and transaction costs. There is no reliable published local average; ask any advisor for a written fee schedule before engaging their services.
Should I choose a local advisor or a national financial planning firm?
Both can be reasonable choices. A local, independently branded practice may offer more personal continuity and community familiarity, while a national firm may offer broader institutional resources. The more important questions are the advisor's credentials, compensation structure, fiduciary status, and whether they regularly work with clients in situations similar to yours.
Southern Illinois residents don't need to hire a large national firm, or make the drive to St. Louis, to find qualified, credentialed financial advice. The seven practices compared here, spanning Carbondale, Marion, and Carterville, serve genuinely different types of households, from SIU faculty and small business owners to multigenerational families, working professionals building wealth, and pre-retirees and retirees planning their next chapter. Together, they show that the region has a stronger financial-planning community than many consumers may realize. The right fit for you comes down to your goals, the kind of relationship you want, and an advisor's specific experience, not an assumption that you need to look outside the region to find good guidance.
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Book a free intro callThis article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute personalized financial, legal, or tax advice. Novak Financial Partners published this article and is included in the comparison; we have a financial interest in prospective clients considering our practice. Services, affiliations, fees, and personnel for every practice, including Novak, were sourced from each practice's official website as of September 2026 and are subject to change; confirm current information directly with each practice. This article is not a recommendation or endorsement of any practice named. For additional disclosures please visit corepln.com/disclosures.
This article is for general educational purposes and is not personalized financial, tax, legal, or investment advice. Advisory services offered through Core Planning LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor.
