— Retirement Income Planning · Chicago's South & Southwest Suburbs —

Fifty years helping the Chicago area retire with income designed to last.

Richard Casolari, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and Investment Advisor Representative, builds custom retirement income strategies for pre-retirees and retirees across Chicago's south and southwest suburbs. A selective practice, with direct access to Richard and his team, not a call center.

Check the background of this investment professional on FINRA's BrokerCheck.

Palos Heights, Illinois Scroll
50
Years of Experience
650+
Households Served
24
States Licensed
CFP®
Certified Financial Planner™ Professional
Figures reflect the practice as of 2026 and are subject to change.
— What We Solve —

Three risks that decide a retirement

Retirement income planning is a different discipline than building a nest egg. The years just before and just after you stop working carry risks that growth-focused portfolios are not designed to handle. These are the three we plan around first.

Sequence of returns risk

The order your returns arrive in matters as much as their average. A steep loss in the first years of retirement, while you are drawing income, can affect how long a portfolio lasts. We structure withdrawals with that risk in mind.

Outliving your savings

The concern behind most other concerns. A retirement income plan works through a concrete question: how much can you draw, from which accounts, in which order. We build that plan, document it, and review it with you on a set schedule.

The cost of the plan

Costs compound over decades, so they belong in the conversation rather than the fine print. Advisory accounts use a single tiered schedule that scales down as assets grow, and every cost is reviewed with you before anything is implemented.

Richard Casolari, CFP, at his Palos Heights office
— Five Decades In —

Fifty years in this business means Richard has planned through every kind of market. That experience is the practice.

Richard Casolari has spent half a century working with families across the Chicago area. He works directly with each client, builds a portfolio around that client's own plan rather than assigning a preset risk bucket, and says what he thinks even when it is not what someone wants to hear.

The practice is built for continuity. A designated successor and a long-tenured team mean your plan does not depend on any single person, and client assets are held at Pershing, the clearing custodian.

Read Richard's story →
— How We Help —

Built around the retirement income years

Five focused services for pre-retirees and retirees across the Chicago suburbs. Start with the one closest to your question, or schedule a review and we will point you to the right place.

Fees, charges and expenses are detailed in the Cetera Wealth Services LLC's ADV Part 2A.

Converting from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA is a taxable event. Cetera Wealth Services LLC, exclusively provides investment products and services through its representatives. Although Cetera does not provide tax or legal advice, or supervise tax, accounting or legal services, Cetera representatives may offer these services through their independent outside business. This information is not intended as tax or legal advice.

For a comprehensive review of your personal situation, always consult with a tax or legal advisor. Neither Cetera Wealth Services LLC nor any of its representatives may give legal or tax advice.

— Where We Work —

Serving Chicago and the surrounding suburbs

Chicago Palos Park Lake Forest Orland Park Wilmette Oak Lawn Winnetka Glenview Skokie Alsip Burr Ridge Hinsdale Clarendon Hills LaGrange Homer Glen New Lenox Lemont Dyer, IN St. John, IN Crown Point, IN
See all areas we serve →
— Start Here —

Find out whether your plan is built for the income years.

A Retirement Readiness Review is a direct conversation with Richard about where you stand and what comes next. No call center, no pressure.

Schedule a Retirement Readiness Review
Richard Casolari, CFP, in a navy suit and striped tie against a dark studio background

About the Author

Richard Casolari, CFP®

Founder, Advanced Financial Concepts · Palos Heights, Illinois

Richard Casolari is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and the founder of a retirement income planning practice in Palos Heights, Illinois. He has spent roughly fifty years in financial services, working with pre-retirees and retirees across Chicago's south and southwest suburbs.

The work coordinates retirement income planning, investment management, tax-aware withdrawal sequencing in coordination with your CPA, Medicare enrollment and supplement timing, and protection planning through licensed affiliates, into a single coordinated approach that is reviewed on a schedule. Securities are offered through Cetera Wealth Services, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services are offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, a registered investment adviser. The registration history behind that work is public on FINRA BrokerCheck, CRD #42779.