About

Plan For Your Future

The Stewart Agency offers traditional insurance products for the home, auto, business, and more. But we go well beyond that. We’re a full-service financial firm with more than 20 years experience maximizing retirement income, protecting people’s hard-earned assets and tax reduction. We believe there is no single best place to keep your money that fits everyone the same. Trust our team to find the best solution for your retirement money; trust the team at Stewart to exceed your needs.

Charlie Stewart

President, Stewart Insurance and Financial Services Agency

Charlie leverages his extensive background to structure insurance-based plans to protect families and businesses. Charlie is a rare individual who believes the client relationship is the most important aspect to securing and protecting a family’s future.Charlie has been a Financial advisor and insurance specialist for over 20 years. His experience includes opportunities with Fortune 500 companies such as Morgan Stanley and Fifth Third Bank. Charlie’s experience is supplemented with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a Finance concentration from the DeVry University Keller Graduate School of Management as well as a Bachelor of Economics from Northern Illinois University.

Credentials

CFE Certified Financial Educator®/Instructor
Heartland Institute of Financial Education
September 2012 – Present, Oakbrook Terrace, IL

It’s exciting for me to help people achieve financial literacy. I do this by taking a simple and straight forward approach. Most people who attend my class have little to no prior knowledge of any financial concepts and it’s not always their fault. If Mom or Dad did not teach them than where would they learn how to build a financial foundation? Unfortunately, most learn through trial and error. This is a major issue in our country today. There are only 4 states in the US that require one high school semester of basic financial planning. In the last 15 years, I continue to see folks struggle to put it all together. This is why I partnered with the Heartland Institute. I am Certified Financial Educator® and I teach because I believe in their mission of promoting financial literacy throughout the US. The Heartland Institute of Financial Education (HIFE) is a non-profit organization that has partnered with a consortium of colleges and universities throughout the United States to provide financial wellness classes, in a non-solicitous manner, for employees of Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, churches, and other non-profit organizations. The Heartland Institute provides these programs for companies and organizations that want their people to enjoy a more financially secure future. When employees and members are confident in their future and working toward their goals through a sound game plan, they are more productive in the workplace.

We also Conduct Continuing Education for HR Managers as required by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). Please visit our website to learn more about us.

Certified College Consultant
Heartland Institute of Financial Education
September 2012 – Present, Oakbrook Terrace, IL

The “HIFE CPP” is a college planning coaching and funding program, the purpose of which is to help students and parents successfully navigate the complex college preparation, selection and funding process.

Our coaches work directly with students and parents to establish an action-plan for college selection and funding. We help the student develop a personal “resume” that will aid them in competing for valuable student loans, awards, grants and other forms of assistance that can help offset their college education costs.

HIFE CPP supports the efforts of high school counselors and parents by helping families qualify for and access federal, state and college-controlled funds…monies colleges spend to attract quality students. HIFE’s coaches work to improve the student’s chances of qualifying for these funds.

The HIFE CPP is designed for students who is entering their 9th grade through 12th grade in high school.

For this program to be effective, the participant must be willing to complete an initial assessment, college & FAFSA applications, resumes, essays, as well as the homework assigned by their HIFE Coach.

As of April 2013, HIFE has found over $2 Million Dollars in scholarships and savings for 85 students who are entering college in the fall of 2013. That averages around $24,000 per student.

The Heartland Institute provides the detailed analysis and strategies that help “mitigate” the high cost of college. Each client/family is assigned a “Coach” who works directly with the Student and Parents, assisting them with the college planning/funding/admissions process.

Based on a family’s specific financial situation, The Heartland Institute will determine strategies that will reduce the family’s “Expected Family Contribution” (EFC), thereby, qualifying the Student for “Need-Based” monies from both Federal and State resources, as well as the college’s own resources and private resources.

Linda Fernandez

Certified College Planning Consultant, Stewart Insurance and Financial Services Agency

Heartland Institute of Financial Education
September 2013  – Present, Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois

The “HIFE CPP” is a college planning coaching and funding program, the purpose of which is to help students and parents successfully navigate the complex college preparation, selection and funding process.

Our coaches work directly with students and parents to establish an action-plan for college selection and funding. We help the student develop a personal “resume” that will aid them in competing for valuable student loans, awards, grants and other forms of assistance that can help offset their college education costs.

HIFE CPP supports the efforts of high school counselors and parents by helping families qualify for and access federal, state and college-controlled funds…monies colleges spend to attract quality students. HIFE’s coaches work to improve the student’s chances of qualifying for these funds.

The HIFE CPP is designed for students who is entering their 9th grade through 12th grade in high school.

For this program to be effective, the participant must be willing to complete an initial assessment, college & FAFSA applications, resumes, essays, as well as the homework assigned by their HIFE Coach.

As of April 2013, HIFE has found over $2 Million Dollars in scholarships and savings for 85 students who are entering college in the fall of 2013. That averages around $24,000 per student.

The Heartland Institute provides the detailed analysis and strategies that help “mitigate” the high cost of college. Each client/family is assigned a “Coach” who works directly with the Student and Parents, assisting them with the college planning/funding/admissions process.

Based on a family’s specific financial situation, The Heartland Institute will determine strategies that will reduce the family’s “Expected Family Contribution” (EFC), thereby, qualifying the Student for “Need-Based” monies from both Federal and State resources, as well as the college’s own resources and private resources.

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    Brian Dunn

    Brian has an extensive background in options trading and specializes in managing individual investment accounts. Brian has been a registered investment adviser and working with insurance products since 2015. Brian’s experience is supplemented with a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Illinois at Chicago.