Our Team

Jud oversees various aspects of securities and investment programs, with particular emphasis on investment reviews, risk profile assessment, portfolio analysis and asset allocation.  He is a proponent of passive investment strategies using Modern Portfolio Theory, as well as an advocate of rigorously screened active managers in special situations.

Jud began his financial services career with Prudential Insurance in 1975.  With degrees from the University of Kansas in Business Administration (B.S., 1975) and Law (J.D., 1979), Jud has extensive experience in financial planning, and served on the 2006-07 Board of Directors of the Illinois Chapter of The Financial Planning Association.  He is currently a member of the Union League Club of Chicago, the Chicago Council on Planned Giving, and is a lifetime member of the American Association of Individual Investors. 

As a licensed private pilot, Jud enjoys membership in both the Stick & Rudder Flying Club of Waukegan IL, and the Leading Edge Flying Club at Chicago Executive Airport. He also enjoys photography, most outdoor sports, and struggles mightily at golf.

STEVEN A. NITZKIN, CLU^®, ChFC^®

Steve Nitzkin has been a financial professional since 1977.  Over the past 30 years, he has created a highly service-oriented financial services practice.  He has successfully worked with professionals of varied disciplines and has developed a reputation for integrity, honesty, and problem solving ability.   Prior to 1977, he was a financial analyst for a FORTUNE 100® company, helped operate a family-owned retail dry goods business, and was a key employee involved with the opening of what became one of the nation's largest do-it-yourself building materials/home center chains.

Steve attended Roosevelt University where he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Degree, majoring in finance and minoring in accounting.  He also attended DePaul University Law School.  He obtained his CLU (Chartered Life Underwriter) designation in 1984 and his ChFC (Chartered Financial Consultant) designation in 1999.  He is a member of the Million-Dollar Round Table, The Chicago Estate Planning Council, The Chicago Association of Life Underwriters, The Society of Financial Professionals, The North-West Builders Association and other industry organizations.  Steve continues to be a dedicated student of the financial services industry.

Steve's professional expertise lies in the areas of estate planning strategies, business succession strategies, employee benefits consulting, and retirement plan design, implementation, and benefit distribution.  He also works with senior citizens, advising them on long-term care issues, wealth preservation and wealth distribution to heirs and charitable planning strategies.

JEFFREY S. SOPHIAN, CLU^®, ChFC^®

Jeff Sophian has been in the financial services industry since 1993.  Over the last 13 years, he has helped his clients to identify problems, challenges and opportunities in their business and personal planning, and to design solutions to best accomplish their goals.  He has vast experience with family businesses and closely held corporations, having acquired first hand knowledge of the dynamics of family-owned businesses during the many years he spent running his father-in-law's chain of retail drug stores.

Jeff graduated from the University of Illinois where he obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration.  He went on at Illinois to complete his MBA in Marketing.   Jeff earned the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designation in 2004 and the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation in 2006.

Jeff has also been a member of the Million-Dollar Roundtable, the Society of Financial Services Professionals and served seven years on the Board of Directors of the Oak Park-River Forest Chamber of Commerce.

STUART NITZKIN

Stuart Nitzkin's formal education includes a a degree in business management from Indiana University.  He also brings over ten years of management experience in the real business world.  Having run both his own company and a not-for-profit organization, Stu has a working grasp of how businesses work and what their owners need to do in order to prepare for the future.  Stu's primary areas of empasis within BOAG are on business development, marketing, and case analysis.

Stuart owned his own construction company for 8+ years and is currently National Director of the Israel Sport Center for the Disabled.  He devotes much of his free time to volunteer opportunities and spending time with his family.   He also enjoys time with friends playing golf and basketball.