Your Spahn Financial Team

Kevin M. Spahn, J.D., CFP®, CLU®, ChFC®
Founder and President

My Passion for this Business

As an experienced and highly regarded Wealth Management Advisor, Kevin Spahn works with clients to create and execute on holistic financial plans to attain their goals, now and for generations to come.

Kevin began his career as a practicing attorney after receiving an undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and a law degree from the University of Wisconsin. When he left his law firm in 1993, he joined Northwestern Mutual and later established Spahn Financial to help families by providing thoughtful and comprehensive financial planning. This same goal still drives Kevin and the Spahn Financial team today. By helping clients, he impacts families, future generations, employees, businesses, and the communities they call home. Kevin is passionate about what he calls “non-traditional planning,” which includes strategies to create well-prepared beneficiaries who consider themselves stewards of the wealth they inherit.

Kevin Spahn has been recognized as not only a top-ten leading advisor in the Northwestern Mutual system, but also as a Top 400 Advisor in the country by the Financial Times publications and as a Top Financial Security Professional by Forbes.

Education

• Bachelor of Arts, Liberal Education, University of Notre Dame
• Bachelor of Law, Juris Doctor in Law, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Professional Credentials

• Juris Doctor (JD)
• CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP^®)
• Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU^®)
• Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC^®)
• Certified in Long Term Care (CLTC)

On a Personal Level

When Kevin’s not at the office, he enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, and volunteering for several charitable organizations and boards. Kevin and his wife Sue live in Wheaton, Illinois, and have four children. They like to get out and explore the city of Chicago, cheer for the Cubs, and travel the world with friends and family.

Kevin and Sue Spahn have made it a personal mission for their family to dedicate time to giving back to those in need. They regularly travel to Honduras on mission trips to support children in need. For more than a decade, Kevin and Sue have sponsored a golf outing supporting medical missions for the poor and underprivileged in third-world countries, including Honduras. They also support Catholic schools and spend time volunteering in their community for many organizations near and dear to their hearts.

Darren M. Kriston, CFP®
Chief Operations Officer

Darren is a highly-qualified associate wealth management advisor, with the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) professional and MBA credentials, as well as more than twenty years of experience in financial services. He has a wealth of knowledge in developing and executing intricate financial plans and is a valuable resource for analyzing complex alternatives such as tax-efficient strategies, refinancing, distribution strategies, and more. Darren teamed with Kevin in 2005 and has been an integral part of the growth of Spahn Financial, helping to define our investment philosophy, refine our processes and mentor our staff.

Darren lives in Northbrook with his wife Amy and their two sons.

Timothy M. Funke, CFA®
Vice President

As an associate wealth management advisor holding the CFA® (Chartered Financial Analyst) accreditation, Tim provides our clients with the sophisticated investment guidance they require, as well as overall financial planning strategy. Tim joined Spahn Financial in 2016 after twelve years at Northern Trust where he was a Vice President and Portfolio Manager. He spent most of his time at Northern Trust in their Personal Wealth Management division working with high net worth individuals and families. While in their Global Family Office, he worked with multigenerational, ultra-high net worth clients.

Tim is a graduate of the University of Dayton and has an MBA from DePaul. Tim lives in LaGrange with his wife Maureen and three children.

Jeff Van Horn
Director of Client Development

Jeff comes to us with 20 years’ experience in institutional asset management where he specialized in research sales and block trading. Jeff plays a vital role in the Spahn Financial mission to expand our reach and provide our experienced financial guidance to more families and individuals.

Jeff is a graduate of Western Michigan University and a former U.S. Marine.

Bill Armonda joined Northwestern Mutual in 2014 and the Spahn Financial team in 2022. Prior to joining Northwestern Mutual, Bill was a futures and options trader at The Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade. During his tenure at the exchanges, he was a founding partner and manager of R&B Capital, a proprietary trading firm.  

Bill works with our clients to help create financial plans designed to allow them to achieve their vision of their best future, whatever that may be. His commitment to helping families focus on what matters most is at the core of his approach to strategic financial planning.

Bill and his wife Lisa live in Hinsdale, IL, where they’ve raised their four sons: Bill, Jack, Joey, and Nicholas. When he’s not working, you can find Bill playing pickleball or golf, attending Chicago sporting events, traveling, or supporting The Community House in Hinsdale.

Kyle A. DeRaedt, CFP®, CPWA®
Associate Advisor

Kyle works directly with our clients, providing timely reviews of their financial plans and discussing current needs and questions. He keeps investment plans on track through trades, rebalancing, and transition of assets. Prior to joining Spahn Financial in 2016, he worked at two boutique firms helping high net worth individuals and business owners.

Kyle graduated from North Central College where he played soccer and earned NCAA academic all-region honors.

Nirav Patel
Associate Advisor

Nirav handles the execution of investment strategies with great care, precision, and knowledge, from account openings to daily transactions. Nirav joined the Spahn Financial team in 2013 and works with our investment clients on inquiries in to investment accounts, paperwork, and statements, and with deposit and distribution requests.

Nirav is a graduate of Northern Illinois University with a degree in Finance. He and his wife Resal live in South Elgin, and he is an avid cricket player.

Michelle L. Komperda
Director of Client Services

Michelle works with our clients to respond to questions, educate on insurance policies, and coordinate meetings with Kevin and the team. Michelle has been a part of Kevin’s team from the very beginning of his practice, and with more than twenty-five years of experience, she is an exceptional resource for your insurance questions.

Michelle lives in Westchester with her husband Scott and her two children.

Steven M. Wilder, CFP®, CLU®
Director of Financial Planning

Steve develops comprehensive financial plans for our clients to help better understand where they are in relation to their financial goals. He works directly with our clients to collect needed information to ensure our analysis and projections are accurate reflections of our clients' financial pictures. Steve has over fifteen years of industry experience and has been with Spahn Financial since 2007.

Steve lives in Elk Grove Village and enjoys snow skiing, traveling and going to the theater.

Jason Balogh
Investment Operations

Jason works with our clients to expedite and coordinate investment paperwork and enable online account access. Jason ensures our clients have a seamless experience with our team through a deep understanding of our clients and processes.

Jason is a recent graduate of the University of Dayton, where he played on the football team and was named to the Pioneer Football League academic honor roll. 

Kathryn/Katy works with clients to get a full, comprehensive view of their financial situation and helps them achieve their goals. She graduated from Loras in 2020 with a finance major and a history minor. She brings more than two years of financial planning experience to our team. Katy gathers the needed information from our clients to better understand their financial picture and creates a plan for their futures.

Chase works with our investment operations team to coordinate investment paperwork and enable online account access. Chase ensures our clients have a seamless experience with our team through a deep understanding of our clients and processes. Chase is a recent graduate of the University of Iowa, where he graduated with a degree in Finance and was a member of HawkTrade Stock Investment Club.

Laura A. Frank
Business Manager

Laura keeps our practice running. She is responsible for the workflow of our team as well as general business duties like accounting and business planning. Laura's first career was as an actuary with a pension consulting firm. She joined the Spahn Financial team in 2008 to assist the growing business.

Laura is a graduate of the University of Dayton. She lives in Lombard with her husband Chuck and has three grown children.

Kelly J. Eddy
Client Service Associate

Kelly has more than 15 years of experience with Northwestern Mutual, and her vast knowledge in the insurance field is a great asset to our team. She is highly efficient in addressing client needs, and our clients find her to be a valuable contact for information and assistance. Kelly lives in Wheaton with her husband Ben and two children.

Nora Patos
Operations Manager

Nora has a wide range of responsibilities within our firm, from managing records and data, to coordinating calendars and special projects. She is the consummate team player, supporting the team in our day-to-day work, helping to keep us organized, prepared, and on task.

Nora lives in Willowbrook with her husband and two children.