Meet Your 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, I work with clients to create and execute on holistic financial plans to attain their goals, now and for generations to come.

I began my career as a practicing attorney after receiving degrees from both the University of Notre Dame and the University of Wisconsin. When I left my law firm in 1993, I joined Northwestern Mutual and later established Spahn Financial to help families by providing thoughtful and comprehensive financial planning. This same goal still drives me and my team today. By helping clients, we impact families, future generations, employees, businesses and the communities we call home.

I am pleased to have been recognized as not only a leading advisor in the Northwestern Mutual system, but also as a Top 400 Advisor in the country by Financial Times publications.

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

We'll spend time together as we work to build a plan for financial security, and it's important that you know who I am personally, and what drives me to help my clients reach their own financial goals.

When I'm not at the office, I enjoy spending my time with my family, golfing, and volunteering for several charitable organizations and boards. My wife, Sue, and I live in Wheaton, Illinois, and have four children. We like to get out and explore the city of Chicago, cheer for the Cubs, and travel the world with friends and family.

Sue and I have made it a personal mission for our family to dedicate our time to giving back to those in need. We regularly travel to Honduras on mission trips to support children in need and spend time volunteering in our community for many organizations near and dear to our 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.

David J. Lindberg
Financial Advisor

Dave works with young executives, newly married couples, and young families to help them get organized and establish good financial habits. It's critical to get off to the right start from a financial perspective at the beginning of one’s career. Prior to joining the Spahn Financial team in 2018, Dave worked at First Trust.

Dave is a proud graduate of Wheaton College, where he played football. Dave lives in Batavia with his wife Ashley and their three children.

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.

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.

Erin is a graduate of the University of Illinois, and a former intern for Spahn Financial. Erin’s high energy, skillfulness at connecting with people, and ability to absorb knowledge quickly and completely make her a natural fit for our team.  Erin has a strong focus on growth and is immersing herself in all aspects of our business. Her primary responsibilities are client development and relationship management.

Erin grew up in Wheaton, IL, and played soccer for Western Michigan University before transferring to continue her studies at the University of Illinois.

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.