Elite Qualifier Jim Flanagan Attends Independent Financial Group’s 2026 Elite Advisor Conference in Rome

Independent Financial Group, LLC (IFG), an independent wealth management provider headquartered in San Diego, California, announced that Dr. Jim Flanagan has qualified for the firm’s prestigious 2026 Elite Advisor Conference, an exclusive recognition awarded to IFG’s top-producing advisors nationwide. This year’s conference will take place in Rome, Italy, bringing together IFG’s highest achievers for a week of recognition, collaboration, and celebration.

Founder of the Celebrating Seniors Coalition, serving Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park, Flanagan earned Elite Advisor status through outstanding performance, client commitment, and professional excellence during 2025, achieving a minimum of $1 million in GDC for the year. This accomplishment places him among an elite group of just 76 advisors nationwide who qualified for this distinction.

“Qualifying for the Elite Advisor Conference reflects an exceptional level of dedication and success,” said David Fischer, Co-founder and CMO of IFG. “Advisors like Flanagan exemplify the values of professionalism, integrity, and client-first service that define IFG. We are proud to celebrate their accomplishments in such an inspiring global setting.”

The IFG Elite Advisor Conference is held annually in select international and luxury destinations and serves as a platform to honor top advisors while fostering meaningful connections and strategic conversations. The 2026 conference in Rome will feature business sessions, networking opportunities, and curated experiences designed to reflect the spirit of la dolce vita.

About Dr. James L. Flanagan

Dr. James L Flanagan, a River Forest resident, has been helping people create wealth and reduce taxes for over 35 years. Jim is no stranger to hard work and brings this steadfast work ethic to all that he does.

In 2001, building on his 15 years in the financial services field and his knowledge of risk management, retirement planning and estate planning, Jim formed Downers Grove-based Bentron Financial Group.

Dedicated to serving people at or near retirement, Bentron specializes in comprehensive, fee-based planning for retirees, corporate executives and business owners. Jim’s experience, knowledge and integrity have attracted numerous longtime clients whom he empowers with regular seminars, market updates, and other insights that help them make informed financial decisions based on their unique and personal situation.

Jim’s strong belief in lifelong learning brought him to Triton College in River Grove, Illinois, where he authored and has been teaching the retirement planning curriculum since 2008. Dr. Flanagan has been an Adjunct Professor of Gerontology at Concordia University of Chicago since 2017. He has authored and published numerous other articles on financial, estate and business planning matters. His work includes Packing for Retirement, which was published in June 2019.

In 2007, Dr. Flanagan earned his master’s degree in Business Administrations from Dominican University’s Brennan School of Business with a concentration in Finance. In 2016, Jim earned a Master of Arts degree in gerontology from the University of Southern California. In 2019, Jim received a Doctorate in Philosophy (PhD) with a concentration in leadership and Gerontology from Concordia University Chicago.

About Independent Financial Group

Independent Financial Group, LLC (IFG) is a privately held independent wealth management provider based in San Diego, California. Founded in 2003, IFG supports more than 600 independent financial professionals in over 400 offices nationwide with a comprehensive suite of business solutions. IFG has been widely recognized as a leading independent broker-dealer. In 2025, Financial Advisor Magazine ranked IFG as the 15th largest national independent broker-dealer and #2 among privately held broker-dealers, both based on gross revenue, as well as 7th for highest average production per representative. Financial Planning Magazine ranked IFG 1^st for women as a percentage of producing representatives in 2025. InvestmentNews ranked the firm among the top 10 for payout and account assets in 2024 and named IFG runner-up for Broker-Dealer of the Year in 2025. IFG is an eight-time winner of the Inc. 5000 list of "Fastest Growing Private Companies in the US" and the San Diego Business Journal ranked IFG #7 among the Largest Private Companies in San Diego in 2022 and 2023.

To learn more about IFG, visit ifgsd.com.