Stephen Smith, CSSCS, CCFS®

President

Stephen helps retirees build a secure retirement that accounts for all of life’s unknowns. He takes a holistic approach that focuses on social security optimization, tax efficient distribution, and complex, customized wealth transfer strategies. Stephen works closely with his clients to create the security they are looking for in their golden years.

Stephen has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering from Marquette University. He is certified in social security claiming strategies (CSSCS) and college funding solutions (CCFS®).

Additionally, Stephen is a nationally recognized speaker on the complex topics of Social Security Benefits and tax efficient distribution strategies. Through a partnership with Highland Capital Brokerage, he mentors hundreds of advisors who have grown their practice by adopting Stephen’s holistic approach to financial planning.

Brian Atkins

President

Brian started his career in finance in 1997 at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange while attending the University of Illinois, Chicago. After a short period, Brian leased a membership and began trading for both his clients and his personal account. Recognizing the shift from open outcry to electronic markets, Brian joined Allendale Inc., a commodity brokerage firm located in McHenry, Illinois. His responsibilities included advising commercial accounts on how to best forward price their future crop and livestock production and manage their currency risk.  Brian formed Atkins & Associates in 2011.  A & A has allowed Brian to continue his work with hedging clients while adding asset management, social security planning, managed futures and other alternative investment products deemed advantageous to his clients.

Brian holds series 3 and series 65, he is licensed in life and health insurance, and is registered with the National Futures Association as an AP and a CPO. Outside of the office, Brian stays very active with his family. He coaches his sons’ baseball team, enjoys boating on the Fox River, and traveling with his beautiful wife Jodie.

Mike Dressander

Managing Partner

Mike has been in the financial services arena for 39 years. During this tenure he has worked with tens of thousands of financial professionals from coast to coast teaching them effective techniques to incorporate insurance products into certain consumers portfolio’s to mitigate risk. Additionally Mike has worked with many major insurance companies  helping them design products to help boomers and retirees transition from their working stage to their retirement stage.

Mike and his family enjoy travel and spending time together with his dogs. As a Chicago sports fan he’s always following whatever team is in season with the Bears and Blackhawks being his favorites.   

Steve DeJohn

Managing Partner

Steve has been in the financial services business since 1986. Starting out with Prudential Securities holding a series 6, 63 and series 7. Moving to MetLife and then The MONY group Steve has dealt with thousands of Consumers and their quest to assure the right investment and insurance products for their portfolio.

Steve started his own firm in 2000 primarily offering retirement Annuities for safety and income for life. He partnered with an IMO in 2004 and has trained over 10,000 financial agents and advisors.  He was feature on the cover of Senior Market Advisor Magazine in June of 2006. He was a long time MDRT and Top of the Table producer. He has been involved in many public speaking engagements throughout the industry.

Steve has 2 boys both attending University of Iowa, a wife Kirstin and has lived in Arlington Heights for 58 years.

He attended St. Viator High School and Marquette University. He enjoys boating and golfing in Lake Geneva the past 52 summers as well as coaching and watching his kids play sports. 

Alayna Leuzé

Financial Advisor

Everyone has a different vision of what makes a successful retirement. Your dream, whatever it may be, is one that could be attainable. As a financial advisor at Significant Wealth, Alayna provides attentive and knowledgeable services and support for our clients. Alayna holds a series 7 and series 66 as well as a license for Health/Life Insurance. She provides clients with education on how to take their assets and utilize them in the most efficient way so they may have the retirement lifestyle that they always dreamed of having. Whether it is today, 20 years from now, or just around the corner, Alayna and her team will analyze every aspect of your financial life to measure the progress you are making to reach your goals.

Alayna received her Bachelors in Finance at Roosevelt University. She began her career as a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch, perusing her dreams to become educated in preserving hard earned money and sharing her knowledge with others. There she learned valuable skills on how to work with clients as strategic partners and create tailored and personalized plans that addressed their specific needs. Alayna later joined Significant Wealth to apply her skills and build ongoing relationships with the clients she works with. Alayna knows that working on a team with individuals that vary in expertise is crucial in producing the best results for her clients.

Alayna lives in Cary with her husband Dave and their 5 children. They are avid Chicago sports fans and play volleyball in the summer. In their free time they enjoy traveling, fishing, boating, and watching their children's sporting events.

Scott Smith

Financial Advisor

Scott holds an Associate of Science Degree in Mechanical Design Engineering from Moraine Park Technical College and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Phoenix. He has been a successful entrepreneur having started three businesses in the manufacturing sector, taking one public. He has worked with hundreds of manufacturing firms over his career offering solutions to challenging design, manufacturing, sourcing and strategy problems as an executive in sales, marketing, engineering and operations.

Scott recently joined Significant Wealth Partners to apply his strong solutions thinking and strategic plan development experience to the individual in need of financial planning and retirement services relying on strong analytic and thinking out of the box skills to the financial planning process for his clients. Scott specializes on developing conservative retirement and financial plans that protect principle while delivering reasonable returns.

Scott lives in Crystal Lake, IL with his wife of 41 years Joann. He has five grown children and three grandchildren.

Joshua Lang

Significant Wealth Partners

Joshua believes that the way of planning for retirement has changed drastically over the years. With the decrease of pensions, he noticed that a large portion of retirees did not have a plan to go from accumulating assets to receiving income. Joshua takes a unique approach when guiding retirees through the distribution phase of retirement. Joshua holds a Series 65 as well as a Life/Health insurance license.

Joshua is a native of Florida, where he attended Lakewood Ranch High School and the University of South Florida. When he is not working, he loves to spend time with his wife, Natalya, and four young children. He also loves playing piano, in which he serves on the worship his church’s worship team.

Dave Leuze’

Financial Advisor

Dave jumped head first into the financial world starting out with Merrill Lynch. He studied hard and learned the business. It wasn't long before he realized he was in the right business but in the wrong place. He wanted to work with a specific type of client and do his job in a specific sort of way. He wanted to be different and needed a company that he could do that with.

Now at Significant Wealth Partners, Dave can honestly say that he loves his job. If you're looking for a different approach to advising and an advisor that adds value to your life and your portfolio, Dave is the guy for you.

Dave is also our Medicare specialist and offers free Medicare services to all of our clients. Medicare is a small portion of a successful plan but every piece of the puzzle is important.

Tammy Polivka

administrative support

Tammy provides administrative support for the SWP team.  She has a bachelor's degree in Business Management from Northern Illinois University.  She enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters and lives in Cary.