Austin Shunk graduated with his Bachelor’s Degree from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. Austin is in his 11th year with Northwestern Mutual, working as an Associate Financial Representative with Shunk Financial Group. Over the past 11 years, Austin has worked diligently with clients to provide financial planning services that continually improves their life for the future.

Austin enjoys biking, swimming and traveling. Austin and his wife, Kayla, live in the Springfield area with their four children, Landon, Lyla, Delaney, and Lochlan.

Brent serves as a Private Wealth Management Advisor for Northwestern Mutual. He began his Northwestern Mutual career over 30 years ago and has accumulated a wide array of industry-wide experience, including being appointed a Managing Director from July 2000 through April 2013. In April of 2013, Brent returned to full-time production and began to build out Shunk Financial Group, eventually having his two sons join him to continue building out the firm. During his time at Northwestern Mutual, Brent has earned numerous industry awards, including Life Member of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), Top of the Table member for many consecutive years, and over the past several years has been named to the Forbes Top Financial Security Professionals list.

Brent believes in being proactive, putting first things first and beginning with the end in mind. These core beliefs help him provide comprehensive financial planning to help his clients reach financial security. Creating detailed plans with his team and seeing the success they derive over time is what drives him to continue his efforts within the community. Some of Brent’s fondest memories are the conversations had and the relationships built with his clients, as many have grown into not only clients, but life-long friends. He enjoys “helping clients discover what is possible”, the mission of Shunk Financial Group.

Alec Shunk serves as a Private Wealth Advisor for Northwestern Mutual. After a college internship with Northwestern Mutual, he decided to pursue his own career within the industry and has been building out his business ever since. For over ten years, Alec has been driven by the opportunity to make a difference in his client’s lives. He strives to understand the unique goals and motives of each of his clients by taking them through a comprehensive and in-depth planning approach. It’s through this process that he is able to help his clients realize and achieve their goals.

Throughout his career in Springfield, IL and now, Naples, FL, Alec has consistently been at the front of the industry by achieving accolades that include: Pacesetter First 40, Million Dollar Round Table multiple years in a row, Big 10 Top Advisors for his local area, and most recently was named to the 2023 Forbes Best-in-State Financial Security Professional Rankings.

Today, Alec and his wife, Emma, reside in Naples, FL with their four children Lucy, Ivy, Lois, and Henry.

Alec has his FINRA Series 6, 7, 63 and SIE registrations.

A native of Chapin, Illinois, Matt joined Northwestern Mutual as a Financial Representative Intern in 2009, while a senior at Truman State University. He became a full-time Associate Financial Representative upon graduating from college with a Bachelor of Science in Business Finance in 2010. After two years working as the Director of Major and Planned Giving at MacMurray College, he joined Brent Shunk’s team in 2014. In Matt’s role, he works with clients to implement plans and solutions for their businesses and/or personal retirement.

Matt enjoys reading, traveling, and backpacking. He lives in Jacksonville with his wife, Allie, and their daughters, Isla and Ada.

After graduating from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2007, Drew enjoyed an 11-year teaching career in Mississippi, Washington, DC, and St. Louis. He joined Shunk Financial Group in September of 2019 as an Associate Financial Representative. He currently serves as the Director of Planning and Investment Operations.

Drew enjoys cooking, reading, and backpacking. Drew and his wife, Maria, live in Jacksonville with their children, Lily and Elliot, as well an infant foster daughter.

Mac joined Shunk Financial Group in June of 2022 as their Director of Operations. Prior to working at Shunk Financial, Mac enjoyed a 10 year career within higher education, serving as a Vice President for the majority of that time at several universities across the country. With Shunk Financial Group, Mac is responsible for driving the internal operations of the business while keeping the company moving towards it’s mission through its core values. Mac holds a bachelor’s degree from Lincoln Christian University and a Master’s Degree from Western Kentucky University.

Mac enjoys playing golf and spending time with his family. Mac and his wife, Jessica, live in Lincoln with their son, Cohen, and daughter, Hallie.

A native of Rochester, IL, Dana graduated from Lincoln Land Community College in 2013 with an Associate’s Degree in Sociology. Dana had a career within retail for almost 10 years prior to joining the Shunk Financial Group in 2020 as an Associate Financial Representative. In her role, Dana works with clients to implement the best insurance and investment solutions for their financial plan.

Outside of work, Dana enjoys reading, crafting, riding bikes, and spending time with her family. Dana and her husband, Jeremy, live in Divernon, IL with their daughter Parklynn.

Kaili graduated from Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois with a BS in education. In the years that followed she earned a MA in school administration and a second MA in mathematics. After serving her hometown for 21 years as a junior high math teacher, she decided to change careers and was blessed with the opportunity to join the Shunk Financial Group. Throughout her years in the classroom, Kaili gained many skills that transferred into the world of a client-centered financial planning environment. As part of the implementation team, Kaili strives to provide clients with a professional and enjoyable experience.

Currently, Kaili and her husband live outside Springfield with their two children, Ryan and Wyatt. She enjoys reading historical nonfiction, listening to podcasts, running, and being with her family.

Sid Cox is an Associate Wealth Management Advisor for Shunk Financial Group. In his role, he creates financial plans for clients. He is passionate about the work he does and loves the ability to improve the lives of clients.

Sid is a graduate of Anderson University, where he studied Mathematics of Finance and Business Finance. During his time at Anderson, he participated in Northwestern Mutual’s College Financial Representative program and later interned with Shunk Financial Group.

Sid is a member and serves on the worship team at Knox Knolls Free Methodist Church. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Lydia, and their cat, Cato.

Alec joined Shunk Financial Group in July of 2022, after having been with Northwestern Mutual for 4 years. He was first introduced to the career by his brother, Ian, and is passionate about helping clients live better today by knowing they’re well positioned for the future. In his role, Alec works with our clients and team to assist with client services, implementation of planning, and qualified plan operations.

Prior to joining our team, Alec attended Florida Gulf Coast University, where he graduated with a degree in Financial Services and attained his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation shortly thereafter. Upon graduating, he returned to his hometown Peoria, IL where he also pursued his Charter Financial Consultant® and Retirement Income Certified Professional® designations with the American College of Financial Planning. In his free time, Alec enjoys spending time with his 3 brothers and family, as well as visiting his alma mater in Southwest Florida.

Ben joined Shunk Financial Group as a Client Services Representative in August of 2023. In his role, Ben helps develop and implement retirement and estate plans for clients. Prior to joining Shunk Financial Group, Ben served over five years as a Transportation and Logistics Officer in the United States Army. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Denver. In his free time, Ben likes to read, go on road trips, and be emotionally invested in the outcome of professional sporting events. 

After fifteen years working in state government, Barrett received the opportunity to join the Shunk Financial Group in January 2024. As a Client Services Representative, he seeks to ensure the needs of new and existing clients are met regarding asset movement and account transactions. He is a graduate of Illinois College in Jacksonville, his hometown. Barrett and his wife have lived in the Jacksonville area for many years while raising a family of four children. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and trying his luck at pickleball.