Luke McDermott
Financial Advisor|MBA, CLU®
Personal
Growing up in Rockford, IL, and proudly calling Illinois home, I embarked on my journey to financial advising with a degree in Mathematics and Finance from Lake Forest College. In 2018, I interned at Northwestern Mutual, where I was recognized nationally as one of the top 30 interns across the company. I later earned my MBA from Dominican University's Brennan School of Business, and during my college years, I enjoyed playing Men's Basketball. I am Series 6, Series 63, and Series 7 licensed.
Currently residing in Glenview, IL, I love spending time with my family and friends. Some of my interests include playing basketball, cooking, attending concerts, and enjoying the outdoors.
Financial planning runs deep in my family background, and it’s something I deeply believe in. I understand that making steady progress is more important than striving for immediate outcomes. Every individual has unique needs and goals, and my team and I are dedicated to helping our clients achieve theirs. We value our community, our alumni networks, and connecting with individuals who are focused on growth.
Professional
Mission:
My team and I are dedicated to helping you achieve your dreams. Partnering with us means a judgment-free, pressure-free environment where education is paramount. Through tailored, comprehensive financial planning, we ensure you understand the strategies and feel confident that together, we can achieve all your financial goals.
Formal Education:
- Lake Forest College - Mathematics & Finance (Bachelor of Arts)
- Dominican University - Finance (Master's of Business Administration)
Continuing Education Includes Credit in the Following Courses:
- American College of Financial Services - HS 321: Income Taxation
- American College of Financial Services - HS 328: Investments
- American College of Financial Services - HS 330: Fundamentals of Estate Planning
- American College of Financial Services - HS 323: Individual Life Insurance
- American College of Financial Services - HS 324: Life Insurance Law
- American College of Financial Services - HS 331: Planning for Business Owners and Professionals
Professional Designation(s):
- Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®)
- CLU® designees know how to serve the diverse needs of their individual and business clients through in-depth insurance knowledge, including expertise on life insurance products, aspects of risk management, the legal aspects of life insurance, and assisting clients in making decisions about estate planning, including various wills and trust arrangements.
- Launched in 1927, the CLU® is the insurance profession’s oldest standard of excellence. Today, it continues to be the premier credential for professionals who want to provide their clients with the security of life insurance and risk management.
Lending a hand in my community.
As part of Northwestern Mutual, I'm proud to help accelerate the search for better childhood cancer treatments while supporting families undergoing treatment, and survivors from late effects. Here are some of the organizations we partner with:
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer (ALSF)
ALSF funds cancer research, raises awareness, and supports the families of children with cancer. Since 2012, Northwestern Mutual, its employees, and financial professionals like me have donated more than $20 million to support ALSF and fund over 400,000 research hours.
Beads of Courage
Beads of Courage is an art-in-medicine program that helps kids with cancer tell their unique treatment story through colorful beads that are symbols of their courage.
Here are my areas of expertise
Retirement Planning & Income Strategies
Investment Planning & Strategies
Life Insurance Strategies
Disability Planning
Multigenerational Planning
Estate Planning
Business Planning
Business Planning & Succession
How Northwestern Mutual helps you live the life you want.
When people feel better about their money, good things happen—they become more confident and feel more secure. For more than 160 years, Northwestern Mutual has helped people achieve the financial flexibility they need to live more and worry less.
Being a mutual company means Northwestern Mutual reports to its clients, not Wall Street. They don't believe in chasing fads or taking undue risk for short-term gains. Instead, they take a long-term approach—both in the way we help people plan to reach their goals, and in the way they do business. This has served their clients (and mine) well through all kinds of economic ups and downs, including wars, recessions, even the recent pandemic.
It's why I'm happy to be part of a company that's in it for the long-haul and prioritizes clients over profit.
