Meet Our People

Art Littlefield and his team are committed to understanding your situation and the specific goals and objectives you desire. Based upon that knowledge, customized comprehensive financial strategies are identified to help you toward your vision of the future. Whether you are the owner of a successful business, the bread winner of your family, or retired from a satisfying career, Art and his team can assist you in converting your goals into specific action steps. Art is a motivating catalyst to take the words from your strategic plan and put them into immediate action.

As a financial services professional for more than 35 years, Art’s knowledge base encompasses a broad array of experiences. A dozen plus years have been assisting his clients accumulate, preserve, and protect their wealth for themselves, their children, and for future generations. Art is exceptionally proficient at estate transition and protection, business succession, planned gifting, and analyzing serious financial opportunities and problems in retirement planning. Highly affluent families will turn to Art for multi-generational values-based legacy planning which provide the structure toward achieving the desired goals of future generations. His years of experience provides clients the benefit of knowing their comprehensive plan will be created and presented after the evaluation of multiple design alternatives.

Lincoln Financial Advisors selected Art as an Advanced Select Planner in the Sagemark Consulting - Private Wealth Services program which focuses on the "Very High Net Worth" market. Members work with the most prestigious Lincoln Financial Advisors financial planners in the country who have prodigious experience in wealth management, business continuity, and sophisticated wealth preservation strategies.

Art holds an MBA in Finance from Indiana University and a BA in Economics from DePauw University.

Community and Industry Involvement

• Trustee - Benedictine University


• Treasurer - DuPage County Workforce


• Board and Executive Committee Founding Collaborator - The Purposeful Planning Institute


• Member - National Federation of Independent Business


• Member - Midwest Business Brokers and Intermediaries


• Member - Society of Financial Service Professionals


• Member - Financial Planning Association

Joe’s impressive educational and legal background uniquely qualifies him for design responsibilities. He specializes in the areas of business succession, estate and tax reduction strategies. In addition to a law degree with an emphasis in taxation, Joe also holds a B.A. in American Studies from Yale University. Before joining Lincoln Financial Advisors, Joe served as an attorney with the national office of the IRS in Washington, D.C. Joe is also a member of the Connecticut Bar Association.

Licensed, not practicing.

Mike’s career with Lincoln Financial Advisors spans more than 20 years. He is currently the Managing Director for the Midwest Regional Planning Group which encompasses offices in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Missouri. He and his team support and coach over 100 financial planners. In addition, Mike focuses on growing the region by recruiting other successful advisors to Lincoln Financial Advisors.

Mike has a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Eastern Illinois University. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Practitioner, Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®). Since 2003, Mike has served as an adjunct faculty member for DePaul University’s CFP® Certificate program. Mike is a member of the Financial Planning Association.

Robert E. Smith, CFA, CFP®, is an investment advisor representative and registered representative with Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp., a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer. He is a licensed insurance agent with Lincoln National Life Insurance Company. He is the Director of Planning for the Midwest Regional Planning Group.

Mr. Smith graduated from Marquette University in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER(™) (CFP®) certification. He currently holds NASD Series 7, 24, 63 and 65 registrations and various state insurance licenses.

As a financial planner with over 20 years experience in the financial services industry, Mr. Smith assists individuals and business owners in helping to meet their specific investment and financial planning needs. Among his concentrations are retirement plan analysis, assisting in equity portfolio management selection and asset allocation analysis.

Rob conducts financial planning and investment seminars and workshops and he has written a regular column for the Daily Herald on financial topics.

Mr. Smith and his wife reside in Arlington Heights, IL where they enjoy spending time with their 4 children. He is a member of the CFA Institute and The Investment Analysts Society of Chicago. He is an elected commissioner of the Arlington Heights Park District and a member of the Illinois Association of Park Districts. He is a member of the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce and Our Lady of the Wayside Church.

Mike's 12 years of investment industry experience has primarily been focused in the securities markets and qualified plan areas. He specializes in design analysis and servicing the appropriate qualified plan solutions for each client organization. Mike has a Bachelor of Science degree in Corporate Financial Management from Ball State University and is an active member in the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. He is also active in a variety of charitable organizations including the 20/30 Club of Chicago, Jane Adams Hull House, and Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.