Confidence comes from a wealth plan you understand.

Our team is driven by a shared goal: to minimize your doubts around retirement planning and wealth management. We’re an independent firm that helps you understand first and recommends second, giving every move an intention.

Our guiding principle: See the whole picture before you act.

Retirement planning isn’t just about avoiding mistakes—it’s about capturing every advantage available to you. We believe in looking beyond the obvious to find the less known opportunities and strategies that can help strengthen your plan, protect your lifestyle, and give you lasting confidence in every decision.

Couple on a yacht overlooking a marina, reflected in glass. The man has his arm around the woman. Blue sky.

Our Philosophy

Early in my career, I realized that most financial advice focused only on what’s visible — investment performance, account balances, the latest market news. But just like an iceberg, the biggest forces shaping your retirement are often out of sight: taxes that rise in later years, the impact of market timing, the way healthcare costs can double over a decade.


We built Hughes Retirement & Financial Strategies to go deeper. To help uncover what’s beneath the surface, address it early, and make sure our clients never leave with anything short of real confidence in their plan.


How This Philosophy Shows Up

360° Planning 
Coordinating investments, income, and tax minimization strategies.
Proactive Risk Management 
Addressing risks before they become problems.
Opportunity Capture 
Seeking every advantage for your plan.

How We Help

The Hughes Planning Process: designed to help calm your biggest worries with a retirement playbook built just for you.

1

Listen & Diagnose

We begin by understanding your full financial picture—spotting where money might be slipping through the cracks, like taxes, fees, or emotional decisions.

4

Review the Scoreboard. 

Regular check-ins help you tune out the noise and stay focused on what matters—helping ensure your plan is on track and your goals stay in sight.

3

Execute with Discipline
With your strategy in motion, we help you stick to the plan through simple steps so you don’t have to second-guess every market move.

2

Design the Playbook

We map out a clear, personalized plan—showing how your money may grow, how and when you’ll pay yourself, and how to stay ahead of taxes.

Get to know our Team

Sean Hughes

Founder & Advisor

Sean Hughes is committed to helping clients achieve financial confidence through holistic planning and tax-efficient strategies. He began his career in 2011 as a financial advisor with Ameriprise Financial in Shorewood, Illinois. In 2014, he founded Hughes Retirement & Financial Strategies to operate as an independent advisor—allowing him to put his clients’ best interests first and provide advice that helps inform as well as empowers.


A native of Bolingbrook, Illinois, Sean is licensed to offer both insurance and investment products. He believes in comprehensive financial planning tailored to each client’s unique circumstances, using every available resource to help protect and grow their wealth while optimizing tax outcomes.


Sean has been featured on WVON Chicago AM, Business First AM, and at the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE). He has also shared his expertise by educating other financial advisors on retirement planning and strategies to maximize Social Security benefits.


He earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of St. Francis, where he was an all-conference football player. A three-sport athlete at Bolingbrook High School, he earned all-state recognition in football.


Outside the office, Sean enjoys watching sports, playing golf, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. His parents still reside in Bolingbrook.

James Jurica

CFP® CLU® CHFC® RICP®, Wealth Advisor

James Jurica has built his entire career in the financial services industry, beginning immediately after earning his degree. He is dedicated to helping clients achieve their long-term financial goals through disciplined investment management and comprehensive planning.


With a strong focus on risk management, James works to reduce portfolio volatility while still aiming for the returns needed to meet each client’s objectives. His approach emphasizes aligning investments with the client’s overall financial strategy, helping ensure that every decision supports their broader life and retirement goals.


James holds the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) designation, along with the Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®), Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®), and Retirement Income Certified Professional® (RICP®) credentials—reflecting his commitment to advanced industry knowledge and best practices.



Outside of work, James enjoys spending time with his family, staying active, and continuing to expand his expertise in investment strategy and retirement planning.



Craig Holsman

Craig Holsman

Scheduling Coordinator

Patti

Patti Tromp

Marketing & Event Manager

Leslie

Leslie Husarenko

Administrative Assistant

Get Your Complete Retirement Picture—Above and Below the Surface

Some of the biggest risks in retirement aren’t always the ones you can see. Our Retirement Playbook helps uncover lesser-known factors so you can protect what you’ve built and enjoy the life you’ve worked toward with confidence.