About Us
Our History
Since 1975, GCG Financial, LLC, has been a trusted partner for our clients. Our mission has been to enhance the financial security of the businesses and families we serve through exceptional employee benefits, risk management, and wealth management solutions.
In 2017, GCG Financial and 23 other like- minded, entrepreneurial firms came together to form Alera Group. Since then, Alera Group has grown to over 4,400 employees, 160+ locations, and thousands of clients across the country.
In 2022, we officially began embracing the Alera Group brand. What remains consistent is holding our clients at the core of our business; we focus on bringing personalized solutions, expanding our capabilities, and deepening our resources nationally.
Our Team
Trusted. Smart. Passionate.
Our team has a sincere commitment to the long- term success of our clients. With an emphasis on collaboration and teamwork, we create unique solutions that fit the distinct needs of each client. We are passionate about doing what is right for every client, driven by the highest standards of professionalism, ethics, integrity, character, fairness, trust, and confidence.
Our Presence
Our clients benefit from the expertise and resources of a large national firm, while still maintaining the advantages of local service and relationships. We leverage powerful relationships, industry experience, and resources with the goal of supporting our clients’ business strategies and elevating the experience of working with us.
Above all, our firm believes in empowering people – our clients, our team, and the individuals in the communities where we live and work.
We are headquartered in Deerfield, IL, with offices throughout Illinois and Colorado, along with more than 160 Alera Group locations across the country. Wherever you are, we can meet your needs.
Investment advisory services offered through Alera Investment Advisors, LLC. Securities offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc. member FINRA/SIPC. Osaic Wealth is separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of Osaic Wealth.
Meet Our Team
Shelly Rabin
Senior Benefits Consultant | Employee Benefits
Shelly Rabin is a Senior Benefits Consultant at the firm with over 30 years of experience writing and servicing small group benefits, individual medical plans, and Medicare supplement plans. Among other things, her responsibilities include serving as the first point of contact for small group account specialists with complex issues, working with her team to troubleshoot challenges and identify solutions, and managing a book of small group accounts.
Shelly received her Bachelor of Arts in Communications with a specialty in interpersonal communication from The University of Wisconsin- Madison.
Mitchell A. Ratnow
Vice President, Wealth Services
Mitch combines strong interpersonal skills with a solid Wealth Services background. His primary areas of knowledge include investment strategies, personal insurance planning, and business solutions that incorporate employee benefits. He often acts as a mentor to new Alera Group associates. Mitch’s long-term client relationships include executives, professionals, and business owners. He has an innate ability to communicate straightforward solutions to complex problems in an easily understood fashion. His ability to maintain warm client relationships while recommending client-centered solutions for business and personal finances has repeatedly positioned him as a valuable long-term resource to his clients.
Mitch and his wife live in Vernon Hills, Illinois with their three children. He enjoys playing sports, working out, and spending time with family and friends. Mitch is active in a number of charities and organizations.
Education: B.A., Liberal Arts and Sciences, Northern Illinois University.
Investment advisory services offered through Alera Investment Advisors, LLC. Securities offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc. member FINRA/SIPC. Osaic Wealth is separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of Osaic Wealth.
CA license # 0C06632
Eric Rauscher, CLU®, ChFC®
Vice President, Benefits Consulting
Having joined the firm in 1986, Eric has over 35 years of valued experience in the Employee Benefits industry. As a Vice President at Alera Group, his specialty is working with medium to large businesses (10-2,500 employees) in the development and review of their employee benefit programs, including group insurance plans, qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, executive benefit programs, business succession strategies, and the personal insurance and wealth accumulation needs of the executive team. Eric maintains a client base that includes more than 250 physicians and medical practices.
He has served for seven years on the Board of Directors of Premier Resource Group (PRG), a marketing organization of accomplished advisors located throughout the United States. Eric was also a member of the firm’s former Black-Tie Club, reserved for high producing Advisors. Additionally, Eric is active in many charitable and civic organizations. He is a second-generation speaker for The Illinois Holocaust Museum, as well as a previous President of his Homeowners Association.
Eric is married with one child and two grandchildren. He enjoys spending quality time with his family, especially traveling.
Education: B.S., Education, Indiana State University
Credentials: CLU®, ChFC®
Investment advisory services offered through Alera Investment Advisors, LLC. Securities offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc. member FINRA/SIPC. Osaic Wealth is separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of Osaic Wealth.
CA license # 0F05221
Brent Rosen, CBC
Senior Partner, Benefits Consulting | Employee Benefits
Brent Rosen is a Senior Partner of Benefits Consulting. Since joining the firm, Brent has specialized in serving the mid-market segment and works with clients across the country. Brent supports multiple middle-market private equity firms as they work to achieve economies of scale and deliver value to their portfolio companies with respect to benefit plan enhancements, cost savings, and acquisition due-diligence.
Brent has developed considerable expertise in working with multi-location companies, and those growing through acquisition. Brent also functions as the Co-Managing Broker for the firm’s Veterinary Employee Benefits Practice and has served proudly as the American Animal Hospital Association’s (AAHA) preferred provider for employee benefits since 2009.
In addition to group medical and ancillary lines of insurance, Brent also works to provide expert and objective guidance with respect to 401(k) and other salary-deferral plans, pension and profit-sharing plans, deferred-compensation plans, and executive benefits. Brent has also earned the Chartered Benefits Consultant (CBC) designation, provided by the National Association of Alternative Benefits Consultants, which demonstrates his expertise in Consumer-Driven Health Plans.
Brent provides a unique strategic perspective to employee benefits with a focus on long-term sustainability of his clients’ plans. Brent’s practice is built on a foundation of education and believes his focus on educating his clients’ employees and their benefit administrators has been a key factor in his success.
Brent is a graduate of Indiana University and spent a semester abroad in Florence, Italy. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Brent has lived in Chicago since 2002. He enjoys playing guitar, exercising, reading, cooking, and is an enthusiastic world traveler. Brent is also an active member of the firm’s Hardly Riders Team and participates annually in a nationwide charitable ride that raises money for research for rare cancers.
Education: B.S. Finance, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University
Investment advisory services offered through Alera Investment Advisors, LLC. Securities offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc. member FINRA/SIPC. Osaic Wealth is separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of Osaic Wealth.
Resources
Alera Group Spends The Week Giving Back
In the spirit of our Generous Community Giving program, Alera Group employees participated in a week of events, both in-person and virtually, for our 2023 Community Giving week.
Chicago Housing Authority Hiring Fair
Alera Group colleagues spent the day at the Chicago Housing Authority Job Fair reviewing resumes, helping with interview prep, working on communication skills, and offering general insights and advice to people just starting their professional careers. It was time well spent helping others in the community both professionally and personally.
Feed My Starving Children
The Alera Group team volunteering with Feed My Starving Children had a positive experience measuring, bagging, weighing, sealing, and packing meals for children over the course of an afternoon. Not only did they feel like they made a difference in the lives of others, but they also enjoyed using the time as a teambuilding exercise to work with colleagues outside of their department.
Lyman Woods Nature Center
Alera Group volunteers rolled up their sleeves to beautify the nature preserve by building a new fence and cleaning up the trails for the community to enjoy now that the weather has warmed up. Despite being a physically demanding morning, everyone agreed it was a rewarding experience.
Send virtual cards to patients at St. Jude
Our remote teammates were able to participate in Community Giving Week as well! They wrote dozens of encouraging notes to patients undergoing treatment for cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
The Alera Group volunteers not only gave their time and energy to make a positive impact on our communities, but unanimously agreed that they had a great time while doing it!
Alera Group’s 2023 Office 5k Raises Money for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
On October 12 we laced up our sneakers as part of our Generous Community Giving initiative. This year’s annual 5k included a record number of participants who enjoyed running and walking the outdoor course at our Deerfield, Illinois headquarters as well as a step challenge for remote employees. To keep things interesting, we added a new 5k relay event consisting of teams of four colleagues for some additional friendly competition.
The proceeds of the money raised this year benefits Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Their mission is to improve lives by accelerating life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent, and treat type 1 diabetes (T1D).
The day was billed a success as the rain clouds held off long enough for us to support an important cause while enjoying the company of our fellow team members.
An Alera Group Care Package
Alera Group colleagues came together last month to enjoy a lunch and celebrate our shared successes in 2023. The day had a bigger purpose though, as we rolled up our sleeves to kickoff our first Generous Community Giving event in the new year with nonprofit group, Blessings in a Backpack.
Blessings in a Backpack mobilizes communities, individuals, and resources to provide food on the weekends for school-aged children across America who might otherwise go hungry. By the end of the afternoon, over 100 Alera Group colleagues had packed 500 bags! Not only was it rewarding to collaborate on a physical task together, but we were thrilled to know that our work would ensure children in our community would not go hungry that weekend.
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Insights
Employee Benefits
Legal Alert: Agencies Clarify How Certain Fertility Benefits May be Treated as Excepted Benefits
This alert is of interest to all employers that offer fertility benefits or may be interested in offering fertility benefits in the future.
November 4, 2025
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Property and Casualty
Top 5 Insurance Surprises Businesses Face in Q4 — and How to Prevent Them
As year-end approaches, many organizations focus on closing out financials and planning for the year ahead. It’s also the time when insurance programs often reveal unexpected challenges, some avoidable, others the result of shifting market conditions or overlooked details.
October 30, 2025
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Employee Benefits
Legal Alert: IRS Adjusts Health Flexible Spending Account and Other Benefit Limits for 2026
This alert is of interest to all employers that sponsor health FSAs and qualified transit plans, among others.
October 10, 2025
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2025 Leave Report: Insights to Guide 2026 Leave Planning
Explore Alera Group’s 2025 Leave Report. Benchmark PTO, parental leave, and holiday policies to strengthen employee retention and recruitment as you plan for 2026 and beyond.
October 1, 2025
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