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 4,200 employees, 190+ 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 150 Alera Group locations across the country. Wherever you are, we can meet your needs.
Meet Our Team
Catherine Loney
Vice President, Benefits Consulting | Employee Benefits
Catherine joined the firm in April 2002, and is a Vice President, Benefits Consulting. Prior to this, she was a Principal of Kraemer & Loney, Inc. Catherine entered the insurance industry in 1985 as an administrative associate for Kraemer Associates. This served as the training environment in learning the integral parts of each product in the industry, which serves as her foundation. Catherine returned to Kraemer Chantler Associates in 1995 after a brief absence, during which she focused on individual financial planning and mutual fund investments. She found her interest rested in working with employers and employees in an ever-changing environment of healthcare products – such as group medical, dental, disability, life, long term disability, wellness programs, employee assistance programs and savings vehicles for future medical expenses.
Catherine specializes in municipality and school employee benefit programs, which encompasses partially self-funded programs administered by a third-party claim administrator, administrative services only contracts administered by a carrier and fully insured programs either on an individual or pooled basis. Her emphasis is to not only analyze the benefit programs, but also to educate the administrative personnel and employees through forums designed to plan for future initiatives, ease the negotiation process and keep all participants well ahead of the benefits industry curve.
Catherine is continually recognized for her outstanding achievements. In retaining over 95% of her block year over year, she holds the distinction of being a top advisor in the firm. She has received the firm's most prestigious awards, including Pinnacle Club and Circle of Excellence, and is celebrated for her notable successes, relationships, and extensive industry expertise.
Catherine attended Waldorf College and the University of Iowa, focusing on psychology and recreation therapy. Her interest in this field allowed her to integrate her music and athletic participation with special populations. This area continues to be of interest to Catherine on a volunteer basis.
Michael Marino
Wealth Advisor | Wealth Services
Michael brings eight plus years of providing wealth services for his clients. Michael enjoys working alongside business owners, executives and professionals in several industries, including but not limited to medicine and professional sports (golf).
He strives to meet the needs of all his individual and family clients in the areas of insurance planning, investment advisory, college funding, estate planning, transferring assets and retirement strategies. He also works separately as a financial planner if his clients desire a comprehensive fee-based financial plan.
As an avid sportsman, Michael is a scratch handicap in golf, often entertaining clients and friends on public and private golf courses throughout the Chicagoland area. One of his goals is to play as many of the Top 100 Golf Courses in the United States as possible. When not found on the golf course in the warmer months, Michael is most likely spending time with his wife Lisa, their daughter Poppy, and four pets. Having two dogs and two cats keeps his personal life full of adventure, making many road trips across the country with the entire pack!
Education: B.S., Business, Pennsylvania State 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.
Ben May, CIC, CBC
Senior Benefits Consultant | Employee Benefits
Ben May is a Senior Benefits Consultant with the firm. He focuses primarily on small- and mid-sized businesses. Ben’s expertise centers around the design, funding, communication, administration, and compliance of employee benefit programs. Ben focuses on making clients comfortable, and he takes the time to learn and understand their unique business to meet their challenges effectively. This approach allows Ben to create a first-class benefits program to provide outside-the-box solutions that solve these challenges.
Ben has extensive experience in the employee benefits industry, including a previous role as the Director of Sales in the Benefits Division with Hallberg Commercial and Group Health.
Outside of work, Ben is an athletic board member at St. Pius X School and volunteers as a coach for soccer, basketball and baseball. Ben currently resides in Lombard, IL with wife, Julie, and children Riley, Haley, Colin and Jack. He enjoys coaching his kids and staying active playing basketball, softball, and soccer.
Education: BA, Finance and Accounting, Illinois State University.
Certifications: CIC, CBC
Alan J. Nerad
Senior Wealth Advisor | Wealth Services
Alan joined the firm in 2003. Alan works closely with his clients to develop, implement and monitor financial, retirement and health insurance strategies. After graduate school, Alan became a researcher and consultant with McGraw-Hill/London House, a leading firm specializing in employee selection, surveys and management, and executive assessment. He then went on to consult in the automotive industry. His primary focus was to provide insurance products, services, and training to the finance and insurance departments. Alan is a member of the board of the Lincolnshire Morningstar Rotary and serves on several committees. Alan currently serves as assistant scoutmaster as well as a member of the Troop Committee for Boy Scout Troop 78 in Lincolnshire.
Alan and his wife live in Lincolnshire, IL with their three children. Alan enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, reading and tackling as many home improvement projects as possible.
Education: B.S., Psychology, University of Wisconsin; M.S., Industrial/Organizational Psychology, St. Louis 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.
EXPERT EDUCATION
Events and Webinars
Employee Benefits
Meeting the Needs of an Aging Workforce
Our experts will provide tips and insights about how to incorporate Medicare, menopause benefits, retirement, communications best practices and other hot topics for older workers into your program successfully and without breaking the bank.
October 17, 2024 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
Sign Up
Wealth Services
State of the Markets
Join us as we unveil the factors that drive the nation's financial pulse and how they may impact your personal finances.
October 23, 2024 at 11:00 am CT | Virtual
Sign Up
Employee Benefits
When Captive Insurance Makes Sense
In this session, our experts will talk about how captives work, the advantages and disadvantages and what you need to know to determine whether they make sense for your organization.
November 21, 2024 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
Sign Up
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Insights
Property and Casualty
Umbrella Insurance for Businesses: Peace of Mind in an Increasingly Unpredictable World
Whereas a skilled agent can help provide businesses with adequate insurance against property losses by following a predictable formula, the unpredictability of liability claims underscores how important it is for businesses to buy as much Umbrella/Excess Liability coverage as they can afford.
September 18, 2024
Find out more
Wealth Services
Weekly Market Update
Stocks rallied last week as investors received better-than-expected consumer and producer inflation data.
September 16, 2024
Find out more
Wealth Services
Monthly Market and Economic Update - August 2024
Read about the latest insights on the market and economy from our Director of Investments, Bob Janson.
September 12, 2024
Find out more Property and Casualty
General Liability Insurance in 2024: Navigating a Complex Landscape
While some aspects of General Liability Insurance have largely turned a corner from a prolonged hard market, the outlook in other areas looks much less cheery. Overall, the market has finally improved after several challenging years, offering signs of stabilization.
September 12, 2024
Find out more