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Rob Castanares, EA

Wealth advisor for midlife caretakers and co-parents (pre/post divorce)

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Hagen Advisory Rob Castanares, EA
Oak Brook, IL

Serving Clients Nationwide

Wealth advisor for midlife caretakers and co-parents (pre/post divorce)

(630) 390-7947

Website

Areas of Focus

  • Caregiving for Parents
  • Divorce Financial Planning
  • Education Funding
  • Estate Planning
  • Financial Planning
  • Insurance
  • Investing
  • Investment Management
  • Retirement Income Planning
  • Taxes

About Rob Castanares, EA

Hi, I'm Rob Castanares, Founder and Financial Advisor of Hagen Advisory.

Midlife is a lot. You are at the peak of your earning years, managing the day-to-day demands of raising children or preparing them for college, and suddenly life pulls the rug out from under you. An aging parent’s health declines and requires hands-on care, a marriage dissolves into the uncharted territory of co-parenting, or the sheer weight of competing priorities makes planning for tomorrow feel impossible.

I’ve been a financial advisor for over twenty years, but my real education didn’t come from textbooks. It came from living through the exact pressures my clients face:

Navigating the Co-Parenting Transition: When I went through my own divorce, my monthly maintenance payment alone consumed 52% of my take-home pay. Together with rent, 76% of my income was gone before buying a single carton of milk. I set three non-negotiable mandates: pay maintenance on time, avoid credit card debt, and ensure my daughter could go to college without student loans. I know firsthand the emotional and financial discipline it takes to claw your way from pure survival mode back into stability and growth.

Caring for Aging Parents: Twenty years ago, my sisters and I stepped in to care for our mother when she fell ill. She had spent 30 years working as a nurse, saving every penny, only to have her life cut short before she could enjoy the retirement she earned. That experience taught me two things: caregiving will interrupt your career if you don't build a proactive plan, and a successful financial life must allow you to actually live today—not just stockpile for a distant tomorrow.

As an Enrolled Agent (EA) and financial advisor, my mission is simple: help you protect your future without giving up your life right now. Whether you are restructuring your balance sheet during a divorce, untangling common assets, or coordinating the logistical and financial maze of eldercare, I bring lived experience, zero judgment, and a steady hand to help you get your life back.

I started Hagen Advisory in 2023 after 21 years as a financial advisor with JPMorgan Chase. Having my own practice lets me focus all my attention on my clients and their families.

It's a privilege to help people put their kids through college or figure out a way to retire a little earlier or have a little more fun and worry a little less. No one is getting any younger, and most people eventually realize there's not enough time. I think the end result of having a good advisor is just that: more time.

I am excited to be part of the movement of independent financial professionals improving the way we have conversations about money; clear and plain-spoken, thorough and thoughtful, and none of the unnecessary jargon.

I'm a graduate of Millikin University and hold FINRA Series 7, 63, and 65 licenses through LPL Financial, along with Life and Health Insurance licenses. I'm also an IRS Enrolled Agent, which allows me to offer tax preparation services to clients alongside financial planning and investment management.

Professional Designations

  • Enrolled Agent (EA)

Primary Location

700 Commerce Drive suite 500, Oak Brook, IL 60523, USA

Video

Meeting Options

  • Video Conference
  • In-Person
  • Phone
Book Intro Call

Compensation Methods

  • Fee Based
  • Percentage of Assets Managed

What to expect in the first meeting

Click the 'Book Intro Call' button above to schedule a free introductory conversation. We'll get to know each other and I'll listen to understand your unique circumstances so we can determine the best way to proceed. I look forward to speaking with you.

Offers Investment Management

Yes

About Hagen Advisory

At Hagen Advisory, we specialize in helping midlife caretakers and co-parents navigate major life transitions with clarity, dignity, and purpose. We reject the one-size-fits-all, product-heavy approach of traditional wealth management.

When you are managing high-stakes personal disruptions, you do not need financial jargon or unnecessary complexity - you need an actionable system that works in the real world.

Our practice is built around three core pillars designed to keep you grounded when life is moving fast:

Pre- and Post-Divorce Strategy: We help divorcing and newly single co-parents audit cash flow, separate entangled marital assets, and model the true after-tax impact of maintenance and child support. Our focus is damage control, emotional de-escalation, and creating a realistic financial roadmap so your children see a confident, stable parent on the other side.

Caretaker Continuity Planning: Taking on the care of an aging parent is a career event as much as a personal one. We help families get ahead of chronic care costs, address advanced directives before a crisis hits, and protect your own career trajectory and retirement assets while honoring your parents' care needs.

Integrated Tax and Wealth Systems: As an Enrolled Agent-led practice, we evaluate every dollar through a proactive tax lens. We build transparent, streamlined cash-flow systems that show you exactly where you stand each month, eliminating guesswork and giving you permission to enjoy your life today.

Major life changes will test your resilience, but they don't have to derail your financial independence. We are here to do the heavy lifting with your balance sheet so you can focus on showing up for your family and yourself.

Hagen Advisory is based in Oak Brook, Illinois, established in 2023 by Rob Castanares after 21 years as a financial advisor with JPMorgan Chase.

Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC. For hyperlinks to FINRA and SIPC, please refer to "Contact and Personal Info section" above. Hagen Advisory, LLC is a separate entity from LPL Financial.

Education

Millikin University, Bachelor's Degree

Hobbies and Interests

  • Family

SEC Lookup

View Disclosure

Who We Serve

  • Baby Boomers
  • Caregivers
  • Corporate Executives
  • Divorce
  • Dual Income Family
  • Families
  • Gen X
  • Intergenerational Families
  • Living in Retirement
  • Mid-Career Professionals
  • Parents

Wealthtender® is a trusted, independent financial directory and educational resource governed by our strict Editorial Policy, Integrity Standards, and Terms of Use. While we receive compensation from featured professionals (a natural conflict of interest), we always operate with integrity and transparency to earn your trust. Wealthtender is not a client of these providers. Testimonials may not be representative of other clients’ experiences and do not guarantee future performance or success.

Get answers to frequently asked questions regarding the services offered by Rob Castanares, EA View Disclosures

FAQs

When is the right time to reach out if I'm facing a divorce or separation?
The earlier, the better, ideally before agreements are signed. During a divorce, decisions about dividing accounts, home equity, and structuring maintenance or child support carry permanent tax and cash-flow implications. We help you take the emotion out of the numbers, analyze pre-divorce spending, and understand the real after-tax impact of settlement options so you can negotiate from a place of clarity rather than fear or frustration.
How do you help midlife caretakers balance caring for aging parents with their own goals?
Taking on the care of an aging parent is a major financial and career event. We step in before a crisis hits to help you navigate advanced directives, model the real costs of care, and put logistical boundaries in place. Our priority is making sure your parents receive the support they need without forcing you to sacrifice your own career momentum, emergency savings, or retirement timeline.
What does it mean that you are an Enrolled Agent (EA), and how does that help me?
An Enrolled Agent is a federally authorized tax practitioner empowered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to represent taxpayers before the IRS. Because divorce settlements, retirement account divisions (QDROs), and long-term eldercare decisions are heavily intertwined with the tax code, having an advisor with deep tax credentials ensures every financial decision is evaluated through a tax-efficient lens—saving you from costly surprises down the road.

FAQ Disclosures

Still have questions? Contact us today and we’ll be happy to help.

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