• Who is your typical client?

    Our clients want to free themselves from day-to-day financial decisions to make retirement a reality, giving them financial peace of mind and greater quality of life.  

    They are typically juggling family and demanding careers, which leads to complex financial situations that require comprehensive, integrated and objective advice.
     

  • What if we don’t live near your offices?

    We work with clients throughout the Twin Cities metro area, Minnesota and the United States.  We utilize advanced secure communication technologies that enable us to make sure the client experience is positive and the same as if they were meeting us face-to-face.  

  • Why do I need you to manage my investments?

    Portfolio management is challenging and time consuming!  

    The best of individuals (and investment managers) often do not consider the net of tax effect of investment decisions.  Even the most basic asset allocation has complications that confound do-it-yourselfers.  Knowing the correct asset allocation for an expected return (and risk aligned to your tolerance) to achieve goals is a multi-step process that many individual investors do not consider. 

  • Phase I: “Base Camp” – Growth & Accumulation Phase

    Individuals and families in the initial phase of life are dealing with a variety of unfamiliar financial concerns.  Thus the reason you must establish a good “base camp” from which to travel through life.  Clients in Phase I typically deal with specific matters such as:

    • Creating a financial strategy that outlines the specific financial goals you are looking to accomplish
    • Learning to live within your means and saving moderately to aggressively
    • Establishing an emergency fund containing 3 to 6 months of lifestyle needs
    • Properly leveraging employer benefits
    • Pre-qualifying for your first home purchase and structuring that purchase appropriately
    • Capitalizing on low to moderate income tax brackets by designing a multi-year tax reduction strategy
    • Properly protecting your family with an appropriate insurance coverage platform
    • Designing and implementing an estate plan (wills) for a young family

  • Phase II: "The Ascent" - Protection, Diversification & Tax Minimization Phase

    As individuals and families mature and begin their ascent into Page II of life, you naturally begin to experience the following issues:

    • Maximizing savings opportunities as you approach your peak wealth generation years
    • Transitioning from an aggressive investment portfolio to a more balanced and globally diversified portfolio
    • Considering the purchase of a second home or rental real estate
    • Reviewing insurance coverage and deliberating increasing risk levels to reduce premium costs
    • Contemplating the need for trusts versus wills, to avoid probate
    • Pondering the benefits of starting your own business

  • Phase III: “The Pinnacle” – Financial Security (Retirement) Phase

    Financial Security means something different for everyone. Those in Phase III typically contend with:

    • Determining whether this phase of life entails working full-time, part-time or not at all
    • The “staging” of your portfolio to focus more on cash flow generation and principal protection
    • Reviewing all insurance coverage to determine the necessity of it, as well as the appropriate level for each type
    • Deciding whether to downsize your current home and the potential purchase of one or more retirement homes
    • Developing strategies to help clients maximize the Social Security benefits they receive over their lifetime
    • Considering the benefits of trusts and whether charity will play a role in your estate plan