How long have you been working in your field?

16 years

What are your areas of focus?

• I love working with small business owners who are looking to grow in their area of focus,
• clients with rental properties, and
• people who are or are getting divorced.

What problems do you consistently solve for your clients?

I believe very much in tax planning. We get a great deal as U.S. citizens; I will never complain about taxes. However, I do have a hard time when my clients are paying more simply because they don’t understand the tax code.

Tell me about how you got into your line of work.

I originally wanted to take over my parent’s construction company. But, I felt a short coming in their financial and tax planning, so I decided to go to college for a financial degree, then take over. During an internship I fell in love with working with people. At the end of the day, we are in the people business and financial planning in the medium.

What is your biggest professional accomplishment?

Obtaining the designation of CFP®. This was something that took a great deal of work and dedication. It’s something that I am very proud of.

What would you do even if you didn’t get paid to do it?

I would remodel homes. I have always loved working with my hands and seeing a finished product. For me, it’s very satisfying.

Family Info:

I have been married to my wife, Amanda, for 2 years. Our main focus is our son Tucker, who is 10 months old (Oct. 2019). No pets currently, but we debate it often. There is nothing better than a little boy and his dog.

How long have you been working in your field?

30 years

What are your areas of focus?

• Retirement Planning
• Qualified Retirement Plans

Do you plan on retiring? If so, when? How do you feel about it?

I plan on retiring in 5 years, but I have been saying that for 11 years.

Tell me about how you got into your line of work.

I changed careers to financial advising after working for seven large companies and discovering that did not work for me.

What are you most passionate about professionally? Personally?

I am most passionate about following Jesus Christ and mentoring younger men in their faith journey.

Fun Fact:

I saw the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, in person.

Family info:

I’ve been married for 46 years, have two daughters, two son-in-law’s and five grandchildren.

Dan Erdmann How long have you been working in your field?

13 years

What are your areas of focus?

• Financial Planning
• Tax

What problems do you consistently solve for your clients?

I help my clients in learning how to efficiently pay taxes. I also enjoy sitting down with clients to help them prepare for retirement.

Do you plan on retiring? If so, when? How do you feel about it?

YES! – when I’m 60 years old. I am not nervous at all! With proper amount of planning now and understanding my long-term goals, my wife and I will be able to get there!

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Do the right thing always.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Farmer or a doctor.

What is your biggest professional accomplishment?

Getting my CPA license. I can still remember almost hitting my head on the ceiling from jumping so high.

What are you most passionate about professionally? Personally?

I love sports. Especially, the MN Twins.

Fun Fact:

I have lived in Minnesota my whole life and do not know how to ice skate. I also just learned how to water ski this summer.

Family info:

I have been married to my wife, Kelly, for 13 years. We live in Hanover with our 2 children Taden (9) and Anneka (7). We have a miniature Australian Shepherd.

How long have you been working in your field?

32 years

What are your areas of focus?

Anything that helps people have greater confidence about their finances.

Who is your ideal client and why should they connect with you?

Anyone who wants to make wise decisions about managing their finances. It doesn’t matter how much money someone has, the desire to start from where they are now and work towards their goals, is what matters most.

Tell me about how you got into your line of work.

I started in the healthcare administration business to serve people. As healthcare providers were consolidating, I found myself in a crowded field of experienced professionals and decided that I should consider other opportunities to serve. As I learned about financial planning, I realized that I could use my financial and analytical skills to help people who wanted to be good stewards of their finances but were bombarded with misinformation in the media and who were skeptical of financial salespeople.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Always do what’s right, even when people aren’t watching.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

A Farmer

Fun Fact:

I belong to a fishing club called The Waterdogs

Family info:

I’ve been married for 37 years. (Increase that number by one, every June 19th or I’ll be accused of not remembering how long I’ve been married.) I have two caring, serving and loving children and a daughter-in-law who is just as wonderful. I tear up when I think about how much I love my silly, giggly grandchildren, Andrew and Grace, who are the best huggers in the world. My favorite things to do are anything with family and friends, especially when it involves fishing or biking. I also like driving tractors.

How long have you been working in your field?

13 years (since 2006)

What are your areas of focus?

Retirement planning, specializing in the nuances of financial planning as they pertain to clients in or transitioning into the retirement years.

What problems do you consistently solve for your clients?

Retirement planning strategies including tax, income and RMD (required minimum distribution), legacy planning and wealth protection.

Tell me about how you got into your line of work.

I found a passion for helping families with financial planning, while working for a local bank and studying finance in college

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Regard the unknown as friendly, and ultimately beneficial.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

A financial professional. My dad worked for a bank and my mom was a math teacher, so I was drawn to finance at an early age.

What is on the top of your bucket list?

Sail across the Atlantic Ocean.

What are you most passionate about professionally?

Helping people enjoy retirement.

Personally?

Sailing.

Family info:

I grew up in White Bear Lake and currently reside in Minneapolis.

How long have you been working in your field?

16 years

What are your areas of focus?

• Investment Management
• Advanced Planning

Who is your ideal client?

A positive, but driven, person(s) who will set goals and work with me and my team to pursue them.

What problems do you consistently solve for your clients?

Replacing earned income with investment income, managing the different types of financial risk, and educating people on complex investment and economic concepts - making these concepts understandable and actionable.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Spend lots of time actively listening, as understanding the situation fully will make it easier to help.

Fun Fact:

I was a behavioral counselor prior to working in finance. And, I was surprised by how much emotions and behavior play into financial decisions.

Family info:

I have been married for 18 years, have two children and live in Maple Grove.

How long have you been working in your field?

21 years in March (2019)

What are your areas of focus?

• Retirement planning
• Income distribution planning
• Asset allocation

Do you plan on retiring? If so, when? How do you feel about it?

When I think about retiring someday, I have mixed emotions. I need a sense of purpose in my life. Right now, I find purpose through my career and providing for my family. It will be important for me to identify how I will continue to find that purpose once my career is no longer a driving force, and my kids are independent.

Tell me about how you got into your line of work.

Previous jobs seemed mundane until I found a career working with people that allowed for me to help them gain confidence in various areas of their lives. It was this job that made me realize how important it was for me to work with individuals on a personalized level. Because of my education in finance, I decided to put these passions to work in the financial planning field.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Remain genuine, committed to your core self. This will push you toward a life that brings you happiness, and thus an overall feeling of success and pride.

If you could do anything now, what would you do?

If I couldn’t do what I am doing now, I think I would enjoy being a dietician.

What are you not good at?

Feeling comfortable in front of a group. I absolutely hate having attention on myself!

Tell us about your family.

I have been married to my high school sweetheart for 18 years. We live in Eden Prairie with our three children and our bunny, Bentley. 

How long have you been working in your field?

7 years (2019)

What are your areas of focus?

• Corporate retirement plans (401K)
• Individual retirement/investment planning

Who is your ideal client?

Small closely held businesses that are dedicated to the betterment of their employees

What problems do you consistently solve for your clients?

Taking oversaturated investment information from the media and making it relevant for my client’s and their financial goals and aspirations.

Tell me about how you got into your line of work.

I’ve always been interested in the stock market, but when it came time to decide on a career path the billboard for “Fly University of North Dakota” was outside my high school - that was my decision. After a year, I discovered it wasn’t my passion and switched majors to finance. Throughout my college years, I worked at a meat market. Every night, a gentleman wearing a suit and tie (which is very uncommon in the Monticello, MN area) would stop in. We’d strike up a conversation about fishing, hunting and the outdoors. I took a leap of faith thinking he was in financial services or an attorney (no one wears ties, other than these two industries), hoping he could introduce me to someone in financial services. One day, he insisted that I come to his BNI Networking group the following day. I had no idea what to expect so I put on my suit and tie, showed up for 7am meeting, and when given the chance, expressed my interested in the industry. A partner at an investment firm in the St. Cloud area, approached me after the meeting to further discuss an opportunity as an intern. I jumped at the chance and found myself in a unique situation, starting my financial planning career very early in life. I owe my early success in this industry to this gentleman, who I still consider a dear friend.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

If a person has enough time to text – they have the time to pick up the phone. This was something my grandfather said years ago. In this world filled with technology, we lose so much important information without phone or face to face conversations.

What is on the top of your bucket list?

I’d love to visit Alaska for an extended period of time.

What would you do even if you didn’t get paid to do it?

Taking vets and kids fishing. Many great memories are made on the water. As we say, “the fishing and the company is always fantastic, but the catching could always be better!”

Fun Fact:

In my free time, you will find me on one of the major walleye lakes around the Mid-West or smoking delicious meats on my smoker. Prior to entering this industry, I was a butcher at Von Hanson’s in Monticello.

Family info:

I have a two-year-old Morkie, named Chloe. She is the cutest!

How long have you been working in your field?

17 years of experience

What are your areas of focus?

• Wealth Accumulation
• Retirement and income planning
• Tax planning & tax-efficient distribution in retirement
• Life Insurance & Long Term Care options
• Estate Preservation

Who is your ideal client and why should they connect with you?

I work with people of all ages. I understand their needs and risks at all stages of life and provide careful and thoughtful planning that will help create financial confidence for their future.

What problems do you consistently solve for your clients?

Retiring is a difficult decision, with both financial and personal considerations. Many times, the financial goals and objectives are met but there are concerns as to “what will we do in retirement?” (The interest and desires can be different between spouses and/or partners). It can also be hard to leave behind your career and relationships. We take a holistic approach to help you plan for both the financial and personal aspects in preparing and enjoying your days in retirement.

Do you plan on retiring? If so, when? How do you feel about it?

I enjoy helping people before and in retirement. Over the years I have built strong relationships with my clients and view many of them as friends. I look forward to visiting with them every time they come to the office. That would make retirement difficult and bittersweet. I also have seven grandkids, the oldest only four years old. It is very important for me to do whatever I can to ensure that they have best opportunities for their future.

What is on the top of your bucket list?

Visit all of the National Parks. And, hopefully, see the MN Gopher Football team play in the Rose Bowl.

Family info:

I have been happily married for 41 years with three adult children. In less than 7 months, I became a grandfather to five grandchildren! Two sets of twins (a boy and girl, in each case) and one more granddaughter!

How long have you been working in your field?

Since graduating from college in 1993.

What are your areas of focus?

I love guiding my clients through all phases of their financial lives. From their first investment to paying for college and launching kids into the real world, all the way to taking that big step into retirement and eventually legacy planning. My greatest satisfaction is when clients realize they really can reach their goals and I get to witness the weight of uncertainty being lifted off their shoulders.

Do you plan on retiring? If so, when?

Eventually, but I have no idea when. I’ll know when the time is right. I am excited to do all the amazing things I see my clients do…and to utilize all their excellent advice along the way.

Tell me about how you got into you line of work.

I graduated with a degree in marketing, management and economics, and worked for a mutual fund company in downtown Minneapolis. Unfortunately, I was part of a group layoff just after buying a new house and right before getting married. I was a little panicked so accepted a part time receptionist position at JRA Financial to keep from going stir crazy (we also had a hunch it would be a great company). I literally walked off the plane from our honeymoon and in the doors of JRA. I’ve been here ever since, and have loved the journey.   

What is the best advice you have ever received?

Work hard, be a good person and put others first. Always.

What is on top of your bucket list?

Travel. The world is full of so many unbelievable places and people…I can’t wait to see them all. But, when grandkids come along, I will plant my roots close by and take that opportunity to buy them every noisy toy and piece of candy I can find!

If you could do anything right now, what would you do? Why?

Spend more time with my parents and help them do all the things they’ve wanted to do through the years but have not. They have given me so much and I’d love to return the favor to say “thank you”.

Fun Fact:

We are a sports family through and through. Both Todd and I were three-sport athletes in high school and continued to play competitively in college until career ending injuries. Our kids played hockey and golf in high school and will play hockey in college. We literally do not know what life is like without a ball, puck, stick or bat in someone’s hands! 

Family info:

I married my husband, Todd, in 1995. We both graduated from Spring Lake Park High School and Augsburg University. We have two amazing (and occasionally exasperating) kids, Mitchel and McKayla, as well as two dogs (Texas and Trixie). We’ve lived in Maple Grove since 2004 and have all of our family close by.

How long have you been working in your field?

I have been in financial services for 5 years; with 15 years of customer service experience.

What are your areas of focus?

• Client Services
• Contact Management
• Meeting Preparation

Tell me about how you got into your line of work?

I became familiar with financial services by working for a website development company, where I developed and maintained websites for financial advisors.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

An Art Teacher or a Veterinarian.

Family info:  I have been married for 13 years to my husband, Ahmad. We live in Blaine, MN with our two kids, Hanna & Adam.

How long have you been working in your field?

3 ½ years

Tell me about how you got into your line of work?

I got my start at Allianz where I was able to assist clients and financial professionals understand the innerworkings of their products. I enjoyed being able make live a little easier for the clients and financial professionals. Now being a part of AdvisorNet Financial Partners,  I am able to assist clients and financial partners on a variety of investment strategies.

What is on the top of your bucket list?

At some point in my life I would love to go skydiving!

Fun Fact: I am the oldest of four siblings. I love playing drums.

How long have you been working in your field?

I have been in the field for about three years while in school. Including two summers and school breaks, prior to graduation and starting my full-time position. 

What are your areas of focus?

• Market Analysis
• Client Relationships/Administrative Services
• Continuing to build my knowledge and experience in the industry.

Tell me about how you got into your line of work?

It started with my aspiring to be like my uncle, Jim Reynolds, who started JRA Financial back in the 80s. I always thought, what better place to start learning the industry than at the company he built.

What is the best advice you ever received?

Never give up – You never know what could truly happen.

Fun Fact:  I had the opportunity to caddie with American Actors, Kurt Russell and Rob Riggle during the Ryder Cup celebrity matches in 2016.

Family info:  I live at home w/ my parents and two dogs, Hazel and Crosby.

How long have you been working in your field?

18 years.

What are your areas of focus?

• Account Administration/Service
• Compliance

What problems do you consistently solve for clients?

I answer all the “little questions” to put clients at ease.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

• Philippians 2:4

Fun fact: I worked part-time at the Metrodome for 20 years. It was my college job and I just couldn’t walk away. I was in the building when the roof unexpectedly collapsed in December, 2010 and was there when they deflated it for the last time in January, 2014. 

Dome Sweet Dome.

Family info:

I’ve been happily married to Erik since 1997 and have three great kids!

How long have you been working in your field?

13 year. 

What are your areas of focus?

• Financial Planning
• Tax

What problems do you consistently solve for your clients? 

I help my clients in learning how to efficiently pay taxes.  I also enjoy sitting down with clients to help them prepare for retirement.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Do the right thing always.   

What did you want to be when you grew up? 

Farmer or a doctor. 

Family info

I have been married to my wife, Kelly, for 13 years.  We live in Hanover with our 2 children Taden (9) and Anneka (7).   We have a miniature Australian Shepherd.

How long have you been working in your field?

5 years

What are your areas of focus?

Tax strategy as it pertains to real estate and rental properties

What problems do you consistently solve for client?

Projecting client’s future tax liability will be so they can plan accordingly.

Family info:  I have been married to my wife, Ruth, for 20 years. We live in South Minneapolis with our two kids.

How long have you been working in your field?

I just finished my third tax season.

What are your areas of focus?

• Tax Preparation and Planning

Tell me about how you got into your line of work?

I decided to become a tax specialist because I know many business owners who have lost their business due to lack of tax projecting and I wanted to help.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Change is growth! Embrace it and expect it.

Family info: 

I live in Maple Grove, MN with my husband of 18 years, our two teenage daughters and our dog, Ella.

How long have you been working in your field?

I have worked in the tax and financial services field for 30 years.

What are your areas of focus?

• Individual and trust returns
• Tax planning strategies relevant to all phases of life

What problems do you consistently solve for client?

• Implementing tax savings strategies for college planning
• Tax planning for transfer of assets (sale, gifting, death)
• Determine tax efficient withdrawal strategies for retirement

What would you do even if you didn’t get paid to do it?

I am passionate about financial literacy and would love to stay involved in helping youth become “money smart”.

Family info:  I enjoy spending time with my husband, our four adult children and their families. We also enjoy the outdoors, traveling and sports.