Blog

Digital Assets – What They Are and Why You Already Own Some

By Jamie Hopkins

Recently I gave a presentation to a large group, over 300 in attendance. I asked the group, “How many of you own a digital currency?” Only about three or four hands went up. I was shocked. Read more

Yo-Yo Vertigo: Understanding Market Volatility

By Kevin Engbers, CFP®, Wealth Advisor

In 31 years as a financial advisor, I’ve witnessed several seasons of heightened market volatility. Real estate mogul Tom Lewis offered the best metaphor I’ve seen for this market behavior: walking up a staircase with a yo-yo. Your eye is immediately drawn to the yo-yo’s small fluctuations when the real movement is the person going up the staircase. Read more

Risk Tolerance vs. Risk Capacity: A Key Difference

By Kevin Engbers, CFP®, Wealth Advisor

On the surface, the terms “risk tolerance” and “risk capacity” appear to be interchangeable. Yet, the difference between the two is crucial and best handled by an advisor who knows their craft well and understands the different shades of meaning. Although risk tolerance and capacity are concerned with risk, the difference will have real impact on how your financial plan comes together. Read more

7 Year-End Planning Tips from a Wealth Planner

Published by Mark Petersen, Vice President Affluent Wealth Planning

The holidays are upon us, so that must mean it’s time for year-end income tax planning, right? In the past, I would have said yes, but that changed 12 months ago when the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 was passed. Read more

The 4 Pitfalls of No Plan

There are some things in life you just can’t plan for: an unexpected illness, job loss, death of spouse, disability…While these major events can impact your life, having an effective game plan can help ensure that it doesn’t ruin your financial well-being. Read more

What eight years in the nonprofit world taught me about generosity

By Nik Aamlid, Wealth Advisor

There’s an interesting paradox that I’ve discovered over the years: “You give more, you get more.” Read more

Improving The Traditionally Allocated Portfolio

Published by Tyler Schlumpf

We’re going to introduce a few mathematical concepts in this article that are crucial to building a portfolio. For those that are already moving their cursor up to the X in the right hand corner, just stick with it! These concepts, whether we choose to learn them or not, have a significant impact on the way we combine investments and are important to understand as we discuss portfolio construction. Read more

4 Simple Steps to Creating an Estate Plan

Published by Beth Schanou, JD

Most of the time, it feels like life is moving at the speed of light. I often feel my entire day, both at home and at the office, is spent in fast forward mode. As if it’s a race to get done as much as possible, I’m running from one thing to the next, all day long, and making sure every household member is fed, cared for, and attends school and their activities. Of course this includes the four-legged members of the family too. Read more

MY STORY: WHY I BECAME A FINANCIAL ADVISOR

By Kevin Engbers, CFP® Wealth Advisor

The early 80’s was an exciting time for an aspiring entrepreneur and newlywed.   Just young enough to possess all the answers. Read more

What’s Your Custom Fit?

By Nik Aamlid, Wealth Advisor

They say I have a face for radio, but about a year ago my big TV break came. Our local golf retailer was getting ready to film their custom fitting commercial and asked me to be a part of it. Read more