Brian Jacob Nikulski

Walter Nissen is a ChFC® CLU MA with 29 years of experience in the financial services industry, currently affiliated with Principal Financial Services and Baxter Investment Group. He has worked at Principal Securities Inc. since 1996. Outside of his advisory role, and works as a health insurance broker. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and active-duty military personnel. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement consulting, and access to third-party money manager solutions under various advisory and promoter arrangements.

David Ballheim is the founder of Ballheim Financial LLC, an independent advisory firm based in Leclaire, Iowa. He holds a Series 65 credential and has 16 years of industry experience, having established his firm in 2012. Outside of his advisory work, he is a 20% partner in a farm rental business, CRB LLC, with no active management duties. Ballheim Financial LLC provides investment supervisory services and financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm emphasizes documented client investment objectives, uses tools like Morningstar and Riskalyze for portfolio analysis, and offers retirement plan administration alongside various insurance product solutions.

Frederick Palen is the sole advisor at Palen Financial LLC in Davenport, IA, holding a Series 63 designation with 27 years of industry experience. He has operated Palen Financial since 2010 and has also been involved with Cargill Hybrid Seed Inc. since 1982. In addition to his advisory work, he offers non-variable insurance products, including group benefits and Medicare-related insurance. Palen Financial provides investment supervisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan administration to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and pension/profit-sharing plans. The firm integrates insurance and annuity products alongside traditional securities in portfolio construction, tailoring advice to clients' income, tax situation, time horizon, and risk tolerance.

Darlene Steffen is a CFP® and PFS™ credentialed financial advisor with 14 years of industry experience. She is the sole advisor and owner of Life Planning Solutions, LLC, an independent firm she founded in 2006. Steffen has focused her career on providing comprehensive financial planning and investment management services. Life Planning Solutions, LLC serves individuals, trusts, and small businesses through a fee-only advisory model. The firm employs a strategic asset allocation approach with core-and-satellite portfolios primarily composed of passive mutual funds and ETFs, emphasizing global diversification and ongoing portfolio monitoring.

Brennen Schmertmann is a financial advisor at St. Therese Financial LLC with four years of industry experience. He previously worked at LPL Financial and Mutual of Omaha Investor Services. Schmertmann holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and is based in Bettendorf, IA. St. Therese Financial provides discretionary asset management and financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth individuals, nonprofit clients, and other investment advisers. The firm combines fundamental analysis, technical methods, and Modern Portfolio Theory with a documented moral-screening policy that influences investment choices based on non-financial criteria.

Kathryn Kraft is a CFP® and Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 22 years of industry experience. She is the sole advisor at Kraft Financial, LLC, a firm she founded in 2018 after prior roles at Investment Advisors Corp., Broker Dealer Financial Services Corp., and Merrill. In addition to her advisory work, she is a licensed independent insurance agent who assists clients with life insurance and annuities. Kraft Financial, LLC provides discretionary asset management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $36 million for a small group of clients, emphasizing diversification, cost control, and long-term portfolio management using a mix of passive and active ETFs, mutual funds, equities, fixed income, and structured products.