Thomas Jay Braaten

Hello, I am the founding member of PlanWell Financial Guidance and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner providing Fee-Only personal financial planning and investment advice. I enjoy helping motivated people plan their retirement and preparing people for that stage and transition along with bringing comfort and clarity around the multitude of financial decisions before and during retirement. I've also found fulfillment in helping the widowed or single retirees live with confidence around their finances by being the impartial professional that sits on their side of the table as they make unfamiliar or independent decisions. Personal finance has been my focus my entire career with it being my emphasis in the Finance program at Minnesota State University since graduating in 2003. My mission: Live a purposeful life through professionally providing valuable and unbiased personal financial planning and investment advice to pleasant people and retirees so that wise and efficient decisions regarding their wealth or resources are made, goals are attained, and financial concerns are mitigated for years to come.

Sheryl Nelson is a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services with 27 years of industry experience. She has been with UBS since 2006 and holds a Series 63 designation. UBS Financial Services Inc. serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, combining institutional trading capabilities with wealth management services.

Jay Braaten is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding the ChFC® designation and securities licenses Series 63 and Series 66, with 28 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Securities America Advisors and INVEST Financial Corporation. He is also an insurance agent specializing in term life, whole life, disability, and long-term care insurance. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolio programs, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms, supporting advisors with advanced operational and research tools.

Joshua Thoreson is a financial advisor with LPL Enterprise, holding a Series 66 designation and five years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at Prudential Insurance Company of America and Thrivent Financial. Outside of advisory work, he serves as an on-call volunteer firefighter and emergency medical services instructor, and he works as an on-call K-12 classroom teacher. LPL Enterprise provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth investors, and institutional clients. The firm’s approach typically involves model-driven portfolio implementation and offers access to third-party asset managers, financial planning services, and affiliated insurance and trust custody products.