I’m Carter Michaelson, CFP®, CSLP®, and the founder of illumiFI Wealth. I started this firm to help people cut through financial complexity and make confident, tax-smart decisions about their money. With a focus on financial planning, investments, and tax strategies, I work alongside clients to create a clear path toward financial freedom. At illumiFI Wealth, I believe financial advice should be independent, transparent, and values-driven. That’s why the firm is fee-only — no commissions, no hidden agendas. Our approach is also rooted in behavioral finance: helping clients overcome the biases and emotions that can get in the way of good decisions. My favorite moments are when a concept clicks — those “lightbulb” moments where clients feel clarity and confidence about their next steps. I launched illumiFI Wealth because I’ve seen firsthand how overwhelming money can feel — from student loans to charitable giving to retirement planning. My mission is to provide clarity, confidence, and purpose so clients can focus on what truly matters: living generously and pursuing the life they’re called to live.

David Johnson is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional with 14 years of industry experience. He is the principal advisor at Right Path Financial LLC, an independent firm he has led since 2020. Prior to this, he held roles at Gradient Advisors, LLC and operated his own financial planning practice as a sole proprietor. In addition to his advisory work, Johnson also serves as a director at Case Central, LLC, where he focuses on financial plan creation. Right Path Financial LLC provides investment advice and financial planning primarily to individual clients, utilizing third-party model portfolios through the Orion Portfolio Solutions Strategist program. The firm offers non-discretionary asset management and standalone financial planning services without requiring an account minimum.

Thomas Hallberg is the principal advisor at Wealth Transitions, an independent firm based in Forest Lake, MN. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 26 years of industry experience, including 25 years at Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. Outside of his advisory work, Hallberg is engaged in life and spiritual coaching and public speaking. Wealth Transitions provides investment management and financial planning services primarily to individual clients, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary options. The firm also conducts public seminars on topics such as estate transfer, tax reduction, and preparing heirs, using client-specific strategies that incorporate fundamental analysis, Modern Portfolio Theory, and Monte Carlo simulations.

Christine Thomas is a CFP® professional with eight years of industry experience. She is the founder of CMT Financial, LLC, where she has served since 2026, and has previously worked with True Vision MN LLC and Berger Financial Group. Outside of financial advising, she is involved in book publishing as president of My Book, LLC, which focuses on self-help topics, and also works as an independent consultant selling cleaning products. CMT Financial, operating as Ideal Life Advisory, is a fee-only fiduciary wealth management firm providing discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and estates. The firm emphasizes retirement, education, tax, risk-management, and estate planning with a consultative approach that customizes portfolios primarily using mutual funds and ETFs under discretionary authority.

Hi, I’m Scott, the founder of Renovate Financial Planning, where we specialize in working with Real Estate Investors. I get to wake up every day excited to get to work because I combined the career I love (financial planning) with my hobby, side-gig of real estate investing! It’s hard as a Real Estate Investor to find an advisor who understands real estate or who won’t advise you against it! As a Real Estate Investor myself and an avid researcher on all things real estate and financial planning, I am here to help you reach all your financial and real estate goals. Our comprehensive financial planning includes real estate consulting, investment management, long-term tax planning, insurance and risk management, estate planning, and retirement planning. We’re here to make sure you have everything you need to live your best life now and into retirement. When I’m not meeting with clients, nerding out on real estate or researching tax strategies for financial planning, I can be found adventuring outside with my wife and three daughters or by the fireplace drinking coffee. If you would like to know more about Renovate Financial Planning and how we could help you, please reach out! We would love to have a free phone consultation with you to see if we would be a good fit!

Linda Wilke is a financial advisor with Jones Kertz & Associates, Inc. She holds a Series 63 designation and has 31 years of industry experience. Wilke has worked at Whittlinger Investment Corporation since 1994. Outside of her advisory role, she is employed as an accountant at WCM Inc., an investment advisory firm in Minneapolis. Jones Kertz & Associates provides personalized portfolio management and wealth-planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, business owners, trusts, and retirement accounts. The firm manages its own wrap fee program, combining fundamental stock selection and technical analysis with diversified bond and mutual fund investments.

Brian Kertz is a financial advisor with Jones Kertz & Associates, Inc. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has 31 years of industry experience. He has worked at Whittlinger Investment Corporation since 2000. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as Senior Operations Manager at WCM Inc., an investment advisory firm in Minneapolis. Jones Kertz & Associates provides personalized portfolio management and wealth-planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, business owners, trusts, and retirement accounts. The firm operates its own wrap fee program with Fidelity and manages portfolios internally using a combination of fundamental and technical analysis, emphasizing asset allocation and continuous monitoring.

Luke Eberly is a CFP® certificant with one year of industry experience, currently advising at Drost Financial. He previously worked at CWM, LLC, Shilanski & Associates, Inc., and Accredited Investors. The firm serves individual investors, including high-net-worth clients, young families, and corporate executives, offering discretionary portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning with a focus on fundamental security analysis and modern portfolio theory.

Steven Drost is a CFP® and CFA® with nine years of industry experience. He is the principal advisor at Drost Financial, where he has worked since 2021. Prior to that, he held roles at Private Client Services LLC, Affiance Financial, and Echo Wealth Management. Outside of his advisory work, Mr. Drost is the Co-Founder and CEO of Quivr CRM, a Salesforce OEM partner focused on customer experience development. Drost Financial serves individual investors, including high-net-worth clients, young families, and corporate executives, providing discretionary portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning. The firm combines fundamental security analysis with modern portfolio theory, using both passive and active investment vehicles to implement individualized portfolios.

Michael Mccool is a financial advisor at Jones Kertz & Associates, Inc. with 31 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Capital Management Securities, Inc., Capital Management Associates, Inc., VSR Financial Services, Inc., and First Advisors. He serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors for the HighGrove Condominium Association. Jones Kertz & Associates, Inc. provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management and wealth planning services to individuals, business owners, trusts, retirement accounts, and select institutional clients. The firm employs a bottom-up fundamental research process supplemented by technical analysis, managing portfolios internally with a focus on individual stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.

Patrick Schmitz is a financial advisor at Triton Investments, LLC with six years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked in real estate brokerage since 2022 while also owning and managing Atlas Rental LLC, a real estate investment company. Prior to his current roles, he was employed at Xcel Energy and Dakota Gasification Company. Triton Investments, LLC provides discretionary portfolio management primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, employing a long-term investment approach centered on passively managed index ETFs and active rebalancing. The firm manages approximately $17 million in assets and customizes portfolios based on client objectives documented in Investment Policy Statements.

Thomas Koehn is a financial advisor with Ascent Advisors and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 16 years of industry experience, including previous roles at Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America and Corestone Wealth Management LLC. Koehn is also involved with American Senior Benefits, where he engages in insurance sales. Ascent Advisors offers portfolio management, financial planning, pension consulting, and Delaware Statutory Trust consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and business entities. The firm integrates multiple analytical approaches and emphasizes long-term trading, with a focus on equitable allocation and collaborative coordination in specialized real estate investment consults.

Ethan Favre is a CFP® professional with one year of experience, currently affiliated with SimplyRIA Advisor Network in Blaine, MN. His prior work history includes roles at Northwestern Mutual Investment Services LLC and Edward Jones. Outside of his advisory work, he operates a vending machine route. SimplyRIA Advisor Network provides advisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, and qualified retirement plans. The firm operates as an RIA-aggregator where independent practices are supervised under a common compliance framework, offering tailored portfolio management using a combination of active and passive strategies along with access to alternative investments and advisory insurance products.

Brian Senske is a financial advisor at Guardian Wealth Advisors, LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at All Star Financial Inc. for seven years. Outside of his advisory role, Senske provides CFO and management consulting services to small- and mid-size companies through his sole proprietorship, 3T Advisory Services LLC. Guardian Wealth Advisors offers investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting to individuals, retirement plans, and institutional clients. The firm employs a systematic investment approach using mutual funds, ETFs, bonds, options, and equities, combining fundamental and technical analysis to manage portfolios.

Charles Taylor is a financial advisor with World Equity Group, Inc. in Minneapolis, MN, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. He has been with World Equity Group since 2013. Outside of his advisory role, Taylor is a part-time musician and coordinates a seasonal youth hockey program for high school players. World Equity Group, Inc. provides fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers managed portfolios through its wrap-fee programs, combining discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to third-party money managers.

Paul Underdahl is a financial advisor with Focus Financial who holds a Series 66 designation and has 23 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. for 15 years before joining Focus Financial Network, Inc. and OSAIC in 2017. Outside of advising, he serves as a trustee of the James & Mary Underdahl Trust. Focus Financial Network, Inc. is an enterprise investment adviser managing approximately $6.3 billion across a network of 118 advisors. The firm serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporate clients, offering a range of investment management and financial planning services tailored to individual investor profiles.

Matthew Cosgriff is a CFP® professional with 12 years of experience in financial advising. He is currently with Apella Wealth and has previously worked at Creative Planning, SageView Advisory Group, KDV Wealth Management, and All Star Financial. Apella Wealth serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth families, trusts, retirement plans, and insurance companies. The firm employs a largely model-driven, quantitative investment approach incorporating factor-based equity strategies and fixed-income considerations, and it offers a variety of solutions such as separately managed accounts, held-away portfolio advice, and automated advisory services.

Paul Stein is a CFP® with 36 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at AdvisorNet Wealth Partners. He has worked at Advisornet Financial, Inc. since 1992 and was previously with CETERA Advisor Networks LLC from 2013 to 2019. Stein also sells fixed life, health, disability, annuities, and long-term care insurance and refers clients to an online banking service. AdvisorNet Wealth Partners provides investment management, financial planning, retirement-plan and participant consulting, and related advisory services to individuals, trusts, corporations, and qualified plans. The firm constructs diversified portfolios using a range of investment vehicles and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary management options.

Vince Darling is a CFP® professional with seven years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Focus Financial. His work history includes roles at OSAIC and Focus Financial Network since 2018, alongside involvement with Darling Sales and Service Company since 2012. He is active in the Financial Planning Association of Minnesota’s NexGen Committee as a volunteer and board member. Additionally, he occasionally provides pet sitting services through the Rover app. Focus Financial Network, Inc. is an enterprise investment adviser managing approximately $6.3 billion across 118 advisors. The firm serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporate clients, offering a range of managed accounts, retirement plan consulting, and financial planning services with a diversified investment approach.

Richard Luckow is a financial advisor at Advisor Share Wealth Management, LLC with 26 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked at firms including Cetera Wealth Services, Gradient Advisors LLC, and Virtue Capital Management. Luckow has also been a self-employed insurance agent since 1993, selling fixed insurance products. Advisor Share Wealth Management, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, professional advisers, and pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm offers portfolio management, retirement-plan services, and a web-based platform for independent advisers, typically using third-party sub-advisers and model portfolios to implement client strategies.