Hello, I am Ben. I started Simplified Planning and Investments out of a deep desire to make a real difference in people’s lives. For nearly a decade, I have had the privilege of guiding individuals and families through some of their most important financial decisions. Over time, I realized my greatest fulfillment comes from building meaningful relationships, truly understanding people’s stories, and helping them find peace of mind in areas that often cause stress and uncertainty. This led me to create a firm centered on people first - where financial planning is about more than money; it’s about impact, purpose, and simplicity. At Simplified Planning, everything begins with a passion for people. This firm was built on the belief that the foundation of finacial planning is built on relationships, trust, and helping others live with greater peace and purpose. Our purpose is to equip you to make confident financial decisions with clarity and ease. Every story is unique, and so is every financial plan. Exceptional financial planning starts with listening and understanding. That’s why we take a holistic, relationship-driven approach - thoughtfully blending overarching strategies with the important details that matter most to you. Because we work on a fee-only basis, our only focus is providing sound advice that puts your best interests first. By viewing your financial life as an integrated system - cash flow, investments, taxes, insurance, retirement, and estate considerations - we ensure each piece works together seamlessly, so your money serves your goals and values. Our aim is to simplify complexity, bring clarity to uncertainty, and provide a roadmap that balances today’s priorities with tomorrow’s vision. Outside of work, my life is centered around my family. We love traveling and discovering new places together. I stay connected to my community through commitments to my church, volunteering, and teaching personal finance. I’m also a high school football official, a passionate sports fan, and yes - one of those lawn guys. I look forward to connecting, understanding your story, and helping you create a financial life that reflects both your goals and your values - bringing clarity, confidence, and meaning every step of the way.

Stoy Hall is a CFP® with 14 years of industry experience and the principal of Black Mammoth LLC, an independent advisory firm based in Ankeny, IA. His prior experience includes roles at Centric Advisors, Majors and Mondragon, MWA Financial Services, and Modern Woodmen of America. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as president of the board for the Starts Right Here Movement and owns consulting firms LNC Financial and Legacy Fiduciary Services. Black Mammoth LLC offers discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, family office and wealth planning, retirement plan consulting, and business advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm manages accounts primarily on a discretionary basis using model portfolios and may engage third-party sub-advisers, while also sponsoring affiliated private funds and providing cash sweep programs.

Michael Moller is the principal of DSM Financial L.L.C. in Urbandale, IA, with 38 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 registrations and has worked in various capacities within the financial services industry since 1984. In addition to his advisory role, Moller maintains a life insurance practice focusing on term and whole life insurance. DSM Financial L.L.C. serves approximately 200 client relationships, including high-net-worth individuals, plan sponsors, and business entities. The firm offers financial planning, educational seminars, retirement-plan consulting, and refers clients to registered third-party investment managers, acting as a liaison and providing non-discretionary ERISA services for retirement plans.

Kyle Thompson is a financial advisor at Leetown Advisors with nine years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations. Prior to founding Leetown Advisors in 2017, he worked at Waddell And Reed and Guardian Life. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with KT Constrictors, a non-investment business. Leetown Advisors provides investment management, financial planning, business consulting, and retirement plan services to individuals, employer plan sponsors, and institutional clients. The firm employs a primarily passive, asset-class allocation strategy supplemented by fundamental and technical analysis and offers services such as derivatives management and ERISA 3(38) investment management.

Steven Reed is the principal of Reed Financial, LLC, an independent registered investment adviser based in Urbandale, IA. He holds the ChFC® designation and has 36 years of industry experience. Prior to founding Reed Financial, he held various roles at Northwestern Mutual and has operated his own sole proprietorship since 1987. He is also the managing member of Reed Commercial Lending LLC, which facilitates financial transactions between small business owners and lenders. Reed Financial provides discretionary asset management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and business entities, including qualified retirement plans. The firm employs tailored investment strategies and offers pension consulting services, including limited-scope ERISA 3(21) fiduciary roles and preparation of related disclosures.

Jayme Bresnahan is a financial advisor with Successful Resource Management, Ltd. in Johnston, Iowa, holding a Series 66 credential and 17 years of industry experience. She has worked with Successful Resource Management and Investacorp Inc. and is also involved in managing a family limited partnership and serving as an officer of a holding company. Successful Resource Management provides personalized financial planning and investment management to individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, and business entities, offering discretionary portfolio management, qualified-plan account management, financial planning, estate-planning services, and occasional CFO engagements. The firm uses documented investment objectives and technical analysis tools to guide asset allocation and security selection.

Guthrie Gaylord is a financial advisor at 3G Capital LLC with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 credential and previously worked at Wells Fargo. In addition to his advisory role, he serves as President and Managing Member of Double Eagle Capital Partners Management, LLC, where he acts as a fiduciary for partners' invested capital. 3G Capital LLC provides financial planning, investment advisory, and portfolio management services to individual investors, high-net-worth clients, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm employs an active, value-oriented equity selection approach combined with diversified allocations to low-cost ETFs, emphasizing strategic asset allocation and periodic rebalancing.

Kirk Bond is the principal of Apexedge LLC, an independent financial advisory firm based in Grimes, IA. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 16 years of industry experience. Prior to founding Apexedge in 2025, he worked with RIA Advisory Group, LLC for 15 years and has operated as a sole proprietor since 1999. Outside of his advisory work, Bond is a part-owner of Brokerstreet Insurance Services and is active as a life insurance marketer. Apexedge LLC provides financial planning, consultation, and discretionary asset management primarily to individuals and high-net-worth clients. The firm utilizes a third-party manager network through Envestnet/ARIA to implement investment strategies based on client suitability questionnaires.

Cory Dawkins is a financial advisor with Elite Wealth Partners, LLC in Johnston, Iowa. He holds a Series 66 designation and has 14 years of industry experience, including prior work at Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation. Outside of advising, Dawkins is involved in consulting on alternative investments, assists clients with debt reduction strategies through United Financial Freedom, and supports estate planning services with Estate Docs Pro. Elite Wealth Partners provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and businesses. The firm manages client assets primarily through model portfolios with third-party sub-advisors and structures client engagements around a comprehensive financial health checklist covering various planning areas.

Kevin Klein is a financial advisor at LIS Inc in Urbandale, IA, with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Lifestyles Investment Strategies since 2017, following three years at RIA Advisory Group. Klein is also a licensed life insurance agent, dedicating a small portion of his time to this activity. LIS Inc is an independent registered investment adviser that provides portfolio management and financial and estate planning advice to a diverse client base, including individuals, businesses, trusts, and nonprofits. The firm employs a rules-based, globally diversified investment approach, primarily using low-cost ETFs alongside selected stocks and bonds, with most accounts managed on a discretionary basis.

Alexander Savage is a CFP® professional with four years of industry experience. He is the founder of Savage Wealth Advisors and also leads Savage Tax Advisory LLC. His background includes roles at Hall CPA PLLC, BHE Renewables, LLC, LWBJ, and Primerica Advisors. Savage Wealth Advisors serves individuals and families, including high-net-worth clients and business owners, offering integrated wealth management that combines financial planning and discretionary investment management aligned with clients’ tax situations. The firm emphasizes long-term strategic asset allocation using low-cost, diversified funds and model portfolios, and provides non-discretionary advice on private investments under formal diligence and suitability guidelines.

Jonathan Sherrod is a CFP® with 11 years of industry experience, currently operating Sherrod Wealth Management in Urbandale, IA. His prior experience includes roles at Fisher Investments, Charles Schwab, Merrill, Arvest Wealth Management, and Scottrade. Sherrod Wealth Management LLC is an independent registered investment adviser focusing on portfolio management and financial planning for individuals and high-net-worth clients. The firm utilizes a combination of fundamental analysis, modern portfolio theory, and quantitative methods with a long-term trading horizon, and works with third-party managers through Altruist’s Model Marketplace.

Peter Rothamel is the principal advisor at Rothamel Wealth Management, LLC in Urbandale, IA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 registrations with 25 years of industry experience. Before founding his current firm in 2019, he worked at Investacorp Inc. for five years and has been involved with Successful Resource Management, Ltd. since 2013. Outside of advising, Rothamel is an author of the book "Let's Blame Everybody" and serves as an officer at Cartright & Kennedy, Inc. Rothamel Wealth Management provides portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting to individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as plan sponsors and participants. The firm employs a value-oriented, primarily long-term investment approach combined with tactical and strategic asset allocation, actively monitoring and rebalancing accounts as needed.

James Weiss is a financial advisor with Weiss Financial Group, LLC in Johnston, Iowa, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses. He has 22 years of industry experience and previously worked at Global Financial Private Capital and Weiss-Merkle Financial, LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he is the owner of JW Elite Holdings, Inc., a holding company that includes branding and insurance businesses. Weiss Financial Group, LLC is a state-registered investment adviser providing discretionary asset management, financial planning, newsletters, and educational seminars primarily to individual and corporate clients. The firm employs a value-oriented, long-term investment approach combined with tactical and strategic asset allocation, utilizing a variety of instruments and offering a proprietary wrap-fee program that integrates advisory and execution services.

Matthew Kimberley is a financial advisor with Des Moines Investments, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and over 30 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Des Moines Wealth Management LLC and Royal Alliance Associates, INC. Kimberley also operates Kimberley Tax Preparation, providing tax preparation services. Outside of finance, he coaches youth softball, offering private lessons in pitching and hitting. Des Moines Investments manages approximately $264.8 million in discretionary assets for around 700 clients, including individuals, business owners, and trusts. The firm offers portfolio management and financial planning services, creating tailored investment profiles and utilizing a range of securities such as ETFs, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and REITs.

Mark Gelbman is a CFP® with 24 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Strategic Wealth Solutions, LLC in Urbandale, Iowa. His prior roles include positions at Kestra Advisory Services, Principal Securities, and Northwestern Mutual Investment Management. Outside of his advisory practice, he works as a marketer for AIG/American General, focusing on fixed insurance products such as single premium immediate annuities. Strategic Wealth Solutions provides wealth management, financial planning, investment management, and consulting services to individuals, retirement and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm primarily serves individual clients with customized discretionary portfolios and utilizes a subadvisory relationship with AE Wealth Management for model portfolio implementation.

Sarah Zimmerman is a PFS™ credentialed advisor with seven years of industry experience. She is part of the Kane Company Wealth Management, Inc. team in Johnston, IA. Zimmerman has been associated with Kane Company, P.C. since 2001. Kane Company Wealth Management, Inc. serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, estates, charitable foundations, and company-sponsored retirement plans. The firm focuses on long-term, low-cost, tax-efficient portfolios primarily using passive vehicles and institutional mutual funds and ETFs, with investment strategies guided by Dimensional Fund Advisors and Modern Portfolio Theory.

Brian Thompson is a financial advisor at Rockway Wealth Partners with 19 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked with firms including Wealth Advisors of Iowa, VisionPoint Advisory Group, and LPL Financial LLC. Thompson also serves in the Iowa Air National Guard. Rockway Wealth Partners is a state-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and trusts. The firm manages approximately $25.1 million in discretionary assets and offers portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services, utilizing proprietary model portfolios and LPL Research–designed strategies.

Travis specializes in working with those nearing and in retirement. He takes a transparent and collaborative approach to helping clients define their best life and outlining the steps necessary to get there. His services include cash flow analysis, tax planning, investment management, risk management, and estate planning. This can be offered via one-time Planning Engagements or ongoing Full-Service Advisory offerings.

Ryan Page is a CFP®, CFA®, and holds a Series 66 license with 11 years of industry experience. He has been with Mokosak Advisory Group, LLC since 2014 and also has a history with Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. He is based in Urbandale, IA. Mokosak Advisory Group is an SEC-registered firm serving individuals and families, including medical professionals, business owners, and charitable organizations, through comprehensive financial planning and discretionary portfolio management. The firm employs a proprietary planning process and focuses on diversified, low-cost, tax-efficient investment strategies aligned with client goals.