I'm the founder of SCM Investment Services in Lake Elmo, MN — a fee-only, fiduciary advisory firm built on one belief: everyone deserves honest financial advice from someone legally required to put their interests first. My path here started on the trading floor at the Chicago Board of Trade, where I transacted over $1 billion in US Treasury Notes daily and later served as VP and Director of Discretionary Trading Operations. With degrees in Computer Science and Chemistry, I've always approached investing as a hard science — not a sales pitch. I earned my MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, the epicenter of evidence-based investing. No commissions. No exceptions. I've been quoted as a financial expert in CNN Money, Fortune, the Chicago Tribune, US News, and Investment News.

Adam Duchon is a CFP® professional with over five years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at PairOne Private Wealth. Outside of his financial advisory work, Adam coaches hockey at Lakeville North High School. PairOne Private Wealth is an independent registered investment adviser that provides discretionary asset management and comprehensive financial planning to families, small business owners, and young professionals.

After spending more than 13 years in traditional wealth management, I saw first hand how traditional firms, regardless of their fee model - are designed to maintain the status quo. I created Luminous Money as an expression and reflection of my personal pursuit of the American Dream: from being a first-generation immigrant working minimum wage jobs, to slowly scrimping, saving and investing into achieving some of my biggest dreams. If you're a dreamer, you're one of us. At Luminous, we don't care about not being invited to the table.....we're building our own damn table. Luminous is designed to work with people across all income and wealth levels, because I know first hand that money in the hands of the right people changes everything. I am so excited to meet you!

Chad Rusten is Chief Financial Planner at Element Squared Private Wealth in Minneapolis, MN, holding the ChFC®, CLU®, CASL®, and CLTC designations along with Series 66 licenses. He has 23 years of industry experience, with prior roles at Park Avenue Securities, Guardian Life Insurance, Eagle Strategies (NY Life), and Nylife Securities. He also operates as a sole proprietor in insurance sales and services, dedicating approximately 5% of his time to this activity. Element Squared Private Wealth provides discretionary asset management and integrated financial planning to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, and charting analysis to construct diversified portfolios tailored to client objectives, offering financial planning as part of its advisory services.

Eric Hutchens is a CFP®, CFA®, and Series 66 certificant with 18 years of experience in the financial industry. He has worked at Allodium Investment Consultants, LLC since 2015 and previously spent eight years with UBS Financial Services. Allodium Investment Consultants serves individuals, foundations, endowments, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, and fiduciary consulting, generally favoring low-cost, tax-advantaged, passively oriented investments customized to clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Michael Bins is a CFP® professional currently affiliated with LPL Financial. LPL Financial provides advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, institutions, and high-net-worth households. The firm offers a range of investment solutions supported by an in-house research team and a large network of investment adviser representatives.

Peter O'Brien is the owner and sole advisor of MPM Financial Corporation, an independent firm based in Maplewood, MN. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 36 years of industry experience. Prior to his current role at MPM Financial Corporation since 2020, he worked at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments and Voya Financial Advisors. In addition to his advisory work, he is a licensed agent for fixed and traditional insurance products. MPM Financial Corporation provides discretionary asset management primarily for individual investors and qualified retirement plans. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, technical, charting, and cyclical analysis to tailor portfolios to client objectives and offers services including ongoing portfolio monitoring and financial consulting.

Justin Munger is a financial advisor at VIP Financial Associates with 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Premier Capital Management, LLC dba VIP Financial Associates since 2016 and previously at Sawtooth Solutions LLC. In addition to his advisory role, Munger is an independent life and health insurance agent licensed in Minnesota and Wisconsin and owns a pet sitting and cleanup services business. VIP Financial Associates provides financial planning and discretionary portfolio management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and estates. The firm’s investment process focuses on individualized asset allocation and uses a combination of fundamental and technical analysis, relying on third-party model managers and ongoing portfolio monitoring.

Mark Austin is a financial advisor at Liniam Capital, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with seven years of industry experience. He previously worked at North Sky Capital for eight years before joining Liniam Capital in 2018. Liniam Capital provides investment management and financial consulting to individual and institutional clients, including trusts, retirement plans, public funds, and Taft-Hartley accounts. The firm combines portfolio management with tax, estate, and insurance advice, often using ETFs, individual securities, and option strategies to generate income and manage risk, and integrates accounting services through an affiliated CPA.

Paula Lilly is a financial advisor at Ramsey Hill Asset Management LLC with 12 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has been with Ramsey Hill since 2011. Outside of her advisory role, she is a non-voting member of Mojave Color, LLC, a technology and software development company. Ramsey Hill Asset Management provides discretionary investment supervisory and portfolio management services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm employs both fundamental and technical analysis and uses long- and short-term trading strategies to build individualized portfolios aligned with clients’ objectives.

I’m a financial planner who helps tech professionals with equity compensation take control of their finances and design a life that feels truly authentic. Life isn’t just about numbers or following a traditional path. It’s about figuring out what you really want and building a plan to get there. That’s why I started Authentic Life Financial Planning, to help people align their finances with their life, whether that means retiring early, launching a new career, or simply feeling more confident about your future. I offer personalized, one-time financial plans and ongoing planning services, helping people navigate the complexities of equity compensation, tax strategies, cash flow, and more, all with the goal of creating a life you love. When I’m not working with clients, you’ll find me sailing, checking out live music, or planning my next travel adventure with my wife Annie and our son. We live in Minneapolis, MN and serve clients virtually across the U.S. If you’re ready to explore what’s possible with your finances, I’d love to chat!

Britt Clanton is the principal of Clanton Financial Partners, LLC in Saint Paul, MN, with 21 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at MML Investors Services, LLC and Transamerica-affiliated firms. Outside of his advisory role, Clanton serves as Chief Financial Officer for Visibility Innovations, providing financial consulting services. Clanton Financial Partners is a state-registered investment adviser offering customized investment management and retirement-plan advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and ERISA retirement plans. The firm utilizes fundamental analysis with a primarily long-term investment strategy while allowing tactical adjustments and sponsors a wrap-fee program that consolidates custodial, trading, and administrative costs.

Kevin Boyd is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 15 years of industry experience. He has worked at UBS Financial Services, Inc. for 10 years before founding KMB Wealth Management, LLC in 2020. The firm provides investment advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth individuals, and small businesses through a wrap fee investment program that combines financial planning, portfolio management, and brokerage transactional services. KMB Wealth Management employs a Core + Satellite investment approach, blending indexed funds with actively managed positions, and integrates comprehensive financial planning tailored to client objectives.

John Bernstein is the sole advisor at Bernstein Financial Advisory in Minneapolis, MN, holding a Series 65 credential with seven years of industry experience. He founded and has operated the firm since 2019, with a prior three-year period away from the industry. Bernstein Financial Advisory provides portfolio management and financial planning services tailored to individuals, high-net-worth clients, entrepreneurs, small business owners, charitable organizations, and other business entities. The firm employs fundamental analysis, long-term purchase strategies, and option writing, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary account management, as well as free public educational seminars and workshops.

Brandon Small is a CFP® and CFA® with 21 years of industry experience. He is the principal of Invested Interests, LLC, an independent advisory firm based in Minneapolis, MN. Prior to founding Invested Interests in 2013, he worked with Crane Capital Management and PrideCo Capital Management, where he continues to have affiliations. He also operates an accounting consulting practice as a licensed CPA. Invested Interests provides combined investment advisory, financial planning, and portfolio management services to individuals, corporations, and nonprofit clients. The firm emphasizes tailored investment strategies through fundamental and technical analysis, balanced long-term holdings, and options strategies, with capabilities for socially responsible investment screening.

Joseph Brill is a financial advisor with Knox Avenue Financial Corp. in St. Paul, MN, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 18 years of industry experience. He previously worked for Principal Life Insurance Company and Princor Financial Services Corporation for 10 years each before joining Knox Avenue Financial Corp. Brill holds leadership roles with the Kappa Sigma Building Association, a college fraternity housing organization. Knox Avenue Financial Corp. provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and pension clients, managing approximately $145 million in assets. The firm specializes in tailored portfolio construction using asset allocation, dollar-cost averaging, and a mix of long- and short-term holdings, and it operates a wrap fee program with a high client-to-advisor ratio.

Ricky Pickle is a CFP® and Series 63-licensed financial advisor with 24 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Pro Advisors, Ltd., operating as R J Pickle Financial Services, and has been president of R.J. PICKLE, CPA, CFP, PC since 2013, providing tax preparation services. The firm offers investment management and financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and businesses, using a combination of fundamental and technical analysis to guide portfolio construction and ongoing monitoring. It integrates investment advisory services with tax preparation and planning, reflecting the advisor’s dual credentials as a CPA and CFP®.

Lindy Venustus is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Create, LLC. She has worked at several firms including Origin Financial and Wells Fargo Advisors and is also involved in community activities such as volunteering on the Death and Dying Committee of the Minneapolis Quaker Friends and participating in Toastmasters. In her free time, she is an artist and author and a member of the Minnesota Watercolor Society. Create, LLC provides fee-only comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management for younger, well-compensated individuals and families, often focusing on clients with employer stock or those planning career transitions. The firm utilizes a long-term, passive investment approach with low-cost ETFs via the Betterment platform, and offers services including group education workshops and family governance planning.

Kari Polasek is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 16 years of industry experience. She is the principal of Adaptive Financial Design LLC, an independent firm she has led since 2023. Prior to founding her firm, she worked at Advisornet Financial and Wealth Enhancement Group. Adaptive Financial Design LLC provides discretionary investment management and financial planning services to individual clients, including both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth households. The firm employs a primarily passive, index-based investment approach grounded in modern portfolio theory and combines ongoing subscription planning with fixed-fee project engagements.

Lauri Salverda is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Castle Rock Financial Planning, Inc. She has worked at Clerestory Advisors, Inc. since 2008. Castle Rock Financial Planning provides personalized financial planning and investment management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and estates, offering comprehensive written financial plans and ongoing portfolio management without imposing minimum account balances or accepting commissions. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, technical, and third-party research to guide investment decisions across a variety of asset types.