Top financial advisors working with educators, teachers, and academics in Minnesota

The right financial advisor for you depends on how you weigh location, expertise, experience, the clients they typically serve, and how they work with you.

If you work in education or academia, your financial needs often include managing irregular income cycles, planning for pensions, and navigating public benefits. A common mistake is treating your financial planning like a standard 9-to-5 job, which can overlook key timing and benefit details.

  • Pension plan expertise. Confirm how they handle your specific pension system, including options for lump sums, survivor benefits, and integration with Social Security.
  • Income timing awareness. Ask how they plan for summer breaks, sabbaticals, or contract renewals that affect your cash flow.
  • Public benefits coordination. Check if they consider how your educator benefits interact with Medicare, Social Security, and other government programs.
  • Education sector experience. Look for advisors familiar with grants, loan forgiveness, and retirement options unique to teachers and academics.

Here are top matches to get you started. Review each profile to compare experience, credentials, and approach.

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Jeremy R

Series 63, Series 66

Minneapolis, MN

Thrivent Investment Management

Jeremy Roets is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management in Minneapolis, MN, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations. He has 12 years of industry experience, including over a decade with Thrivent Investment Management and fifteen years with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients, offering comprehensive written recommendations across various financial topics. The firm focuses on holistic, goal-based analyses and allows clients to integrate planning with managed-account programs, while maintaining separate services and avoiding discretionary trading authority for planning engagements.

Business ownership considerations
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Paul K

CFP®, Series 65

Zimmerman, MN

Longview Financial, Inc.

Paul Kinneberg is a CFP® and Series 65-registered advisor with 24 years of industry experience. He has been the principal and sole advisor at Longview Financial, Inc. since 2000 and also holds a long-term corporate role at CenturyLink. Longview Financial, Inc. provides personalized, fee-only financial planning and investment management primarily for individual clients. The firm uses a strategic asset allocation approach with a core-and-satellite framework, combining passive index and ETF core holdings with active funds when appropriate, and manages client assets on a non-discretionary basis with an emphasis on individualized advice.

General tax planning College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Cash flow / budgeting
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Walter F

Series 63, Series 66

Minneapolis, MN

Focus Financial

Walter Fleak is a financial advisor at Focus Financial with 26 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at firms including Primerica Advisors and AXA Distributors. Outside of financial advising, he owns Fleak Consulting Inc., which provides marketing and IT consulting to non-financial services clients. Focus Financial Network is an enterprise investment adviser managing approximately $6.3 billion across 118 advisors. The firm serves individuals, pension plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporate clients, offering a range of managed accounts and financial planning services with a diversified investment approach.

Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Alexander R

CFP®, Series 63

St. Petersburg, FL

Summit Financial, LLC

Alexander Robbel is a CFP® professional with seven years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Summit Financial, LLC. His background includes multiple roles within Northwestern Mutual and related companies from 2019 to 2025. Robbel also operates as an insurance broker, earning compensation through sales of various insurance products. Summit Financial, LLC is a multi-team advisory firm managing approximately $26.35 billion in assets for about 17,800 clients. The firm offers a range of investment advisory and portfolio management programs, combining discretionary and consultative services tailored to client needs.

Tax-loss harvesting Private / alternative investments Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy General estate planning guidance Founder/Business Owner Executive
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James K

Series 63, Series 65

Centerville, MN

LPL Financial

James Kalina is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 29 years of industry experience. He has been with LPL Financial since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, he is a board member for the Economic Development Authority in Centerville, MN, and performs part-time as a member of a musical group. 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.

Wealth management Retirement income strategy College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Tax-loss harvesting Annuities Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Arjun S

Series 66

Frisco, TX

TIAA-CREF

Arjun Swarup is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Frisco, TX, holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining TIAA-CREF, he worked at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management and has an academic background from NYU College of Arts and Sciences. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing managed account services within a fiduciary framework, including acting as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

General estate planning guidance Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Educators, Teachers, and Academics Founder/Business Owner Approaching retirement Mid-Career Professionals
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Kevin H

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Birmingham, AL

RFG Advisory, LLC

Kevin Harper is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with 29 years of industry experience. He is currently with RFG Advisory, LLC in Birmingham, AL, where he has worked since 2015, including prior roles at LPL Financial and Ameriprise. Harper is a co-owner of LHP Capital LLC, a commercial real estate business. RFG Advisory provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, and select institutional clients. The firm employs discretionary investment strategies through model portfolios, third-party platforms, and serves as a sub-adviser to multiple ETFs, with additional specialized services for retirement accounts and alternative investments.

Options & derivatives strategies Private / alternative investments Tax-loss harvesting Founder/Business Owner Executive Retired Women Professionals Mid-Career Professionals

Jacob H

Series 63, Series 66

Charlotte, NC

Edward Jones

Jacob Heinz is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Charlotte, NC, with 15 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations. His previous positions include roles at Fidelity Investments and E*TRADE Capital Management. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory solutions, including discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, supported by a nationwide network of thousands of financial advisors and branch offices.

Divorce financial planning Retirement income strategy Wealth management Real estate investing Educators, Teachers, and Academics
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Lindsey E

Series 63, Series 65

Cambridge, MN

EFS Advisors

Lindsey Egan is a financial advisor at EFS Advisors with 11 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at First Republic Securities and First Republic Investment Management from 2016 to 2019. Outside of her financial advisory role, Lindsey is the owner of Women Who Explore, a community offering outdoor adventures and small group travel experiences for women. EFS Advisors provides investment advice and portfolio management to a broad client base, including individuals, business entities, charitable organizations, and qualified retirement plans. The firm employs a client-centric suitability scoring process combined with technology tools to recommend model portfolios and supports clients through discretionary and non-discretionary account management.

Options & derivatives strategies Educators, Teachers, and Academics
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Scott S

Series 63, Series 65

Farmington, CT

Medallion Wealth Advisors, LLC

Scott Stevens is a financial advisor at Medallion Wealth Advisors, LLC with 34 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at firms including Morgan Stanley and American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. Stevens is also the proprietor of Stevens & Associates, LLC, a separate business. Medallion Wealth Advisors serves individuals, families, and retirement plans for educators and nonprofit organizations. The firm provides portfolio management, financial planning, and pension consulting with a long-term investment approach that includes discretionary and non-discretionary account management and may utilize third-party managers when appropriate.

General retirement planning Educators, Teachers, and Academics
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