Woodbury, MN Office

Richard Juckel is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 21 years of industry experience. He has worked at Ballast Advisors, LLC since 2017 and previously at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. and RBC Capital Markets. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as CFO for a family-owned hair salon, handling bookkeeping duties. Ballast Advisors manages approximately $674 million in client assets, serving individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers financial planning, investment and wealth management, and retirement plan consulting, utilizing strategies such as modern portfolio theory and tactical asset allocation across various securities and independent managers.

Paul Parnell is a financial advisor at Ballast Advisors, LLC with 29 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Ballast Advisors since 2017, following a long tenure at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. He is also involved in several business ventures outside of advisory work, including ownership roles in commercial real estate and tax services, and serves as president of the Commons Showroom 1 Association board. Ballast Advisors serves individual and institutional clients, offering financial planning, consulting, portfolio management, and retirement plan consulting. The firm customizes portfolios based on client risk tolerance and objectives, utilizing a range of investment vehicles and regularly monitoring accounts with an emphasis on asset allocation and modern portfolio theory.

James Heimler is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with seven years of industry experience. He is currently with Ballast Advisors, LLC, where he has worked since 2023. Prior to that, he was with Gradient Advisors, LLC for six years and Case Central for six years. Ballast Advisors manages approximately $674 million in client assets, serving individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers financial planning, investment and wealth management, and retirement plan consulting, utilizing a range of strategies including modern portfolio theory and tactical asset allocation.

Steven Schmidt is a financial advisor at Ballast Advisors, LLC in St. Paul, MN, with 33 years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® and ChFC® designations and has worked at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. for 24 years before joining Ballast Advisors in 2017. Outside of advisory work, he is also an independent insurance agent with various insurance companies. Ballast Advisors serves individual and institutional clients, providing financial planning, consulting, and portfolio management services. The firm uses asset allocation and modern portfolio theory principles to tailor portfolios to client risk tolerance and objectives, regularly monitoring accounts and employing tactical shifts when appropriate.

Richard Gerczak is a CFP® with 31 years of industry experience, currently serving at Ballast Advisors, LLC since 2017. Prior to this, he worked at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. for over two decades. Outside of his advisory role, he is vice president of a real estate business and is involved as an independent insurance agent. Ballast Advisors serves individual and institutional clients, providing financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs asset-allocation and modern portfolio theory principles, tailoring portfolios to client objectives and risk tolerance.