Carlson Capital Management

Integrated Wealth Management

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  • Our Firm
    • Who We AreFirmly grounded in foundational values, and intensely focused on each client’s well-being, Carlson Capital Management has been redefining partnership for more than thirty years.
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    • Client ProfileOur clients are individuals, families, businesses and foundations with many varying goals and situations, but one thing in common – the need and desire for integrated solutions.
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    • Foundational ValuesOur deep commitment to each client we serve is built upon foundational values like honesty, hard work, and a strong sense of personal dedication.
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    • Integrated Wealth ManagementOur Integrated Wealth Management approach surrounds clients with a team who apply their expertise to integrate all of the financial disciplines.
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Articles and Publications

A library of topical publications and articles written by CCM team members specifically for our clients.

Planning for Inflation

James Yaworski
James Michael Yaworski, CFA

Senior Investment Strategist
507.206.2804
Email James

Professional Biography
James Michael Yaworski serves as Senior Investment Strategist at Carlson Capital Management. In this role, James is responsible for investment research, portfolio management, and client investment education. James monitors and reviews client portfolios to maintain balance across asset classes, makes recommendations for portfolios when out of alignment with models, reviews daily cash positions, and places trades through the custodial trading platform. He also provides new client portfolio analysis, asset class/portfolio research and analysis, prepares and presents client education materials, and manages other activities in support of overall client portfolio management.

James is a graduate of Northern Illinois University where he earned his degree in Finance. While studying at NIU, he gained insights into his future career as part of a student-managed portfolio team. Prior to joining CCM, James’ experience included working in the roles of investment manager, project manager in investment research, and financial analyst in both large and small financial organizations. James holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA Charter) designation, granted by the CFA Institute, which entails a rigorous exam requirement. He also represents CCM as chair of the investment research committee of Zero Alpha Group, a national network of eight independent wealth management firms.

In addition to the research James conducts related to building strong client portfolios, he is engaged in research on approaches that enhance institutional experiences as well. His most recent work sets out to provide institutional investors with a more robust way of constructing spending policies. In a paper published in the Financial Analysts Journal, James shows how current practices create poor long-term outcomes, resulting in declining support for beneficiaries over time. He also demonstrates how current methods expose trustees to significant fiduciary risk, and how small errors in implementation can have significant long-term ramifications on portfolio growth. His in-depth and thoughtful research stems from his genuine interest in providing university, public and private foundations, and endowment trustees with an approach that not only optimizes the outcomes of their portfolio’s performance, but also addresses their fiduciary responsibility with regard to spending policies. [You can read the accepted manuscript of James' paper here.]

James enjoys being engaged in the community with Habitat for Humanity and Paws & Claws. In his free time he also enjoys golfing and playing softball. James grew up in Crystal Lake, Illinois and now resides in Rochester, Minnesota with his wife, Brittany, their three young children, and two dogs, Frankie and Jordy.

Personal Thoughts
“I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.”  -Mother Teresa

I have grown to appreciate the importance of collaboration and teamwork in this industry. A group of individuals, each dedicated toward expertise in their respective fields, can help to piece together the puzzle of a family’s financial lives in an incredible manner. The end result is one which truly connects the math of an individual’s personal finances with the why that makes up who they are and what they want to achieve in life.

As a member of our investment team, I enjoy every aspect of this process; from our discovery meetings where we learn about financial goals, to the analysis and construction of a financial plan, to the educational meetings where we help put all the pieces into place. Ultimately, building a relationship with clients that centers on creating financial security and establishing confidence in their financial plan is extremely gratifying.

James and other members of the CCM Investment Team regularly post articles of interest including investment insights, recommended reading on timely topics, and articles on portfolio management which you can find here.

James Michael Yaworski
James Michael Yaworski, CFA
Senior Investment Strategist

Inflation, an issue which the Federal Reserve initially discussed as a transitory event driven by pandemic-related supply chain bottlenecks and staffing shortages, may persist longer than expected due to the economic sanctions being placed on Russian oil exports. Oil is a critical input to the global economy, and the recent surge in prices will lead to higher producer and consumer prices in months to come. Inflation and Retirement Inflation is one of the largest risks facing retirees, ... [Continue Reading]

Published March 24, 2022 Topics: Inflation, Retirement Planning, Small Value Stocks

Security Is a Feeling, Not a Number

Cody Tresselt-Warren, CFP®, CPA

Senior Integrated Wealth Advisor
507.321.4023
Email Cody

  I find great purpose in deeply connecting and understanding the joys, hopes, and worries of individuals and families, and being able to help them accomplish their financial and non-financial goals with that foundational understanding.  

Professional Biography
Cody Tresselt-Warren is a Senior Integrated Wealth Advisor at Carlson Capital Management. In this role, Cody partners with clients and their families, providing the firm’s fully integrated wealth management experience, including investment management, retirement modeling, estate and educational planning and all other aspects of general financial planning and client care. In this role, Cody also connects clients with the firm’s specialists for overall portfolio management as well as direct access to expertise in areas such as tax planning and insurance analysis.

Cody joins CCM with nearly five years of experience in corporate tax and seven years in financial planning. Most recently, he served as a senior wealth planner at a large wealth management firm where he led comprehensive planning strategies for high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals and families. In this work, he delivered integrated and multigenerational wealth planning related to cash flow, income tax planning, executive compensation, and estate planning based on a thorough understanding of their personal values, wealth transfer and charitable goals, and vision for their legacy.

Cody received his Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, from Augsburg University in accounting and religion. He went on to earn a Master in Business Taxation degree from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management and a Certificate in Financial Planning from Boston University. Cody is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and holds the Certified Financial Planner™ designation granted through the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. He is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Minnesota Society of CPAs.

Cody is an active volunteer, serving on the board of Northfield Shares, as a BestPrep classroom volunteer, and as President of church's council. He is also an instructor in the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) program at Minnesota State University – Mankato.

Cody grew up near Madison, Wisconsin, and now lives in Rosemount, Minnesota, with his wife, Christine, and two children. Outside of his time at CCM, Cody enjoys the multitude of family activities, crafting holiday meals, Excel spreadsheets, and pretending to golf.

Personal Thoughts
When my son was younger and was asked what my work was, he replied, “Dad drives taxis.” Certainly, this was funny in the moment as he confused taxes with taxis. However, upon reflection, maybe he was on to something.

I find great purpose in deeply connecting and understanding the joys, hopes, and worries of individuals and families, and being able to help them accomplish their financial and non-financial goals with that foundational understanding. Or, perhaps as my son would imagine, acting as a taxi driver—helping individuals and families get from Point A to Point B (or C, F, 6, B1). Ultimately, the best laid plans are the ones solidly rooted in those goals and objectives to create the roadmap.

Now, almost 8, he understands a bit more about my work and has a bit more nuanced idea of my work. He currently believes I help people protect their piggy banks. Another great image that I like. Some of our earliest money habits and memories we formed with our first piggy banks, and it is important to recognize and honor those instinctive money habits.

It is an honor and privilege to work so closely with the clients of Carlson Capital Management to help them take their piggy bank where they want to.

Cody Tresselt-Warren
Cody Tresselt-Warren, CFP®, CPA
Senior Integrated Wealth Advisor

As humans, we may react emotionally to portfolio volatility, changes in career, or world events. We often feel insecure or out of control during these moments. Feeling secure, particularly financially secure, is just that—feelings. As we encounter these moments of feeling insecure, it is important to think it through: Why do I feel this way? What would make me feel better? How should I react? And then pause before reacting to reflect. Recently, my spouse and I ... [Continue Reading]

Published March 24, 2022 Topics: Behavioral Investing, Financial Planning, Integrated Wealth

Volatility: Our Constant Companion

Jeff Carlson
Jeffrey Carlson, CFP®

Founder
651.437.2360
Email Jeff

  "It is the ability to put data and information together into a cohesive plan and structure that requires true expertise, experience and leadership."  

Professional Biography
Jeffrey R. Carlson is a founding principal of Carlson Capital Management. His primary responsibilities include managing client relationships and helping to lead the firm’s business development initiatives. Jeff also develops and sets the vision for the firm. Jeff is a 1983 graduate of St. Olaf College, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, with specific concentrations in finance and accounting. Jeff began his career with IDS/American Express and shortly there-after earned his Certified Financial Planner™ designation. Jeff has been providing wealth management advice to clients and their families for three decades and has developed specific areas of expertise in retirement and early retirement planning, stock option management, estate planning, insurance services and developing integrated plans that include philanthropic giving.

Jeff is an active volunteer with numerous organizations including Hastings Area Rotary Club, St. Philips Lutheran Church, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Hastings Area YMCA, Green Lake Lutheran Ministries and the Hastings chapter of Let’s Go Fishing for seniors. Jeff is also an active alumnus of St. Olaf College, and currently serves as the Class of ’83 Correspondent and Class Fund Agent. In maintaining family tradition, Jeff is an avid tennis player and enjoys serving as a volunteer coach with the Hastings High School Tennis Team. Jeff also enjoys golf and spending time with his family. Jeff and his wife, Stacy, live in Hastings, Minnesota, where they raised their three children.

Personal Thoughts
Sports have and always will play an important part in my life. It is through these activities that I have learned hard work, discipline, and teamwork. Let me provide a few examples.

As a sophomore on the St. Olaf Basketball team, I was disenchanted with my playing time and the lack of opportunities to prove myself. With my speech to my coach memorized, I walked into his office to make my case for increased playing time. Before I was even able to say my opening line, I was presented with these words: “You are slow, you make poor decisions, and have an inability to score!”

So, I asked myself, “Do I quit or do I try to prove him wrong?”. By the end of the season, I was the first guard off the bench, lettered, and was given the “Mr. Hustle” award by my teammates. I may not have been the most talented, but I understood the value and reward in working hard and doing my best to help the team.

Another example recalls how I always wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps as a strategist and coach. I can picture my dad, days before a tennis match, shuffling and re-shuffling line ups to get the best opportunity for success against the opposing team. To a degree, what I really enjoy doing at Carlson Capital Management, I learned from my father. First, I know that to best serve our clients requires expertise and strategy from many different angles, including tax, estate, and investment perspectives. Understanding data and information is important, but it is the ability to put information together into a cohesive plan and structure that requires true expertise, experience and leadership. Second, to meet the needs of our clients, I am able to act as a coach to incorporate the best game strategies to “prevent unsuccessful outcomes” and create the best opportunity to win – that is, how to best accumulate, manage, and distribute their assets in such a manner as to help them accomplish what is most important to them.

Jeffrey Carlson
Jeffrey Carlson, CFP®
Founder

With nearly 40 years of industry experience, there are several market drawdowns that stand out in my mind, each of them with their own characteristics. We’re hearing a lot about volatility today, and we often do when the S&P 500 dips. But it’s important to remember that volatility applies just as well to times when it’s up. After all, the definition of volatility is the tendency to change quickly and unpredictably.1 In short, volatility is our constant companion and inherent to an investment ... [Continue Reading]

Published March 24, 2022 Topics: Discipline, Integrated Wealth, Market Volatility

Reflections on Ukraine: Fight, Flight, Freeze, or Fulfill

Justin Stets
Justin Stets, AIF®

President
507.645.8887
Email Justin

  Placing the client in the center of all our actions is not just a nice business slogan to have, it is rooted in the fabric of who we are as individuals, and what we believe as a firm.  

Professional Biography
Justin D. Stets is President of Carlson Capital Management. As a Management Team member, Justin oversees the company’s day-to-day operations, providing direction to CCM’s functional areas, as well as leadership on the direction and vision of the firm. Justin is also actively engaged as an integrated wealth advisor. Before joining CCM in 1998, Justin spent 11 years with Wells Fargo Corporation. Principal experiences at Wells included lending to high net worth clients and brokering commercial banks. Justin graduated from St. Olaf College cum laude in 1985 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Latin, Greek, and religion. He is a Phi Beta Kappa alumnus. In 1987, he received his master’s degree in theological studies from Harvard University.

Justin is also Chief Compliance Officer for the firm and holds an Accredited Investment Fiduciary professional designation, awarded by the Center for Fiduciary Studies. The AIF designation affirms the highest in fiduciary standards of care for CCM clients. Combining expertise with a Zero Alpha Group colleague, Justin is co-author of Fiduciary Matters, Relationships of Trust, an informative paper outlining the role of a fiduciary within a wealth advisory relationship.

Community involvement and professional leadership engagement are a priority for Justin. In recognition of his significant contributions, Justin was named a 2021 Notable Leader in Finance by Twin Cities Business. He is a former chair and current board member of Zero Alpha Group. On the nonprofit side, Justin was a founding board member and is a current development committee member of Northfield Shares, an organization to advance philanthropy, inspire volunteerism, and promote collective leadership. Justin is also on the board of the Center for Courage and Renewal, a charitable organization grounded in the works of Parker Palmer and whose mission is to reconnect the heart and soul of who you are with how you live in the world. In addition, he is active in the Catholic community of St. Dominic in Northfield. Justin and his wife, Kristin, are also philanthropically committed to the success of international projects located in Iringa, Tanzania, and El Rosario, Guatemala.

Previous roles for Justin include serving as vice president of the board of Friends of Africa Education, board president of the Community Action Center of Northfield, as well as former president and board member of the Ronald McDonald House of the Twin Cities. He also completed a term on the Schwab Advisor Services Advisory Board. In addition, he co-founded 5th Bridge, a Northfield organization dedicated to promoting volunteerism, which later merged with Northfield Area Foundation to become Northfield Shares.

Justin and Kristin live in Northfield, Minnesota, where they raised their four children.

Personal Thoughts
I strongly believe that knowing someone’s personal history creates a window of insight for a client. Three pieces of information may help describe who I am. First, I am the last child of 10 college-educated siblings raised in northeast Ohio during the 1960s and 1970s. Second, our family of 12 lived in a three-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment above a store which was owned and run by my mother. Third, I was raised and educated until high school as a Catholic, graduated from a Lutheran college, and attended a nondenominational theological graduate school.

With these three data points, you and I can have a great deal of conversation. We can discuss the value of money, as represented by a household of 12 that rarely ate meat (because it was so expensive), drank powdered milk, and gave recycled birthday cards out as gifts. We can discuss hard work–a mother who simultaneously raised 10 children and ran a successful business. We can converse about the value of an education and the persistence and stick-to-itiveness required to accomplish such goals. We can talk about the political stress of the 1960s and the economic hardships of the 1970s. Our dialogue could cover sibling relationships, how to pay for college, how to care for elderly parents, and issues of ethical and moral responsibility. Because no one is immune, in my opinion, from the wanderings of the human spirit, we could enjoy conversation about the role of spirituality in one’s life, our community, and our global environment.

All of these conversations are part of who Carlson Capital Management is, but perhaps not identified in a traditional format. Along with the years of experience and hundreds of stories of my colleagues, all the influences and experiences that we have collectively received dramatically shape our current philosophy and relationship with our clients. Placing the client in the center of all our actions is not just a nice business slogan to have, it is rooted in the fabric of who we are as individuals, and what we believe as a firm. Advocating for a transparent, clear, and academically proven investment philosophy is not a marketing gimmick, it is the foundational equivalent of a “bible” for us as investment advisors. Establishing delivery channels for our trust, tax, and philanthropic work so that our clients are truly experiencing an integrative wealth management platform points to our philosophy of broad-based thinking and intelligent, holistic planning and action.

I am hopeful that when you come to Carlson Capital Management and meet our team, you experience not only competency and quality, but also deep care. This is what gets us up every day. To be of service to you!

Justin Stets
Justin Stets, AIF®
President

Science tells us that humans generally follow three pathways when faced with a stressful situation: fight, flight, or freeze. This week, the world materially changed for the people of Ukraine, and investors everywhere are digesting this information.  Some are fighting to win and taking action by selling one asset in favor of buying another fund. Others are fleeing the global market, selling their assets and waiting until a period of calm before reinvesting.  There are many more who are ... [Continue Reading]

Published February 28, 2022 Topics: Diversification, Market Volatility, Politics and Markets

Meet Director of Estate Planning, Janelle Schrupp, J.D.

Callie Geist
Callie Geist, CFP®, J.D., MBA

Senior Integrated Wealth Advisor
952.230.6706
Email Callie

  Working with our clients' finances is very personal, and for them to allow us into that space is a real privilege.  

Professional Biography
Callie Geist is a Senior Integrated Wealth Advisor at Carlson Capital Management. In this role, Callie partners with clients and their families, providing the firm's fully integrated wealth management experience including investment management, retirement modeling, estate and educational planning and all other aspects of general financial planning and client care. Callie also connects clients with the firm's specialists for overall portfolio management as well as direct access to expertise in areas such as tax planning and insurance analysis.

Callie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Communication from Creighton University where she graduated cum laude. She went on to earn a Juris Doctor from the Creighton University School of Law, and is a member of Phi Delta Phi, an international legal fraternity. In addition, Callie holds an MBA from Kaplan University, and the Certified Financial Planner™ designation granted through the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards.

Callie joined CCM after serving as a Tax Staff Accountant at a South Dakota company. As a law student and undergraduate, Callie clerked with the Kellogg & Palzer firm in Omaha, Nebraska, and worked in human capital with the SilverStone Company. Callie grew up in Northwest Iowa, and now telecommutes from Sioux Falls where she resides with her husband, Aaron. She is a fan of Minnesota sports teams, enjoys cooking and spending time with her family, friends and her faithful dogs, Brin and Charlotte.

Personal Thoughts
My interest in financial planning began when I was sixteen years old and working at one of my very first jobs. This job was in a wonderful gift shop with a small café in my hometown of Storm Lake, Iowa. I enjoyed every aspect of this job: unpacking merchandise, wrapping gifts, prepping food in the kitchen, waiting on tables, etc. However, my favorite part of the job was getting to know the customers and helping them find exactly what they were looking for. One such customer was Don, a businessperson in his 60s who was a regular patron of the café. He would come in almost daily at the end of every lunch service. I loved sitting at the table with him and chatting.

During one of our conversations, he shared with me his number one financial recommendation: open a Roth IRA and save 10% of your income into that account. Don’t worry about the dollar amount you’re contributing, he said, but focus on creating the habit. We talked about the impact that this could have on my finances long-term. So I went to the local bank where an incredibly kind woman, Julie, took the time to walk me through opening this account and answer all of my questions. Every two weeks when I was paid, I would go the bank to cash my check and contribute 10% into my Roth IRA. While the dollar amount was small, I felt empowered about making smart financial decisions. I knew that I was doing the best I could with what I had at the time.

In my role as an advisor, I love building strong relationships with my clients and learning about the people and things that matter most to them, the goals and dreams they have, and the things that keep them up at night. Just as Don and Julie helped educate and encourage me many years ago, my goal as an advisor is to walk alongside my clients as they navigate the financial obstacles and opportunities in life, so that they can feel empowered and energized in knowing they are doing the best they can with what they have.

Callie and other members of the CCM Advisory Team regularly post articles of interest on financial planning which you can find here.

Callie Geist
Callie Geist, CFP®, J.D., MBA
Senior Integrated Wealth Advisor

Our deep and broad multi-disciplinary approach to wealth management is unique in the industry and is designed to provide clients and their families with optimal outcomes. In keeping with that commitment, I'm excited to introduce you to CCM Director of Estate Planning Janelle Schrupp, J.D. In her role at CCM, Janelle lends her experience in estate planning and elder law to support clients in developing and administering estate plans to efficiently transfer wealth. She has a heart for people ... [Continue Reading]

Published February 22, 2022 Topics: CCM Women's Initiative, Estate Planning, Integrated Wealth

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