Financial Planning for Women

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.