Carlson Capital Management

Integrated Wealth Management

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Financial Planning for Women

Articles and resources related to Financial Planning for Women.

The Newlywed Financial Planning Checklist

Benjamin Carlson – Carlson Capital Management
Ben Carlson, CFP®

Associate Integrated Wealth Advisor and Paraplanner Team Lead
952.230.6702
Email Ben

  I enjoy helping clients experience the joy of seeing their money in action.  

Professional Biography
Ben Carlson is an Associate Integrated Wealth Advisor and Paraplanner Team Lead at Carlson Capital Management. As part of the Advisory Team, Ben collaborates with clients and advisors across the firm on all aspects of planning and portfolio management. He is responsible for facilitating client meetings, preparing presentation materials and assisting with portfolio management. In addition, Ben engages with newly hired Paraplanners to mentor them in CCM's approach to integrated wealth management and culture of care, and is responsible for a strong working knowledge of and leveraging of firm technology to best serve clients.

Ben graduated magna cum laude from St. Olaf College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and History with a concentration in Finance. While at St. Olaf, Ben participated in four years of varsity tennis, served as team captain and was selected to the all-MIAC team for three years. In his junior and senior years, he participated as a peer tutor in principles of Accounting. Pursuing an entrepreneurial spirit, and after winning a start-up grant, Ben founded and operated Jolly Fly Fishing, LLC for three years, guiding summer fly fishing expeditions in western Wisconsin. Prior to joining CCM, Ben worked as an account representative for a large Twin Cities reinsurance brokerage company. Ben holds the Certified Financial Planner™ certification granted through the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards.

When not at work, Ben continues to enjoy fly fishing, playing tennis, and going to the cabin. He also enjoys being involved in the community and serves as a volunteer coach for an inner-city tennis program for their “Super Saturday” programs and is a member of the Rotary Club of Prior Lake. Ben grew up in Hastings, Minnesota and now lives in Prior Lake.

Personal Thoughts
At CCM, we take a great deal of care in learning about the personal background and financial goals of the clients we work with. As a part of this process, a question we often ask is, “Tell us about your first memory of money.” My first memory of money goes back to the lemonade stand I had when I was five years old. The house where I spent my childhood was situated in an oddity of city planning, the double cul-du-sac. One day, I decided to have a lemonade stand at the end of my parents' driveway. Needless to say, it was not very successful being tucked away in the back of a cul-du-sac. Somewhere along the line, I decided to put the lemonade stand on my red wagon and move it to the nearby street corner and out of the cul-du-sac. With the increased car and foot traffic on an actual road coupled with the generosity of passersby and an overly enthusiastic five-year-old attitude, my revenues increased substantially. I tucked every dollar bill away into an old leather wallet my grandfather passed down to me. The wallet was so old all the dollar bills stored inside the folds came out smelling like an antique store. At the end of the summer, I had had put $144 into that wallet, a number I still remember. One day, I asked my parents to bring me to Hastings Family Service (the local food shelf), where I plopped on the counter the entire sum I had made that summer.

When I think about this first money memory, for me it's reflecting on what I decided to do with it, and also about seeing money in action and experiencing the joy of hard work coming to fruition. With busy lives, we can all fall into thinking of money as strictly a financial, quantitative asset that we have worked hard to accumulate. While quantitative elements are of course, very important, part of the delight of working at CCM for me is experiencing the qualitative aspects of our approach to integrated wealth management. In looking at financial assets not only relative to their quantitative value, but as a tool to accomplish our goals in life, it helps our clients to experience the joy of seeing their money in action. And while I have grown and aged since my lemonade stand days, my enthusiastic attitude and passion in my approach to work has not.

Ben Carlson
Ben Carlson, CFP®
Associate Integrated Wealth Advisor and Paraplanner Team Lead

If you have been keeping up with the CCM newsletter lately, you may have noticed a record number of our colleagues have gotten married in the past 18 months, myself included. And if you or a recently married friend or family member are anything like me, you made a financial planning checklist immediately upon returning from the honeymoon. All joking aside, there are many aspects around one’s financial life that can change after marriage, some of which are time sensitive. Below is a checklist ... [Continue Reading]

Published October 17, 2022 Topics: Financial Advisors, Financial Planning, Financial Planning for Women, Financial Planning for Young Adults

What Do Women Want in a Financial Advisor?

Katy Vermeer – Carlson Capital Management
Katy Vermeer, CFP®

Senior Integrated Wealth Advisor
952.230.6707
Email Katy

  For me, it is a real privilege to walk alongside families who entrust their financial future to me and to my colleagues at CCM. I never take that for granted.  

Professional Biography
Katy Vermeer is a Senior Integrated Wealth Advisor at Carlson Capital Management. As a Senior Advisor, Katy partners with clients and their families providing the firm's fully integrated wealth management experience including investment management, retirement modeling, estate, philanthropic and educational planning and all other aspects of general financial planning and client care. In this role, Katy 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.

Katy joined CCM with more than thirty years of experience in financial services, including nearly a decade of serving clients by advising on all aspects of wealth management. Prior professional roles include leading business development initiatives, portfolio management, product management, and marketing. Katy worked most recently as Director of the Wealth Strategies Group with a firm in the Twin Cities. In addition to serving as a wealth advisor for clients and their families, Katy was instrumental in implementing a wealth planning platform, deepening the discovery process for firm clients, leading wealth planning workshops and contributing to the firm’s client education communications.

Katy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Business from DePauw University. Katy has also attained the Certified Financial Planner™ designation granted through the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards.

When not at work, Katy enjoys being active outdoors. She loves using the lakes and parks of Minneapolis any time of the year. She and her husband, Kerry, live in Southwest Minneapolis. They have three grown children.

Personal Thoughts
Doing well and doing good are both really important to me. This message related to excellence and responsibility is one that has always resonated with me and I work to incorporate it into my daily living, both at work and at home. At CCM when I am doing well for our clients I know that I am positively affecting their lives. By encouraging them to be purposeful about their wealth, I am hopeful that good happens, whether that is with the resources they use for themselves, their families or for the community.

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

Katy Vermeer
Katy Vermeer, CFP®
Senior Integrated Wealth Advisor

While the gap appears to be narrowing, research shows that women, particularly women of the baby boom generation, feel less confident than men about managing money.1  At CCM, we are very intentional about involving all of our clients—women and men—in the integrated planning process. It’s very important to us that all clients feel heard and understood, such that they have the confidence that their financial plan is designed with their individual goals and priorities at the center. CCM ... [Continue Reading]

Published October 17, 2022 Topics: CCM Women's Initiative, Financial Planning for Women, Women and Investing

Responding to the Financial Complexities of Divorce

David Sayers – Carlson Capital Management
David Sayers, CFP®, CDFA®, MBA

Senior Integrated Wealth Advisor
952.208.4663
Email David

  I have a deep interest in people and their stories, and find energy in helping clients align their financial strategies with their goals so they can live the life they want with confidence.  

Professional Biography
David Sayers is a Senior Integrated Wealth Advisor at Carlson Capital Management. In this role, David 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, David 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.

David joins CCM with nearly 15 years of experience serving as a wealth manager for individuals and families in various roles in the Twin Cities. In this work, he provided clients with financial planning strategies to meet their personalized goals. He earned his Bachelor of Science in engineering and business management from the University of Minnesota. He returned to the U of M to earn his MBA in marketing and strategic management. He spent the “first act” of his career on a corporate path at both GE and 3M before making a purpose-driven pivot to financial planning. He holds the Certified Financial Planner™ designation granted through the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. In addition, he earned the Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® designation through the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts, helping him to provide specialized planning insight to clients impacted by divorce. David is energized by helping people learn and discover so that they can live the life they want with confidence. With a background in engineering and a deep interest in people and their stories, David has a unique ability to optimize the trade offs of a plan while considering the people impacted by it.

David lives in Woodbury, Minnesota, with his wife, Tera, and his three sons, Benjamin, Andrew, and Henry. He loves the arts, athletics, and the outdoors. He is proudly the least artistically-talented member of his family, so he enjoys watching his boys sing, dance, and play instruments. David is a theater and film buff, with a special love for musicals. In addition, he is a long-suffering Minnesota sports fan, still waiting to enjoy the glory days of his favorite teams. He loves camping, hiking, and family road trips. He is a fan of all things Disney, and is happy to share his best tips for navigating Disney Parks.

David Sayers
David Sayers, CFP®, CDFA®, MBA
Senior Integrated Wealth Advisor

“I’m sad and happy for you.” Some might consider that an odd response to news of a divorce. I have found it to be the best way to acknowledge a very complex situation. I lead off my response with sad, as divorce is a uniquely painful experience. On top of the emotional and psychological challenges, there are many impactful financial matters to be worked through. Division of Financial Labor In many couples, there is one partner who gravitates toward doing more of the financial workload. ... [Continue Reading]

Published July 25, 2022 Topics: CCM Women's Initiative, Financial Planning, Financial Planning for Women

Meet Selene Serkland

Callie Geist – Carlson Capital Management
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

In honor of Women's History Month, I'm thrilled to introduce you to my wonderful colleague, and one of the newest members of CCM's team, Selene Serkland. As defined by The Library of Congress, Women's History Month celebrates the contributions women have made to the United States and recognizes the specific achievements women have made over the course of American history in a variety of fields. 1  In a field where just 15% of financial advisors are women, 2  we are ... [Continue Reading]

Published March 23, 2021 Topics: CCM Women's Initiative, Financial Advisors, Financial Planning for Women

Conversations With the CCM Team: Women and Money

Leah Rich – Carlson Capital Management
Leah Rich

Senior Manager of Marketing & Communications
507.321.4019
Email Leah

Professional Biography
Leah Rich is Senior Manager, Marketing & Communications at Carlson Capital Management. Leah provides strategic communications direction and implementation support to enhance the client experience and build brand awareness.

Leah is a graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication studies and management. Prior to joining the Carlson Capital Management team, Leah worked for 15 years at a marketing agency, developing and implementing integrated communications strategies for clients across a variety of industries.

Leah enjoys quiet walks, good books, a houseful of guests, and family puzzles. Leah is a current board member of WINGS and serves on the City of Northfield's Arts and Culture Commission. She is also an active volunteer on the Northfield Public Schools Communications Committee. Leah shares her life with her husband, Matthew, and their four children. Together they reside in Northfield, Minnesota.

Personal Thoughts
As a mom, I often think about the legacy I’ll leave for my children. What about me will they remember most? My six-year-old recently described me to his classmates by sharing that I’m really good at UNO—yes, the card game!

Although my name won’t ever be found in an UNO hall of fame, I hope that my legacy is centered on excellence—giving everything I can in every instance. I’ve found—time and time again—that my work ethic and can-do attitude are difference makers, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to partner with colleagues who share in a commitment to giving their very best at every turn.

In the latest Conversations With the CCM Team video, titled Women and Money, Founder and CEO Greg Carlson, CFP®, interviews Senior Wealth Advisor Katy Vermeer, CFP®. In it, Katy shares her perspective on the evolution of the financial services industry and the ways in which she's observed a parallel evolution in women's roles in managing their financial lives. Katy and Greg also discuss how CCM is dedicated to ensuring women feel empowered in their financial lives. Conversations With the ... [Continue Reading]

Topics: CCM Women's Initiative, Financial Planning for Women, Women and Investing

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