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Fee-Only Financial Planning & Investments


THOUGHTFUL | THOROUGH | INFORMED


Whether you are a physician, business owner, working professional or retiree, clients of our firm look to us for reliable advice on how to efficiently plan, invest and enjoy their wealth. We provide our clients with straight-forward advice and execution and don't sell product. We have all the tools of the big firms without the many layers of inefficiency, putting your success first.

- The future is bright -

Together, let's plan for it

About Us

Meet the team

Justin Dering, CFP® Photo

Justin Dering, CFP®

Founder | Financial Advisor

Justin studied finance at Minnesota State University and graduated in 2004. During his time at MNSU, he served as vice president of the finance club and captain of the Maverick baseball team. From 2004 to 2018, he worked under the umbrella of North Star Resource Group, a leading independent wealth management firm. During his career, he's gained valuable experience by working with a wide variety of clients through challenging markets. Justin earned the highly-regarded CFP® designation in 2011 and remains committed to a broad understanding of finance.

Justin lives in Southwest Minneapolis with his wife and two wonderful children, Kaitlyn & Ben. Outside the office, he's a squash-player-turned pickleball player after a couple of hip replacements.  He loves to mountain bike and enjoys just about everything outdoors in his home state of Minnesota.  “North Country” is a tribute to that.  

Daniel Schoenecker, CFA, MBA Photo

Daniel Schoenecker, CFA, MBA

Financial Advisor

Daniel has a B.S. in economics and political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas. He also holds the CFA designation, which demonstrates his expertise in the fields of finance and investments.

Over the last decade, Daniel has worked at various investment firms in the Twin Cities, where he has held positions as an equity analyst, financial planner, portfolio manager, and CFO.

Daniel's passion for personal finance has been a driving force throughout his career and he finds satisfaction in being able to assist clients in achieving their financial objectives.

Outside of work, Daniel enjoys spending time outdoors, whether it's walking and listening to audiobooks or sitting around a bonfire. He loves traveling with his wife, Morgyn, and their dog, Bailey, in their RV.

A Simple, Straight-Forward Approach

We help our clients invest their money and make sense of their finances through a holistic understanding of investments, tax, estate planning, retirement planning and employee benefits. 

Our simple, straight-forward approach was arrived at by navigating an environment that is anything but simple. Wall Street would have you believe that complexity is required in order to be a successful investor. The evidence suggests otherwise. We’ll help you navigate these waters and bring you the peace of mind that you have earned.

What is a modern approach? Cutting edge financial advisors have moved on from the sales-driven ways of the past. We operate on a fee-only basis and maintain a fiduciary obligation to our clients.  You're not going to be sold stuff here.  Our job is to help you plan your finances and invest accordingly.


Our Wealth Management Process


north-country-wealth-management-MN-investment-process-discover

Discover

Gather data, identify inefficiencies, understand goals 

north-country-wealth-management-MN-investment-process-build

Build

Form a plan and invest accordingly

north-country-wealth-management-MN-investment-process-monitor-and-review

Monitor & Review

Stay on track, maintain discipline and adapt to change

Focus On What Can Be Controlled

It’s common for clients to overestimate the ability of their advisors to predict market movements and make timely transactions based on those predictions. This is not what we do. Instead, we place emphasis on things that can be controlled – risk, expenses, taxes, and investor behavior.  

Wall Street has perpetuated the myth that to be a successful investor, you need to pick the right stock, invest in the best products, choose the best manager, get in and out of the market at the right time, etc. The reality is that markets are extremely efficiently priced, and these tactics cannot be consistently relied upon. We believe a humble understanding of what you don’t know can be as important as what you do know.

Investment decisions shouldn't be based on news headlines. Your investment decisions should be informed by your financial plan and your own circumstances and time horizon.  

Nearly every financial decision you make has risk, suggesting that there is potential reward with each of those decisions. We’ll be there to help.

Why work with a

Certified Financial Planner™?

Are All Financial Planners “Certified?”

Just about anyone can use the title “financial planner.” Only those who have fulfilled the CFP Board's rigorous requirements can call themselves a CFP® professional.

CFP® professionals are held to strict ethical standards to ensure financial planning recommendations are in your best interest. What’s more, a CFP® professional must acquire several years of experience related to delivering financial planning services to clients and pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Exam before they can call themselves a CFP® professional.

Financial planning is a dynamic process. Your financial goals may evolve over the years due to shifts in your lifestyle or circumstances such as an inheritance, career change, marriage, house purchase or a growing family. As you begin to consider how best to manage your financial future, you should feel confident knowing that with a CFP® professional, you’re working with someone committed to providing the highest standard of financial planning.

North Country's Podcast & Blog

A collection of articles, podcasts & Favorite content 


created by Justin Dering, CFP®


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