Eric Van Der Heide, President at Northwest Wealth Management is pleased to announce Alex Johnson has accepted the position as Wealth Advisor with Northwest Wealth Management in Spencer. Alex joins Dean Jacobsen, also a Wealth Advisor in Spencer. Northwest Wealth Management, an affiliate of Northwest Bank, offers comprehensive financial planning, retirement planning, investment management, and retirement plan services to individuals and families, large and small companies, and non-profit foundations.

If you've got upcoming travel plans involving a hotel stay, whether for business or pleasure, beware of the hotel front desk scam. You read that right, but it's not the actual hotel asking for your credit card information, it's a fraudster's con to steal your money!

I feel like the surgeon who is operating on his own child. Well, not exactly. Let me explain. I'm not a surgeon. I'm a wealth advisor, specializing in the financial aspects of college planning. And fortunately, my daughter is not on the operating table. She's a high school junior, currently scouting colleges.

Alex Johnson, Wealth Advisor at Northwest Wealth Management is pleased to announce Rhonda Maassen has accepted the position as Client Service Specialist in Spencer. Rhonda joins Alex Johnson who each began at Northwest in early February.

Every year, the market gifts us invaluable lessons on investment strategies. While each year is different, many of these lessons are reinforced or repeated year after year; that's why one of my favorite sayings is that there's nothing new in investing, only investment history you don't know. Before you read the 10 lessons 2021 taught us, I want you to remember one important takeaway: When investing, imitate the lowly postage stamp. This small object does one thing but does it well – sticking to its letter until it reaches its destination. My greatest hope is that you stick to a plan until you have reached your financial goals! Now to my top 10 lessons learned in 2021….

With the recent uptick in market volatility and the poor start to the year for the U.S. stock market, I wanted to reiterate three time-tested principles that I believe are as relevant now as they have been over the modern history of financial markets.

Here are a few steps to better manage your personal information and make informed decisions around your data and how it is being used.

If your ability to pay your family's monthly living expenses relies upon maintaining your current income, this article is for you.

The Better Business Bureau recently announced it was receiving reports of phishing scams that offer guaranteed loans with no fees. The scammers, however, try to appear legitimate by using the name, logo and contact information of a legitimate company.

Guided by evidence and fueled by your ambitions, your team is dedicated to creating a wealth strategy distinctly tailored to each individual client's needs. Before 2021 ends, be sure to check out our list of seven money-saving actions that may help you maintain the greatest amount of after-tax wealth. As always, talk to your advisor to discuss how these could impact your unique situation.

Imagine that, in the foreseeable future, you'll have turned in all your company property, collected your final paycheck, and will be drinking a hurricane at half past noon while chair-dancing to “It's Five O'clock Somewhere.” You've planned on reaching that celebratory beach vacation over the many years of your career while also designing, building and protecting your financial life. By 65 you have diligently accumulated the wealth you need to retire. You've won the game, earning satisfaction and congratulations for completing a solid plan. Other than tee times, volunteer activities or family trips, there isn't much planning left to do, is there?

Northwest Financial Corp. has been awarded a 2021 Top Workplaces honor by the Des Moines Register. The Top Workplaces are based solely on the results of an employee feedback survey administered by Energage, LLC, a leading research firm that specializes in organizational health and workplace improvement. Several aspects of workplace culture were measured, including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few.

Making big, hairy, audacious goals is easy. Achieving those goals by yourself is much harder. Nearly everyone has had some experience with just how difficult successful personal or financial change can be, and especially sticking with it over time. For evidence, look no further than the infamous New Year's resolution.

Concerns about market downturns certainly come as no surprise. After all, steep corrections and crashes can be disconcerting for even the most steely and disciplined investors.

It's easy to think of life insurance planning as transactional in nature, and many times simply a commodity of necessity. You need to cover a financial risk, so you purchase life insurance to eliminate or mitigate that risk. That's the end of the story, right?

For the simplicity that lies this side of complexity, I would not give a fig, but for the simplicity that lies on the other side of complexity, I would give my life.

It's well known that people online aren't always as they appear. However, tens of thousands of internet users fall victim to online romance scams each year. These scams can be incredibly convincing and are increasingly found across dating sites and social media platforms. By appealing to victims' emotions and feigning personal connections, scammers will try to steal large sums of money and personal information. Luckily, there are ways to identify a scam and protect yourself online.

Retirement should be that time where you reap the rewards of all your hard work. Staying true to your financial plan will help prevent you from making mistakes like the following that can destroy a perfectly nice retirement.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, people all over the world have been anxiously awaiting the development of a vaccine that could protect them from the coronavirus. While the announcement that the vaccine is being distributed throughout the U.S. is great news, cybercriminals are certain to seize on the news with future fraud scams. Here are some tips to help consumers avoid becoming a victim.

As the great Biggie Smalls once said, “Mo money mo problems.” But is that true? Or do people just not use the money they earn and save correctly? How can we use money as a tool to increase the level of overall joy and contentment in our lives?