Awards and recognition

Striving for excellence for our clients, our teams, and our community

Established in our industry

In the time since Phil Richards acquired North Star in 1969, we have been on a steady path of growth as we diversify and evolve to serve our clients better.

Our continued success is a result of nearly a century of growing and adapting in the best interest of our clients.

  • Twin Cities Largest Wealth Management Firms (2017-2024)
  • Fast 50 by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal (2022)
  • Top 5,000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in the Nation (2007, 2009, 2014, and 2015)

Invested in our people

North Star’s greatest asset is our employees, and our mission is to equip each advisor and team member with the training and resources necessary for a fulfilling career and life.

  • Top Workplaces USA (2021 and 2022)
  • Top Workplaces Financial Services Industry (2021)
  • Top Workplaces Communication (2021)
  • Star Tribune Top Workplace (2016)
  • Top Workplaces Work-Life Balance (2021)

Responsible to our communities

We believe in investing in the people and communities that surround us. Since 2004, we have contributed over $7.4 million to worthy charities, and our team has put in hundreds of paid volunteer hours.

  • Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal Corporate Giving in Minnesota list #18 (2024)
  • Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal Minnesota-Based Corporate Philanthropists list #14 (2024)
  • Invest in Others Charitable Champions (2019 and 2024)
  • Finseca Community Impact (2024)
  • WealthManagement Corporate Social Responsibility Award Finalist (2024)
  • Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota Torch Awards for Ethics (2019, 2015, and 2011)3

The Largest Wealth Management Firms ranking was designated for local banks and financial services firms in the Twin Cities Metro Area, and ranks firms by total assets under administration during the previous fiscal year. For the purposes of this award, assets under administration includes brokerage, investment advisory services and the cash value of life insurance policies. Working with this firm is not a guarantee of future financial results. Investors should conduct their own evaluation.

2022 Fast 50 issues by Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. The Business Journal ranks the 50 fastest-growing privately held companies in the Twin Cities by revenue growth from 2019 to 2021. Listing in this publication and/or award is not a guarantee of future investment success. This recognition should not be construed as an endorsement of the financial professional by any client. No compensation was provided directly or indirectly by the recipient for participation or in connection with obtaining or using the third-party rating or award.

Corporate Giving in MN List (2025) #18 issued by Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. List ranks organizations by Cash contributions to MN charities. Beginning in June, Business Journal sent surveys to hundreds of organizations from their Public 75, Private 100, 50 Largest Employers and other list databases to compile this list. To be eligible for The List, organizations may be based anywhere. We asked these organizations for their cash contributions —excluding in-kind donations, volunteer hours, employee contributions, scholarships — to Minnesota-based charitable beneficiaries, excluding those like health care organizations and schools. Information on The List was supplied by company representatives through questionnaires and could not be independently verified by the Business Journal.. Listing in this publication and/or award is not a guarantee of future investment success. This recognition should not be construed as an endorsement of any financial professional by any client. No compensation was provided directly or indirectly by the recipient for participation or in connection with obtaining or using the third-party rating or award.

Minnesota-based Corporate Philanthropists (2025) #14 issued by Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal. List ranks organizations by global cash charitable giving. Only organizations based in Minnesota were eligible for The List. Organizations are surveyed in the Business Journal’s databases of Public 75, Private 100, 50 Largest Employers and other list databases to compile this list. To rank The List, we asked companies for their global cash contributions — excluding in-kind donations, volunteer hours, employee contributions, scholarships — to charitable beneficiaries, excluding those like health care organizations and schools. A large number of companies that appeared on last year’s list did not respond to repeated requests for updated information. Information on The List was supplied by company representatives and could not be independently verified by the Business Journal. Listing in this publication and/or award is not a guarantee of future investment success. This recognition should not be construed as an endorsement of any financial professional by any client. No compensation was provided directly or indirectly by the recipient for participation or in connection with obtaining or using the third-party rating or award.

Nominees must be currently working as registered representatives, registered investment advisors, or financial advisors with a professional designation. Nominees must be active financial advisors, defined by spending at least 75% of their time providing financial consultation with clients. Nominees must have worked in this capacity for at least three years. Volunteer involvement with the nonprofit organization must be current and ongoing for at least three years. Nominations are evaluated based on an advisor’s leadership, dedication, contribution, inspiration and impact on a nonprofit and the community it serves. Three finalists are selected in each of the six categories with one winner being chosen for each award. Award finalists and winners receive generous donations from Invest in Others to their designated charities. Listing in this publication and/or award is not a guarantee of future investment success. This recognition should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor by any client. No compensation was provided directly or indirectly by the recipient for participation or in connection with obtaining or using the third-party rating or award.

North Star Resource Group was a finalist for the 2024 Wealthmangement.com Industry Awards in the category of “Corporate Social Responsibility” for their Financial Literacy Initiatives. The Wealthmanagement.com Industry Awards are independently granted in recognition of business initiatives that enhance financial advisor success and help advisors create better outcomes for their clients. The program begins with an open nomination process for all categories which extends from February to May. Firms submit business initiatives either introduced or enhanced during the previous 18 months. Submissions are reviewed in June by a panel of independent judges with required industry expertise, looking at the submission’s innovation, scope and impact. From the pool of submissions, judges select two to 10 finalists for each category. Each judge on the committee then ranks those finalists, with the weighted aggregate ranking determining the winner. Winners are announced in September. Judges’ decisions are made independent of any firm’s business relationships with Informa Plc. Judges recuse themselves from the process from selecting finalists or winners for any category where the conflict exists. Listing in this publication and/or award is not a guarantee of future investment success. This recognition should not be construed as an endorsement of the financial professional by any client. No compensation was provided directly or indirectly by the recipient for participation or in connection with obtaining or using the third-party rating or award.

Agent of the Year presented to North Star Consultants Inc. issued by SIA of the Great Lakes. Criteria examines growth, retention, profitability, service to clients and adoption of technology all firm/agencies that are associated with SIA of the Great Lakes are automatically nominated. Listing in this publication and/or award is not a guarantee of future investment success. This recognition should not be construed as an endorsement of the financial professional by any client. No compensation was provided directly or indirectly by the recipient for participation or in connection with obtaining or using the third-party rating or award.

North Star Resource Group was named by Inc. as one of the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America in 2020. Privately owned companies were ranked based on their revenue growth in the three previous calendar years. This ranking only includes companies that applied and paid a fee. Working with this firm is not a guarantee of future financial results. Investors should conduct their own evaluation OR (if organization & year(s) won named within the piece The Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America ranking includes privately owned companies which were ranked based on their revenue growth in the three previous calendar years. This ranking only includes companies that applied and paid a fee. Working with this firm is not a guarantee of future financial results. Investors should conduct their own evaluation

Energage’s Top Workplaces – is based on the employees’ feedback survey compared to Top Workplaces benchmark. Top Workplaces begins with the Workplace Survey. Part of the Energage Platform, the research-backed employee engagement survey measures employee engagement and what drives it. The Energage Workplace Survey measures four culture themes: 1. Align: Company values, direction, cooperation, meetings 2. Connect: Employee appreciation, meaningfulness, potential, well-informed 3. Coach: Managers care, employee development, employee growth 4. Perform: Execution, open-mindedness, innovation, clued-in leader. The research-backed employee engagement survey also measures: 1. Employee engagement: Motivation, loyalty, referral 2. Leadership: Confidence in the company leader 3. Fairly valued: Pay, benefits, training, expectations, work-life flexibility. Listing in this publication and/or award is not a guarantee of future investment success. This recognition should not be construed as an endorsement of the financial professional by any client. No compensation was provided directly or indirectly by the recipient for participation or in connection with obtaining or using the third-party rating or award.

2024 Community Impact Award issued by Finseca. The Community Impact Leadership Award honors financial security firms/ agencies that are having a tangible, measurable effect on their clients and their communities. That impact might be the result of a number of activities, such as lives secured, charitable efforts or DE&I initiatives that promote doing well by doing good. Listing in this publication and/or award is not a guarantee of future investment success. This recognition should not be construed as an endorsement of the financial professional by any client. No compensation was provided directly or indirectly by the recipient for participation or in connection with obtaining or using the third-party rating or award.

The BBB Torch Award for Ethic – winners are chosen by a local panel. The criteria for entry are BBB accreditation is not required, be in business a minimum of 3 years or more with the same ownership, physically located in Minnesota and North Dakota. For profit applicants must have a BBB rating in the “A” category. Listing in this publication and/or award is not a guarantee of future investment success. This recognition should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor by any client. No compensation was provided directly or indirectly by the recipient for participation or in connection with obtaining or using the third-party rating or award.

Nominees must be currently working as registered representatives, registered investment advisors, or financial advisors with a professional designation. Nominees must be active financial advisors, defined by spending at least 75% of their time providing financial consultation with clients. Nominees must have worked in this capacity for at least three years. Volunteer involvement with the nonprofit organization must be current and ongoing for at least three years. Nominations are evaluated based on an advisor’s leadership, dedication, contribution, inspiration and impact on a nonprofit and the community it serves. Three finalists are selected in each of the four categories with one winner being chosen for each award. Award finalists and winners receive generous donations from Invest in Others to their designated charities. Listing in this publication and/or award is not a guarantee of future investment success. This recognition should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor by any client. No compensation was provided directly or indirectly by the recipient for participation or in connection with obtaining or using the third-party rating or award.

Giving back

We believe we have a responsibility to invest in the people and communities that surround us.

Learn More