Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) is an independent membership organization of life insurance and financial service professionals. Membership levels are based on commissions, premiums, or fees generated within a year from investment and insurance products. Members must apply annually and pay a fee. Members must be members in good standing of a Professional Association which has met the following criteria: in existence at least 2 years, have 100 or more members, must be a nonprofit organization, must have a code of ethics and an effective means of dealing with breaches of its code. Members must also adhere to the MDRT Code of Ethics. Working with this advisor is not a guarantee of future financial results. Investors should conduct their own evaluation.

The Five Star Wealth Manager award, administered by Crescendo Business Services, LLC (dba Five Star Professional), is based on 10 objective criteria: 1. Credentialed as an investment advisory representative (IAR) or a registered investment advisor; 2. Actively employed as a credentialed professional in the financial services industry for a minimum of five years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review**; 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal firm standards; 5. Accepting new clients; 6. One-year client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutionalized discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. Educational and professional designations. Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or awarded. Once awarded, wealth managers may opt to purchase additional profile ad space or related award promotional products. The award methodology does not evaluate the quality of services provided. The 2,673 Twin Cities wealth managers were considered for the award; 825 (31 percent of candidates) were named Five Star Wealth Managers.

**To qualify as having a favorable regulatory and complaint history for this award, the person cannot have (1) been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine, (2) had more than a total of three customer complaints filed against them (settled or pending) with any regulatory authority or Five Star Professional’s consumer complaint process, (3) individually contributed to a financial settlement of a customer complaint filed with a regulatory authority, (4) filed for bankruptcy, or (5) been convicted of a felony.