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.

  • Fast 50 by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal (2022)
  • Twin Cities Largest Wealth Management Firms (2017-2023)
  • Best in Class: Midsize Company Award by Minnesota Business Magazine (2016)1
  • Top 5,000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in the Nation (2007, 2009, 2014, and 2015)
  • Master Agency Award by Finseca2 (1987-2023)

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)
  • Top Workplaces Financial Services Industry (2021)
  • Top Workplaces Communication (2021)
  • Star Tribune Top Workplace (2016)
  • Top Entry-Level Employer according to CollegeGrad.com (2014-2023)
  • Top Workplaces Work-Life Balance (2021)
  • 100 Best Companies to Work For awarded by Minnesota Business Magazine (2015)

Responsible to our communities

We believe in investing in the people and communities that surround us. Since 2004, we have contributed over $6.3 million to worthy charities and our team has put in hundreds of paid volunteer hours.

  • Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota Torch Awards for Ethics (2019, 2015 and 2011)3
  • Invest in Others Charitable Champion (2019)
  • Finalist Corporate Philanthropy Award by Invest in Others (2015 and 2016)
  • Minnesota Business Ethics Award for a Mid-Size Company (2015)
  • Community Leadership Award by InvestmentNews (2010)

Midsize Company award was presented by the Minnesota Business Magazine. It was designated for companies with 51-250 employees for overall excellence in positively impacting Minnesotan communities. Applicants were evaluated based on criteria including philanthropic events and volunteer work

Formerly GAMA International, Finseca is a membership organization for which individuals must submit applications and payment. The organization is geared toward those in a recruiting, training, or supervision role in the financial services industry. Awards are based primarily on -commissions, premiums, or fees generated from investment and insurance products and other criteria relative to leader-ship, achievement, and recruiting selected by the applicant. Individuals must be current with membership dues and submit an application fee for consideration. Working with this individual is not a guarantee of future financial results. Investors should conduct their own evaluation.

Awards are based primarily on criteria relative to leadership, achievement, recruiting, management practices, community service, team unity and education. Sales are not a consideration. There is no fee associated with this award. Companies must be in good standing with the Better Business Bureau for consideration. Working with this advisor or firm is not a guarantee of future financial results. Investors should conduct their own evaluation.

North Star Resource Group was a firm that was awarded the Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics by the Better Business Bureau of MN & ND in 2020. Companies were evaluated in categories based on number of employees. In order to be eligible for the award, firms must be in business for three years or longer, earn an “A” rating from the BBB, meet financial obligations and not have won the award in the past three years. Working with this firm is not a guarantee of future financial results. Investors should conduct their own evaluation.

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.

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.

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.

Award was granted by Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. It is based on a three year average (from 2019 to 2021) of steady and/or significant employee and revenue growth. Working with this firm is not a guarantee of future financial results. Investors should conduct their own evaluation

Giving back

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

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