Rick Adams

Rick founded and incorporated Business Benefit Finance in 1984 with a mission of reducing corporate expenses related to employee and executive benefits through delivering systems and products and a lower net cost. Over the years many of Rick’s clients needs evolved into exit planning, asset and risk management, and estate planning. Rick’s business focus necessarily evolved with their needs. Having over 20 years of experience in investments, insurance and business succession and estate planning has added to Rick’s natural affinity for systems and efficiency. Rick is a native of Minnesota, attending Richfield High School, his studies focused on engineering and business and he completed his degree at the University of Minnesota in the mid 70’s. Rick developed an appreciation for the benefits of thinking and rethinking the options to come to the most optimum solution from a cost to benefits perspective. Skills that are proving very valuable today.

Being in business for himself for many years has taught him that the best plans are the ones a person can and will implement and maintain, and that a great plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow, as sometimes tomorrow never comes. Ricks reputation for diligence and follow through has allowed Rick, along with associate Brook Hansen to earn the opportunity to serve banks, trust companies, charitable trusts and organizations, broker dealers, pension and profit sharing plans, as well as corporations and individuals. Together they manage assets for over five hundred of these clients. Rick belongs to a number of professional associations: Executive Asset Management, National Association of Insurance & Financial Advisors (NAIFA) and Minneapolis Estate Planning Council.

Rick continues his education through the American College of Financial Services. All of this has caused him to become a recognized speaker on wealth preservation and tax avoidance. Rick has given hundreds of educational seminars for corporations, civic groups and other public forums including continuing education training for accountants and CPAs for estate and business succession planning. Rick has been awarded for outstanding achievement in building his business. Rick lives in Excelsior with his wife, Michelle, of thirty years, and their two children, Dustin and McKenzie. He enjoys all winter and summer sports including skiing, golf, hunting, fishing, all spectator sports and spending as much time as possible with his family. Contact Rick via email at rick@adamshansen.com or by calling (952) 224-9085.

Brook Hansen

Creative Wealth Strategies was founded in 1995 with the stated objective of being dedicated to the maximization of its clients’ assets. Adding to Brook’s offensive tax reduction experience as a speaker and trainer for the Tax Reduction Institute he embarked on his training in defensive tax reduction and wealth creation by earning his Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) in 1997, his Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) in 1998 and adding his Accredited Estate Planner (AEP) designation in 2001. He continues in the studies in the graduate program at The American College of Financial Services and at the Miami School of Law’s, Heckerling Estate Planning Institute. His focus on maximizing client’s assets led him to the Uniform Prudent Investors Act (UPIA) and Modern Portfolio Theory early in his career and in 2005 he authored “Developing Financial Intelligence” Taking the assets you already have, and making them financially efficient, using the UPIA as his starting point. Another example showing that we become that which we focus on.

Along with associate Rick Adams, Brook has earned the opportunity to serve banks, trust companies, charitable trusts and organizations, broker dealers, pension and profit sharing plans, as well as corporations and individuals. Together they manage assets for over five hundred of these clients. This level of success is attributable to being highly knowledgeable in his area of expertise, and being known for his due diligence and follow through. In addition to having served on the boards of a few private companies and committees at Church, Brook is proud of his associations with the Society of Financial Services Professionals and the Center for Ethical Business Cultures; particularly in his role in bringing the Minnesota Business Ethics Award into being. He and Rick Adams also developed the Financial Intelligence Benefits Package to serve as an educational tool for members of the profit sharing plans they manage, as well as their clients and their client’s children. Brook’s knowledge, experience and speaking ability has allowed him the opportunity to teach dozens of different educational courses to literally thousands of professionals over the past fifteen years.

During the summer Brook, his wife of forty years, Debbie, and their three children spend as much time at the lake as possible; fishing, painting, maintaining or entertaining. Fall and winter are consumed with school, church, work, continuing education and the occasional good book. Contact Brook via email at brook@adamshansen.com or by calling (952) 224-9085.

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