Service 04 — Fee-Only · Fiduciary · Minnesota

Insurance

Objective review of life, disability, and liability coverage. We evaluate what you need — we sell nothing.

40%
of households are
dangerously underinsured on life
01 Investments02 Retirement03 Tax Planning04 Insurance05 College Savings06 Home Purchase07 Emergency Fund08 Budgeting09 Other Goals
Planning PrincipleFee-only acts in your best interests, unlike insurance salesmen. The person reviewing your coverage should have no financial stake in what you buy.
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Insurance is risk transfer. The goal is coverage against catastrophic loss — not a product sale.

The traditional insurance review has a conflict built into it: the person reviewing your coverage earns a commission on what they sell you. That is not an objective evaluation.

We don't sell insurance. We audit your existing coverage, identify genuine gaps, flag unnecessary policies, and give you a clear recommendation — with no financial interest in what you choose to buy.

The principle is simple: self-insure the small, predictable losses. Transfer the large, catastrophic ones.

Essential Coverage
Term life — 10–12x gross income
Long-term disability — 60% of income
Health insurance — catastrophic protection
Homeowners or renters with liability
Umbrella policy — $1–2M above base
Often Unnecessary
Whole life as an investment vehicle
Extended warranties on appliances
Mortgage life insurance (term is cheaper)
Duplicate travel or credit card insurance
Low deductibles on older vehicles
Term vs. Whole Life — 30-Year Outcome
$500K coverage · term + invest difference vs. whole life cash value
The Math
$500K whole life: ~$400/month. Same coverage in 20-year term: ~$35/month. The $365 monthly difference invested at 7% over 30 years = $440,000. The whole life cash value at 30 years: ~$170,000. Term + invest wins by $270,000.
Disability InsuranceThe most skipped coverage — and the one most likely to be needed

One in four workers will experience a disabling condition lasting more than 90 days before retirement. Most households have their entire financial plan built on the assumption that income keeps flowing. When it stops, savings deplete in months.

Employer short-term disability covers weeks. Social Security disability is hard to qualify for and pays far less than most people expect. Long-term disability insurance is the real protection — and most people either don't have it or are underinsured.

1 in 4
Workers disabled before retirement
34 mo.
Average disability duration
60%
Target income replacement
90 days
Typical elimination period
Savings Depletion Without Disability Income
Starting $120K in savings · $8,000/month spending · no disability coverage