My name is Jim Wegener and I am a financial consultant who’s been working in the financial services industry for more than 16 years. I have my FINRA Series 7 and 66 securities licenses, life and health licenses and I hold several designations including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional (CFP®), Certified Kingdom Advisor® (CKA®), Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®), Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA®) and Retirement Income Certified Professional® (RICP®), all of which help me to provide financial guidance that is in the best interest of the clients I serve.
I work for Thrivent Financial. Thrivent is a unique kind of membership organization where its members share a common bond of Christianity. Thrivent is also a fraternal benefit society. By definition, a fraternal benefit society is a not-for-profit organization that provides insurance to its members and is required to carry out social, intellectual, educational, charitable, benevolent, moral, fraternal, patriotic or religious purposes for the benefit of its members and the public. So, we don’t simply sell insurance, and we don’t simply do charitable work either. As a fraternal benefit society, we do both as we help our members be wise with money.
Thrivent is a Fortune 500 financial services organization with more than $134 billion in assets under management as of Dec. 31, 2018. As of May 2019, Thrivent received an A++ (Superior) rating by A.M. Best, which is the highest of the ratings agency’s 16 ratings categories. In addition, Thrivent was named one of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies” by the Ethisphere Institute in 2019.
Working at Thrivent has been a huge blessing to me as it allows me to serve people who have similar values. And, thanks to the variety of financial products and services we offer, my clients get the opportunity to choose how they’d like to work with me. Some financial professionals may only focus on investment management or insurance sales. My focus has always been on helping achieve my clients’ goals through holistic financial planning which may include investment management, insurance products or strictly guidance in the form of fee-based planning.
I grew up in Waterloo, Iowa, with my identical twin brother and two older sisters. My father was a pastor at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church where my mother also served as the organist. My brother and I played baseball throughout high school but ended up becoming cheerleaders at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). Upon graduating with my bachelor’s degree from UNI, I started working as a graphic designer. However, I was always fascinated by business and finance, so I started my own company called the Cheerleading Stunt Academy which became one of the top providers of cheerleading instruction in the state of Iowa.
The cheerleading business was slow during the winter months so when a recruiter from Thrivent visited our church, I decided to explore being a financial professional. After obtaining the required licenses, I was hired by Thrivent in October 2003 and set my sights on building a career in the financial services industry. In that same year, I married my wife, Melissa, and we moved to the Quad Cities. We now reside in Bettendorf and have two children: Bella who is a freshman at Bettendorf High School and Caleb who is in 6th grade at Trinity Lutheran School in Davenport. Melissa is a real estate agent for ReMax River Cities with more than 14 years of experience.
After 16 years in the financial services industry, I have learned a lot about what it means to be wise with money. I believe God has given us everything that we have, and we are called to be good stewards of those gifts. Whether you are just starting out or have successfully retired, we can help. We focus on what we can control. We can talk all day about returns on investments, but we don’t have any control over the market. What we may be able to control are things like proper asset allocation, fees, tax efficiency, risk management, spending habits and being wise with debt.
I am also blessed to work with a great staff and other Thrivent financial professionals who work together to provide a great experience for each and every one of our clients. Brad Wuertz is also a financial consultant and we work closely together. Brad has over 36 years of experience with wealth management and retirement income distribution strategies. When I am out of the office, there is usually another financial professional or staff member in the Davenport office who can help. If not, the Thrivent home office is just a phone call away.
When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, working out and running, playing or watching sports, and volunteering. I currently serve as an elder at Risen Christ Lutheran Church, member of the Rotary Club of Davenport, member of the Quad City Estate Planning Council, member of the Quad Cities Chamber, member of National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA), board member of LivWell Cares and serve on the board of trustees for the Davenport Lutheran Home.
I love my job because one of my core values is helping others, and this career path allows me to do that. If you or someone you know is looking for retirement income planning, investment management, estate protection strategies or overall financial guidance, please consider contacting me at jim.wegener@thrivent.com or 563-355-4465.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it authorizes use of for individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.
Fortune Magazine, May 2019
“World’s Most Ethical Companies” and “Ethisphere” names and marks are registered trademarks of Ethisphere LLC. For details, visit Ethisphere.com.
Ratings based on Thrivent’s financial strength and claims-paying ability.
Thrivent and its financial professionals do not provide legal, accounting or tax advice. Consult your attorney or tax professional.
THRIVENT IS THE MARKETING NAME FOR THRIVENT FINANCIAL FOR LUTHERANS. Insurance products issued by Thrivent. Not available in all states. Securities and investment advisory services offered through Thrivent Investment Management Inc., a registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC, and a subsidiary of Thrivent. Licensed agent/producer of Thrivent. Registered representative of Thrivent Investment Management, Inc. Advisory services available through investment adviser representatives only. Thrivent.com/disclosures.
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