If you have ever read any of my reviews, you know that I am stingy with my 5 stars, very stingy!…read more So here is why I give a wealth management place 5 stars, when I don't even bother reviewing them, because I'd give them all 1. I am NOT independently wealthy, In fact I have finally reached the point where all my bills are paid and I can afford an occasional movie ticket or concert and still have a couple of coins left in the bank when I get paid again, Hallelujah (there was once a time when overdraft protection was my backup plan). Earl from Lexus sponsored tasting event at Wine Styles (DEFINITELY put wine styles on your list), where he spoke about what his company does and their approach to wealth management. First of all I appreciated the fact that he did not to the hard sell, he allowed us to enjoy the event, then he talked to us about his services and then we continued to enjoy the event, nothing like those time share talks. I made an appointment with him to talk about my wealth, or lack thereof, and he honestly made me feel comfortable and not ashamed that at my age, I do not have millions squirreled away somewhere. I've been to financial managers before and I always came away feeling like a failure and stupid and hopeless (real talk). But not Earl, he was honest about what moves I can make and what things I can do to leverage what I have and start building for my future. He didn't tell me to turn off the cable, start eating ramen and sell my truck like other wealth managers have told me. No, I may not be a millionaire when I retire (unless I hit the lottery or one of my business ideas really takes off). But with Earl as my advisor I will be comfortable.

I was expecting a conversation about what I wanted my retirement to look like and stop after that…read more I thought, "why am I in this office talking to a financial advisor without financial advisor kind of money in my bank account?" Here's what happened....... I learned that it's possible to invest beyond your employer paid plan, ability to adjust some of your current retirement plan to earn more and how it doesn't require a fat pocket full of money/huge bank account to start planning. After much discussion about what is important to me for my future, we came up with a plan. The bonus? You gain a brother, uncle, super cool neighbor that's easy to simply talk about your future goals with. If nothing else make an appointment, ask him as many questions about financial planning as you want and be surprised at the power you have over your money!

Doing business with this investment advisor was not a good experience for my wife and I and wound…read moreup costing us significant amounts of time and money in trying to undo their practices. After an extensive internet search and in person interviews with several other firms in Omaha, my wife and I selected America First Investment Advisors to manage our retirement assets. After only a few months with them, I learned several important facts about their business that were not as advertised. The most important of which is that while they claim to be a fiduciary they are not. When I pointed out to them that their actions were not in my best interest they agreed with me. However, the following day I received a phone call from the Chief Executive Officer and and Chief Compliance Officer, Eric Ball informing me that they do not like 'unhappy' clients and were dismissing my wife and I as clients and were refunding their fees. The following is a list of observations of their business practices after we became clients: They have approximately 250 clients that regardless of age, employment or magnitude of 'wealth', are all invested in the same assets, in approximately the same ratios. My wife and I had five accounts with them; two IRAs, two Roth IRAs and a Brokerage account. All five accounts had the same investments in approximately the same ratio. Further, when the deducted their fee for services, they deducted a portion of their fee from each of our five accounts despite the fact that our joint brokerage account was more than amply funded to pay their fee. Taking their fee from our IRAs forced us to pay an additional tax on their deduction that we would not have otherwise been required to pay, since our RMD had already been taken. Further, it prevents those investments from further tax free growth. This practice, they agreed, is not in my best interest and is in violation of their claim to be a fiduciary. This practice they tell me is applied to all of their clients.

From the owner: America First Investment Advisors is a financial advisor from the Old School. Unlike others, we do…read moreour own investment management and research and give clients the same advice we'd give a member of our own family. We make it easy to get started on an investment strategy with QuickStart.