Click here to learn more about our financial professionals by visiting FINRA's BrokerCheck.

8100 Penn Avenue South
Suite 175
Bloomington, MN 55431

Jim Mertz

(952) 831-5660

 
When Markets React Behavioral Finance Should You Tap Retirement Savings to Fund College? Should You Ever Retire?

WELCOME TO MERTZ WEALTH STRATEGIES, A FINANCIAL ADVICE CENTER.

We believe great advice comes from individuals, not large companies.

14 year Five Star Wealth Manager*award winner.  

Mertz Wealth Strategies Inc. is a comprehensive retirement planning firm. We combine our knowledge of investments with our knowledge of the income tax laws to look for ways that help protect and grow your money efficiently.*

"It is not what you earn, but what you keep that matters." 

Click here for Monthly articles

Our mission is to help create and maintain wealth for our clients through long-term, effective, asset management. We will build client relationships based on trust, competent professional service, continual communication, and prompt personal service. We will assist our clients in setting financial goals, monitoring these goals, and keeping them informed of the process and achievement of the goals.

We have equipped our business with quality financial services technology and utilize our capabilities to the fullest. These investments in our business have allowed us to give our clients intensely personalized asset analysis, asset allocation, and investment services. Our success is based on research and personalized service. It is for these reasons that new clients come to us and current clients stay with us.

Thank you for visiting our virtual office. If you’d like a face-to-face, no-obligation appointment to see what we can do for you, please give us a call at 952-831-5660 or contact Jim at Jim@mertzwealth.com.

*The FIVE STAR Wealth Manager list is created by Crescendo Business Services LLC. The following prior year statistics use this format: YEAR: # Considered, # Winners, % of candidates, Issued Date, Research Period. 2024: 4,789, 624, 13%,  2023: 4,080, 633, 16%, 12/1/22, 3/14/22 - 10/18/22; 2022: 4544, 622, 14%, 12/1/21, 3/29/21 - 10/8/21; 2021: 4004, 630, 16%, 12/1/20, 3/30/20 - 10/23/20; 2020: 3606, 589, 16%, 12/1/19, 3/1/19 - 10/25/19; 2019: 3504, 671, 19%, 12/1/18, 3/23/18 - 10/23/18; 2018: 2622, 591, 23%, 12/1/17, 2/23/17 - 10/13/17; 2017: 2304, 836, 36%, 11/1/16, 2/25/16 - 10/14/16; 2016: 2083, 854, 41%, 11/1/15, 4/17/15 - 10/14/15; 2015: 2673, 825, 31%, 12/1/14, 4/17/14 - 10/14/14; 2014: 1931, 844, 44%, 12/1/13, 4/17/13 - 10/14/13; 2013: 2151, 863, 40%, 12/1/12, 4/17/12 - 10/14/12; 2012: 1256, 624, 50%, 11/1/11, 4/17/11 - 10/14/11.  

Award candidates are identified by one of three sources; firm nomination, peer nomination or prequalification. Wealth managers were evaluated across ten criteria: (a) Credentialed as an investment advisory representative or a registered investment advisor; (b) Actively employed as a credentialed professional in the financial services industry for a minimum of five years; (c) Favorable regulatory and complaint history review; (d) Fulfilled their firm review based on internal firm standards; (e) Accepting new clients; (f) One-year client retention rate; (g) Five-year client retention rate; (h) non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; (i) Number of client households served. (j) Educational and professional designations. Favorable and unfavorable evaluations are included in the score.  

 Each wealth manager is reviewed for regulatory actions, civil judicial actions, and customer complaints. A favorable regulatory and complaint history is defined by Five Star Professional to mean that the wealth manager has not:  *Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; *Had more than a total of three settled or pending customer complaints filed against them with any regulatory authority or through Five Star Professional’s consumer complaint process; *Individually contributed to a financial settlement of a customer complaint filed with a regulatory authority; *Filed for personal bankruptcy; *Been convicted of a felony. Five Star Wealth Managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. Scores reflect an average of all respondents and are not representative of any one client's evaluation. 

 The Five Star award is not indicative of the wealth managers’ future performance. Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients’ assets. Working with a FIVE STAR Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by Five Star Professional in the future. The inclusion of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth manager by Five Star Professional or the magazine. Five Star Professional is not an advisory firm. For more information on the Five Star award and the research/selection methodology, go to: fivestarprofessional.com. 

Helpful Content

First Year of Retirement: What to Expect

First Year of Retirement: What to Expect

Understand the key financial and lifestyle shifts that happen in your first year of retirement.

Where Is the Market Headed?

Where Is the Market Headed?

We all know the stock market can be unpredictable. We all want to know, "What's next for the financial markets?"

Estate Strategies of the Rich and Famous

Estate Strategies of the Rich and Famous

The examples of famous celebrities underline the need for a clear estate strategy.

 

Filing Final Tax Returns for the Deceased

The federal government requires deceased individuals to file a final income tax return.

AI Tools Changing Retiree Entrepreneurship

The impact that Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can have on retirees with a consulting or small business venture.

Can I Create a Roth if I’m Over the Income Limit?

Use this article to start conversations about the “backdoor” Roth IRA strategy.

Volunteering in Retirement

For many, retirement includes contributing their time and talents to an organization in need.

Social Security Benefits: How Much Will I Receive

Calculating your potential Social Security benefit is a three-step process.

A Cheat Sheet for Sending Your Kid to College

Dropping off your child is loaded with emotions; here are a few tips for a smoother experience.

View all articles arrow

Emergency Fund Calculator

Find out how large your emergency fund should be based on your monthly expenses.

Estimate Your RMD

Calculate your required minimum distribution amount based on your account balance and age.

Rent vs Buy Calculator

Compare the long-term financial outcomes of renting versus buying a home.

Long-Term-Care Needs

Estimate potential long-term care costs and what coverage may help address them.

Debt vs. Investment

Weigh the potential outcomes of paying off debt versus directing those dollars elsewhere.

Debt-to-Income Ratio Calculator

Calculate your debt-to-income ratio to understand how lenders may view your financial health.

View all calculators arrow

Timing Your Retirement

This short video illustrates the importance of understanding sequence of returns risk.

To Buy or Not to Buy

The decision whether to buy or rent a home may have long-term implications.

Should I Invest in Gold?

Learning more about gold and its history may help you decide whether it has a place in your portfolio.

Retirement Redefined

Around the country, attitudes about retirement are shifting.

The Cost of Procrastination

Procrastination can be costly. When you get a late start, it may be difficult to make up for lost time.

Global and International Funds

Investors seeking world investments can choose between global and international funds. What's the difference?

View all videos arrow