Focus

Helping Families prepare for critical financial events in their lives is rewarding. Whether it is preparing for a comfortable retirement, ensuring children and grandchildren are financially prepared to pursue their education or to travel the world, goals and objectives are unique to every client.  “The feeling you get when you can tell a client that they can retire on their terms or send their loved ones to the school of their choice is a great one.”


Many client relationships have expanded to the second and third generations.  It is not uncommon for a next generation client to let Rene know that the family has appreciated the relationship that has been formed over years of advice and service.

 “It has been great to see the impact of these relationships over multiple generations.”


Background and experience

Rene started his career more than 30 years ago as a Financial Consultant with Merrill Lynch in Chicago, Illinois.  There he learned the ins and outs of the Equity and Fixed Income markets, forming the base of his Investment Planning knowledge.  Rene joined Norwest Investments (now Wells Fargo Advisors) in 1998, where he has continued to advance his knowledge and career.

Education is something that is very important to Rene.  He earned a degree in Finance from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1994.  Then, after completing an advanced educational program and passing a rigorous examination, Rene became a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® practitioner. Shortly after becoming a CFP®, Rene became a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®).


Away from the office

Rene Spends time with his wife, Shannon, a flight attendant, and their three adult sons, Reece, Chris, and Kyle.  They enjoy Shannon’s travel benefits and have some great trips that have taken them coast to coast of the U.S.  “Sometimes, the best trips are where you just explore.”  Rene and Shannon enjoy taking advantage of the great bike trails in Minneapolis and love spending time at the family lake cabin.  After growing up in Chicago, down the street from Wrigley Field, Rene is also a diehard Cubs fan.

With a background in banking, education, and business, I enjoy connecting with diverse personalities. I love nothing more than sitting down with someone to discuss their life and what brings them their greatest happiness. After five years in financial services with Wells Fargo, I’ve transitioned to Wells Fargo Advisors, where I find new ways to make a meaningful impact on our clients’ financial journeys.

My career shift has been both rewarding and transformative, especially after my time teaching overseas and serving in the U.S. Air Force Reserves in Minneapolis.

Originally from the Lake Minnetonka area, I now call Hopkins home. I enjoy spending time traveling and with family; my daughter Trinity lives locally and enjoys the outdoors. Although we love our German heritage cuisine, we also enjoy preparing and eating dishes from over the world.