Your Team at FIA
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Hello there! I'm Angie Smith, I work alongside my husband and FIA co-owner, Brian Smith. We met in the insurance industry over 26 years ago, have been married since 2001, and have two college-aged sons. For the last ten years, I ran my own portrait photography business, Bobeedy Photography. However, now that I'm an empty-nester, I've decided to return to the world of insurance and couldn't be more excited. I really enjoy getting to know the advisors we work with and helping them find the best solution for their client’s needs.
When I'm not working, I coordinate monthly events for a group of women that range from local hikes to archery and dog sledding. I also play on pickleball leagues and absolutely love supporting live music of any kind. If there is something active and social to do, you'll find me there!
(763) 284-6969
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Hi, I’m Brent Jensen. I’m a wholesaler here at Foundational Income Associates. I’ve been in the insurance business since 1990 and enjoy working with advisors on building financial solutions for their clients. Over the years I’ve been blessed to be invited to many client appreciation events and meet the people whose lives I’ve impacted. My favorite part of this business are the relationships/friendships I’ve built over the past 30 years.
When I’m not working on cases with advisor’s I enjoy spending time with my family and friends at our lake cabin. I am passionate about ice fishing and the outdoors.
I look forward to working with you on your next case!
(763) 284-8440
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Hi there! I’m Brian Smith. I’m a wholesaler here at Foundational Income Associates. I’ve been doing this for 20 years now, and I love helping advisors find the “right” solution for their clients. It’s like solving a puzzle but the outcome is way more important. I really enjoy getting to know the advisors I work with as well. I fish, golf and hunt with many of them. I feel like getting to know them and their families helps me to understand how they think—and that in turn makes it easier to provide the best options for the safety, accumulation and income puzzles they have with their clients.
When I’m not helping advisors with their clients’ needs, you can find me spending time with my family, fishing and hunting. I like to fish for walleye in Minnesota, mahi and tuna in Miami and salmon in Alaska. I like to chase pheasants in South Dakota in the fall.
(763) 463-9534
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Hey there, my name is Henry Hofstad, but for over a decade now my brothers, friends, and co-workers have called me Hank. I have been working in the annuity space since I was 20, building my knowledge and expanding my relationships with advisors around the country. I am an extrovert through and through and my favorite part of this job is connecting with people and building relationships on a personal level with people from different walks of life. There is something so fulfilling about helping solve an issue for a client and saving you, the advisor, as much time and energy in the process.
Outside of work I keep myself quite busy with a handful of hobbies and passions. I love to travel, having spent many weeks and months road-tripping this country or backpacking around the world. Most recently was Southeast Asia and India! I always bring my camera, enjoying the challenge of capturing the world through a unique lens. When I am home, I like to spend my time working out or training for a marathon. In the summers I spend as much time as possible outside, either on the golf course or on the lake at my family’s cabin. In the winters, I like to take Ice baths in the frozen lakes or rivers and sauna as much as possible! Overall, embracing whatever season it is and enjoying hanging out with my brothers (I am a triplet with an older brother as well, so four boys!) and family.
(763) 463-7897
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Greetings, curious reader. I'm Jason Brandt. My career in this amazing industry began in 1991 with a small insurance company. I learned many facets of the business working in multiple departments while advancing my education in the field of graphic design. This ultimately led to a designer role on the marketing team, where I created sales and marketing tools for our field partners. One of the greatest lessons learned was that of parallel interests, where the good of the company, client and agent were weighted in equal measure. Basically, let's make decisions that are a "win" for all parties.
In 2007 I helped build the brand and website for a start up company that focused on the immediate annuities market. In 2012 I moved into the banking industry, still as a graphic designer until Spring of 2024. Now, I'm back to the business that started it all for me. Although it's been awhile, I am excited to learn and to help grow FIA by providing the highest standard of service for our partners and their clients.
Outside of work, I've been a comic book fan long before it became mainstream. While I don't keep up with the current publications, I do enjoy the films and television shows.
In case you were wondering, Leah Brandt and I met at the same small insurance company 'lo those many years ago and have been married since 1993. If you've made it this far, thank you for your time. I look forward to working with you.
(763) 299-0114
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Hi there, I’m Jill Saunders. I was fortunate enough to begin my career in 2004 with wholesaling firm American Financial Marketing and began working with co-founder Tom Wade, co-owner Brian Smith, and COO Leah Brandt and very excited to continue working with such an amazing company dedicated to their agents and clients. At American Financial Marketing I had started as a receptionist and quickly moved into agent contracting and licensing where I learned and processed our firm and agent contracts for about 7 years. I then moved into life insurance case management and grew over the years to learn the ins and outs of so many life insurance carriers and the best ways to get through the frustrations in the industry. During this time, I have loved helping agents get their life business through as quickly as possible and form ongoing relationships where they can trust that their business is always my priority.
I enjoy getting to know the agents we work with personally as well and about their families and interests and sharing laughs.
When I’m not working I enjoy spending time with friends and family and most importantly my husband and two older boys which includes fishing (I mostly observe 😊), time at the cabin, golfing, soccer, and watching many other sports that we all enjoy.
(763) 284-6938
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Hello, I’m Justin Smith. I have been so fortunate to have spent the last 17 years working in this industry. Over this time, I have had the privilege of working along side so many great advisors, agents, and their teams to help provide the proper strategies and potential solutions using life insurance and long-term care to meet the needs of their clients. As a result, the relationships that I have been able to build along the way are a big part of why I choose to do what I do.
My role here at Foundational Income Associates is to be the first point of contact for agents and advisors when it comes to providing life insurance and long-term care for their clients. I spend my time getting an understanding of the client’s situation, discussing and selecting the best potential product fit, completing case designs, reviewing carrier underwriting guidelines and requirements, and point of sale strategies. I love knowing that I get to be a part of something that brings piece of mind by helping solve a problem that is important to a client.
When I’m not in the office talking life insurance, you will find me spending time with my family, at a sporting event for one of our boys, or probably out on the golf course trying to figure out why this game is so hard!
Thank you for allowing me to do what I do and for letting me share a little bit about myself.
(763) 284-6961
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Hi, I’m Leah Brandt. My first job in the annuity world was working in customer service for a small life insurance company in 1989. On the other side of the cube wall was our co-founder Tom Wade. In 1994, Tom asked me to come work for American Financial where I was the first administrative support hire. I continued with American Financial, growing their Marketing Support team, until I started my own agent support company in 2011.
Shortly after my company started, I was hired exclusively by Stan The Annuity Man. Over 11 years, I helped Stan build from a $10M annuity premium shop to $200M. My main duty was working with the clients from completing the application, through policy delivery and beyond.
I have a unique view of our industry because of my years of experience in a home office, IMO, and a retail office. I’ve seen it from all sides. I understand the frustration of home offices not doing what they say they will, the mountains of forms that are now needed to purchase an annuity, and the constantly changing landscape. I’m here to make all of it easier for you. Feel free to reach out to me. I’d love to talk to you!
(763) 463-9538
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Welcome! I’m Matt McKay, co-founder of Foundational Income Associates. We started our firm with the goal of bringing the best solutions and service to financial professionals, just like you, regarding your annuity, life, and long-term care insurance needs.
That goal fits right into my wheelhouse – coming up with creative solutions to fit any need. Whether I’m in the garage rigging up a makeshift pulley system for obscure storage or brainstorming widget ideas with friends where the right thing just doesn’t seem to exist, I always want to find the solution to every need. With my father being a long-time actuary in this space, it may not come as a surprise that I am following in his footsteps to find insurance solutions…I’m just doing it in a more social way! I’ve been in this industry in various forms since 2010, but the insurance insight and lingo has been building up for years longer thanks to inquisitive conversations with my dad over the years.
Outside of office life, I enjoy being outdoors doing just about anything. Traveling to new destinations helps fill my craving for intrigue and adventure. I am a big hockey fan and a great fantasy football mind (or that’s at least what I tell myself, jury is still out on that). One last random fact about me, I enjoy making homemade maple syrup and if you’re lucky, you may be able to get your hands on some!
I’m looking forward to getting to know you and helping your business grow!
(763) 463-9554
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Hello, I’m Tom Wade. In 1993 I founded an independent annuity wholesaling firm, American Financial Marketing Inc. 11 years later I sold AFM to a publicly traded international financial institution and started Income Planning Group LLC, a wealth management firm. The team and I have continued to build IPG over the last 20 years. In addition, I returned as a consultant to American Financial for over a decade prior to co-founding FIA with my son, William, and Matt McKay.
I’ve been fortunate to build lasting relationships with some incredible people in this business. My role at FIA is to consult with advisors when they want to talk to another advisor. I spend my time discussing how our firm and other advisors are prospecting for new clients, what technology our firm uses, what our meeting process looks like, and anything else that advisors want to talk about.
Outside of work I enjoy spending time with family, golfing, and spending time at our cabin. You can often find me building deer stands, mowing hunting trails, and working on machinery at the cabin.
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Hi! I’m William Wade. I’ve been blessed to work with some of the top advisors and their staff to meet the annuity, life insurance, and long-term care needs of their clients. The relationships I have been fortunate enough to build are my favorite part of this business!
My role at FIA is to be the main point of contact for advisors I work with. I’ll spend my day discussing potential cases with advisors, helping coordinate and execute prospecting events, and doing anything I can to save advisors and their staff time!
When I’m not working you can find me fishing, hunting, spending time with friends and family, or playing an occasional round of golf. Fishing is the hobby I’m most passionate about, and the two fish I enjoy chasing most are walleye and crappie.
william@foundationalincome.net
(763) 463-9520