Strategic Alliances
Client Focused, Personalized Approach, Fiduciary Driven
BROKERAGE SPECIALISTS IS STRATEGICLY PARTNERED WITH THIRD-PARTY MONEY MANAGERS TO ACTIVELY MANAGE INVESTMENTS.
One of our strategic alliances is with Gradient Investments (GI). GI is an SEC registered investment advisor firm offering clients over 20 proprietary portfolios. The portfolios are managed by their President, Michael Binger CFA, Portfolio Manager, Mariann Montagne, CFA. These two industry leaders now offer our clients their combined expertise. Binger brings 30 years of institutional investment experience to the private clients of Gradient Investments. Montagne has 25 plus years of working with both institutional and high net worth clients and has amassed a strong breadth of investment experience in her tenure. In addition Binger and Montagne are regular contributors to CNBC, Fox Business, Bloomberg and Barron's, The Wall Street Journal and have many other national publications.
Whether your financial goal is preserving principal, maximizing income or accumulating capital, our third-party money managers have carefully designed a strategy to help you achieve your long-term financial goals.

Michael Binger, CFA®
President
Michael Binger is the President for Gradient Investments. He has been with Gradient Investments since 2012 and has more than 30 years of total investment management experience. Mr. Binger's prior roles include managing multi-billion dollar investment products for a large institutional asset manager. He graduated with a bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota and is a CFA® charterholder. He brings a depth of market experience that is rare within the industry and has been a featured contributor with several media outlets such as CNBC, Fox Business, Barron's, and the Wall Street Journal.

Mariann Montagne, CFA®
Portfolio Manager
Ms. Montagne is a Portfolio Manger for Gradient Investments. She has been with Gradient Investments since 2014 and has over 25 years of total investment management experience. Ms. Montagne's prior roles include equity analysis for institutional fund managers as well as a senior investment analyst position for a $500M registered investment advisor. She is a frequent contributor to media outlets, including CNBC, Fox Business, Bloomberg, and Barron's. Ms. Montage graduated with a bachelor's degree from the University of Detroit and is a CFA® charterholder.

David Johnson, CFP
Manager, Case Central
David J. Johnson, CFP® has worked in the financial services industry since 2000. David boasts extensive knowledge regarding investments, retirement income planning and legacy planning. David is investment licensed, insurance licensed and holds the Certified Financial Planner™ designation. He obtained his business degree from Bethel University in Arden Hills, MN.