Our Story

Founding partners, Wayne** and Jude* McDaniel, had a dream: to build a successful and independent financial planning firm that could not only be good but also do good. They opened our firm in 1982 after much energy, devotion, and prayer.

Like most small businesses, a dreamer is needed to envision the big picture. Wayne is still our dreamer. Always looking to the horizon to see what’s next, Wayne is the visionary who is instrumental in steering our firm through the more than 30 years of its existence.

Small businesses also require someone with energy. All the while Wayne was navigating and charting courses, Jude was rowing, paddling, sailing, running, training, and teaching. Working together, they got the firm up and going. Though it was not always smooth sailing, they remained constant and made positive progress each year. They added staff, technology, and new offices as their business grew. All the while they continued to make a positive impact on their clients and the community.

Karey Chester* initially responded to an ad that Wayne and Jude put in the newspaper. They needed a receptionist and administrative assistant. Karey’s responsibilities have evolved to cover just about everything. She didn’t know it back in 1998, but she has been a huge part of our success as a firm. She is also a part owner of McDaniel Knutson.

Pete Knutson* joined the firm in 2001 and became an owner in 2006. He is now our president. Pete majored in financial planning in college and has been in the financial planning business since 1993. He is also our Chief Humor Officer and works to keep things light around the office.

Victoria Bogner* came onboard in 2005 and became an owner in 2012. She is our Senior Investment Analyst and Chief Executive Officer. She performs stock market analysis for our investment strategies and is in charge of the securities trading component of our company.

In 2014, Jim Moore* joined us on our journey and became an owner in 2021. Jim has been providing financial solutions since 2003. Licensed in variable annuities, life, and disability insurance, he comes from commercial insurance and employer-based retirement plans. He adds another area of specialty to McDaniel Knutson.

Philosophically, we do not think you can dump money into the stock market and have it magically compound into enough for you to live on indefinitely. Instead, we believe that your future success can be determined if we work with you and outline your goals. Working together, we can implement creative strategies unique to your needs and wants. We believe that when you succeed, we succeed. The more successful you are, the more people you will tell about us; the more our business will grow.

Wayne and Jude have always worked to help those in need, and we continue that mission today. To practice what we preach and to inspire others to do the same, we donate five percent of our gross revenue–not after tax profits–to charity each year. In the beginning, it was five percent of just about nothing, but since 2000, we have donated more than $2.5 million to charities of all kinds.

Let us be your guide.

Using our knowledge, skills, and resources to help you increase your capacity to live and to give, we can help you navigate your financial journey.

Please Note: The charitable entities and/or fundraising opportunities described herein are not endorsed by, or affiliated with Cetera Advisor Networks LLC or its affiliates. Our philanthropic interests are personal to us and are not reviewed, sponsored, or approved by Cetera Advisor Networks LLC.

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