We give you the confidence to know that you can retire comfortably!
Van Dam Financial Group
Neil A Van Dam
Wealth Management Advisor|CLU®, ChFC®, CFP®, RICP®
About me
I have always had a job since I have been of legal age. During my high school years I worked in food service and as a lifeguard.
After High school I joined the US Coast Guard. In my 4 years of service I advanced to the rank of E-5 and learned what true leadership looks like by some of our best in the US military. This was a part of my life that really shaped me and gave me a great deal of respect for any service member, law enforcement, fireman, or medical professional.
It was during my time in the coast guard that I was introduced to money and saving. I read a book called "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" and was hooked. I had to know everything there was to know about finance and read anything on the subject I could find. I started helping other military friends develop strategies for their own retirement and investments and then decided this is what I was called to do with my life.
My next stage in life was to move back to North Dakota and to go to a university. Because I was taking classes while in the military, I was able to test out of my first year of school and obtain a 4-year degree in just 3 years graduating Cum Laude in finance through MSUM.
This is where I met Northwestern Mutual. In 2008 just before the market crashed, I started the internship that changed my life. My first year I ended 8th in the country out of about 2400 people. That was the catalyst I needed to confirm this was the right path for me.
Over the last few years, I have had plenty of ups and downs and so has the market. My team has grown and so have my clients. I am extremely grateful for all of them, and I am very excited to see what the future holds.
Awards and Recognition
- 2023-24 Locals Love Us Fargo-Moorhead Best Financial Advisor Check us out!
- 2023 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Manager Check us out!
- 2023 Forbes Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisor Best-In-State
- 2023 Community Votes Fargo Top Financial Advisor Vote for us for 2024!
- 2022 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Manager
- 2022 Forbes Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisor Best-In-State
- National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors Quality Award 2012-2015
- Award recognizing commitment to excellence in service to clients and industry.
Lending a hand in my community.
As part of Northwestern Mutual, I'm proud to help accelerate the search for better childhood cancer treatments while supporting families undergoing treatment, and survivors from late effects. Here are some of the organizations we partner with:
Kamp K.A.C.E. (Kids Against Cancer Everywhere)
Kamp Kace is an organization dedicated to providing a camp experience for children with cancer and their siblings. The mission of Kamp KACE is: To provide a summer camping experience for Children who have cancer, are cancer survivors and their siblings.
Valley Senior Services- Meals on Wheels
The Meals on Wheels program provides one hot, nutritious meal per day for those ages 60 and older who are home-bound and meet eligibility standards. Volunteers deliver meals Monday through Friday throughout the counties we serve.
Legacy Children's Foundation
We are a private, 501(c)3 nonprofit developed by Fargo teenagers in 2011 to provide educational support and opportunities for impoverished teens hungry for resources and relationships to fully develop their innate talents. OUR MISSION Educating vulnerable youth today to be successful leaders tomorrow. OUR VISION Advancing the full potential of students through personal care, relationships, and discovery! OUR VALUES The core values that drive the Legacy Children’s Foundation are education, people, leadership, curiosity and integrity. We strive to uphold these values in every aspect of our foundation.
Special Olympics North Dakota
Special Olympics is a global movement that unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports. It empowers individuals with intellectual disabilities to become accepted and valued members of their communities, leading to a more respectful and inclusive society for all. Using sports as the catalyst as well as programming around health and education, Special Olympics works to end inactivity, injustice and intolerance.
Here are my areas of expertise
Financial Planning
Insurance Protection Strategies
Life Insurance Strategies
Retirement Planning & Income Strategies
Education Planning & Funding
Disability Planning
Multigenerational Planning
Estate Planning
How Northwestern Mutual helps you live the life you want.
When people feel better about their money, good things happen—they become more confident and feel more secure. For more than 160 years, Northwestern Mutual has helped people achieve the financial flexibility they need to live more and worry less.
Being a mutual company means Northwestern Mutual reports to its clients, not Wall Street. They don't believe in chasing fads or taking undue risk for short-term gains. Instead, they take a long-term approach—both in the way we help people plan to reach their goals, and in the way they do business. This has served their clients (and mine) well through all kinds of economic ups and downs, including wars, recessions, even the recent pandemic.
It's why I'm happy to be part of a company that's in it for the long-haul and prioritizes clients over profit.
