LPL Financial Advisor
e: craig.adamson@TrueWealthStewardship.com
t: 319-373-4124
Craig Adamson has advised individual and business clients since 1996. He became an independent advisor in October 2000 when he joined LPL Financial and founded Adamson Financial Planning (now TrueWealth Stewardship). LPL Financial is the largest independent brokerage firm in the United States* which enables Craig to offer his clients the best of both worlds: state-of-the-art financial tools, access to a world-class research department, and the ability to maintain a small, personalized practice with no proprietary products to hawk, and no sales quotas to meet.
The emphasis of Craig’s practice is to fully understand his clients both financially and personally. This “comprehensive” or “holistic” approach creates a customized financial plan and investment strategy for clients. This helps them focus on their goals instead of driving themselves crazy watching the news every minute to see if the markets are up or down. This approach has proven popular as he works with multiple generations of families as well as clients from diverse backgrounds and ages.
Craig holds an Iowa insurance license and is securities registered through LPL Financial in multiple states (Series 6, 7, 63, and 65). Craig also holds the following designations: Retirement Management Advisor (RMA), Certified Retirement Counselor (CRC), Chartered Retirement Plan Specialist (CRPS), and Certification for Long-Term Care (CLTC). He is also a member in good standing with Ed Slott’s Master Elite IRA Advisor Group, NAIFA (National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors), and the Investment and Wealth Institute.
The son of a retired public educator, Craig puts a high value on his education attending 70 or more hours of industry conferences, seminars, webinars, conference calls, and various classes. This has been an annual focus for Craig for nearly two decades and helps him stay current on industry trends and tax strategies that impact his clients. This commitment to education is reflected in the groups mentioned above, requests to help plan Investment News’ Retirement Income Summit, the Education Unit board member for RIIA, and questions from reporters with Market Watch, Wall Street Journal, Consumer Reports, and various publications. Additionally, Craig holds board leadership positions with the local and state boards of NAIFA, which devote time to client advocacy and continuing education, respectively. Craig makes regular trips to Des Moines to meet with Legislators, the State Treasurer, and the State Insurance Commissioner to discuss policy and programs (such as Iowa’s 529 plan) and to Washington, DC to meet with Iowa’s Congressional delegation on tax and regulatory issues affecting his clients and small businesses.
Craig and his wife, Ann, have three children – Ages 21, 19, and 16. They are all very active in college and high school activities. And all three of them are Honors students. The family enjoys travelling and playing board games together – but Craig enjoys it more when he is winning (which is getting harder now that the competition is older and wiser)!
Besides a busy family life, Craig has been very active in the local community. He has spent over two decades serving local families as a dedicated fiduciary retirement planner in Marion. He served 12 years as chair of the Marion Public Services Board, 8 years as a Marion City Council Member, 2 years on the Marion Planning and Zoning Commission. Currently, he is Marion’s representative on the County Landfill Board. Additionally, Craig is a member of Chamber of Commerce and an investor in Marion Economic Development Corporation as both are integral to the success and growth of the city.
Craig is a proud graduate of THE Iowa State University. He’s been the club president for Linn & Johnson County Alumni Association and holds season tickets for Cyclone football, men’s & women’s basketball, wrestling, and volleyball. Craig was awarded the ISU Young Alumni Volunteer of the Year award in 2005.
*Based on revenues, as reported in Financial Planning Magazine, June 1996-2013.