Financial advisors
Financial Advisors with your future in mind.
Our financial advisors work hard to understand your goals, so that they can help ensure you’re on the right path to achieve them.
Bryan Sweet
CLU® , ChFC® , MSFS
Founder, CEO & Wealth Advisor
Creator of The Dream Architect™
Co-founder of Dare to Dream Enterprises
Creator of Elite Wealth Advisor Symposium
Author of 5 books – Dare to Dream: Design the Retirement You Can’t Wait to Wake Up To, Imagine. Act. Inspire. A Daily Journal and Give & Grow: Proven Strategies for Starting and Running an Effective Study Group, Dream Architecture, & The Ultimate Financial Advisor
Bryan is a cultivator of opportunity and that is reflected in his passion for serving the clients of Sweet Financial Partners. Beginning his financial services career in 1979, Bryan has done more than create lasting wealth plans for the wonderful clients we’ve been so fortunate to work with. He has worked to create a movement in this industry to help people realize just how much they are capable of, and just how much they can put their money to work for them.
A Fairmont native, Bryan earned his master’s degree in financial services from The American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, before embarking on what would be a lifelong career as a wealth management consultant. He established Sweet Financial Services in 1987 because he knew he wanted to create something lasting and impactful for the future. He saw an opportunity to help people not only accumulate wealth, but to maximize the opportunities and simplify the complexities that come with the distribution phase of life.
Being named to the Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisor list1, Inc Magazines Top 5000 list for fastest growing Private Companies2, and the Financial Times Top 4003 , the drive towards excellence is not foreign to Bryan.
Bryan’s hunger for continued education and growth is something that will never be fully satisfied. Which means that he has created a culture at Sweet Financial that is centered on continued personal and professional growth. This is also reflected in his work with clients as you will often catch Bryan sharing the capability and potential that he sees in others.
As a leader in our industry and a true giver by nature, Bryan, alongside his President Brittany Anderson, coaches other financial advisors from across the country on how to grow an ethical, sustainable practice all while building a company culture and a team that he feels is second to none. Bryan has also authored three books with another to release in early 2021. Get the details on Dare to Dream: Design the Retirement You Can’t Wait to Wake Up to HERE.
Setting aside all of Bryan’s accomplishments and wonderful contributions to our community and beyond, his biggest passion in life is to help his clients and team design a life that they can’t wait to wake up to, which is why he created Sweet Financial’s proprietary process, The Dream Architect™. His passion for helping people realize their biggest dreams in this life is reflected in his generosity, his push for greatness and his commitment to excellence.
To show his commitment to helping people realize what is possible Bryan has created two different foundations. The first is The Marilyn Borchardt-Sweet Foundation, which provides scholarships to the children of hard-working single moms, which he holds close to his heart after growing up with a single mom himself. The second is named after his aunt and uncle that he admired so much, The Roy & Jean Yeager Foundation. This provides monetary donations to various initiatives in the Blue Earth community, which Roy and Jean loved so much.
While Bryan currently works with a select few number of clients directly, his biggest contribution here at Sweet Financial Partners is in his work as the visionary for the practice. He is always looking for new and improved ways to enhance our client experience and take the business to the next level of excellence. While wealth management is what we do, Bryan has paved the way for our team at Sweet Financial to inspire our clients to realize their dreams are possible. As that is truly who we are.
1 The Forbes ranking of Best-In-State Wealth Advisors 2020, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative criteria and quantitative data. Those advisors who are considered have a minimum of seven years of experience, and the algorithm weighs factors like revenue trends, AUM, compliance records, industry experience and those who encompass best practices in their practices and approach to working with clients. Portfolio performance is not a criteria due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Out of approximately 32,000 advisors nominated by their firms, 4,000 received the award.
2 The 2016 Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2012 to 2015. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2012. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2015. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2012 is $100,000; the minimum for 2015 is $2 million.
3 The Financial Times 400 Top Financial Advisors is an independent listing produced annually by Ignites Research, a division of Money-Media, Inc., on behalf of the Financial Times (April 2020). To qualify for the list, advisers had to have 10 years of experience and at least $300 million in assets under management (AUM) and no more than 60% of the AUM with institutional clients. The FT reaches out to some of the largest brokerages in the U.S. and asks them to provide a list of advisors who meet the minimum criteria outlined above. These advisors are then invited to apply for the ranking. Only advisors who submit an online application can be considered for the ranking. In 2020, roughly 1,040 applications were received and 400 were selected to the final list (38.5%). The 400 qualified advisers were then scored on six attributes: AUM, AUM growth rate, compliance record, years of experience, industry certifications, and online accessibility. AUM is the top factor, accounting for roughly 60-70 percent of the applicant’s score. Additionally, to provide a diversity of advisors, the FT placed a cap on the number of advisors from any one state that’s roughly correlated to the distribution of millionaires across the U.S.
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of interacting with Ty you know immediately one thing is certain, Ty loves people and thoroughly enjoys fostering meaningful relationships. His focus on always being helpful to his clients and our team alike, is shown through his dedication to providing innovative, practical advice to help your financial goals align with what you want most in life. As a member of the Sweet team since 2003 and a partner in the firm since 2011, Ty is committed to listening to what matters most in people’s lives and learning which values and goals they hold dear.
After earning his Bachelor of Arts in financial economics from Gustavus Adolphus College, Ty joined The Retirement Group at Merrill Lynch, where he held various positions, specializing in defined contribution and defined benefit plans.
He is a Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) and has earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary professional® designation (AIF® ) awarded by the Center for Fiduciary Studies, which is associated with the University of Pittsburgh. He has received formal training in investment fiduciary responsibility.
Ty lives in Fairmont with his wife, Sarah, and twin daughters, Maggy and Libby. In his free time you can catch him on his boat, snowmobile, or hanging at home with family and friends.
Oliver Kollofski, CFP®, CPWA®
Partner, Director of Wealth Services & Wealth Advisor
Oliver’s knack for simplifying the complex and generating creative planning strategies for our clients has earned him the unofficial title of the “smart guy” in the office. All jokes aside, Oliver thrives in creating opportunities in even the most complex cases, and in painting a picture that allows the client to make informed and educated decisions. Since joining our Sweet Financial team in 2007, and becoming a partner in 2013, Oliver has worked closely with the advisors in the office to help our clients create the retirement they can’t wait to wake up to. As the leader in the planning and investment department, he thoroughly enjoys meeting with clients and helping put their money to work for them.
Oliver is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, where he earned bachelor’s degrees in both finance and real estate. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and a Certified Private Wealth Advisor.
What some may not know about the poised and often reserved Oliver, is that he enjoys driving race‐car and has been an avid hockey player and coach for much of his life. He lives in Fairmont with his wife, Emily, and sons, Jace and Van.
CFP® | Certified Financial Planner™ | 
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., owns the certification marks above, which it awards to individuals who successfully complete initial and ongoing certification requirements.
As a master of time management and a drive for excellence that is reflected in all he does, Jacob has been a wonderful addition to the Wealth Services department here at Sweet Financial. Having joined our team in 2015, Jacob has developed a skillset in helping our clients build and execute a financial plan that supports their biggest dreams. You will find him working diligently behind the scenes, completing more tasks than what should be normal for any human, just to ensure our clients get a plan that is accurate and timely.
Jacob finds joy in helping each of our clients with their distinct retirement plans and inevitably helping them create the retirement they can’t wait to wake up to. He thrives on living out the vision for the company, which is to create relationships with clients that goes beyond just the finances. But rather helps people think more about how they want to spend retirement.
Jacob graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 2015 with a degree in Financial Economics and a minor in Political Science. He is a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC®) which provides him with special training in all aspects of retirement planning, including a comprehensive assessment of an individual’s financial needs before or after retirement, including sources of retirement income, personal savings, income taxes, estate planning, and more. He lives in Fairmont with his wife Sierra, daughters Haevyn and Henlee, and their dog Cammie. When Jacob isn’t at work, he enjoys spending time out on the lakes or taking walks with his girls.
Amber Knips
CFP®, CDFA®, CeFT®
(Click on Amber’s photo to hear her message!)
Wealth Advisor
Amber helps people see possibility through life’s greatest and most challenging transitions. She is someone who has total passion and conviction for what she does. Using her empathetic and sincere approach, she has made it her mission to build deepened relationships with her clients all while helping them cultivate a financial plan that helps them focus on what they most enjoy. After joining our team at Sweet Financial Partners in 2012, Amber has gained extensive experience and training on guiding women through transitions such as loss of a loved one, divorce, career change, retirement and much more. You only experience these life transitions a few times during your lifetime, but she helps people through them every day.
As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional She specializes in retirement planning and is passionate about building relationships with her clients beyond investment management. While she thrives on the fine details of a well-executed plan, she will tell you that the best part of her job is seeing her clients growth over time after they have experienced a major life transition. She often hears from her clients “I wish I would have known about you before” – before that divorce, before losing a spouse, before that job change, before retirement. She wants to change the conversation instead to “I am so glad I had you.”
She is often invited to speak at businesses as a value add to their employees. She has great insight on how to maximize their savings strategies and think differently about retirement. She is also passionate with her role in Women Forward, and providing financial education to women on their path to their best lives. Interested in learning more about Women Forward? Click here for more information.
Amber splits her time between the Fairmont and Jackson office, to offer convenient locations to help her clients. She currently lives in Jackson with her husband, Jared, daughter Blakely and sons Rogan & Bohdi. When she’s not helping clients live their retirement dreams you will find this old soul canning, baking or spending quality time with her little ones.
CFP® | Certified Financial Planner™ | Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., owns the certification marks above, which it awards to individuals who successfully complete initial and ongoing certification requirements.