Meet the Advisors
After graduating in 1985 from Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota, Pete immediately began his career in the financial services industry. Pete developed a practice emphasizing both comprehensive financial and estate planning. Desiring to further his knowledge of the financial services profession, Pete completed the necessary educational requirements for the Certified Financial Planner designation (CFP) in 1994.
In order to offer a more diverse menu of products and services, Pete co-founded Financial Dimensions Group, Inc., an independent financial services firm, in 1995. Pete is also a registered representative of Royal Alliance Associates, Inc., which is one of the nation's largest independent broker-dealers.
Pete resides in Shoreview, Minnesota, with his wife, Beth, and their four children. In his spare time, he actively participates in his church and also enjoys golf, travel, and spending time with his family.
Shawn graduated from the College of Business at Saint Cloud State University in 1995 after obtaining a degree in Business Computer Information Systems. While both interested and fascinated by the role technology plays in today's culture, Shawn decided to pursue another interest of his and joined Financial Dimensions Group, Inc. immediately after college to pursue his career as a Financial Advisor.
Over the past 23 years, Shawn has developed the skills required to offer qualified financial advice on the many issues surrounding, and included in, financial planning and asset management. Shawn has successfully completed the rigorous coursework and testing requirements to become a Certified Financial Planner practitioner and, together with his partner and father Gary Eilefson, manage over $150 million in client assets.
Outside the office, Shawn appreciates any activity that allows him to spend time with his wife Marlo and two sons Oskar (12) and Charlie (9).
Gary Eilefson entered the securities industry in January 1967 after graduating from the University of Minnesota School of Business, becoming licensed in both securities and insurance. In 1970 he became a District Manager for a major financial services firm in Minneapolis, a position he held for nineteen years. During those years he hired, trained and supervised well over two hundred financial planners, many of whom are in business today throughout the Twin Cities area.
Although spending much of his time with management responsibilities, he was able to serve an ever-growing personal client base. Recognizing his desire to work with more complex financial planning cases, Gary achieved the status of Certified Financial Planner practitioner by completing a series of educational requirements in 1987.
He left management in 1989 to focus on what had become the mission of his career. In his words, “Over the years in this business I have helped many people accumulate wonderful estates only to see significant problems develop in the latter stages of their lives as a result of a debilitating illness or poorly thought-out estate plans. Often investment returns consume a client's focus making the client vulnerable in other areas.” In order to remove himself from the bias associated with representing a particular firm he became an independent financial advisor in 1995, co-founding Financial Dimensions Group, Inc. As an independent advisor he is able to access the market place on a broad scale, selecting competitive and appropriate products available for his clients.
Gary and his partner Shawn Eilefson specialize in working primarily with clients in or near retirement. Many of these clients have worked with him for over thirty years
He and his wife Barbara live in Blaine, Minnesota. They have three grown children and seven grandchildren. Gary has a passion for golf and tennis when time permits.
William M. Hansen, JD, LL.M., CFP®
William M. Hansen is a financial advisor at Financial Dimensions Group, Inc. Bill is Series 7 licensed and is also a Certified Financial Planner™. To become certified, he had to master more than 100 topics on integrated financial planning issues, including general financial planning, insurance planning, employee benefits planning, investment planning, income tax planning, retirement planning and estate planning. Because of the extensive requirements, only a minority of financial advisors are CFP®s, so it's an important distinction.
Bill is also an attorney and principal of William M. Hansen Associates, PLLC, an estate planning and elder law firm located in Golden Valley Minnesota, where he focuses his practice in the areas of estate planning, estate and trust administration, asset protection and elder law issues.
Bill graduated from the College of St. Thomas with a BA in Finance. In 1984, Bill received his law degree from Hamline University School of Law. In 1989, Bill earned a Masters of Law (in Taxation) from William Mitchell College of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude. In 2006, became a Certified Financial Planner™.
Bill's combined background and experience in financial, legal and tax issues allows him to see his clients' picture from a unique perspective and assists him in guiding his clients to make sound and informed decisions about their financial future.
Bill is a member of the Financial Planning Association (“FPA”) of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Bar Association. Bill previously served on the Board of Directors of both the FPA of Minnesota and the Northwest Suburban Chamber of Commerce.
Bill has resided in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area for over 30 years. He and his wife, Janet, have four children – which helps them understand the importance of sound financial and estate planning. When not attending his children's sporting practices and games, he enjoys golf, fishing, and being outdoors.