Our Story
Our team story

We're proud to be Thrivent financial professionals. We provide personalized financial guidance to people at all stages of life. At Thrivent, we view money not as a goal, but as a tool—one that can afford you a life rich in meaning and gratitude. We believe humanity thrives when individuals make the most of all they've been given. We're here to help you do just that. 

We are committed to serving all types of clients, spanning a broad range of ages, phases and needs. We provide a multigenerational approach to our service and planning, and proudly serve third- and fourth-generation clients. 

As a team, we have 30+ years of combined experience in the financial industry to assist you in reaching your goals. Meeting our clients where they are in life and tailoring a plan to fit their needs is what we strive for. We specialize in tax-efficient retirement planning, charitable giving, brokerage investments, wealth transfer, special needs planning, advice and planning for business owners, and more. We are here to walk you through every step of the process.  

Redwood Financial Advisors Winter Newsletter

Team bio brochure

Thrivent Magazine feature article Winter 2024

Thrivent Magazine feature article

Value based planning brochure

Nancy Hansen
Nancy HansenFinancial AdvisorCFP®, CLU®, CAP®, LUTCF®, FICF, FIC, CLTC®, BFA™

Founder of Redwood Financial Advisors

Nancy holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation and has been with Thrivent since 1993. She specializes in charitable planning, wealth transfer, tax-efficient retirement planning, educated advice and life insurance needs. Nancy is honored as a Hall of Fame Legend, the highest honor that can be earned by Thrivent financial advisors, and less than 5% of advisors attain. She also leads a diverse team of financial associates and support staff to provide personalized service in financial matters that are important to you. As a practice Nancy has four offices. Two in Minnesota: Redwood Falls and Springfield, as well as two in Arizona: Sun Lakes and Mesa.

She is also licensed to serve clients in many states across the U.S.

Nancy enjoys supporting several charities and causes. When she is not helping clients plan for their financial future, her favorite pastimes are golfing with her husband, Pat, along with other friends, and visiting their three grown children: one in Mankato, Minnesota and two in the  Phoenix, Arizona area. This gives them a great excuse to try out the golf courses in Arizona as well.

Nate Scharlemann
Nate ScharlemannFinancial AdvisorChFC®, CLU®, FIC, RICP®

Nate has been a part of the Thrivent team since 2003. As a financial professional, he specializes in tax-efficient retirement planning, life insurance needs, and helping clients start planning at an early age. Nate enjoys providing clients with holistic financial guidance, teaching them to be wise with their money and to live generous lives throughout their financial journey. Nate also has Medicare planning experience. 

 Nate enjoys spending time with his wife, four kids and three grandchildren. Nate enjoys watching any sporting events that his family members are a part of, as well as hunting and fishing.

Jacob Hansen
Jacob HansenFinancial Advisor

Jake Hansen is a Financial Advisor and partner on our team, where he oversees brokerage accounts and works closely with clients to build retirement plans tailored to their goals and lifestyle.

A Minnesota native, Jake grew up in Redwood Falls before trading the Midwest winters for Arizona sunshine. He now calls Mesa home and works out of our local office there.

Outside of work, Jake loves spending time with his wife, Danitza, and their son, Nash, exploring Arizona’s mountain ranges—often with their dog, Nala. And when he’s not on the trails, there’s a good chance he’s lacing up his skates for men’s league hockey - Yes, even in the desert, Jake finds a way to keep hockey in his life.

Meagan Matich
Meagan MatichFinancial AssociateChSNC®

Meagan is a Financial Associate with the Redwood Financial Advisors and has been with Thrivent since 2017. Meagan works alongside the team to assist in the planning process for our clients and is our Operations Manager. She also received her Chartered Special Needs Designation so she can better support our families that have a loved one with special needs. She truly enjoys working with clients and our team by supporting them in many ways. She is licensed in Minnesota, Arizona, and Texas.

Meagan enjoys spending quality time with her husband and two children. Their favorite family activities include camping, hunting, fishing, water activities, and snowmobiling. They enjoy supporting their son in his seasonal sporting endeavors and watching their daughter participate in various equine events with her horse.

Brett Bergeson
Brett BergesonFinancial Advisor

Brett joined the Redwood Financial Advisors this past August as a financial advisor. Previously, Brett was a high school math teacher and a football and basketball coach for Redwood. Brett looks to build relationships with new clients and to understand their values and goals so that he can help guide them toward positive, impactful financial decisions. He also aids Nancy and Nate in servicing existing clients to help better serve them.

Brett enjoys spending time with his wife, Courtney, and their son, Briggs. They enjoy spending time outside, like playing in the yard, going on walks around town, and family golf outings. Brett also tries to stay active by playing in men’s league basketball. The Bergeson family are proud members of the E Free Church of Redwood Falls, where Brett currently serves as a deacon. They are happy to be part of a great community in Redwood Falls.

Luke Grannes
Luke GrannesFinancial Advisor

Luke joined our team in 2026, bringing hands-on experience in farm transition planning and a lifelong connection to agriculture. He continues to work on his family’s corn and soybean farm, giving him a firsthand understanding of the financial challenges and opportunities farm families face. As a Financial Advisor, Luke focuses on tax‑efficient retirement strategies, life and disability insurance planning, and helping clients build long‑term financial security. He specializes in guiding farm families through their unique financial needs—from day‑to‑day operations and strategic growth to preparing for a smooth transition to the next generation. Luke works closely with the other advisors on our team to support existing clients and enjoys building new relationships. He takes the time to understand each person’s goals, values, and vision for the future, creating personalized plans that reflect what matters most to them.

Outside of work, Luke stays active and enjoys golfing, spending time at the lake, traveling, and playing cards with family and friends.

Jed Hansen
Jed HansenFinancial Advisor

Jed has joined the Redwood Financial Advisors as a Financial Advisor. Jed comes to us with experience in customer service and sales. He is new to the financial industry and eager to learn how to further support our clients.

Jed is originally from Redwood Falls and went to school at Minnesota State University Mankato. At MSU he was a finance major. He was also involved in track and field. His pole-vaulting skills are amazing!

 

Jed enjoys spending time with his girlfriend, Jenna. Together they like to travel and try new restaurants. He also enjoys watching and playing multiple sports. If he is around, you might find him at the golf course or with his dog Derryl.

Kelly Pierson
Kelly PiersonInsurance Associate

Kelly is an insurance associate with the Redwood Financial Advisors and has 16 years of experience. She enjoys assisting clients with understanding their investments through periodic client reviews and by helping them achieve their investment goals. Throughout her years of experience, she provides exceptional and friendly service to clients.

 

When not at the office, Kelly spends her time with her husband, Rick, and their children and grandchildren. They enjoy time at their cabin, trail riding on their side by side and watching wildlife. She serves as a local first responder, Community Club secretary, and Sanborn City Council member.

Amber Bluhm
Amber BluhmInsurance Associate

Amber joined our team in 2021. She has since taken on many administrative projects. She has a passion for the generosity side of Thrivent. She enjoys assisting clients with Thrivent Action teams and Choice Dollars. Special Needs Planning is also a main focus for her. Planning  and caring for a child with special needs is personally familiar & she strives to be relatable and compassionate to other families who have similar needs.

 

Amber works remotely from her home office in St. Michael, Minnesota. She enjoys spending time with family & friends. Doing anything creative, baking, photography, and volunteering are all favorite past times. Her two kids keep her busy with plenty of activities. Before joining Thrivent, Amber had her own photography business. She feels blessed to still get to use that talent to support the team with any photo needs they have. 

Jenna Pendleton
Jenna PendletonInsurance Associate

Jenna is originally from the Lower Sioux Indian Reservation. In 2023 she graduated from Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, MN with a bachelor’s in business administration and an emphasis in marketing promotion/PR and marketing management. Jenna is also licensed in Life and Health Insurance. She enjoys spending her time on the team assisting clients with Medicare, health insurance, and dental insurance as well as providing support to our financial advisors.

 

Jenna enjoys spending time with her family, friends, her boyfriend, Jed & their dog Derryl. She also enjoys traveling and crafting in her free time. 

Kayla Houselog
Kayla HouselogInsurance Associate

In spring of 2023 we had the privilege to bring Kayla Houselog onto our team. Kayla will be working remotely from home in Pipestone MN. Kayla dove in headfirst and immediately started learning all the systems, assisting with applications and scheduling appointments for the team. Kayla is licensed in Life & Health. Before taking on this new adventure she worked as a cosmetologist for 15 years. She also worked part time as an office assistant with a tax office.

Kayla enjoys spending time with her husband Brandon, their three young girls, who are in a variety of activities. She has a love of the outdoors and animals, but her favorites would be spending time in her garden or at the lake. Cosmetology is still a passion of hers and still gets to enjoy it on occasion.

Laura Pendleton
Laura PendletonOffice Manager

Laura joined the team in 2023 with 40 + years office experience and a small business owner. She enjoys managing the office while working with clients as their first point of contact. Getting to know the clients and assisting with their needs is a rewarding part of her day. Laura loves to work in a busy team environment multi-tasking while supporting staff with accounts payables/receivables, payroll duties, scheduling, and general office management duties.

When not in the office Laura enjoys spending time with her husband Dean, their two adult children James and Jenna and the family dogs. They enjoy going to sporting events, mastering escape rooms and bonfires in the backyard.   Any day spent with the family is a great day!

Veronica Pacheco
Veronica PachecoOffice Professional

Veronica has been an office professional with the Redwood Financial Advisors since 2017. She loves to assist the team with behind-the-scenes work and she handles many of the tasks that keep the financial team running smoothly for those who are in front of our clients. She is the welcoming face of our Springfield Office. She assists Kelly and the team with all the office needs there. We serve a variety of people, many who are multi-generational families, and it’s been such a joy for Veronica to meet and make connections with each of them.

Outside of her work at Thrivent, Veronica enjoys spending time with her family. She loves various outdoor activities, especially in the warmer weather. Veronica and her husband, Steven, have a passion for traveling. They make frequent trips to visit their two young adult children (and one grand-pup) who are both away at college, and they enjoy occasional trips to warm weather destinations when possible.

Bailey Reding
Bailey RedingOffice Professional

Bailey joined the team in 2026. New to the financial world, Bailey brings a background in team leadership and data organization developed through her 8+ year career as a School Psychologist. Working with children with disabilities and their families will always be time Bailey remembers fondly, but she is eager to take on a new challenge! 

Bailey grew up in Redwood Falls, MN but now lives and works in Phoenix, AZ. When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Griffin, and three dogs, Bogey, Charlie, and Huck. Bailey and Griffin love attending concerts, trying new restaurants, traveling the world, and camping. Bailey also enjoys running her little ceramic studio out of their home. 

Join us at an upcoming event

We’d love to have the opportunity to meet you. We host financial workshops, volunteer opportunities and Thrivent market updates.
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Money Canvas

Mar 11, 2026, 6:00 PM UTC - Mar 11, 2027, 7:00 PM UTC
Free money coaching
Learn how Money Canvas, a free coaching service, can help you build healthier budgeting, saving, and spending habits. Through Money Canvas’s 3 virtual sessions with a Money Guide, you will build confidence and learn to manage money mindfully.
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Thrivent Action Teams

Mar 11, 2026, 6:00 PM UTC - Mar 11, 2027, 7:00 PM UTC
Let’s make a difference together
We all want to give back, but sometimes it’s hard to know where to begin. Thrivent Action Teams can help you make a positive impact in your community.Simply gather a team of friends, family or neighbors to put on a fundraiser, educational event or service activity. We’ll provide the resources you need to get started – including up to $250 in seed money. Then you and your team can get busy bringing your project to life.
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Ready to connect?

We'd love to answer any questions you may have and start learning about your goals. We can meet however you're most comfortable—phone, virtual or in person.

Or call us directly: 507-637-8139

Licensing is available through your State Insurance Department’s website, which can be located through the National Association of Insurance Commissioners website.

Thrivent financial advisors and professionals have general knowledge of the Social Security tenets. For complete details on your situation, contact the Social Security Administration.

Not all team members may provide all products, programs and services in all states.

Not all team members may office at the locations listed.

* as of December 31, 2024

** Thrivent and its financial advisors and professionals do not provide legal, accounting or tax advice. Consult your attorney or tax professional.

Rating is based on Thrivent’s financial strength and claims-paying ability. Does not apply to investment product performance. For information on this rating, visit the rating agency's website.

Designations
For additional information on professional designations and the requirements to earn them, visit https://www.thrivent.com/designations

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization's initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.