Our Story
J&S Partners is an independent financial planning and wealth management firm dedicated to helping clients manage, preserve, and grow their assets.
“Our independence allows us to focus entirely on what’s best for our clients—without pressure or limitations tied to proprietary products.”
Defining Excellence in Financial Planning.
J&S Partners, Inc. was founded in 2001 as a family-owned financial planning and wealth management firm with a clear and focused mission: to help individuals and families take control of their financial future and build lasting legacies.
Founded by Joe Koessl and his son, Stephen Koessl, the firm was built on decades of industry experience and a deep understanding that financial success is not just about numbers—it’s about people, goals, and long-term security.
Joe began his career in financial services in 1970, bringing a disciplined and principled approach shaped by both military service and years in the industry. Stephen expanded on that foundation, advising major corporations, foundations, and pension systems before co-founding J&S Partners.
Over the past 20+ years, J&S Partners has grown into a trusted advisor for clients across Minnesota and Texas, helping them navigate complex financial decisions with clarity and confidence.
We specialize in:
Retirement planning
Asset preservation strategies
Wealth management
Income generation and portfolio optimization
Our Vision
We envision a future where more individuals and families:
- Feel in control of their financial lives
- Understand how their money works
- Have a clear path to retirement and beyond
Our goal is to be more than a financial firm—we aim to be a lifelong partner in your financial journey.
Our Mission
Our mission is simple:
To provide every client with the guidance, education, and strategies needed to achieve financial independence and long-term security.
We believe financial planning should not be confusing or intimidating. Instead, it should empower you to:
- Make confident decisions
- Understand your options
- Build a future you can rely on
Everything we do is centered around helping you live with less financial stress and more financial clarity.
Our commitment is rooted in one principle:
Your success is our priority.
We are dedicated to:
- Providing honest, transparent advice
- Acting in your best interest
- Helping you stay disciplined in your financial plan
- Being available when you need guidance
We don’t believe in quick wins or one-size-fits-all solutions. We believe in building lasting financial security over time.
Our Journey of Direction and Growth
Every milestone marks a step forward — J&S Partners’ path is one of purpose, progress, and transformation.
Let’s Start the Conversation.
Whether you’re just beginning to plan your future or looking to refine an existing strategy, we’re here to help.
Schedule a no-obligation consultation and take the first step toward:
Our Philosophy
At J&S Partners, we operate on a few core beliefs:
Two Generations of Financial Guidance, Focused on You
Our staff consists of experienced professionals with a “hands on” approach to financial guidance. Not only will you find our team members knowledgeable, but you will also discover that our staff truly cares about helping you making your dreams a reality. As your Financial Professionals, we will do everything in our power to keep you focused on where you want to go, advise you on how to get there, and continually remind you of the importance of maintaining a disciplined approach to realizing your dreams.
Why Us ?
Choosing a financial advisor is ultimately about trust, experience, and the confidence that someone is truly listening to your goals. Our firm is built on those principles and strengthened by three generations of family commitment to serving clients with integrity and personal attention.
Financial advising has been part of our family for decades. My father, Joe, spent 43 years helping individuals and families navigate important financial decisions. I followed in his footsteps more than 25 years ago, and today my son, Sam, represents the third generation of our firm. While markets and strategies evolve, our approach has remained consistent: be accessible, provide thoughtful guidance, and always put clients first.
We specialize in helping clients preserve the assets they’ve worked hard to build, create reliable lifetime income streams, and transfer wealth to future generations as efficiently as possible. Every client relationship begins with a conversation centered around one simple question: What are you hoping to accomplish financially?
Many of the people we work with come to us during important life transitions. Some are navigating the loss of a spouse and suddenly managing financial responsibilities on their own. Others are approaching retirement, changing careers, or considering whether an early retirement is possible. Many investors simply want guidance on how to grow their wealth while reducing exposure to unnecessary market risk and volatility.
Our role is to provide clarity, structure, and personalized solutions designed around each client’s unique situation and comfort level.
A key part of our process is evaluating risk. We review how your assets are currently positioned and determine whether your strategy truly aligns with your goals. From there, we identify opportunities to enhance growth potential while implementing strategies designed with the goal to preserve accumulated wealth and future gains.
For clients focused on retirement income, we take a comprehensive approach by coordinating Social Security, retirement accounts, brokerage assets, savings, and other resources into a tax-efficient income strategy designed to support long-term financial confidence.
Before founding our firm in 2001, my background was on the institutional investment side. I began my career as a Domestic Equity Analyst for the State of Minnesota’s pension fund and later managed Private Equity investments for the 3M pension fund. That institutional experience continues to influence the disciplined, risk-aware approach we bring to individuals and families today.
As of July 2026, J&S Partners Inc. serves $100 million in brokerage and advisory assets, while maintaining the relationship-driven service our clients value. Through our affiliation with LPL Financial, the nation’s largest independent broker-dealer*, we have access to extensive resources and capabilities to help clients navigate virtually any financial crossroads they may encounter.
Most importantly, we believe financial planning should feel personal, approachable, and collaborative. We are here to listen, guide, and help you move forward with confidence—one conversation at a time.
If you would like a second opinion on your current strategy or simply want to discuss your financial goals, we welcome the opportunity to start that conversation.
No. 1 Independent Broker-Dealer in the U.S (Based on total revenues, Financial Planning magazine 1996-2025); No. 1 provider of third-party brokerage services to banks and credit unions (2020-2021 Kehrer Bielan Research & Consulting Annual TPM Report); Fortune 500 Company as of June 2021. LPL and its affiliated companies provide financial services only from the United States.
