Affiance Financial

Kyle Berg
CFP^®, BFA^™
Kyle Berg is a Partner and Financial Planner at Affiance Financial. He offers clients guidance as they work toward achieving their financial goals. In addition to developing financial plans, Kyle offers investment strategies, retirement planning, risk management planning, and other services. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^™ professional and BEHAVIORAL FINANCIAL ADVISOR^™. Kyle is also a founding member of Affiance's Financial Planning Department, which aims to constantly examine and elevate the firm's Financial Planning services.

Kyle joined Affiance Financial as an Associate Financial Planner in October 2014 and became a Financial Planner in 2015. Kyle was part of an advisor team, supporting the clients of founding partners Steve Lear and Andy Fishman while studying for his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^™ certification. In 2018, Kyle obtained his CFP^® certification, and began to establish his own book of business. Kyle strengthened his commitment to his clients and Affiance Financial when he became a Partner in 2022.

Before joining Affiance Financial, Kyle worked as a licensed banker for Wells Fargo. He provided business and investment related services to the bank's customers. Kyle attended Winona State University, where he studied public relations, political science, and athletic coaching.

Andy Fishman
CFP^®
Founding Partner and Financial Planner Andy Fishman has spent the last 25-plus years improving lives by helping individuals and business owners make smart financial decisions. In addition to providing financial planning, Andy offers estate planning, risk management, investment asset allocation strategies, and retirement planning services.

Andy belongs to the Financial Planning Association of Minnesota. He has appeared on KSTP's Greater MSP Business with Cyndy Brucato, as well as a variety of industry/trade panels. In addition, Andy served on the board of local organization BestPrep for almost a decade. He played a critical role in launching their Financial Matters program, which aims to teach high school students financial literacy skills.

Before joining Affiance Financial, Andy worked abroad at Fortune 500 companies in Israel and Norway, and spent several years managing Airborne Express's local and national accounts. Andy holds a bachelor's degree in business finance from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management and a Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas.

Michael Fishman
CFP^®
Michael Fishman is a Financial Planner at Affiance Financial. He joined the team in 2022 and obtained his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^™ certification in 2024. As part of the Affiance team, Michael provides comprehensive financial planning, investment management, retirement planning, risk management, cash flow planning, and more.

Before joining Affiance Financial, Michael worked as a Senior Consultant at Ernst & Young, where he worked closely with the corporate finance teams of large corporations to help them improve their financial reporting and analysis capabilities. Michael is a graduate of Indiana University's Kelley School of Business where he majored in Finance and Technology Management.

Brendan Halleron
CFP^®, AIF^®, BFA^™
Brendan Halleron is a Partner and Financial Planner at Affiance Financial. Brendan offers clients guidance as they work together toward achieving their financial goals. His goal as a financial planner is to help clients prepare for whatever situations life may throw their way. Brendan's focus includes maintaining a disciplined investment strategy, and developing savings plans, risk management strategies, estate plans, and more. Brendan also leads the firm's corporate retirement plan division.

Brendan joined the Affiance team in October 2017 as an Operations Analyst and became a Financial Planner in 2019. In 2020, Brendan obtained his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^™ certification to further his technical knowledge in order to better serve his clients. In 2022, Brendan strengthened his commitment to his clients and the firm by becoming a Partner at the firm.

Prior to joining Affiance, Brendan worked at Cargill within their Risk Management unit, focusing on the execution, reconciliation, and valuation of exotic commodity derivatives. Brendan graduated from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management, where he double majored in Finance and Accounting.

Chris Johnson
CFP^®
Chris Johnson is a Financial Planner at Affiance Financial. He joined the team in 2021, and obtained his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^™ certification in 2023. Chris offers clients guidance as they work toward achieving their financial goals. In addition to developing financial plans, Chris assists clients with investment management, cash flow planning, risk management, estate planning, and more.

Before joining Affiance Financial, Chris worked as an Associate Financial Planner for a local advisory firm, where he supported a broad range of planning and investment services. Chris is a graduate of the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management, where he majored in Finance and minored in Spanish.

Dan Lear
CFP^®, CPWA^®, BFA^™
Dan Lear is a Partner and Financial Planner at Affiance Financial. Dan works with clients throughout all stages of life - from accumulating wealth, to reaching retirement and beyond. Dan's goal is for each client to reach Financial Independence, so that they have the flexibility to choose whether or not to work, without sacrificing their standard of living. In addition to providing comprehensive financial planning, Dan assists his clients with strategic investment management, risk management, estate and legacy planning, and more. As a financial planner, Dan aims to alleviate his clients' financial stress so that they can concentrate on more important matters - spending time with their families, excelling at their careers, or traveling and enjoying their hobbies.

Dan joined Affiance Financial in December, 2014, and obtained his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^™ certification in 2018, which holds him to the highest fiduciary standard in the industry. Dan affirmed his commitment to his clients and Affiance Financial by becoming a Partner of the firm in 2022. In 2024, he obtained his Certified Private Wealth Advisor^® certification, advancing his knowledge of tailored strategies across the wealth lifecycle for high-net-worth individuals. Dan has served as a long-standing member of the Affiance Financial Investment Committee and Community Engagement Committee.

Steve Lear
ChFC^®, CLU^®, BFA^™
For more than 40 years, Founding Partner and Financial Planner Steve Lear has been working to make lives better. Steve works with individuals and business owners, helping them organize their finances so that they can concentrate their time and energy on family, work, philanthropy, and leisure.

Steve's career in finance began in 1980, following his graduation from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1989, he founded an independent firm, which merged into Affiance Financial in 2000.

In addition to his financial planning work, Steve has founded or cofounded several small businesses and philanthropic organizations. These include: Instinctive Advantage, which uses Kolbe Wisdom to help people and businesses be more productive; Nechama, a volunteer disaster relief organization; BestPrep's Financial Matters program, which helps students develop sound money management skills; and the Speakers' Bureau of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, where he helped create a presentation called, The Challenge of Peace: Israel and the Middle East. In conjunction with The Smithsonian Institution, Steve also established The Bias Inside Us; a mobile educational experience designed to prevent discrimination, prejudice, and bigotry.

In recognition of his community service, Steve received BestPrep's Bunzel Volunteer of the Year Award in 2010, and Sabes JCC's Community Innovator of the Year Award in 2015. In 2020, Steve was recognized on AARP Minnesota and Pollen Midwest's 50 Over 50 list.

Marc Usem

Marc is a Partner and the Chief Investment Officer at Affiance Financial. He chairs the Affiance Financial Investment Committee, where he helps lead the firm's investment and asset allocation strategies. He also leads the Financial Planning Department, which works to consistently evaluate and improve our financial planning processes. In addition, Marc works closely with clients, helping them work toward achieving their financial goals by developing financial plans and maintaining strategic investment portfolios.

Marc joined Affiance Financial in April, 2015, and in 2022 he became a Partner of the firm. Marc's diverse career has included working as an equity strategist and an internet analyst, as well as starting his own hedge fund. In addition, Marc volunteers as a member of the Minneapolis Jewish Federation Foundation Investment Committee and Beth El Synagogue Investment Committee. Marc holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business and an undergraduate degree in computer science from Boston University.