About Us

we provide the solution for asset management

Local Service

The financial world is large and complex. That is why we strive to provide the very best products and services that will benefit our clients here in Iowa.

The Golden Rule

We would never sell a product or service that we ourselves wouldn’t use. It is important that we treat our client like family. 

Experience

With over 25 years of experience in the financial industry, you can rest assured that we have your best interest at heart. 

Read The Story Behind Our Success

David Harkin

Dad got me investing at age 13 (1984) in Wal-Mart back when it was a small company.  I invested $1,500 of cow-calf money I made at the Warren County Fair, and Dad gave me $1,500.  Over the next eight years, I became interested in the stock market, reading the Des Moines Register’s stock quote page.  The price of Wal-Mart kept climbing.  My $3,000 investment in WMT became $26,000.  I LIKED THAT!  

 At 16, I started to think that if I could help others make money, it would allow me to find a career.  Being a stockbroker in the 1980s was a prestigious position, and I began to take an interest in Economics and Government. 

 My father came from humble beginnings and showed me hard work, investing money, and the importance of getting a four-year degree. 

 Parents play a crucial role in shaping how children perceive and manage money, Today, many young people still lack essential financial knowledge. According to a 2023 survey by Bankrate, nearly 60% of adults under 40 feel unprepared to invest or lack basic financial education. Millennials, who comprise the largest segment of the US population in 2024, hold an incrediblysmall amount of the total US wealth at 9%.

A Vanguard study found that professional financial advice can enhance net returns by up to 3% annually. The report highlights key drivers of this added value, including the use of low-cost investments, strategic portfolio rebalancing, effective management of taxable and tax-advantaged accounts, behavioral coaching, and a disciplined spending strategy. All of which are the principles of Des Moines Investments.  

After graduating from Truman State in Missouri, I became a Commodity Broker in 1993 at CSI in West Des Moines, IA.  I traded in the futures markets using contracts of Corn and Beans.    

From 1996 to 2006, I joined Ameriprise, earning my 3 educational credentials focused on Financial Planning and Investing.  I have a strong background in Tax and Estate Planning.   

After Ameriprise, I became an independent advisor working with the custodian Charles Schwab.  Over the years, my focus has been on stocks and ETFs.

Today, I manage 840 accounts with over $130,000,000 in assets. I practice the golden rule in providing the same advice and investments to clients that I use myself.  

Best Shared Financial Advice

Pessimists will always sound more intelligent, but optimists will be wealthier.

Delay Immediate Gratification … Pay Yourself First … Money makes money on money … When you have money you have options

Save as much as possible as early as possible. Use the power of tax deferred compounding.

Bring your own lunch to work, rather than eating out every day.

Push yourself to save in your retirement plans until it’s uncomfortable.

Diversification is the prudent way to preserve wealth and avoid financial calamity. Spread risk across multiple investments.

If it’s too good to believe, then it is. There is a sucker born every minute. Just say no!

Call or write with ?’s you have in your daily finances. Financial planning is not easy.

David Harkin