Our Team at Lauer Wealth
Located in Valparaiso, IN, Lauer Wealth Management is a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) that provides comprehensive wealth management services for families and business owners, including customized investment management, tax, estate, and business planning services. Lauer Wealth is a team of fee-only advisors, comprised of a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Our Fiduciary Commitment
We use a team based approach where we create customized lifetime cash flow plans based on our clients' specific needs. As fiduciaries we are required by law to act in the best interests of our clients. We do not earn commissions for selling a specific type of investment or product. Learn more about our team of fiduciaries below:
John is an Investment Advisor and a Certified Financial Planner™. He started his career in financial services in 1986. In 1998, John successfully founded and built Compass Financial Advisors (Compass), a wealth management firm in Northern Indiana. Upon leaving Compass in 2010, John was hired as President to build the wealth management division for one of the largest family owned banks in Iowa, Northwest Wealth Management, LLC. After successfully building the division, John was hired as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) for IFAM Capital, a Fort Collins, CO based Registered Investment Advisor (RIA). John left IFAM Capital in 2017 to form Lauer Wealth Management, an RIA focused on providing high-level service for its existing private and institutional client relationships.
John grew up on a dairy farm in Northwest Indiana. He currently has six children and five grandchildren. He enjoys the outdoors, where he routinely goes hunting and fishing.
John is an Investment Advisor and Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He completed his undergraduate studies at North Park University in Chicago, IL, receiving his B.S. in Business and Economics. Upon graduation, John completed his Masters of Science in Taxation from Northern Illinois University. After working for a Chicago-based CPA firm, John joined the IRS as an auditor. At the IRS, John worked in the Small Business Audit & Global High Wealth divisions auditing the tax returns of the wealthiest individuals and executives in the world. Upon leaving the IRS, John became a wealth advisor for HighTower Advisors in Valparaiso, IN, where he was responsible for financial planning and managing investment portfolios for his clients. John was honored by Forbes in 2017, named as a Top 500 Next Generation Wealth Advisor (ranking #9 in the State of Indiana). John joined Lauer Wealth Management in 2017 and specializes in developing personalized investment planning strategies for our clients as well as their businesses. John is a partner at Fisel, Lauer & Johnson, a full service accounting firm located in Hebron, IN and Valparaiso, IN. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor at North Park University-Chicago.
John resides in Chesterton, IN with his wife, Rachel, and their three sons, John, Jack & Joe. John enjoys time with his family and exercising.
Gene Hamstra, Investment Advisor
gene@lauerwealth.com | Phone: 219-508-0930
Donna is Lauer Wealth Management’s Director of Operations. She has had 30+ years in a variety of administrative positions in the medical, pharmaceutical, and hospitality industries before coming to LWM in November 2021. Donna enjoys the challenge of learning the many aspects of investments and financial planning in this new position. She grew up in Brazil, IN and is one of ten children. Donna and her husband, Tim, have 3 grown children. She enjoys spending time with family and friends and going to the gym in her free time.
Gene is an Investment Advisor and a Licensed Mortgage Broker. He started his finance career in 1989 as a mortgage banker. Gene managed the mortgage division of First National Bank, Valparaiso for several years before ultimately being promoted to upper management as the Senior Loan Officer, supervising all lending for the bank. Gene’s entrepreneurial spirit moved him in the direction of opening a mortgage office for Irwin Mortgage in Valparaiso in 2003, and he ultimately transitioned that office to become Hamstra Mortgage Professionals in 2006. Gene was licensed as an Investment Advisor for Compass Financial Advisors in early 2014, while he continued to operate his mortgage business, offering multiple finance services to clients. He moved his wealth advising client base to Lauer Wealth in 2020.
Gene grew up on a large farm in Northwest Indiana. He resides in Kouts with his wife Lisa, and they have two children who are both employed in Westfield, IN. Gene enjoys being active outdoors including playing golf and water skiing.