Our Story
THE BEGINNING
In 1985, Tom Berthel and Fred Fisher started Berthel Fisher & Company. Working as financial advisors, they couldn’t find a financial services firm that met their needs and decided to invest in their own.

OUR STORY
Since the day we opened our doors in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, our financial professionals have been our top priority. We’re owned and managed by people who know what it’s like to be in the field, working hard to grow a business. Even today, Tom Berthel still maintains his personal clients. For over 32 years we’ve offered a wide array of investment products and back-office support to provide outstanding service to our financial professionals.
We have a track record of success. Over the last quarter century, Berthel Fisher & Company has become known for its stability and unwavering dedication to our financial professionals, and that is something that will never change, even as we continue to grow.
Today, as a top financial services firm, we support a diverse array of investment specialties and skills. With our investment products and advisory services, you will have all the tools and programs available to meet the needs of your clients. We’re constantly adapting to the ever- changing industry, but our philosophy of providing financial professionals with the support and resources necessary for their business to succeed will never change.

1985 Thomas J. Berthel, Fred Fisher and Terry Fleischman purchase MorAmerica Financial Corp. The company known as Berthel Fisher & Fleischman Financial Services is formed.

1990 The Company purchases the Pfaff Building in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for its headquarters and changes its name to Berthel Fisher & Company.

1997 Farm Bureau Life Insurance acquires a stake in Berthel Fisher and an interest in its wholly owned brokerage subsidiary, Berthel Fisher & Company Financial Services, Inc. The relationship expands the product line and provides equity for future expansion.

1998 Berthel Fisher acquires the Registered Representatives of ADM Securities Inc., a subsidiary of Archer Daniels Midland Co.'s ADM Investor Services business.

2001 Corporate headquarters are moved to a new, 25,000 square foot office building in Marion, Iowa.

2003 Berthel Fisher & Company Financial Services Inc. acquires the Reps of Continental Capital Investment Services of Ohio, which increases the national presence to 32 states.

2003 Berthel Fisher & Company Insurance Inc. is incorporated as an insurance agency serving all of Berthel Fisher's licensed insurance Representatives.

2007 BFC Planning Inc. is approved by the SEC as a Registered Investment Advisor providing unique wealth management options for Berthel Fisher Advisors.

2010 The Company acquires majority ownership in iPrism Global, Inc., a technology company that creates software promoting collaboration and efficiency for broker dealer back offices.

2011 The Company acquires Securities Management & Research Inc., an insurance-based broker dealer from American National Insurance Company.

2012 The Company acquires Representatives from Milkie Ferguson Investments Inc., a broker dealer in Dallas, Texas.

2016 Berthel Fisher Companies establishes new headquarters in a 35,000 square foot office located within the Berthel Fisher Financial Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

2020 Berthel Fisher celebrates 35 years in business and reaches $9 Billion in assets under administration.