Joseph Klinkhammer,
CLU^®, ChFC^®

As founder of Klinkhammer Financial and Independent Legacy Network, Joe Klinkhammer is a practicing financial advisor and has been guiding business owners, families, and individuals through thoughtful financial planning since 1984. Raised in a family-owned business, Joe understands firsthand the complex challenges independent financial advisors and business owners face.

An alumnus of St. Thomas University, Joe Klinkhammer began his professional journey at the highest level of competition, earning NFL contracts with the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers. Guided by the same discipline, strategic mindset, and commitment to excellence that defined his athletic career, Joe transitioned from the field to the world of finance when he founded Klinkhammer Financial and later Independent Legacy Network.

Having grown up immersed in his family’s successful business and with firsthand experience in the world of professional sports, Joe possesses a rare and invaluable perspective as a financial advisor. He understands the unique experience advisors face as business owners themselves and how thoughtful, proactive planning is necessary to create a multi-generational firm.

A respected leader within the financial services industry, Joe is a multi-year recipient of the Five Star Wealth Manager Award (2013-2022, 2024-2026), with recognition in the Twin Cities Business Journal, Mpls. St.Paul Magazine, Forbes, Fortune, and The Wall Street Journal. He is a two-time past President of Penn Mutual’s President’s Advisory Council and a qualifying member of Cambridge’s Circle of Excellence. Joe is an active member of the NFL Alumni Association and Pro Football Retired Players Association.

Joe is a Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) and Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®), and holds FINRA Series 6, 7, and 63 licenses along with multiple insurance licenses.

Outside the office, Joe enjoys time with his wife, their three children, and four grandchildren. He is passionate about giving back through community involvement and enjoys traveling and exploring the open road.

Award Disclosures:

• To receive the Five Star Wealth Manager award, a wealth manager must satisfy 10 objective eligibility and evaluation criteria that are associated with wealth managers who provide quality services to their clients. Factors taken into account include assets under management and client retention rate. Candidates also undergo a thorough regulatory and complaint review. Award candidates who satisfy the eligibility and evaluation criteria associated with providing quality services to their clients receive the Five Star Wealth Manager award.
• InvestmentNews 2026 Advisor the Year Excellence Awardee (Finalist) — Midwest region recognizes the most outstanding advisors in specified regions. The winner is publicly or self nominated and then judged based upon business development methods, knowledge of investment strategies, client relationship and retention methodology, client education, and community involvement. Winner will be announced June 24, 2026. This award is not based on investment performance.
• Cambridge Circle of Excellence 2025 and 2026 qualification is based on personal and/or office production benchmarks established by Cambridge.  This qualification is not based on investment performance or indicative of client experience.