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Bradley K. Arends, J.D.

Brad Arends is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Alliance Benefit Group Financial Services, Corp. and ABG Investment Services, Inc.; an officer and principal in Alliance Benefit Group North Central States, Inc., Alliance Benefit Group Payroll, Inc., and Alliance Benefit Group Kansas City, Inc.; and is an officer and on the Board of Directors of Alliance Benefit Group National.

Mr. Arends has worked in the ERISA and investment areas for over 19 years, concentrating on the design, communication and funding of defined contribution plans, IRC Section 125 flexible benefits plans, health savings accounts, and executive compensation programs. Mr. Arends has been instrumental in negotiating strategic alliances with mutual fund companies and custodians for the funding of participant-investment-directed 401(k), 403(b), 457, profit sharing, and money purchase pension plans. Likewise, he has extensive knowledge and experience in designing and implementing effective employee communication / education strategies for salary reduction retirement programs, medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, and multi-tiered health programs, for which the firm has received national recognition.

Mr. Arends is on the TPA Advisory Council for Fidelity Investments Institutional Brokerage Group out of Boston, Massachusetts, the Advisory Council for Corbel, a member of the Employee Benefit Section of the Minnesota Bar, and the former President of Retirement Administrators and Designers of America (RADA). He is involved in various local volunteer organizations, including positions on the Board of Directors of the YMCA and JOBS, Inc., and works on the Albert Lea Lake Restoration Committee and United Way. Previously, he worked as a legislative assistant in Washington, D.C., for a United States Senator and his position on the Senate Finance Committee. He graduated from Washington University School of Law with an emphasis in tax, and holds the following securities and insurance licenses:

Series 6 - Mutual Funds and Variable Annuities
Series 7 - Individual Securities
Series 63 - Blue Sky Securities Law
Series 65 - Uniform Investment Advisor
Life and Accident / Health Insurance
 

Mr. Arends offers securities through NFP Securities, Inc. and Investment Advisory Services through ABG Investment Services, Inc. 

Grant S. Arends

Grant S. Arends is President of Alliance Benefit Group of Kansas City.   Mr. Arends began his career with Alliance Benefit Group in the Albert Lea, Minnesota office; leaving in January of 1998 to found Alliance Benefit Group of Kansas City.

In addition to his duties as President of Alliance Benefit Group of Kansas City, Mr. Arends  oversees the consulting practice for the Kansas City and Minnesota locations.

Mr. Arends spends a majority of his time providing consulting services directly to plan sponsors. He focuses his practice exclusively on retirement plan design, vendor selection, investment management, and employee education.

Mr. Arends graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. He also holds Minors in Economics and Political Science. Mr. Arends has over 18 years of experience in the retirement plan industry. He is licensed as a Registered Representative with the SEC and NASD, holding licenses for the Series 6, Series 65 and Series 63.

Mr. Arends is very involved in providing direction to the retirement plan industry. He currently sits on the Charles Schwab Corporate Services Retirement Plan Trust and Custody Advisory Board, assisting Schwab with their corporate direction as an industry leader in providing retirement plan custody and trust services to the retirement plan marketplace. Mr. Arends is one of four primary shareholders of Alliance Benefit Group’s offices in Minnesota and Kansas City and serves on the Board of Directors 

Mr. Arends offers securities through NFP Securities, Inc. and Investment Advisory Services through ABG Investment Services, Inc.

Steven W. Pulley, CPC, QPA,QKA, APA

Steven W. Pulley is President of the North Central States regional servicing center of Alliance Benefit Group and an officer and principal of Alliance Benefit Group of Kansas City.

Mr. Pulley has been active in the employee benefit field for over 20 years. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree from Iowa State University, majoring in computer science with a minor in economics. He has designed, developed, implemented, and maintained flexible spending account administration programs and self-contained 401(k) and Section 125 computer enrollment programs. Mr. Pulley has been actively involved, both procedurally and in a departmental oversight capacity, in all levels of administration and recordkeeping for the last 20 years.

Mr. Pulley is the past president of the Twin Cities Users Group and the Midwest Corbel Users Group. He has twice served as a member of the National Council of Users whose goal was to design future updates and enhancements to the Corbel Recordkeeping systems.

Mr. Pulley has earned the Certified Pension Consultant (CPC), Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA), and Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA) designations from the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA). He has also earned the Accredited Pension Administrator (APA) designation from the National Institute of Pension Administrators. Mr. Pulley has served on the Education and Examination Committee for ASPPA. He has also served on the Investment Regulations Subcommittee of the Governmental Affairs Committee (GAC) of ASPPA. Mr. Pulley currently serves on the Recordkeeping Subcommittee of GAC. In November of 2003 he testified before the Department of Labor and Securities and Exchange Commission on the Mutual Fund Scandal impact on retirement plans. Mr. Pulley has also served as a Firserv (First Trust) Advisory Board member.

He has been very active in the Albert Lea – Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Pulley has served on numerous committees and was on the Board of Directors for seven years. He served on the Executive Committee for four years and was Chairman for fiscal year 2001.
 

Securities offered through registered representatives of NFP Securities, Inc., a Broker/Dealer and Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advisory Services offered through investment advisory representatives of ABG Investment Services, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. NFP Securities Inc., is not affiliated with ABG Investment Services, Inc. This site is published for residents of the United States only. Registered representatives of NFP Securities, Inc. may only conduct business with residents of the states and jurisdictions in which they are properly registered. Therefore, a response to a request for information may be delayed. Not all of the products and services referenced on this site are available in every state and through every representative or advisor listed. For additional information, please contact the NFP Securities, Inc. Compliance Department at 512-697-6000.