MSU Graduate Starts Novi Business After Finding Passion to Help

Michael Klassa, CEO and CFP of Klassa, Swaggerty & Associates (a branch of Ameriprise Financial), said he's found a job that makes him happy.

"After graduation from Michigan State University, I worked for Ford and Barnett Bank," he said. "Neither one gave me the self-satisfaction of really helping people directly. I then found this career in 1994 and have been smiling ever since."

Recently Klassa submitted information about his business to Patch. If you have a business and want to participate in Patch's Small Business Shout Out you can fill out the form here.

What's a fact about your business that most customers probably don't know?: Most of my clients know that I graduated from MSU but they probably DON'T know that our office team is exactly split between die-hard MSU and UofMer's at 6 and 6. GO GREEN!

When was the business founded?: Ameriprise was founded in 1894 (as 3 different names but the same financial planning company; IDS, American Express Financial Advisors and then Ameriprise in 2005). Klassa, Swaggerty & Associates was founded in 1994.

How did your business come to be?: After graduation from Michigan State University, I worked for Ford and Barnett Bank. Neither one gave me the self-satisfaction of really helping people directly.  I then found this career in 1994 and have been smiling ever since.

Why did you choose to locate to Novi?: I've always been good with numbers, strategy and planning. I combined that with my passion to help others live life to the fullest both today AND during our tomorrows.

What kind of services do you offer?: Ameriprise is the largest Financial Planning firm in the United States. We are comprehensive in scope but specialize in the following:

• Retirement Planning
• Portfolio Management, including IRA's & 401(k)'s
• Estate Planning
• College Planning
• Insurance Planning

What do you want your business to be best known for?: Bettering our community through prudent and wise financial decisions both today and tomorrow to allow us all to live life to it's fullest.

What's your most popular product or service?: Comprehensive Retirement Planning is our most sought after service. This is because it is the foundation that allows us to make wise investment decisions going forward. We know where we are relative to our retirement goal both PRE & POST. It guides our portfolio diversification via our risk tolerance and ROR (Rate of Return) we need to achieve to achieve our comfortable retirement goal throughout the rest of our lives. Plus much, much more. Like almost anything in life, if you don't have a PLAN, you plan to fail.