.bodytext {float: left; } .floatimg-left-hort { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right: 10px; width:300px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 10px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} At age 15, David Boelman made up his mind that he would have his own business by age 35. A year and a half ago, he and his business partner, Jason Shaw, opened Newcastle Financial Group LLC in West Des Moines. Now their firm is merging with Agnew Mokosak Group, and the four partners plan to expand their offices and grow rapidly as an investor coaching and tax advisory firm.

What led to the merger?

Really from the first time we talked to Jim [Agnew] and Frank [Mokosak], we started down that road. We just made the decision that we were better together than we were apart.

What will the new firm have that the separate ones didn’t?

Jim is a tax practitioner, Frank and Jim are both investment advisers and Jason and I have tax experience as well, but we also bring a specialization in retirement income planning. They’ve had a very successful firm for quite a while. I think what Jason and I bring is a fresh look at what they’ve already done. The financial planning will be more robust, and we can handle a lot more issues than we were and they were.

What led you to accounting?

My father was an accountant. Originally when I was coming out of high school, I wanted to be a stockbroker, and he and a few other people he worked with told me if you’re going to be in the investment world, an accounting degree is a good way to start that career. I went down the road of accounting at UNI (University of Northern Iowa), and they pushed CPA (Certified Public Accountant designation) pretty hard. I ended up in public accounting after I graduated. My first firm was Mosebach, Griffith & Co. in Cedar Rapids. I worked there three years and then worked at Ernst & Young here in Des Moines for seven years. I was also at Shazam for two years as their controller. Now I’m back in investments and combining the best of both worlds.

What distinguishes your firm from others?

There are quite a few CPA firms that have investment advisory arms, but we primarily look at ourselves as financial planers and investment advisers with a tax practice. We can strongly consider the tax impact of decisions when we put a financial plan together.

What are your future plans for the company?

I look forward to those days when we’re busting at the seams and we find ourselves busy enough that we need to add people. With Jason and me coming in, we’ll have four advisers, two tax practitioners. We have two support staff now. We’re adding a third in January, so we have capacity for growth in the short term. We definitely have some very aggressive goals in our five-year plan, and we’ll need more people if we hit those goals.

Do you have a long-term career goal?

Long, long term, I hope that our firm is big enough and strong enough that we have a lot of very good people working with us and build it for growth such that the people coming in have a stake in it some day and I can transition out long, long term and do something different. I love what I’m doing now, but I would love to teach someday, whether in a university setting or even locally.

What do you like to do for fun?

My family has been season ticket holders for Iowa football since I was a little kid. Since my parents retired, we’ve been going to a lot of home and away games. I cook a lot. I watch a lot of movies of all types. And I spend a lot of time with some friends who are basketball coaches in the area. I go to a lot of high school games.

Are you originally from Des Moines?

I’m originally from Aplington near Cedar Falls.

Is there any advice you live by?

I wouldn’t say so much advice. My parents are both very kind people and they truly and sincerely care more for other people than they do for themselves. And I guess that’s something that’s stuck with me. It’s treating people with respect, and hopefully they’ll do the same with you.