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Financial Advisor Help in Ward County, ND
Ward County is built around Minot, with an air base to the north and the Souris River running through town. A financial advisor in Ward County handles military pay and savings plans, flood insurance questions and retirement income. Advisors who serve the area meet by phone or video.
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- By phone or video, on your schedule
- Advisors who serve the Ward County area
Updated October 2026. Local figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.
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To find a financial advisor in Ward County, ask each one how they are paid, what the first plan covers, and whether they have worked with households like yours, such as military families or shift workers. The ACS puts median household income at $78,238. People here often need help with first mortgages, flood coverage and early retirement saving. Advisors who serve Minot meet by phone or video.
What to know about Ward County
- The 2025 Census estimate for Ward County is 68,233 people, centered on Minot.
- The median age is 33.6 and just 14.0 percent of residents are 65 or older (ACS).
- Median household income is $78,238, or about $6,520 a month before taxes.
- A median owner with a mortgage pays $1,881 a month, 28.9 percent of median income.
- A 1 percent deductible on the $267,100 median home would be $2,671.
At a glance: what a financial advisor in Ward County works with
The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate for Ward County is 68,233 people, and most of them live in or around Minot, the county seat. The county is young. American Community Survey (ACS) figures for 2020 to 2024 show a median age of 33.6, with 14.0 percent of residents at 65 or older, and 29.6 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Median household income is $78,238 and unemployment is 3.6 percent.
That profile gives a financial advisor in Ward County a different client list than a retirement-heavy county would. Many households are still building: paying down a first mortgage, starting a 401(k), or saving for a child.
Investing in Ward County: questions for an investment advisor
An investment advisor helps you choose how much of your savings goes into stocks, bonds and cash, and keeps the mix in line with your timeline. With a median age of 33.6, a lot of local savers have 25 or 30 years before they need the money, which usually means a higher share in stocks and a lower fee drag.
Fees matter more the longer you hold. Take a hypothetical $60,000 account: at 0.10 percent a year the cost is $60, and at 1.10 percent it is $660. Ask any financial advisor for each fund’s cost in dollars before you agree to anything. How investing works is a short primer on stocks, bonds and index funds.
Retirement planning in Ward County
Planning for retirement starts earlier for some households than others. Anyone with a federal or military background may hold a Thrift Savings Plan balance that needs a decision when they leave service, and a financial advisor can lay out the options. Civilians usually have a 401(k) or 403(b) to track from job to job.
North Dakota does not tax Social Security benefits, but other retirement income can be treated differently, so confirm current rules with a tax professional before you set withdrawals. The retirement income basics page explains claiming ages, and tax planning notes cover how withdrawals are taxed at the federal level.
Air base, flood plain and winter: money topics in Ward County
Minot Air Force Base sits north of the city, so a share of local households rotate in and out on military orders. That affects housing choices. A family that expects to leave in three years may rent, or buy knowing resale will matter.
The Souris River runs through Minot and flooded the city in June 2011. Standard homeowners policies generally exclude flood damage, and flood coverage usually has a waiting period before it begins, so ask about it before you need it. A financial advisor in Minot would count winter heating bills and car costs as a monthly budget line.
Ask an advisor who serves Minot about renting, buying and your savings plan.
Ward County by the numbers
These are ACS medians for the county, with the math shown in the table.
| Item | Math | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Owner cost with a mortgage | $1,881 x 12 | $22,572 a year, 28.9 percent of $78,238 |
| Median rent | $1,048 x 12 | $12,576 a year, 16.1 percent of income |
| Monthly income | $78,238 / 12 | About $6,520 |
| Six-month cash cushion | $6,520 x 6 | About $39,119 |
| Home value | ACS median | $267,100 |
| Deductible at 1 percent | $267,100 x 0.01 | $2,671 |
| Deductible at 2 percent | $267,100 x 0.02 | $5,342 |
| Medicare gap, leaving work at 62 | 65 minus 62 | 3 years |
Renting costs roughly 13 points less of income than owning with a mortgage in Ward County, which is worth knowing before a first purchase.
What does a financial advisor in Ward County cost? A worked example
Take a hypothetical household with $120,000 in savings. An advisor charging 1 percent of assets bills $1,200 in year one, which is 1.5 percent of the local median income of $78,238. If the balance stays flat for ten years, that fee totals $12,000.
A flat-fee plan priced at a hypothetical $2,000, redone every five years, costs $4,000 over the same decade. The right choice depends on whether you want someone to manage the money or only to check your work, and a financial advisor should be able to say which model fits you.
Life insurance for Ward County homeowners and renters
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $1,881 a month here, per the ACS, and 60.8 percent of homes are owner occupied. A term policy that runs as long as the loan keeps that payment covered if one earner dies. Renters pay $1,048 a month at the median, so income replacement is the bigger number to cover.
Service members get group coverage through the military, and civilians often get some from an employer. Check how much, and what happens to it when you leave. Life insurance basics compares term and permanent coverage.
Who needs a financial planner in Ward County?
Anyone facing a move, a new baby, a house purchase, a deployment or a job change. A financial advisor who does planning puts all of those on one page and shows what you can afford.
Households near the $78,238 median can start with the budgeting and saving page and bring a one-month spending list to the first call. Planners usually find it more useful than a stack of statements.
Moving to or from Ward County
If you are arriving, rent for a few months before buying so you can see the winter and the commute. Compare the $1,048 median rent against the $1,881 median owner cost, and price flood coverage on any house near the river. If you are leaving, ask a financial advisor about taxes on selling a home and how a new state treats retirement income.
Get a second pair of eyes on the monthly payment before you make an offer.
Choosing a financial advisor in Ward County
Run through this checklist during the first call.
- Pay. Ask the financial advisor whether the fee is hourly, flat, a share of assets or commission, and get the dollar amount for your case.
- Scope. Find out what the first plan covers and who does the follow-up work.
- Fit. Ask whether the advisor has worked with military pay, shift work or self-employment, whichever matches your life.
Towns and communities in Ward County
A financial advisor who serves Ward County meets by phone or video, so you do not have to cross town in January. That works the same from Minot, Burlington, Surrey, Berthold or Kenmare. Estate and will questions are worth raising early, and an estate planning overview lists the paperwork.
Tell us what you are weighing and an advisor will reach out.
Frequently asked questions
Does living near Minot Air Force Base change financial planning in Ward County?
It can. Households that move on orders often rent or buy with a short horizon, and service members have Thrift Savings Plan balances to place when they leave. A financial advisor in Ward County can fit those choices into one plan.
Do I need flood insurance in Ward County?
Standard homeowners policies generally exclude flood damage, and the Souris River flooded Minot in 2011. Check your address against flood maps, and note that flood coverage usually has a waiting period, so ask an insurance agent before you need it.
How big a cash cushion makes sense with the local median income?
Six months of the $78,238 ACS median income is about $39,119, since monthly income is roughly $6,520. Military families facing a move and households with variable pay may want more before they buy a house.
How much of Ward County income goes to a mortgage payment?
Using the ACS, an owner with a mortgage here pays $1,881 a month, or $22,572 a year. Against the $78,238 median household income, that is 28.9 percent. Renters pay $1,048 a month, or 16.1 percent.
Does North Dakota tax Social Security for Ward County retirees?
North Dakota does not tax Social Security benefits. Other income, such as pensions and IRA withdrawals, follows its own rules and can change, so retirees should confirm current rules with a tax professional.
What does a financial advisor in Ward County charge?
It depends on the model. As a hypothetical, 1 percent of $120,000 is $1,200 a year, while a flat-fee plan might be $2,000 once. Ask the advisor for the dollar figure that applies to your balance.
Learn before you talk to an advisor
Retirement Planning
How much you may need, where to save it, and how to turn savings into income.
Read the guide →
Budgeting and Saving
Build a budget you will keep and an emergency fund that lets you sleep.
Read the guide →
Life Insurance
Term vs. permanent coverage, how much you might need, and who it protects.
Read the guide →Book time with a Ward County financial advisor
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