About

Your Future

Our first priority is helping you take care of yourself and your family. We want to learn more about your personal situation, identify your dreams and goals, and understand your tolerance for risk. Long-term relationships that encourage open and honest communication have been the cornerstone of my foundation of success.

Our site is filled with educational videos, articles, slideshows, and calculators designed to help you learn more. As you search our site, send me a note regarding any questions you may have about any particular investment concepts or products. We'll get back to you quickly with a thoughtful answer.

Our Story

The origins of Schaff Planning Group can be traced back to 1964 when Donald “Don” Braun began a small operation from his home as a bookkeeper and advisor for service stations throughout North Dakota. Raymond “Ray” Martin partnered with Don in January of 1967, and they opened Braun, Martin, Inc.

Several months later, the man who founded the firm as we know it today, Jerome “Jerry” Schaff, joined the team. Ray eventually sold his share of the firm to Don and Jerry, and our name changed for the first time, making us Braun & Schaff.

Don and Jerry practiced together for thirty-five years, continuing to provide accounting, bookkeeping, and tax services, and also expanding to sell insurance and offer estate planning and financial planning.

In 2002, a new partner joined the firm. This was Jerry’s oldest son, Michael “Mike” Schaff, Attorney-at-Law.

Don and Jerry wound down their partnership, and Jerry and Mike formed Schaff Tax and Financial Services. The father and son duo worked closely together for twenty years until Jerry passed away in 2022.

Today, we are known as Schaff Planning Group, a reflection of our focus on estate planning and financial planning. Mike owns and manages the firm, and he works hard to honor Jerry’s memory by serving all of his clients with all the care and diligence that he learned from his father.

Memberships - NAIFA, Bismarck Mandan Chamber

We invite you to discover and experience the power of our services. We believe it has far-reaching benefits for our clients to get opinions from several sources with diverse backgrounds, education, and experience.

No one strategy fits everyone, which is why every client gets our undivided attention—from planning to execution to follow-up. We take a proactive approach to helping you develop a strategy to address your financial goals and objectives, using the most efficient methods available.

Recognizing that everyone encounters challenges along the way, we strive to anticipate and address those situations as they occur. We want to keep you on track toward a meaningful and purpose-driven financial future.

We invite you to check out all the material on our website. If something prompts a question, please send us a quick email or call our office. We look forward to speaking with you.

Knowledge is power.

It’s also the foundation for intelligent, well-considered decisions. When you have retirement in sight, sound decisions are vital in helping you pursue your goals and avoid costly mistakes that can impact your future. For many, understanding every aspect of personal finance can be daunting. From investments to retirement to insurance, the decisions can be overwhelming.

As financial professionals, we are committed to helping people just like you create solutions for their retirement assets. Once we understand your risk tolerance, time horizon, and goals, we'll work to develop a program that carefully balances investment strategies with preserving principal.

Today’s economic environment brings challenges. But along with challenges come opportunities and potential rewards. We work closely with our clients to evaluate those opportunities and reap those rewards.

We invite you to check out all the material on our website. If something prompts a question, please send us an email or call the office.

See What Our Clients Have to Say

"I have been a client of Schaff Planning Group for many years. After my husband died Jerry took me by the hand and guided me through all of the legal and financial decisions which had to be made. He was there for me every step of the way. Now, years later, Mike continues to give me gentle guidance in managing my investment accounts. I trust his judgement because of the sound advice he and his Dad have given me through the years. My favorite part of being involved with Schaff Planning Group is that I feel secure in knowing that my financial future is in good hands. I highly recommend Schaff Planning Group to anyone who is looking for legal assistance and/or financial advice that is given with honesty and integrity."

Jan Bond
Happy Client

“Our parents were involved with the Schaff Planning group and we observed how well the Schaff Planning Group was in working with them. My Mother was able to live comfortably in her later years at a Retirement Home. Throughout the years of working with the Schaff Planning Group, I participated in meetings with them and my parents and soon realized that my wife and I wanted to transfer our retirement holdings to Schaff Planning Group as well. We enjoy getting together with Mike. He is knowledgeable and personable. He knows what he is doing regarding our investments and has always given us the best advice to increase our savings that we are hoping to pass on to the next generation in our family. Mike quickly realizes when an investment in a certain area is doing well and when it isn’t. We appreciate how well he watches our investments and advises us accordingly about the best necessary changes. Mike Schaff contacts us frequently to let us know how our investments are progressing. We appreciate that very much. Recently, we had a death in the family which meant allocating investments to five families. Mike has done an amazing job communicating with 5 different families and making things work. We have recommended Mike with the Schaff Planning Group to our children and grandchildren. Over the years Mike has worked with 4 generations of our family and we are all happy and satisfied and rely on Mike for the best advice about our investments. We will continue to do so.”

Gary & Claudia Tomanek

Non compensated client testimonial; may not be representative of all client experiences; no guarantee of future performance or success.

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