We’re all in this
together.

Ben Boettcher is a co-founder of Helmstar and has been advising clients for over 20 years. He loves coming to work every day. Ben graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.A. in Global Economy. Ben is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner and holds a Chartered Financial Consultant™ (CHFC®) designation. Ben and his wife Amy love Idaho and have been actively engaged in raising their five children in Boise. They spend their family time skiing, hiking, golfing, and playing tennis together. Ben has served on several community boards and committees and is inspired by all the wonderful work done by charitable organizations in the valley. Ben is inspired by human ingenuity, which is so often found within the Helmstar team and amongst Helmstar clients. Ben loves being a part of the Helmstar community, which he believes truly represents some of the best the world has to offer!

Tom Steelman feels blessed to work with the best clients and the best team.

Tom started as a financial planner in 2004. He is proud that he has spent his entire professional career dedicated to helping clients and growing a team that is equally committed to helping clients reach their goals.

Tom graduated cum laude from Utah State with an Accounting degree. Tom is very dedicated and passionate about advancing his knowledge and skills, as he sees continuing education and growth as a responsibility to clients and team members. The training he most recently completed that clients have benefited from is becoming a Registered Life Planner through the Kinder Institute.

Tom loves his work. He feels blessed that he loves being in the office and that he enjoys coming back to work after the occasional vacation. He also dearly loves his family and enjoys spending time with his children. Creating memories together is the highlight of his life. Tom has many hobbies, which mostly revolve around spending time with family.

Tom feels a deep commitment to the work he does for clients and to the team that he is a part of. He believes the trust given to Helmstar by clients is sacred and that the impact the team has on clients’ lives is immeasurable.

Tom believes that Helmstar’s work enables clients to live their most fulfilled and joyful lives. This is what he enjoys most about Helmstar: impacting clients’ lives in a way that is irreplaceable.

Joe Piscione is a Partner with The Helmstar Group. He is responsible for maintaining the financial well-being and success of his clients.

Joe began his career in Albertson's Corporate Office as a Certified Internal Auditor before becoming the Controller of the Risk Management department. After Albertson's, Joe made the shift to the financial planning industry and worked at a local RIA for nine years before eventually joining The Helmstar Group in 2013. 

Joe is especially grateful that he found The Helmstar Group, a firm that aligns with his values and embodies the ideals that he holds around excellent client experience, an engaging work environment, and a growth-oriented mindset. Ultimately, the people at the firm set it apart — he knows that he can go to work every day with the assurance that he is working alongside those who truly care about each and every person who walks through the door.

Joe graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.S. in Accounting. He enjoys serving and interacting with people across the Treasure Valley, including those in various congregations of his church. He currently sits on the Board of Friendship Events, an organization dedicated to building unity throughout the local community and fundraising for various philanthropic purposes, including Boise Rescue Mission Ministries and other local charities.

In his spare time, you can find Joe with his family. He loves any excuse to get everyone together — good food, a big football game, or a family vacation - because the joy is in being together! He also knows that a key ingredient to cultivating joy in his life is allowing his clients to experience the same. He works tirelessly to ensure that they can have peace of mind and accomplish the things most important to them.

Joe believes that the most important things in life are the ones upon which we choose to dedicate our time, talents, and energy. He strives daily to ensure that his values align with the way he spends his efforts, and he helps clients to do the same.

Jake Williams oversees the financial planning and investment management strategies of the firm while also serving clients along their financial journey. Jake has been with Helmstar for over five years. He began his career in the aerospace industry, where he was selected to participate in a leadership development program. Although he enjoyed his work and was on a great career path, his heart wasn’t fully in it.

After six years, he quit his position to enroll in Texas Tech University’s Doctoral program in Financial Planning. He taught undergraduate financial planning classes and immersed himself deeply in academic research. Jake has always been focused on how research applies to individuals and how the knowledge gained from research can be used to help them. Joining the Helmstar team offered a great opportunity to both use his academic knowledge and work directly with people. He maintains involvement in the academic field by teaching the Financial Planning course at Boise State University.

Jake is married to his wonderful wife, Melanie. They have four girls and one boy. They enjoy being in the outdoors whenever possible. All the various activities in which his kids are involved in keep their family very busy!

One of Jake’s core beliefs is that no one is destined to failure — he wants to help others both see and reach their full potential. He believes that life is too short to take the path of least resistance and live beneath the privileges one has been given.

Jake loves solving problems and helping others. His relationship with Helmstar’s many wonderful clients brings him joy and motivates him to provide the best service possible. He also feels blessed to work alongside bright and genuinely caring colleagues.

Katy Weyand plays several roles at Helmstar. In addition to overseeing the development, refinement, implementation, and execution of internal processes and systems and being a member of the planning team, she also provides personalized family office support to ultra-high-net worth client households.

Katy has been a member of the Helmstar team since moving to Boise from Dallas-Fort Worth five years ago. Prior to Helmstar, she worked in commercial real estate and in the film/television/theater industry. Katy graduated magna cum laude from Texas A&M University with a B.A. in Russian and Sociology. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner and is currently pursuing a Masters in Personal Financial Planning from Kansas State University. She is also a licensed insurance agent.

Outside of work, Katy enjoys hiking, reading, pretending to be a foodie, traveling, and engaging with the visual and performing arts as much as possible. She’s also an amateur “circus person” and can often be found hanging out mid-air on various aerial apparatuses, including silks, hammock, straps, and hoop. 

Katy considers herself a perpetual student. She is endlessly curious and believes that there are always more ways in which to grow. She finds great fulfillment in helping clients attain their personal and financial goals, thereby empowering them to live their most meaningful lives. She is deeply grateful to work for a firm with a truly service-oriented mindset and with a team that is so passionate about the work that they do and the clients that they do it for.

Desiree Trueba has been with the firm for 7 years and does a little bit of everything. Desiree completed her B.A. at Oregon State University in Political Science, where she graduated summa cum laude; she has worked at Helmstar ever since. She is a licensed investment advisory representative, allowing her to fill in on the planning team when necessary, and she assists the Client Services team as needed, leading on tasks related to client support.

Desiree is also the Chief Compliance Officer for the firm. She manages all aspects of compliance policies and procedures, striving for excellence and transparency in a highly regulated industry. In her free time, she enjoys the peaceful quiet of the McCall mountains in both summer and winter. She is a voracious reader, and often reads multiple books concurrently. She is also a committed and engaged mom who participates in every opportunity she gets to spend time with her 4 children. Desiree values her time at Helmstar for the interactions it provides with the community and with her coworkers. She is a people person who thrives on human connectedness. Additionally, she believes in Helmstar’s mission and receives fulfillment from improving the financial well-being of their clients.

Robb Schober, Senior Financial Planner, has been in the financial planning industry for over 25 years. He joined The Helmstar Group in 2009 and is a member of the financial planning team. He provides support to both new and current clients in helping them achieve their own personal and financial goals. He also specializes in employer retirement planning and estate planning.

Robb holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Education from Northwest Nazarene University, and an Educational Specialist in Administration degree from the University of Idaho. He is a past president of both the Treasure Valley Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and the Financial Planning Association for the state of Idaho. He also served as the Chairman of the Idaho Roundtable, a two-day continuing education symposium conducted for financial services professionals in the State of Idaho.

Robb holds the designation of Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), which signifies proficiency in the fields of financial planning, financial services, taxes, wealth management, insurance, estate planning, and retirement planning.

Robb lives in Nampa, Idaho with his wife Jackie, next to the family farm where he was raised. Together, they enjoy traveling; they have a particular fondness for beach and ocean view locations. Robb also enjoys spending his time playing the sport of golf.

Robb transfers his lifelong passion for learning and teaching transfers to Helmstar’s clients by educating them about the best ways to achieve their own personal financial planning goals and live the best life possible.

Bob Flagler assists with building robust financial plans and ensuring the quality and efficiency of operations within the company.

While new to Helmstar, Rob has lived in the Treasure Valley for over a decade; he moved here in 2011 to attend Boise State University, where he earned a B.A. in History. Once geared toward becoming a history teacher, Rob discovered an immediate passion for financial planning and technology when he started his first job in the industry 8 years ago.

Rob holds his Series 65 License and is entering training to achieve the CFP® certification. He is an Eagle Scout, an active member of the Boise Young Professionals, and participates within the Idaho Historical Society.

Rob spends as much free time as possible in Idaho’s great outdoors. His favorite activities are hiking in the Sawtooth Mountains, skiing on Bogus Basin, walking his dog Ginger, and relaxing with his wife Alexa.

Rob takes enormous pride in his work and strives to create a client experience that empowers Helmstar's clients to have peace of mind, no matter the market cycle.

His favorite author is Mark Twain, who said, "if you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything."

Jim joined Helmstar in June 2024 after nearly twenty years of experience in corporate finance, accounting, and tax in the Boise area. Jim came to Helmstar and the financial planning industry because of his desire to serve clients and help them navigate their own financial journey with confidence and support. With a background in tax, Jim also provides valuable insight into the tax implications of the planning process.

Jim began his career with Albertson’s Inc as an Internal Auditor before going to Idaho Power and then to Braintree Group in corporate finance roles. Additionally, for the last 13 years, Jim moonlighted with Roberts, Hart & Co CPAs preparing both business and individual tax returns for clients.

Jim is a native of Idaho and lives with his wife and four kids in Eagle. Outside of the office Jim enjoys golfing, snow skiing and spending time with family. On most weekends, Jim can also be found smoking meat on his Traeger grill.

Abby collaborates with planners and advisors in helping Helmstar clients develop and reach their goals through the financial planning process. She found personal finance as early as high school and has been dedicated to the profession ever since. She’s spent the last four years at two previous RIA planning firms learning the ins and outs on how to best help clients. She seeks to provide clients with financial peace so they can focus their precious time on the things that matter most to them.

Abby graduated from Utah Valley University with a degree in Personal Financial Planning in May 2023. While in school, Abby participated in several events, volunteer roles, and unique opportunities. She is a two-time national financial planning champion. She served as a volunteer Money Success Center coach and the Chief Marketing Officer for UVU’s Personal Financial Planning Student Association. Throughout her time at school, she attended nearly a dozen industry-related conferences including getting the unique opportunity to join Jon Beatty (COO of Schwab Advisor Services) on stage to kick off the 2022 Schwab Impact Conference. She is the recipient of several staff and student-voted awards and industry scholarships. Abby is currently a member of the FinServ foundation’s Next Gen program.

Abby is currently a candidate for CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification. She has met the educational and experience requirements and is currently studying to pass the exam.

Abby is originally from a big, Utah family with seven siblings. She is an aunt to over fifteen nieces and nephews and loves them all. She loves to connect with her community through regular church worship and service. When she isn’t spending time with friends and family, she spends her free time hiking, playing volleyball, cooking/baking, reading, traveling and exploring new hobbies. Abby believes that happiness is best derived from developing and achieving goals that are aligned with a person’s values. She seeks to help each person she serves to achieve their own version of happiness.

Kim Argo became an integral part of the firm in 2011, and throughout her tenure, she has donned a myriad of hats, each time unveiling her exceptional talents in diverse roles. Following a brief hiatus in 2021, Kim has returned to Helmstar, now leading the charge in our marketing endeavors.

A cum laude graduate from Boise State University with a B.A. in Communication, Kim brings a wealth of knowledge and academic prowess to her role. Her enthusiasm to rejoin Helmstar stems from a desire to contribute to an outstanding team and collaborate with the best clients in the industry.

Beyond the professional realm, Kim, alongside her husband Eric, finds joy in traversing the globe, always seeking their next adventure. Together, they embody a spirit of exploration and discovery that mirrors Kim's dynamic approach to her career.

Peter leads the business valuation consulting and M&A analysis work for Helmstar clients.
Peter is a veteran having served as a surface warfare officer and instructor in the U.S. Navy for 8 years. Peter then entered the world of finance and has been analyzing publicly-traded stocks, privately-held companies and other securities for almost thirty years.

As President of his business appraisal firm, Valtrend, LLC, he has published numerous articles and been afforded the opportunity to speak at international, national and regional business valuation conferences on a variety of different topics. Previously, he was an adjunct faculty member at George Fox University in Boise, teaching corporate finance to MBA students. Peter also has invented and co-developed a software program, available to his peers, to assist in the development of the cost of capital for privately-held companies.

Peter enjoys solving problems and undertaking the difficult task of valuing privately-held companies. He looks forward to assisting Helmstar’s clients who are business owners with value discovery and improvement over time as they strive to reach their investment and exit planning goals.

Peter and his wife, Jennifer - both from the Buffalo, New York area - are Buffalo Bills fans (and waiting patiently for a Super Bowl victory) – but feel like Idaho is home having enjoyed all it has to offer since moving here in 2004. They are empty nesters now with their two kids in college (Quinn at the University of Idaho) and beyond (Connor, a baseball player for the Boise Hawks).