Rick Kahler
CFP®, ChFC®, MSFP, CFT-1™, CeFT®, CCIM
Kahler Financial Group
Financial Advisor
Rick Kahler
CFP®, ChFC®, MSFP, CFT-1™, CeFT®, CCIM
Kahler Financial Group
Financial Advisor
As a fee-only financial planner, my focus is to offer sound financial advice to help you achieve your life goals. - Rick Kahler, CFP®, ChFC®, MSFP, CFT-1™, CeFT®, CCIM
Fee-Only financial planner located in Rapid City, SD, serving clients locally and across the country

Rick Kahler, CFP, is a Rapid City, SD fee-only financial planner. Kahler Financial Group provides objective financial wealth planning, financial therapy and investment management to help clients organize, grow and protect their assets through life’s transitions. As an advise-only fiduciary and advocate for what's best for you, Rick Kahler is never paid a commission of any kind and has a legal obligation to provide unbiased and trustworthy financial advice.
Rick Kahler, MSFP,CFP®, CFT-1™, ChFC, CCIM, president of Kahler Financial Group, is a life-long resident of Rapid City, SD. He began his professional career in 1973 selling and appraising real estate He founded Kahler Financial Group in 1981. He became the first fee-only Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) in South Dakota in 1983 and one of the first Certified Financial Therapist-LeveI I™ in the US in 2019.
He is co-author of four books on the psychology of money: Conscious Finance (FoxCraft, Inc., Second Edition 2007), The Financial Wisdom of Ebenezer Scrooge (HCI, 2006), Facilitating Financial Health (NUCO, 2016 2nd Ed.) and Wired For Wealth (HCI 2009). Rick has been a columnist for 28 years for several South Dakota newspapers and is the author of hundreds of articles and whitepapers.
His work as the co-founder of Onsite’s Healing Money Issues workshop, was featured by ABC News’s 20/20 in 2009 and in Wynonna Judd’s book Coming Home To Myself, (New American Library, 2005). The Wall Street Journal, hailed this work as "an innovative effort that combines experiential therapy with nuts-and-bolts financial planning."
Rick has served on several national boards and is a founding board member and past Chair of the Financial Therapy Association. He is on the faculty at Golden Gate University where he serves as a Distinguished Adjunct Professor and instructs the Facilitating Financial Health graduate course
In 2019 he was named as one of the financial planning profession's “Innovators” by InvestmentNews. In 2018, Rick received the Insiders Forum Iconoclast Award for his groundbreaking work in financial therapy. In 2017 and again in 2019 Investopedia.com named Rick one of the top 100 Most Influential Financial Advisors. In 2012 InvestmentNews named him one of the top 15 financial advisors to follow on Twitter. In 2009, BusinessWeek named him one of the top 15 most experienced planners in the nation.
His firm, specializing in the integration of financial coaching, financial therapy, and traditional financial planning, attracts a nationwide clientele. Rick specializes in investment advising and financial planning services for business owners, professionals, and retirees.
Rick graduated from the American College, Bryn Mawr, PA, in 1988, earning the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) degree. In 1984, he was admitted to the Registry of Financial Planning Practitioners by the International Association of Financial Planners. He obtained his master’s degree in personal financial planning in 1999. He became a Certified Financial Therapist-Level 1 practioner in 2019.
He served on and chaired the South Dakota Investment Council and served in leadership capacities with the Financial Planning Association and the National Association of Financial Planning Advisors. Kahler is also a nationally renowned speaker and educator. In 2003, National American University recognized Mr. Kahler with the Alumni Distinguished Service Award.
He has been published or quoted in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Times of London, Forbes, USN&WR, Money, Kiplinger’s, AARP, CNBC.com, Money, YahooFinance.com, MarketWatch, Journal of Financial Planning, Financial Planning Magazine. Investment Advisor, Wealth Manager Magazine, Reuters, Reuters Money, Self Redbook, Psychology of Money, and Men’s Health.
Rick Kahler is a Member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors

The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors - highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
NAPFA members live by three important values:
- To be the beacon for independent, objective financial advice for individuals and families.
- To be the champion of financial services delivered in the public interest.
- To be the standard bearer for the emerging profession of financial planning.
Mission
As a South Dakota-based fee-only financial adviser, Kahler Financial Group’s mission is to help people make wise financial decisions that contribute to their prosperity and happiness. We do this by understanding your money history, objectively assessing your current situation, and offering options that will solve problems and create the future you desire.
Advantages of Working with a Client-Centered, Fee-Only Financial Adviser (CFP)
As independent financial advisers driven by the needs of our clients, we seek out the best financial solutions to benefit our clients. Unlike banks, insurance or investment firms, we are not limited in the scope of products nor are we commission-motivated. As client-centered, fee-only advisers, we are committed to competent and ethical behavior when providing financial advice, and we disclose potential conflicts of interest.
When our clients plan for and face the inevitable changes in life we are their financial confidants and advocates. And yes, there are times when we protect our clients from themselves.
To learn more about our services, visit our Financial Services page.
Location
Millions of people visit the Black Hills of South Dakota each year for a variety of reasons. A number of our out-of-state clients specifically come to meet with us for their annual review. We have custom designed our Rapid City office to be a private and comfortable place for our clients, and the office and staff are equipped with the latest technology.
History
Established by Rick Kahler in 1983, Kahler Financial Group was the first client-centered, fee-only financial planning firm in South Dakota. In 2010, Wealth Manager, a financial trade magazine, recognized Kahler Financial Group as the largest financial planning company in a seven-state region.
Fee-Only, Fiduciary, Independent: Three Important Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Financial Advisor.
Specialties
- Comprehensive Financial Planning
- Anxiety Free Investment Strategies
- Retirement Income Planning
- Real Estate and Business Advice
- Asset Protection Strategies
- Financial Therapy
Ideal Clients
- Business Owners
- Professionals
- Retirees and Near Retirees
- Sudden Money Situations
- Wealth Accumulators
Working Together
- Clearly Defined Fees
- In-Office Meetings
- Virtual Meetings
- No Product Sales
- Complimentary Initial Consultation
Professional Designations & Affiliations
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Richard Kahler is a NAPFA-Registered Financial Advisor
The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors—highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
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Richard Kahler is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional - Click for Verification
CFP® professionals are held to strict ethical standards to ensure financial planning recommendations are in your best interest. What’s more, a CFP® professional must acquire several years of experience related to delivering financial planning services to clients and pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Exam before they can use the CFP® designation.
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Richard Kahler is a member of The Financial Planning Association® (FPA®)
FPA® is the largest membership organization for CFP® professionals in the U.S. and supports high standards of professional competence, ethical conduct, and clear, complete disclosure when serving clients.
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Richard Kahler is a Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®)
Chartered Financial Consultant® designations are granted upon completion of seven required courses and two elective courses. Those who earn the designation are understood to be knowledgeable in financial matters and to have the ability to provide sound advice.
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Rick Kahler is a member of The Financial Therapy Association (FTA)
The Financial Therapy Association (FTA) is an organization comprised of professionals dedicated to the integration of cognitive, emotional, behavioral, relational, and financial aspects of well-being.
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Rick Kahler earned the Certified Financial Therapist - Level I™ Designation (CFT-I™)
The CFT-I™ designation is a certification for both financial and mental health professionals, developed and administered by the Financial Therapy Association. Professionals holding this designation have learned to apply research and evidence-based therapeutic techniques to help clients, advance the field of financial therapy, and engage with other practitioners.
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Rick Kahler is a Certified Financial Transitionist® (CeFT™)
A Financial Transitionist® is a professional with an established career in the financial services industry who recognizes the importance and the power of the personal side of money and the unique challenges of transitions. Financial Transitionists® have a rich and comprehensive understanding of how people subjectively experience change, and are able to co-create their highest outcomes with them.
Contact Rick Kahler
Office Locations:
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1010 9th Street
Suite 1
Rapid City, SD 57701