About Us

In 1976, JA Counter was founded in New Richmond, Wisconsin as an insurance agency specializing in individual life, health and disability and employee benefit planning. James (Jim) Counter founded the agency during a time that health claim forms were handwritten on paper; but as times changed--so did JA Counter.
Linda Skoglund joined the firm in 1990 and worked with Jim to help capitalize on his industry leadership to build programs to support other advisors in 1990. Linda joined
JA Counter as a shareholder in 1997 and acquired 100% of the shares by 2001. She leads the firm with the same passion and determination to care for their clients as was instilled in her through Jim Counter’s mentorship. JA Counter became a member of the Benefit Advisors Network (BAN) in 2007 and joined Cambridge Investment Research, Inc in 2016.
Out of the Benefit Advisors Network, twenty-three independent firms discussed the ability to provide the best of both worlds—national scope combined with local service. The thought-leaders dreamed of the transformation of client experience that would occur by providing greater depth and breadth of resources if they came together as one large collaborative unit. In 2017 they executed their plan! An aggregator was formed, uniting the 23 firms into a larger entity known as Alera Group.
Our Present:
JA Counter IS Alera Group – fully embracing the alignment of our brand with the vision our founders set and the mission our team brings to life every day. Our local (Wisconsin/Minnesota) operations are run by managing partner, Linda Skoglund and market leader, Kristi Cherney with the backing of the regional and executive leadership team of Alera Group. The culture of our combined organization thrives on innovative thinking and constant collaboration while maintaining strong local relationships.
Today, as always, we provide exceptional service to our clients through innovative, customized solutions, education, knowledge, and resources delivered with integrity and professionalism. And we have fun doing it! We look forward to making a difference for you!
Investment advisory services offered through Alera Investment Advisors, LLC. Securities offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc. member FINRA/SIPC. Osaic Wealth is separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of Osaic Wealth.
This communication is strictly intended for individuals residing in the states of XX. No offers may be made or accepted from any resident outside the specific state(s) referenced.
Check the background of your financial professional on FINRA's BrokerCheck.
Information provided by Alera should not be considered tax or legal advice. Should you require tax or legal information, please consult your tax advisor or attorney.
Meet Our Team
Morgan Stittleburg, CCUFC
Business Development Associate
Morgan focuses on relationship building as the Business Development Associate for the firm. Morgan brings her strengths along with a background in communication, customer service, and sales to make a difference for our potential and current clients. Prior to entering the wild world of insurance, Morgan spent close to 8 years in the Credit Union industry. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology with a minor in Psychology from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL, where she also played Volleyball. When she’s not out and about telling others about the great things that the firm can do, you can probably find her gathering pictures and coming up with captions and hashtags for our social media pages. (#AleraGroupNation)
Outside of work, Morgan enjoys working out/lifting weights, playing volleyball, traveling, hiking, live music, hunting, fishing with her fiancé Elvis, taking their dogs Zoe and Sadie for walks, and dabbling with making sourdough bread.
Morgan is Life & Health Insurance Licensed in Wisconsin & Minnesota
Strengths: Woo, Positivity, Includer, Communication, Competition
Predictive Index Profile: Promoter
Favorite Quote: "Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me." - Michael Scott
Amber Wente
Small Business Account Executive, Employee Benefits
Amber is a seasoned Small Business Account Executive specializing in total rewards for businesses with 2-50 employees. With over 20 years of experience in the health service industry and firsthand knowledge as a small business owner, Amber brings a unique blend of expertise, skill, and dedication to her clients. She empowers small businesses to enhance their competitiveness in the talent market by offering attractive and comprehensive benefits packages that support employee retention and recruitment efforts.
A local at heart, Amber cherishes country life, dirt track racing, her dogs, and her growing family. Her deep roots in the community and passion for helping businesses thrive make her an asset to our firm and her clients.
Amber is Life & Health Licensed in Wisconsin & Minnesota.
Strengths: Restorative, Achiever, Deliberative, Intellection, Context
Predictive Index Profile: Guardian
Favorite Quote: "You never fail until you stop trying." - Albert Einstein
EXPERT EDUCATION
Events and Webinars
Employee Benefits
Network Performance Strategy: Why Any Provider Costs More — and How to Steer to Value Without Disruption
A steering strategy that improves outcomes and total cost of care.
April 21, 2026 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
The Compliance Pathway Q2
Alera Group's quarterly employee benefits compliance roundup will help you stay current on the latest national regulatory developments impacting employers.
May 14, 2026 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
Benchmarking That Drives Decisions: Why Averages Mislead — and What Best-in-Class Data Reveals
A clear, data-driven view of the 2026 employee benefits landscape grounded in benchmarking results.
June 16, 2026 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Insights
Property and Casualty
AI Isn’t Liable for the Mistake. You Are.
Artificial intelligence is powerful. It’s also wrong more often than people want to admit.
If you use AI to support or deliver professional services, any mistake it makes is still your responsibility. Not the software’s. Not the vendor’s. Yours.
April 1, 2026
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Identity hijacking is surging. Here’s what leaders need to know.
Cyber incidents across our client base have been sharper, faster and more costly this year. Even organizations with strong controls are being hit in ways that look very different from past attacks.
March 13, 2026
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Legal Alert: RxDC Reporting Due June 1st
Reminder: RxDC Reporting Due June 1st
February 26, 2026
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AI-Powered Cyber Attacks, Why Yesterday’s Defenses Aren’t Enough.
The widespread availability of AI technology, combined with the ease of manipulating video calls, makes phone and Zoom calls susceptible to exploitation by threat actors.
February 2, 2026
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