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Twenty-five years of the same job: making a confusing decision simple.
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Hi there. Let me tell you about Russell Van Belle.
Russell grew up in South Bend, Indiana. In 1990, he came out to Omaha for Creighton University, and he never left. He met a young woman there named Jen. She's his wife now. Together, they're raising four children: Olivia, Luke, Mila, and Jude. So if you can't find Russell at his desk, he's probably at a soccer field, or a swim meet, or out on the golf course. And in the winter, he still plays hockey. He'd want you to know that.
Now. Here's the part that matters to you.
Russell has spent twenty-five years in insurance and financial services. He started back in 2001. In 2010, he helped found American Senior Benefits. And today, he runs his own company. It's called five twenty-three.
So what does he actually do? He sits down with people who have worked hard their whole lives, and he helps them answer some very big questions. Will my money last? What happens to my family if something happens to me? Which Medicare plan is the right one for me?
These are not easy questions. And there is an awful lot of confusing language out there.
Russell's job is to take that confusing language and make it plain. He'll tell you what something is, who it's for, and whether it's right for you. Including when the answer is no.
He's been recognized for it, too. He's been a member of the Million Dollar Round Table since 2003. But honestly? The thing he'd rather you hear is what one of his clients, Janice, wrote about him. She said: he is trustworthy, and very reliable. I feel so lucky to have found him.
That's Russell. And that's five twenty-three.
If you'd like to talk with him, you'll find how to reach him right here on this page.
Where I come from
I grew up in South Bend, Indiana. In 1990 I came out to Omaha for Creighton University, and I never left. I met my wife Jen there. We have four children — Olivia, Luke, Mila and Jude — which means most of my weekends happen on the side of a soccer field or in the bleachers at a swim meet.
When I get a morning to myself, I play golf. In the winter I still play hockey, which my knees have opinions about.
How I ended up doing this
I studied environmental science and physics. Not the obvious road into insurance. But both are really the same skill: take something complicated, find the part that actually matters, and explain it to someone in a way they can act on.
I started in this business in 2001. In 2010 I helped found American Senior Benefits. In 2020 I built a division that brings insurance planning to financial advisors across the country. Today I run my own company, 523, and I still do the part I liked from the beginning: sitting across a table from someone and answering their questions honestly.
What I believe about this work
Most people do not need more products. They need someone to tell them the truth about the two or three decisions that will actually shape their retirement — and to say plainly when the answer is "you do not need this."
That is the whole job. Everything else is paperwork.
The short version
A quick timeline
- 1990 Left South Bend, Indiana for Omaha and Creighton University. Never moved back.
- 1994 Graduated from Creighton with a degree in environmental science and biology, after a marine biology research trip to Roatán Island, Honduras.
- 1997 Added a physics degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
- 2001 Started in insurance and financial services. Also coached soccer at Bellevue East.
- 2003 Became a member of the Million Dollar Round Table. Still is.
- 2010 Co-founded American Senior Benefits.
- 2020 Built the RIA Insurance Solutions division, bringing insurance planning to financial advisors nationwide.
- Today Runs 523, and still sits down with families one at a time.
Recognition
Member of the Million Dollar Round Table since 2003, and Court of the Table in 2008 and 2009. Member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. These are industry measures, and they matter less to me than what a client says after five years of working together.
Talk with RussellRussell is excellent in his field of expertise as my insurance agent and income advisor. He is trustworthy and very reliable. I feel so lucky to have found him.