Ameriprise welcomes $100M advisor to its branch channel 

Ameriprise welcomes $100M advisor to its branch channel 
Former wirehouse employee says he is ready to expand his practice.
JUN 21, 2024

A former Wells Fargo Clearing Services financial advisor has made the break to Ameriprise Financial in search of an expansive phase of his career.

Michael Cruz’s $100 million AUM practice joins the branch channel of Ameriprise in Temecula, California, bringing a wealth of industry experience spanning more than 30 years. He is supported locally by Ameriprise complex director David Spataro and Ameriprise regional vice president James Frisone.

“I’m at a point in my career where I want to expand and help even more clients. Ameriprise has a wide array of products and services, an extensive financial planning platform and an integrated suite of technology to elevate my client service model and help capture new opportunities and referrals,” said Cruz. 

Cruz adds to the 400 advisors to have joined Ameriprise in 2023 and around 1,700 to have done so in the last five years.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Michael and his clients to Ameriprise,” saidSpataro. “We look forward to partnering with him to achieve the goals he has for his practice and deliver a truly differentiated client experience with all Ameriprise has to offer.”

Earlier this year, the NFL Players Association tapped Ameriprise as an “institutional financial advisor,” the sixth such firm in its registered financial advisor program, which is more than two decades old and was previously limited to individual financial advisors. At the end of last year, there were more than 100 individual advisors in the program.

Latest News

401(k) savings rate at new record high but balances are down slightly
401(k) savings rate at new record high but balances are down slightly

Quarterly analysis of retirement accounts highlights positive behavior.

JPMorgan mulls new asset lending scheme aimed at crypto ETF investors
JPMorgan mulls new asset lending scheme aimed at crypto ETF investors

Insiders say the Wall Street giant is looking to let clients count certain crypto holdings as collateral or, in some cases, assets in their overall net worth.

Fintech bytes: Future Capital adds RayJay alum to C-suite, Advyzon welcomes ex-Envestnet leader
Fintech bytes: Future Capital adds RayJay alum to C-suite, Advyzon welcomes ex-Envestnet leader

The two wealth tech firms are bolstering their leadership as they take differing paths towards growth and improved advisor services.

UBS 'wrongfully' fired Idaho advisor in 2021: FINRA panel
UBS 'wrongfully' fired Idaho advisor in 2021: FINRA panel

“We think this happened because of Anderson’s age and that he was possibly leaving,” said the advisor’s attorney.

Cetera Trust hires Fidelity vet Kerri Scharr for chief fiduciary officer role
Cetera Trust hires Fidelity vet Kerri Scharr for chief fiduciary officer role

The newly appointed leader will be responsible for overseeing fiduciary governance, regulatory compliance, and risk management at Cetera's trust services company.

SPONSORED Beyond the dashboard: Making wealth tech human

How intelliflo aims to solve advisors' top tech headaches—without sacrificing the personal touch clients crave

SPONSORED The evolution of private credit

From direct lending to asset-based finance to commercial real estate debt.