A financial advisor and two of his former interns have established a new independent practice in New Jersey.
Roger Relucio, CFP, CRPC, has spent more than a decade building a team of specialists including those who joined an internship program he created.
Pasqualino “Pat” Ruffa, CFP, CRPC, and David Kraus, CRPC, were part of that program and were hired as advisors by Relucio once they left college. They now join him in the new firm having left Merrill Lynch.
Breakaway Wealth Management, based in Hoboken, New Jersey, has been founded with help from LPL Financial’s Strategic Wealth Services, which has enabled Relucio to tap into his natural entrepreneurial spirit.
“The whole picture of Strategic Wealth Services was really compelling to us,” Relucio said. “It allows us partnered, supported independence so we’re not starting off all on our own. We have a full team behind us to take care of the operational side of the house so that we can concentrate on growing our business and giving clients the boutique-style service they deserve.”
The team has served approximately $270 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets and also includes client services associate Jenna Looney.
“We offer straightforward, actionable advice and financial strategies that are both comprehensive and easy to understand,” Relucio said. “Our job is to empower our clients, not overwhelm them.”
Merrill's latest hires span Colorado to Louisiana, even as industry-wide recruiting data suggests the firm is losing almost as many advisors as it gains.
The $36 million buy allegedly hid inflated books and a $50 million diversion.
“An award citing emotional distress is very unusual,” an industry executive said.
New EBRI research found workers who participated in employer financial education reported higher confidence, literacy and financial satisfaction.
Beyond operational excellence, the winning advisors of the future are the ones who can reach across multiple disciplines without discarding specialist skills.
Northern Trust’s Ken Lassner shows advisors how to convert volatility into after-tax portfolio gains
Dan Biagini of American Equity says the steady decline of pensions, longer lifespans and a reset in interest rates are rewriting how advisors build retirement income
