MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: KEN CERRUTO
MEET KEN CERRUTO OF FSDA CORPORATE MEMBER, RBC WEALTH MANAGEMENT
We are speaking today with Ken Cerruto, Senior Vice President-Financial Advisor with RBC Wealth Management.
Ken, please tell us a little bit about yourself.
Answer: I was born and raised in New Jersey, graduated from Rutgers University, became licensed in the financial services industry in 1979 and earned my CFP designation in 1988. Before joining RBC Wealth Management in 2013 we ran our practice with Raymond James and Associates.
I know that you are a member of REACH Wealth Solutions, an advisory team at RBC. How long have you worked with your team?
Answer: We formed our team in 2010 and penned REACH Wealth Solutions in 2014. REACH is an acronym that stands for Responsible Ethical Accountable Caring Honorable. The foundation of our practice is built upon these character traits. No exceptions.
Why do you believe the team concept benefits your RBC clients?
Answer: In today’s world of financial services it’s important to identify the value that separates you from another practitioner, especially when social media has been driving investor focus toward cost, not value. We believe it’s difficult for one person to offer holistic comprehensive planning and guidance with consistency and sustainability. Having a team with a disciplined process that understands and properly executes their respective roles has enabled us to leverage our practice, provide the capacity for growth, increase levels of service and administer to the changing needs of our diverse clientele.
Why is it important for RBC to be a member of the FSDA?
Answer: As one of the world’s leading diversified financial services companies, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), has a long heritage of integrity and unwavering dedication to the clients they serve. These objectives are similarly aligned with the FSDA which is an association dedicated to preserving the integrity of the financial services industry in Florida. The FSDA works closely with legislators, regulators and investors to ensure high standards are both set and met to protect and sustain the suitable delivery of financial services within the state.
I know that you are very involved with Full Court Press on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Please tell us a little bit about this organization and your involvement.
Answer: In early 2014 my brother-in-law, a practicing dentist in New Jersey was diagnosed with ALS otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. At the time I really didn’t know much about the disease like many others who are unaware until it affects someone they know. We also realized that since so few are diagnosed with ALS relative to other diseases, research funding was not, and is not, high on the funding list compared to cancer, heart disease etc. Today, most ALS funding goes towards providing aid to the families and the patients for care and equipment. My brother-in-law was always passionate about basketball and coaching in his spare time. He would rent gymnasiums at night during the winter months in New Jersey in many of the inner cities to keep young men off the streets. He structured basketball programs designed to divert young men from joining gangs and required adherence to rules in order to participate in the programs. My brother-in-law along with our family founded Full Court Press on ALS with the goal of using basketball as a tool to raise awareness for a disease that does not receive a lot of attention due to the limited number of people affected by it. The foundation helps fund research through major medical organizations across the country with the hope of someday finding a way to slow, and ultimately cure this misunderstood and horrible disease.
Ken, thanks for taking time to speak with us today.
