Christopher Ruiz is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, Senior Portfolio Advisor, and Wealth Management Advisor with The Sheffield Group at Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.
Christopher has more than 21 years of experience working in the financial services industry. During his exclusive tenure with Bank of America, since 2002, he has held positions in the areas of Consumer Banking, Credit, and most recently by joining the Global Wealth & Investment Management (GWIM) division of the company in 2007.
In his current role, Christopher has been designated as a Senior Portfolio Advisor on Merrill’s Investment Advisory Program. A Senior Portfolio Advisor can help clients pursue their objectives by managing on a discretionary basis custom investment strategies, selecting from a wide range of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management model portfolios and third-party investment strategies.
His areas of focus include investment portfolio management, financial strategies, trading in capital markets, and leveraging his connections at Bank of America, N.A. for custom lending and banking services.
In addition to holding the Series 7 and Series 66 FINRA registrations, Chris' credentials include earning the CFP® certification from the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards in Washington, D.C., a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from California State University Northridge, and insurance licenses for Life, Health, Long-Term Care, and Variable Contracts from the California and Texas Department of Insurance.
Chris and his wife, Rachel, reside in the West University neighborhood of Houston, Texas. His interests and hobbies include road-cycling, and winter sports, such as skiing and snowboarding.
Named to the Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams" list, 2024 and 2023, as a member of The Sheffield Group team.
Published annually in January. Rankings based on data as of March 31 of prior year.*
For more information on Chris' team, please visit The Sheffield Group webpage: https://fa.ml.com/california/los-angeles/sheffieldgroup/
*Merrill Life Agency's California License Number 0522776
Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams” list. Opinions provided by SHOOK Research, LLC and is based on in-person, virtual and telephone due-diligence meetings and a ranking algorithm that measure best practices, client retention, industry experience, credentials, compliance records, firm nominations, assets under management and Firm-generated revenue (investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerance vary). SHOOK’s rankings are available for client evaluation only, are not indicative of future performance and do not represent any one client’s experience and available for investor help in evaluating the right financial advisor and not an endorsement of the advisor. Compensation was not received from anyone for the rankings study. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Details available at www.SHOOKresearch.com. SHOOK is a registered trademark of SHOOK Research, LLC.
My mission, first and foremost, is to understand you and what matters most to you. Armed with that information I can ask thoughtful questions -- listening carefully, then understanding in detail where your wealth stands today and where you'd like it to be tomorrow. I help you design and implement a personalized plan intended to help you and your family pursue financial goals while helping manage investment risk. My approach is to focus on potential solutions that can help turn goals into reality.
Bringing fresh perspectives to your financial life
The financial decisions you make today can help determine the future you build for yourself and your family. Carving a clear path forward starts with connecting your life and finances. A Merrill advisor provides access to the investing insights of Merrill and banking capabilities of Bank of America to help you make informed decisions as you pursue your goals.
