A managing director/investments at Stifel, Chuck Roberts is a member of The CR Wealth Management Group in Miami and New York City. Mr. Roberts has more than three decades of experience in the financial services industry. He and his small team serve ultra-high-net worth clients, including individuals, families, corporations, and foundations, providing a comprehensive range of financial, retirement, and charitable planning services. He joined Stifel in 2016 from Morgan Stanley.
Given the depth and breadth of his experience, Chuck Roberts is well qualified to provide advice to early career wealth managers and students interested in joining the industry. Here, he answers questions about his career history, current work with The CR Wealth Management Group, and guidance for anyone interested in the field.
How did you get started in the industry? What made you want to pursue your career path?
I started in the financial services industry as an advisor at Lehman Brothers in 1990; later, I became a managing director and financial advisor at Smith Barney. After its acquisition, I was a managing director at Morgan Stanley for six years before coming to Stifel.
Wealth management has held a lot of interest for me since my early career. I’ve always had an appreciation for the way sound financial planning can be life-changing, because it can enable people to achieve the milestone goals that make life meaningful. For example, good planning can allow people to buy a home, put their children through college, make a significant gift to a charitable cause, or create a legacy to pass on to the next generation of their family. Wealth management is a powerful tool for pursuing these goals.
How did you prepare for your career?
I attended Stony Brook University, where I earned a bachelor of science in business management. I earned the Series 7 (General Securities Representative) and Series 65 (Investment Advisor Representative) licenses from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), which are required for financial professionals who buy and sell securities and those who provide clients with investment advice and analysis, respectively.
What do you enjoy the most about your current role?
I enjoy working closely with clients—I get a great deal of professional satisfaction from helping them pursue their financial goals. It’s deeply gratifying to build these relationships and nurture them over the long term.
I also enjoy the fact that every client’s situation and needs are unique; we do not provide one-size-fits-all strategies. Our services, advice, and strategies are tailored to each client’s individual circumstances and goals, which makes my role much more interesting on an intellectual level.
What advice do you have for someone considering a career in the industry?
Wealth management is very much a people-centered industry. Trust, discretion, and integrity are top priorities; clients place a great deal of trust in us, and advisors must work to earn that trust by acting with integrity and providing excellent service. Anyone interested in a wealth management career needs to uphold these priorities. They should also be excellent communicators who are skilled at building and maintaining long-term professional relationships.
Knowledge is also critical, of course. Beyond having a thorough knowledge of investment products, you must also excel at gathering and analyzing information, identifying trends, spotting opportunities, and understanding the market and broader economic conditions. For this reason, it’s important to have a mindset of continual learning. The financial landscape is always changing, and you have to keep up with it in order to provide the best service to your clients.
What defines success in the wealth management industry?
A successful wealth manager puts the client’s needs first and is able to help them preserve and grow their wealth. They take the time to truly understand their client’s needs, work proactively, and provide an exceptional level of service over the long term. Successful wealth managers can look back on their careers with pride, knowing that they did their utmost to empower clients to achieve their financial goals.
