Charlie Russ, MBA, CLU®
President
Russ Financial Group
Charlie has been in the Chicago area his entire professional career. He has over 30 years working in the FORTUNE 500 and personal marketplaces. He had an enriching experience leading global consulting engagements with Price Waterhouse (now PwC) and Ernst & Young over an 11-year period. The Russ Financial Group offers individuals and families a distinctive approach to financial planning. He delivers solutions other money managers and even CPAs overlook when it comes to proactive tax planning. Clients receive a comprehensive written financial plan that integrates asset management, protection strategy and their income tax planning. The plan includes easy to read cash flow models for today through retirement. All this from an independent fiduciary, who is held to the highest ethical and legal standards, acting exclusively in the best interest of the client.
Additionally, Charlie is devoted to supporting the needs of business owners. They realize a great value from his deep business background especially around mitigating the risks surrounding business continuity and succession planning. He also specializes in designing and delivering tax efficient individual and executive savings strategies.
Education has always been one of his passions. He played a significant role in the grass roots committee in support of the $139 million dollar referendum in support of the D86 YES VOTE for the Hinsdale area high schools. He worked hard with fellow neighbors 3 years ago and successfully pushed through a separate referendum raising $85,000,000 for the new Hinsdale Middle School. Charlie currently serves on the Finance Commission for the Village of Hinsdale, IL through which all budgeting matters are reviewed and approved and then implemented by the Village Board. As a member of the DuPage County Junior Achievement Board of Directors, he helps to deliver a fun and brilliant business-oriented curriculum to over 500,000 children in the Chicago area each year. Additionally, he served as a Board Member of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras for over 13 years, and on the Parish Counsel of St. Andrews Church in Chicago. An MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, a BA from the University of Notre Dame, and a Certified Life Underwriter (CLU®) certification from the American College are among his credentials.
“Clients are like my neighbors; we talk about realistically fulfilling their dreams by considering the totality of their specific situation in order to maximize it. My relationships develop over time, building a sense of trust that leads to ongoing confidence. No two people aspire to the same purpose; but all appreciate the knowledge we share about the rules of finance and taxation. As a result, we work together to integrate all aspects of their financial life to make higher quality decisions about their retirement and avoid obvious traps. The result is real comfort and satisfaction as they realize the optimum plan for their retirement.”
Charlie current lives in Hinsdale, IL with his wife Adriana who is a Doctor of Audiology at Loyola Medical Center and their son, Charlie, IV.
Registered Representative and Financial Advisor of Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS). Securities products and advisory services offered through PAS, member FINRA, SIPC. Financial Representative of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian), New York, NY. PAS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Guardian. Russ Financial Group is not an affiliate or subsidiary of PAS or Guardian. CA Insurance License #0F70935. Exp 3/2023 2021-118138