James S. Cruise, CFP®, CAIA, CPFA

James Cruise joined The Virtus Group in September 2014. Primary responsibilities for James include the oversight of client investment portfolios and investment manager due diligence. He has achieved the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, and is now a registered CFP® Professional. He has met the educational, examination, experience and ethics requirements affiliated with this designation. James was named a Five Star Wealth Manager award winner in 2020 and 2021 and appeared in a Five Star Wealth Managers Under 40 special section in the February 2021 issue of Fortune magazine.**

James graduated summa cum laude from Bentley University with a Bachelor of Science in Economics-Finance as well as a psychology-oriented Liberal Studies Major. He was one of five Bentley students selected to present to economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston in the 2011 College Fed Challenge. In a field of twenty-two New England entrants, Bentley’s team placed second in the regional competition, narrowly behind eventual national champion Harvard College. In 2012, James began his career with institutional investment consultant Cambridge Associates. As a member of the Hedge Fund Data team, James corresponded daily with various investment managers and served as a resource for employees within the international firm.

James’ investment registrations and insurance licenses include: Series 7 (General Securities Representative Examination); Series 66 (Uniform Combined State Law Examination) held with LPL Financial ; Life, Accident and Health Insurance. Securities registrations are held with LPL Financial. James is a Full Member of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association® and has earned his Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA) designation from the National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA). Plan advisors who earn their CPFA demonstrate the specialized knowledge required to act as a plan investment fiduciary or to help plan fiduciaries manage their roles and responsibilities. The Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA) credential demonstrates knowledge, expertise, and commitment to working with retirement plans. This designation focuses on building a sound investment fiduciary process. By earning the CPFA, one can “demonstrate the expertise required to act as a plan investment fiduciary or help plan fiduciaries manage their roles and responsibilities.”

James has been accepted into LPL Financials’ Retirement Plan Consultant Program (“RPCP”). The RPCP is a fee-based 401(k) plan consulting platform for qualified financial advisors who specialize in Corporate Retirement Plans. (Criteria for RPCP selection is based upon the advisor’s experience in managing business retirement plans and the number of active retirement plans/advisory assets under management, among other specialized qualifications; further, the applicant must have attained one of select designations having a focus on fiduciary process and methodology.)

A native of Rhode Island, James currently lives in Providence. Formerly a player at youth program Edgewood and later part of two Bishop Hendricken High School state championships (including the first in school history), James has also coached children new to the game with the Edgewood Rhode Island Hockey Association. James is a member of both the Financial Planning Association® of Rhode Island and the Estate Planning Council of Rhode Island.

**Five Star Wealth Manager Award based on 10 objective criteria associated with providing quality services to clients such as credentials, experience, and assets under management among other factors. Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of 2020, 2021 Five Star Wealth Managers.