We listen to your story. We find out what’s important to you. And then we help you plan for it and protect it. We clearly define goals and how you’ll achieve them. We help you with daily money management as well as investing and tax planning. We monitor your progress. We also stick with you, so we can adjust your plan as your situation and priorities change.
Having worked to pay my own way through college, I learned the importance of making good decisions with money as well as the value of hard work. Majoring in Finance at Miami University strengthened my interest in investments and portfolio management. Upon graduation, I knocked on the door of every Wall Street firm in Cincinnati before being hired by a broker at Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. During that time, I self studied for the Series 7 examination and applied for a job as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch, which then led to a 27 year career as a Financial Advisor in a job, that if I’m honest, is too much fun and far too rewarding to be called work.
After sitting on the front lines of two prestigious Wall Street firms – Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch – I have an insight into exactly how I want to serve my clients and deliver exceptional value. For me, it is all about family, and helping families to create a future in line with their dreams, their values and their hopes for tomorrow.
Read More About SteveAs an independent Advisor, the greatest part about founding River Oak is how energized and excited I am about this next chapter. I am able to put my clients’ interests first. I am able to work with grandchildren and great grandchildren and spend the time teaching them the true value of investing. I now have the luxury of spending time on meaningful and long-lasting relationships with my clients, and I have opened up my future to be able to build a firm that one day, perhaps if I’m lucky, I will entice one (or all) of my very talented children to join me or maybe even my wife!
If you’d asked me at the beginning of 2020 when I was 48 years old, if I would be willing to pivot and lean fully into a dream that I’d only allowed space for in the back of my mind, I would have said “no way”. But after a year of unprecedented change and introspection, I cannot imagine doing anything but embracing a future based on independence, loyalty and a servant-heart. Here’s to new beginnings and the future chapters we will write together.
I’m lucky to live in Loveland, Ohio with my amazing wife, Marla, and our three children, Mary, Michael and Margaret. Marla and I met on a double-blind date in college and have been inseparable ever since. After many years together, we were pleased to find out during COVID that we like each other even more than we thought, which is a great thing, because we have a house full of teenagers, and before we know it we will be empty nesters! I was a semi-professional (in my mind) Coach but, have "retired" from coaching both boys' baseball and girls' basketball. I now enjoy watching my son's baseball and my daughter's lacrosse. My entire family remains close, and the highlight of each week is Sunday dinner at my Mom & Dad’s house with me and my brother’s family, as well as my best friend from college, who never quit coming to Sunday dinner once college ended. In my free time, I enjoy making furniture in my workshop, fishing at the lake, and sitting up worrying about our teenagers on Friday and Saturday nights.
Rick Wedell joined RFG Advisory as Partner and Chief Investment Officer (CIO) in 2016. As CIO and leader of RFG's Investment Team, Rick manages multi-asset portfolios and provides strategic insights on asset allocation and portfolio construction. Rick also leads the design and enhancements of RFG's custom-built, institutional-caliber, client-focused investment platform known as "Bluemonte", currently managing over $3 billion of assets under management.
Rick's guiding principle is simple, straightforward analysis coupled with a consistent, rigorous investment process. Recognizing that foundations and family offices often enjoy a significantly higher level of access and sophistication around portfolio management, Rick designed an innovative investment experience focused on bringing that level of service and direct accessibility to financial advisors at RFG Advisory.
Before joining RFG, Rick spent 12 years at Bain Capital Credit, where he rose through the ranks to become Executive Vice President, Head of Fixed Income Consumer Investments, and Assistant Portfolio Manager. Rick played an instrumental role in helping Bain grow to become a global investment powerhouse, serving client assets in excess of $30 billion.
Managing portfolios through the volatile markets of 2001 and 2008, Rick experienced firsthand the importance of portfolio diversification and the trade-offs between risk and portfolio return. He applies those same lessons today to managing client and institutional portfolios at RFG Advisory.
Recently named a 2021 LUMINARY by ThinkAdvisor for Thought-Leadership & Education, Rick conducts client events, seminars, and workshops around the country and a bi-weekly series called Market Commentary with Rick Wedell on YouTube. From customized asset allocation recommendations to detailed investment analysis, he also works one-on-one with our Advisors and their clients to construct customized portfolios that help meet their defined goals.
Rick has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he was awarded the Henry Ford II Scholar. He earned a B.A. in Applied Mathematics & Economics from Harvard University, Magna Cum Laude.
As an independent advisor, we are empowered to serve our clients in-line with our values and our vision. So we’ve partnered with RFG, an innovative turnkey platform engineered specifically to support independent financial advisors like us. RFG handles much of the critical behind-the-scenes support required to run our successful business so that we can spend our time doing what we love — serving you, our clients.
