Bruce relocated from Baltimore, MD to South Florida in the Spring of 2000 to take over as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for The Original Big Tomato Franchise Co., Inc, a multiple award-winning franchise that he helped create offering gourmet tomato pies, salads and wraps.
After selling and opening a number of franchises in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, Bruce turned his attentions to working with the franchisees to market and build their businesses. His success became their success, as they followed his example and grew their businesses.
It was during this time that Bruce decided to earn some additional income during evenings and weekends, and so signed on as an agent of The Hartford. After winning The Hartford’s prestigious Launch Award, he went on to become one of their top agents nationwide, with his production consistently putting him in the Top 5 in his division.
Bruce says: “It was here that everything changed…I was getting paid to really help people in a significant way. The gratification and emotional satisfaction level was off the chart. I truly fell in love with this business.” The next step was more difficult; leaving a business (and the equity) that he had helped build at The Original Big Tomato.
He also decided to open his advisory, SecuRetirement, Inc. “Though The Hartford was a good company, my clients had many needs that they could not serve” says Bruce, “so I decided to open an independent agency to have access to other carriers with a full range of products. This way I could find the optimum solution at the best price point for my clients”.
In the Spring of 2007 Bruce received the news that no one wants to hear: he was diagnosed with cancer. He endured numerous surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation, often quoting the old adage: “that which does not kill us, only serves to make us stronger”, and “If they can’t kill you with kindness, they’ll try to do it with radiation.
Bruce was recruited as a Managing Associate with MassMutual. “I had grown as much as I could at my previous firm, and MassMutual represented an opportunity to grow with a great company in our industry…how could I say no?” quipped Bruce.
Additionally, Bruce was selected and certified as a Financial Educator for AFEA (American Financial Education Alliance, a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit). “Now is the time for me to really give back as an educator” says Bruce. “In order for me to devote as much time to this as possible, I re-opened the doors to SecuRetirement, to allow for additional scheduling flexibility…it’s truly a dream come true for me.”
Today, Bruce is considered one of Florida’s pre-eminent income and retirement planners. He has penned reports and studies on retirement and income planning, as well as being a contributor to the Wall Street Journal. His fellow advisors refer to him as “The Professor” for his encyclopedic knowledge of retirement and Medicaid planning, advanced income and tax strategies.
The final piece of the puzzle for Bruce was becoming a Certified Financial Fiduciary®. He says: “In today’s world, it has become impossible for people to know who to trust. Though the certification process is difficult, becoming a fiduciary sends a message that I have their best interests as my foundation”.
As of this writing, Bruce is currently serving the needs of military personnel, both active and retired, as well as V.A. employees and other government workers to navigate the difficult and often confusing world of government benefits. Bruce says: “Government benefits have a lot of moving parts…military pensions, FERS, FEGLI, TSP’s, and Social Security are just a few of them, and that’s not even counting any personal investments. We’re able to put it all together in a simple, easy-to-understand format.”
Bruce currently resides in Hollywood, FL with his beautiful wife Maria, their lovely daughter Karol, and gorgeous granddaughters Sofia and Lucia.
Designations, Certifications, Memberships, Etc.
- Certified Financial Fiduciary®
- Certified Financial Educator®
- Chairman of the Certification Committee for the National Association of Certified Financial Fiduciaries®
- Member of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
Proud Military Supporter!
Both my father and my uncle served and fought in WWII. As an expert in navigating the moving parts that make up government benefits, I specialize in financial and retirement planning for government employees, including military personnel and V.A. employees.
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