Ruff Choices

Ruff Choices is an independent, single-advisor registered investment adviser that serves individuals, business entities, pension and profit‑sharing plans, trusts, estates and charitable organizations. The firm manages roughly $24.25 million across about 27 client relationships and provides discretionary portfolio management plus, when requested, standalone investment consulting and limited financial planning with access to tax preparation and accounting services through an affiliated CPA/accounting firm.

The adviser primarily allocates client assets among individual equities, fixed income, exchange‑traded funds and no‑load mutual funds and relies on fundamental, technical and charting analysis. Its implementation can include long‑ and short‑term trades and, notably for a solo independent adviser, the use of margin and certain options strategies in separately managed accounts while treating cash as an asset class and not maintaining an in‑house ESG program unless client‑directed.

What distinguishes Ruff Choices relative to many peers is the combination of a small, solo practice advising not only individuals but also institutional and charitable clients, and an affiliation with a CPA/accounting practice that can result in additional non‑advisory service referrals. The firm’s explicit disclosure that it employs borrowing and derivative strategies in client accounts is uncommon among independent advisers, and it typically recommends a national custodian and participates in third‑party referral programs.