For Strategic Planning Associates and its team, financial planning has always been about more than numbers.
It’s about real people and their families.
In the end, it’s about legacy.
And it’s personal.
That’s the foundation of Strategic Planning Associates, a multi-generational financial advisory firm headquartered in Melville that’s built to help Long Islanders through every stage of life — from career beginnings to retirement and beyond.
The firm is led by founder Hank Cerruti and his son, Zacharey Cerruti, alongside their partner Nicholas Llerena. Together, the trio brings a rare mix of experience, energy, and long-term vision to the table.
“There are three partner/owners in the firm: Hank Cerruti, who is the founder of Strategic Planning Associates, Nicholas Llerena and myself,” said Zach. “We feel that in order to act as a true fiduciary to our clients, we must be building a generational practice where our clients can not only feel confident that their advisor will still be there when they retire, but also feel comfortable that their kids and grandkids will have an advisor to take care of them just as they did.”
That focus on continuity makes Strategic Planning Associates uniquely positioned to work with clients across every phase of life — from first-time investors in their 30s to retirees planning their legacy.
“Our firm puts a heavy focus on planning,” Zach added. “One of our core values is Process before Products. A lot of financial firms will come at you with a plethora of different financial products, but we feel that putting a bunch of financial products in place without going through a planning process first is like hammering a bunch of nails into the wall and then trying to decide where you want to hang your pictures.”
How it started
Strategic Planning Associates was born out of a crisis.
Hank Cerruti had already been working in finance for over 15 years when the dot-com bubble burst in the early 2000s. That moment became a turning point — not just for markets, but for his entire approach to serving clients.
“At the time … the markets were collapsing, the tech sector was imploding and ‘401ks were becoming 201ks,’” Hank recalled. “More mature clients — those approaching or entering into retirement — were genuinely afraid for financial security and well-being. They needed counsel, advice, process, and more time with their advisor.” (Story continues below video.)
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Back then, Hank operated under a traditional brokerage model, earning commissions and recommending individual products. But that model, he realized, no longer aligned with what clients truly needed.
“It became clear to me that the business model was flawed,” Hank said. “To best serve the client, I would need a process and business model which aligns with where the client’s expectations are.”
So, in 2002, Strategic Planning Associates launched with a mission to flip that old model on its head — offering fee-based fiduciary services, a planning-first approach, and a long-term strategy for investment and wealth management.
This new model prioritized:
- Conflict-free or fully disclosed fiduciary advice
- Comprehensive, holistic planning over piecemeal product pitches
- A compensation structure based on guidance and value — not commissions
- A deliberate investment strategy that includes tax planning, asset allocation, and risk management
- Life planning support for everything from retirement to estate planning
Life’s big moments
Now with seven advisors and a deep bench of administrative leaders — many with over 15 years of experience — Strategic Planning Associates continues to focus on clients going through life’s biggest transitions.
“We understand and embrace as fiduciaries to our clients, we are not everything to every client, but we can be everything to the right client,” Hank said.
Saving for college?
“For clients who face significant transitions in their lives and as a result, financial reorganization — whether they lost a spouse, are planning for the succession of a business interest, going through a challenging divorce, or are trying to figure out how, or even if they can retire, — we are the right fit.
“And for the developing client who has a mature outlook and wants to plan with the end in mind, we can have immense impact.”
“Because we work with so many clients who are now planning for or are in retirement, we have the benefit of their hindsight when we are planning for younger clients,” added Zach. “We know the mistakes they’ve made as well as the great planning they did along the way, and we can bring that hindsight to our younger clients to help them position themselves even better than the generation before them.
The team holds multiple advanced designations, including Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP), and Accredited Estate Planner (AEP), among others.
Also helping our veterans
The firm’s “bread-and-butter,” according to Zach, are clients who are about 10 years or less away from retirement and ready to get organized.
“They have spent their whole life saving into all different tools, products and accounts and now they want to organize all of it,” he said. “This is where we focus and where we are the most active in meeting new clients.”
But that retirement expertise also makes them a valuable resource for younger clients just getting started.
“We know what it takes to be in the best financial position in your 50s and 60s,” Zach said. “So we are easily able to guide people in their 30s and 40s to reach that point … it almost feels like we have the cheat codes for younger people to best position themselves financially long term.”
And not only does Strategic Planning Associates help clients plan for the growth of their wealth, but they also help their clients to identify and avoid the pitfalls and financial risks that could arise during one’s lifetime.
“Now that I am older and work with older clients, the experience is different. Stuff does happen and out-of-nowhere! Making sure loved ones can continue their lives, financially, is a strong value that resonates in the community and our firm has a wonderful process to help people quantify the potential shortfall should the unthinkable happen.” Nick said.
A future built on trust
Despite all the firm’s growth over the past two decades — and the different generations now steering the ship — its mission remains consistent.
“Our core values in no specific order of priority are: Integrity, Process, Mastery, Diligence, and Team,” said Hank. “For potential clients who have come to a point in their lives where clarity, organization, and structure are important … we are the answer.”
Hence the firm’s everyday motto, the North Star that guides their work:
“Helping you plan for the life you want to live and the legacy you wish to leave.”
Working with veterans (video):
CFP Board owns the marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the U.S.
Members of Strategic Planning Associates use Strategic Planning Associates as a marketing name for doing business as representatives of Northwestern Mutual. Strategic Planning Associates is not a registered investment adviser, broker-dealer, insurance agency, or federal savings bank. To view detailed disclosures regarding individual representatives, view their information at strategicplanningassociates.nm.com
Top photo: (L-R) Nico Schapira – planner; Emmanuel Ponce Padron – planner; Jennifer O’Brien – private wealth advisor; (fourth from left in the back of the photo is no longer with team); Robert Novotny – associate private wealth advisor; Zach Cerruti – partner and private wealth advisor; Kimberley Cerruti – director of marketing and branding; Henry Cerruti – founder, partner and private wealth advisor; Joann Surrusco – director of insurance; Nicholas Llerena – partner and private wealth advisor; Thomas Mueger – associate private wealth advisor; Tim Honce – private wealth advisor; Maureen D’amico – director of investments; Julianne Cagnina – executive assistant.
