PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
Todd Rustman CFA®, CFP®, CLU®
www.claritycapitalllc.com
Professional Approach
When you come from a family of teachers, some might consider it fate to end up as a professional financial advisor. Todd Rustman’s career path, however, was not quite that clear-cut as a youngster growing up in Missouri.
Things started to come into focus quickly during a summer job working at the school bus company his father owned. Todd's dad handed him a broom and told him to take “the idiot stick” and start sweeping. It didn’t take long for the teenager to understand this was not how he wanted to live his future life.
Fortunately, Todd, a voracious reader, was also an exceptional student. He finished high school by landing a scholarship that took him out west, far from the world of maintenance garages and mechanics. He enrolled at Pepperdine University, graduating in 1992 and later going on to earn an MBA in International Business and Finance from Thunderbird University.
He put that advanced education to good use after college, joining Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan, Ltd. before moving on to the institutional client side with PIMCO and, later, portfolio manager for high net worth private clients through Mellon Private Asset Management. After four years with Mellon, and a year as vice president with Kayne Anderson Investment Management (prior to its sale), Todd founded Clarity Capital Partners in the fall of 2000.
Influenced by the teachings of readings about investment legends such as Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, Todd remains true to his Midwest roots by simplifying complex and confusing financial constructs for his clients. His disciplined approach to portfolio management aligns strategy with client objectives and timelines. He will reverse engineer desired outcomes, presenting options developed through quantitative data, analytics and related research generated from Clarity Capital’s deep bench of financial advisory partners and resources.
Todd has been named by Five Star Professional as a Five Star Wealth Manager award winner featured in Orange Coast magazine from 2014 - present. His professional certifications include CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst®), CFP® (CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™) professional, and CLU® (Chartered Life Underwriter®) credentials.
Beyond his advisory work, Todd is the author of the book Memory Royalties, in which he explores the enduring value of meaning life experiences and how they shape one’s legacy. He also serves as a co-founder of Levendi Winery and maintains an active presence in Southern California’s civic and business communities. A founding board member of Gen-Next, Todd also serves on the National Board of Alder.
Inspired by Jackie Robinson’s belief that “life is not a spectator sport,” Todd lives that philosophy daily – engaging with his clients, his community, and his family with enthusiasm and purpose. When he’s not helping others achieve clarity in their financial lives, Todd enjoys traveling and creating lasting memories with family and friends.