Timothy J. Rueter,
CFP®, ChFC®
Wealth Advisor, RJFS
President, Foundation Wealth Strategies, LLC
A wealth advisor for nearly 25 years, Tim guides our team in helping clients pursue their financial goals by providing prudent advice on investment management, retirement distribution strategies and a diverse range of key areas, including life and health insurance, tax planning, estate planning, educational savings and financial aid, and multi-generational wealth transfer. Committed to his ongoing education, Tim became a Certified Financial Planner® professional in 2010, and he also holds the Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) designation, which focuses on estate planning and wealth transfer strategies.
After almost 10 years at his previous firm, Tim joined Raymond James in 2011 in order to expand his office and ability to offer a greater array of research, investment advice, and retirement planning capabilities for his clients. Since then, he has grown the team from just one employee to six, along with adding another advisor, Kyle Bonfield. Together, they have grown their business to serve over 650 families, which include business owners, entrepreneurs, executives, and professionals. Tim has a special place for teachers and administrators near his heart because of the background of his father, a parochial school principal. He believes that a financial planner must be three things to clients: a STUDENT (to learn what is important to them); a TEACHER (being able to explain financial concepts); and a PRACTITIONER (someone who can help implement a plan to meet their goals).
In 2024, Tim was named a member of the Raymond James Leaders Council*, a prestigious club offered at Raymond James® based on years of service and production. Previously, Tim was a Raymond James Executive Council member for 12 years and was also named a Level II Investment Management Consultant (IIMC) by the firm for his consultative and sophisticated approach to managing and growing his practice. In addition, Tim was one of thirty 2024 Excellence Award Advisor of the Year national finalists as nominated by InvestmentNews® magazine. For the third time in recent years, Tim is honored to have been recognized as one of Forbes/Shook Best in State Wealth Advisors in 2025.
Tim lives in Wheaton, IL with his family and volunteers for several local charities and his church. He is dedicated to the strengthening of his community through leadership and being a faithful steward. In addition, he enjoys travelling to Florida in the winter months, playing non-professional golf, as well as hunting sasquatch.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, Certified Financial Planner®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization's initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.
Investment advisory services are offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. Foundation Wealth Strategies is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. The Investment Management Consultant title is awarded to those who complete the Raymond James Institute of Investment Management Consultant program. *Membership is based on prior fiscal year production and re-qualification is required annually. The ranking may not be representative of any one client’s experience, is not an endorsement, and is not indicative of an advisor’s future performance. No fee is paid in exchange for this award/rating.
The Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors 2025 ranking, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative criteria, mostly gained through telephone and in-person due diligence interviews, and quantitative data. This ranking is based upon the period from 6/30/2023 to 6/30/2024 and was released on 4/8/2025. Those advisors that are considered have a minimum of seven years of experience, and the algorithm weighs factors like revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience and those that encompass best practices in their practices and approach to working with clients. Portfolio performance is not a criteria due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Out of approximately 48,944 nominations, roughly 9,722 advisors received the award. This ranking is not indicative of an advisor's future performance, is not an endorsement, and may not be representative of individual clients' experience. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors or RIA firms pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Compensation provided for using the rating. Raymond James is not affiliated with Forbes or Shook Research, LLC. Please visit https://www.forbes.com/best-in-state-wealth-advisors/ for more info.
