What could a highly skilled financial advisor have in common with Columbo, the iconic 1970’s TV detective who wasn’t exactly known for his financial acumen? If the financial advisor is Pat DiCerbo of Northwestern Mutual, the answer is more than you would think.
Columbo’s innate curiosity and fascination with human behavior made him a successful sleuth and an endearing character for generations. For Pat DiCerbo, these qualities are equally important, in fact perhaps moreso than his abundant knowledge of financial products and services. “Everyone has a story,” he says.
DiCerbo seeks to know and appreciate those stories as a key element of serving his clients. “I want to try and get to know the human being,” he says. “I want to get to the core of the person as soon as I can to know if the fit is there.“
And he has found a successful fit with a wide range of clients in construction, an industry he has always been drawn to, and learned about from his wife and father-in-law, who are civil engineers. “I am basically an entrepreneur and I have a deep respect for what contractors do and the risks they take to do it,” he says.
For more than 30 years, DiCerbo has thrived in helping contractors with their financial – and life -- goals. He currently has more than 500 clients with assets from $20 million - $200+ million and is one of the top wealth management advisors at an organization that is among the most successful in the financial services field.
For DiCerbo, the approach is the same regardless of the assets of the client. “What is their story? I want to know, and I am a good listener.”
Once he knows that story, DiCerbo says he helps guide his clients to the best choices for them. Beyond his own experience and track record, he says being affiliated with Northwestern Mutual makes a difference. Northwestern ranked 97 on the 2022 FORTUNE 500 and was recognized by FORTUNE® as one of the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2022.
DiCerbo points out that Northwestern has some key attributes that set it apart. It offers the broadest range of insurance and investment options. It has earned the highest financial strength ratings from all four major U.S. ratings agencies. DiCerbo notes that “It is not limited by just stock price and offers a long-term value propositionthat comes through being a part of a $700 billion private insurance company with the stability to weather market volatilities.”
Backed by a deep team of financial and insurance professionals, DiCerbo seeks to lead clients through both the market’s challenges and those inherent in construction. He couples this with trust earned through his own work and the history of Northwestern. “Money is misunderstood by most people. You can know a lot about the properties of money, but you need to have trust,” he says.
It is both a point of pride and, DiCerbo believes, a key to his successful results, that he always develops strong relationships with his clients. “The greatest compliment I get is when someone tells me they are telling me things they don’t share with anyone else,” he says.
It is paying attention to some basics that helps DiCerbo forge these relationships. “I want people to feel comfortable. We should be comfortable with people we are making important decisions with. But the truth is that often we are not.”
DiCerbo says we should reorient our minds in thinking about investing. “Investments are a means to an end. We really work for the best life we can imagine.”
DiCerbo is driven to know what that best life is for his clients. “My business isn’t really about the products, It’s about people….and how I can use the products and my experience to help them,” he says.
“I believe we all have a purpose in life in serving our fellow human beings,” DiCerbo says. “And as a benefit, we get to reap the rewards.” For him, chief among them are scores of wonderful relationships. “It is a great gift,” he says.
And just as iconic TV detective Columbo always managed to get a confession from a suspect, Pat DiCerbo’s unyielding interest in people and their stories never fails him in finding the right plan for his clients. “I guess I am kind of like Columbo,” he says. And like Columbo, Pat DiCerbo has a track record that’s pretty darn good!
Pat has started a podcast -- @TheMostFascinatingPodcast! It is on Spotify and Itunes and wherever you get your podcasts, as well as on YouTube. Maybe we can include this at end of piece with his contact info.
Patrick A. DiCerbo, B.A., MSFS, ChFC®, CFP ®
Wealth Management Advisor
1 Northwestern Blvd, Albany, NY 12211
P: 518.690.7961
C: 518.281.8200
F: 518.690.7959
[email protected]
patdicerbo.com