Women’s superpower: Investing

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Recognition

Merrill is proud of our advisors who’ve received recognition from financial industry publications or directly from Bank of America Corporation. We believe they are setting the standard for exemplary client service.

David S Barnett

Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams” 2023 and 2024
Published annually in January. Rankings based on data as of March 31 of prior year.*

Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Advisors" 2019-2023
Published annually Jan- April. Rankings based on data as of June 30 of prior year.

Ashley T Ament

Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams” 2023 and 2024
Published annually in January. Rankings based on data as of March 31 of prior year.*

Forbes "Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State” 2023
Published on February 2, 2023. Rankings based on data as of September 30, 2022.*

Working Mother/SHOOK Research's "Top Wealth Advisor Moms" 2019-2021
Published annually Sept - Oct. Rankings based on data as of Mar 31 of current year.

Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Advisors" 2021 - 2023
Published annually Jan- April. Rankings based on data as of June 30 of prior year.

Forbes "Best-in-State Next-Generation Wealth Advisors" 2019, 2022, 2023
Published annually Aug - Sept. Rankings based on data as of March 31 of current year.

Meet the Team

Supported by the global resources of Merrill, our team is comprised of talented and experienced individuals committed to building strong client relationships based on trust and personalized service.

Additional Resources

The following specialists do not make securities recommendations. Please contact your Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Advisor if you have questions about how a specialist might be able to assist you.

Jett T Rivera

Wealth Management Banking Specialist

Merrill

Steven Ngo

Wealth Management Lending Officer

Bank of America, N.A.

NMLS #630008

Where do we begin? It starts with you.

At Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, your financial advisor focuses on the things you care about most- family, goals and priorities - even as they change over the years.

Understanding Your Life

Approach

Wealth Management is a dynamic process. As we focus on you today and help you identify your goals for tomorrow, we can strive to work together throughout life’s ups, downs, triumphs, and transitions. Helping you pursue your goals starts with getting to know you, your family and developing a plan. Our job is to understand what matters most to you. We will work together to create a financial strategy that reflects your investment personality and is built around your life priorities. We will be here to help you make adjustments to your plan if and when necessary over time.

Capabilities

Merrill’s process is designed to help deliver a customized, comprehensive experience to assist you not only in wealth accumulation and preservation, but in areas that go beyond investments. Providing you with access to the investment insights of Merrill, trust and fiduciary services from Bank of America Private Bank, and the banking and lending solutions of Bank of America offers a way to help you manage all of the pieces of your financial life. Working one-on-one with a Merrill advisor means you have a single point of contact to help you with potential strategies for transferring wealth to the younger generation.

Focus On High-Net-Worth Individuals and Business Owners

We offer clients a breadth of potential solutions, premier customer service and financial tools based on their unique circumstances. No matter what your goals may be, the process begins by defining and prioritizing your financial goals based on the following:

  • Health: Managing healthcare expenses, now and in the future
  • Home: Upsizing, downsizing, remodeling or buying a vacation home
  • Family: Taking care of your family and other people in your life
  • Leisure: Spending your free time in meaningful ways
  • Giving: Volunteering, mentoring and giving to charities
  • Work: Working in retirement, selling or starting a business
  • Finance: Bringing it all together; defining your financial goals
The team’s industry knowledge and experience helps them provide you with:
  • Potential risk management strategies
  • Trust and estate planning services
  • Tax-minimization strategies
  • Access to Bank of America for your credit and banking needs
This material should be regarded as general or educational information on healthcare or Social Security considerations and is not intended to provide specific healthcare or social security advice. If you have questions regarding your particular situation, please contact your legal or tax advisor.

Your approach to investing

Drawing upon research in the field of behavioral finance, Merrill developed the Investment Personality Assessment to help us get to know you better as an investor and potentially help you refine your own investing preferences. By gaining a deeper understanding of how you think and feel about investing through this assessment, we can customize the financial approach we develop together to help you pursue what matters most to you. Our Investment Personality Assessment is one of the ways to help us get to know you - to understand your goals and priorities. These questions will help us provide you with additional insights and resources.

Understanding your goals and priorities

Your life and goals change. We have tools to help you keep track of these changes so they can be reflected in your financial approach.

Philosophy

We believe the best financial approach is the one that helps you pursue your goals. That's why, from the start, we talk about your aspirations and encourage you to ask questions about issues that matter most to you. Calculating how to manage future health care expenses? College on the horizon? Considering the sale of a business or purchase of a home? Preparing to pass your wealth to future generations? It all starts with a plan intended to help you manage, grow, and preserve your wealth today, while also considering the impact it can have for years to come. With access to the investment insights of Merrill and banking solutions from Bank of America, we will work with you to develop an approach designed to help address your financial needs.

About Barnett & Ament Wealth Management

Barnett & Ament Wealth Management is a Merrill financial advisory team headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, serving clients in over 30 states.  With more than 85 years of financial services experience, the team strives to provide an unmatched experience to their clients and their family members, founded on exceptional service and professionalism. The team was recognized by Forbes as “Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams” (Published on January 12, 2023.  Rankings based on data as of March 31, 2022) 

The team’s management surrounds their clients with an experienced, dedicated group to help with their unique needs and goals. Their focus is on client relationships, and they are involved in every aspect of a family’s financial life, not just helping them manage their investments.

The team philosophy is “leave nothing to chance” and they make that a driving force in everything they do.  They communicate with clients without using industry jargon, explaining even the most complex investment details in a way that clients can understand, allowing them to be more educated about their wealth management plan. 

They have proactive contact with clients throughout the year so they stay connected and keep up with changes in their lives as well as economic and market changes.  Each client has an individualized financial strategy that offers diversification and risk management strategies. 

Areas of focus:

· Strategies to build wealth to be able to retire comfortably.

· Generating retirement income after retirement.

· Tax minimization strategies.

· Individualized financial strategies that offer diversification and downside hedging as appropriate.

· Estate planning Strategies to maximize wealth transfers.

· Total family relationship, helping everyone in the family to achieve their own individual goals.

· Assist with banking and lending services through Bank of America, N.A.

· We have powerful resources at our disposal, including a Wealth Management Lending Officer from Bank of America, N.A. as well as associates focusing on retirement strategies, trust services and insurance.

 
*The Wealth Management Lending Officer does not offer investment advice, nor make recommendations on investment products

Staying on Track

We understand that both your life and the financial markets can change over time. By checking in to discuss changes in your life and revisiting your financial approach, our goal is to help you stay on track to achieve what's most important to you.



Reviews to help you
stay on track

We’ll meet with you to review your goals and the progress you’ve made toward reaching them. We’ll also discuss any adjustments needed to your financial approach to help you stay on course.



    Changes in your life
    and to your goals

    Your life and goals change. As these changes occur, we can update your approach to reflect them.

    #DigitalMerrill

    MyMerrill is your online destination for access to your financial information, secure communications, and a robust offering of tools and capabilities.

    Your advisor is a click away within our site or mobile apps

    You can manage account security with our customizable security capabilities such as touch ID, one time passcode, and other security features

    Access to your complete financial life is available with My Financial Picture, Merrill’s asset aggregation tool

      Let’s Have a Conversation

      Helping you reach your goals starts with getting to know you personally. Through understanding what matters most to you, together we can help you create a financial approach that reflects your personality. Only then can we offer an approach that is built around your life priorities and the advice you need to help you address fluctuations in the market and changes in your life. Let’s work together to help you achieve your goals.

      Why Merrill?

      As Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Advisors, we will sort through the financial complexities of your life, helping you build a customized investment approach to address your needs and pursue your goals.


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      We put you first, every day.
      Learn more about the dedicated one-on-one relationship you can have with a Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Advisor.

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      Transcript of Video 

      No question too big or moment too small
      For every question you have, every decision you make and every answer you need, we are with you to listen and help guide you along the many paths your life can take. Watch this video to see some questions we can address together.


      The Power of the Right Advisor®
      Working with a dedicated Merrill advisor means you get personalized investment strategies from Merrill plus access to comprehensive financial solutions only Bank of America can deliver.

      Personalized advice from a dedicated financial advisor.

      We get to know you and your family, your financial situation and what matters most to you.

      A comprehensive approach, built around your life’s priorities.

      Drawing from our experience and the best thinking of Merrill, together we will design an approach that reflects your unique needs, priorities and financial situation.

      Adjusting your investment approach as your life and the markets change.

      We will work to help you stay on track, regardless of what the markets are doing.