Profile

Considering himself to be a seasoned and sensitive advisor, Val brings clients more than 25 years of experience at Bank of America and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. His loyal and growing clientele includes active and retired business owners, corporate executives, and individuals in the creative and entertainment fields. Many are same-sex couples and other members of the LGBTQ community, as well as families he’s served for decades.

Val is driven by his passion to serve clients like he would a good friend or family member. With the majority of clients referred to by him by others, Val feels privileged to help them make important financial decisions – providing information and education to help ensure positive outlooks and outcomes.

Having spent most of his career at Bank of America, Val is highly skilled and motivated to identify needs and opportunities on both sides of clients’ balance sheets – assets and liabilities. On a regular basis, he provides access to Bank of America, N.A. for residential and securities-based lending, as well everyday banking including checking accounts, credit cards, safe deposit boxes, wire transfers and other banking solutions. Val’s numerous contacts within the firm include small business bankers, trust specialists and others he can “bring to the table” with a single phone call.

In each client relationship, Val finds that establishing a comfortable rapport is critical to setting the stage for productive conversations. Asking open-ended questions (and listening more than talking), Val wants to know about a client’s job, family, lifestyle, short-term goals, and how they envision retirement, for example.

When it comes to investments, Val takes his cues from each client’s objectives, tolerance for risk, need for liquidity and investment timeline. He relies on award-winning Merrill research and the firm’s model portfolios to position clients for risk-managed growth and preservation of capital.

In everything he does, Val examines a client’s tax situation and designs tax-minimization strategies, often by collaborating with a client’s CPA. To provide enduring benefits, he also aligns his estate-planning strategies with input from clients’ attorneys and the firm’s trust specialists.

“I enjoy being a resource for clients who really need one,” Val says. “Some hope to buy their first home in a challenging real estate environment. Most are paying California’s high taxes. Others are about to retire, sell properties and move to Palm Springs or out of state. Many clients have questions about health care costs, long-term care and other issues. I truly appreciate the trust clients place in me. Even my neighbors leave me their keys before traveling. Being there for people is part of who I am.”

Val grew up in the Philippines and moved the U.S. as a teenager. While attending Cal State University, he worked for Bank of America and relished the exposure to the corporate world. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, he was invited to work on a full-time basis at the bank, which he did until 2017 – when he joined Merrill. Today, Val resides in West Hollywood where he enjoys working out, traveling, meeting with good friends and visiting family in Orange County.

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