Tune out the noise: Wealth planning for the year ahead

Hear from a panel of experts as they explore how rising interest rates, high inflation and increased volatility are impacting the economy, how family dynamics are changing estate planning and hear some actionable strategies for investors to consider in 2023.

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Donovan R. Filpi, CFP, CRPC

First Vice President
Wealth Management Advisor
Learn more about an advisor's background on
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Merrill Lynch
Wealth Management

As a Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Advisor, I offer advice and guidance for potential investment solutions that consider your life goals, risk tolerance, time horizon and liquidity needs.

Profile

As a husband and a father I feel it is my duty to provide my family with the emotional support and financial stability we require to navigate the challenges that life presents. Understanding that each obstacle requires a different approach helps me to be that person they can rely on during both certain and uncertain times. I strive to provide a similar foundation to my business and client relationships. Given the volatile nature of the financial markets over the past several years, many people have lost faith in their ability to effectively plan and achieve their financial goals. My focus is to restore that faith and put clients back on track through the prudent balance of risk management and allocation structure within their portfolios.

I am dedicated to providing a one stop, concierge style wealth planning service. Clients leverage my knowledge and the vast network of resources I have to provide the most convenient strategies to help meet their needs. I also work with clients’ attorneys and tax advisors to address their specific financial situations and estate planning issues. This allows clients to focus on what is important to them: their families, health and professions.

My business philosophy is built on five primary goals:
1. Concierge style financial service for clients and their families
2. Understanding client’s needs and objectives
3. Providing clients capital markets understanding
4. Preserving client assets, while still participating in the markets
5. Trust

I earned my BA degree in psychology with a business specialization from UCLA in 2000. I have worked in the financial services industry since 2005, joining Bank of America/Merrill in 2006. Recently, I was honored to be named a recipient of the prestigious David Brady* award (received in 2021) bestowed upon the Merrill employee who goes beyond expectations in his dedication to clients.

I live in Vista, California, with my wife Jessica and children Luca, Gianni and Julie. I am an active member of my church and spend my free time running, cooking and enjoying San Diego County with my family and friends.

*Bank of America Corporation’s David Brady Community Service Award is named for David Brady, a Merrill financial advisor who died in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He was highly respected for putting the client first and giving back to his community. The award that bears his name was created in 2007 and seeks to honor individuals within Bank of America Corporation Global Wealth & Investment Management who continue to emulate David’s ethos.

I follow the deep-seated Merrill tradition of participating in the communities we serve. This drives my interest in spending time volunteering with organizations in our community.

  • LANGUAGES

    English

  • EDUCATION

    UCLA

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.

Dawn Ferreira

Wealth Management Lending Officer

Bank of America, N.A.

NMLS #1511633

Andrew Broughton

Wealth Management Banking Specialist

Merrill

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

My approach to investing is grounded in an understanding of you. It all begins with a conversation. I take the time to get to know you — your kids' names, how hard you worked to get where you are and how you define success. I'll work together with you to understand your investment personality, prioritize your goals and build a financial approach that reflects your needs. I believe investors can benefit from our advice, access to the investment insights offered by Merrill, trust and fiduciary services from Bank of America Private Bank and the banking convenience of Bank of America. When it comes to your success, there’s only one financial approach that really matters — yours.

Capabilities

We believe that to feel good about your finances, you need to know exactly where you are, where you want to go, and how much you may need to get there. I work with you to develop a customized financial approach, drawing on the best thinking of our firm, to help you with your financial future. I will make it clear what you’re paying for and what you’re getting. As your life needs and market conditions change, we can meet to help make sure you’re on track in pursuing your goals and to adjust your approach as needed for the journey ahead.

Focus On Individuals, Families, and Small Businesses

I believe that financial success can be achieved when you’re able to make investment-related decisions and trade-offs that can help you reach personally meaningful goals. So whether you’re planning your retirement, saving to buy a home or fund a child’s education, I start by getting to know you and how you feel about the following seven life priorities.

  • 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 others and giving to charities
  • Work: Working in retirement, selling or starting a business
  • Finance: Bringing it all together and defining your financial goals
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

Life is always changing and growing more complex. Your needs and priorities specific to your family, work, health and home are continuously evolving. And since your finances are so deeply connected with the rest of your life, an investment approach that is specific to your unique situations can be helpful. Even if you’re accustomed to managing your wealth on your own, you may find value in having a relationship with someone who understands your priorities and who has the knowledge and resources to help you make more informed decisions, no matter where in your life you are.

Welcome

Among the reasons I chose to become a Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Advisor is because of my passion for helping to educate my clients about investing. As a financial advisor, one of the most valuable things I can do for clients is to help them understand the markets, our goals-based wealth management approach, and to help them understand their life priorities and the impact this can have on their individual wealth management approach. My advice and approach are guided by an interest in your life’s goals and priorities.

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.

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    #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

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    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 I can help you create a financial approach that reflects your personality. Only then can I 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.

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      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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      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.

      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.