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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Profile

Marlynn Ma is a Managing Director and Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill in Pasadena, California. Marlynn provides in-depth advice and guidance to individuals, families, and businesses, helping them implement a more strategic and thoughtful approach to their finances. A financial advisor since 2002, she offers the knowledge and insight to tackle sophisticated needs, particularly those of wealth creators, entrepreneurs, privately-owned businesses, and multiple generations of client families. Fluent in Mandarin, Marlynn has particular depth serving the Asian American community, helping them capitalize on the opportunities at their disposal to preserve, grow, and transfer wealth more effectively.

A veteran of the industry, Marlynn has garnered a number of national accolades for work as an Advisor.



Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” Multi-Year lists: 2020, 2021 and 2022
Published annually Jan – April. Rankings based on data as of June 30 of prior year.


Forbes “America’s Top Women Wealth Advisors” Multi-Year lists: 2020 and 2021
Published annually Feb – April. Rankings based on data as of June 30–September 30 of prior year.


Working Mother/SHOOK Research’s “Top Wealth Advisor Moms” Multi-Year lists: 2019, 2020 and 2021
Published annually Sept – Oct. Rankings based on data as of Mar 31 of current year.


Financial Times "401 Top Retirement Advisers" Multi-Year lists: 2018, 2019 and 2020
Published annually May - Oct. Rankings based on data as of Dec 31 of prior year.*

Marlynn feels that clients look to for her steady effort, sustained leadership, and seasoned perspective. She is adept in unwinding the intersection of a client’s personal and professional wealth, offering a tax-sensitive approach that is bolstered by active collaboration with a client’s external tax and legal advisors, as appropriate. Undaunted by the complexities that significant wealth can entail, Marlynn is well versed in business optimization, pre- and post-transaction planning, tailored portfolio management, trust and estate planning services, custom lending, and philanthropic services.  

Concurrent with this role, Marlynn also oversees retirement benefit assets for corporate clients, including 401(k), profit sharing, defined benefit, and deferred compensation plans. She and her team work closely with plan sponsors and administrators to enhance participant education, increase plan participation, and compete more effectively for employee talent. She also supports business owners in pursuing their fiduciary duties and by providing access to services that help with minimizing fiduciary liability in their retirement-plan management.

Marlynn has worked in wealth management since 2002 and joined Merrill in 2009. Prior to her work in wealth management, she graduated from medical school in China and worked in the Bengbu Medical School Hospital for 6 years. Dedicated to professional excellence, Marlynn has attained a number of industry designations. She holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. CFP®, the Certified Exit Planning Advisor, CEPA® designation, the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor, CPFA® designation, the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, CRPC designation, the Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist, CRPS designation, and the Certified 401(k) Professional®, C(k)P® designation.
 
Married with two sons, Marlynn enjoys spending time with her family and her beloved Labradoodle, Kiki. She and her family also enjoy traveling to new destinations.

For our team website, please click here.

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Merrill, its affiliates, and financial advisors do not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice. You should consult your legal and/or tax advisors before making any financial decisions.

*Source: The Forbes “America’s Top Women Wealth Advisors” list, published annually Feb - April. Rankings based on data as of June 30 - September 30 of prior year.

Data provided by SHOOK® Research, LLC. Forbes.com America’s Top Women Advisors ranking was developed by SHOOK Research and is based on in-person, virtual and telephone due diligence meetings to evaluate each advisor qualitatively, a major component of a ranking algorithm that includes: client impact, industry experience, review of best practices and compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, including: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. SHOOK’s research and rankings provide opinions intended to help investors choose the right financial advisor and are not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK Research receive compensation in exchange for placement on the ranking. For more information, please see www.SHOOKresearch.com. SHOOK is a registered trademark of SHOOK Research, LLC

*Source: The Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” list, published annually Jan - April. Rankings based on data as of June 30 of prior year.

Data provided by SHOOK® Research, LLC. Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors ranking was developed by SHOOK Research and is based on in-person, virtual, and telephone due diligence meetings to measure best practices; also considered are: client retention, industry experience, credentials, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, such as: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. SHOOK’s research and rankings provide opinions intended to help investors choose the right financial advisor and are not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK Research receive compensation in exchange for placement on the ranking. For more information, please see www.SHOOKresearch.com. SHOOK is a registered trademark of SHOOK Research, LLC.
*Source: Working Mother/SHOOK Research’s “Top Wealth Advisor Moms” list, published annually Sept - Oct. Rankings based on data as of Mar 31 of current year.

Data provided by SHOOK® Research, LLC. SHOOK Research considered women advisors with children living at home under 21 years of age. The ranking algorithm is based on qualitative measures derived from telephone and in-person interviews and surveys: service models, investing process, client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations, etc.; and quantitative criteria, such as assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. Rankings are based on the opinions of SHOOK Research, LLC and not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. Rankings and recognition from Working Mother/SHOOK Research are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results, and such rankings should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor. Neither SHOOK nor Working Mother receives compensation from the advisors or their firms in exchange for placement on a ranking. SHOOK Research is a trademark of SHOOK Research, LLC. All rights reserved.

*Source: Financial Times “401 Top Retirement Advisers” list, published annually May - Oct. Rankings based on data as of Dec 31 of prior year.

The Financial Times “401 Top Retirement Advisers” list is an independent listing produced annually by the Financial Times. The FT 401 is based on data gathered from advisers, regulatory disclosures, and the FT’s research. The listing reflects each adviser’s status in six primary areas: DC plan assets under management, DC plan growth rate, specialization in DC plans, years of experience, advanced industry credentials, and compliance record. This honor is not indicative of the adviser’s future performance. Rankings and recognition from the Financial Times are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results, and such rankings should not be construed as an endorsement of the adviser. Neither the advisers nor their parent firms pay a fee to the Financial Times in exchange for inclusion in the FT 401. All rights reserved.

  • LANGUAGES

    Chinese & English

  • EDUCATION

    BengBu Medical School

    California State University System

Professional Staff

Supported by the global resources of Merrill, my 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.

Ryan T. Aikens

Employee Benefits Specialist

Bank of America, N.A.

Ally Bowdoin

Wealth Strategist

Merrill

Grace K Chung

Senior Wealth Management Lending Officer

Bank of America, N.A.

NMLS #637495

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

I begin every relationship with a conversation, helping you identify and prioritize which goals matter most to you. Whether it's transferring wealth to the next generation, customizing your financial approach to help you pursue your passions, or providing advice and guidance to help you stay informed, I start by listening to learn more about you and your family.

Drawing upon research in the field of behavioral finance, Merrill developed the Investment Personality Assessment to help me get to know you better as an investor and help you refine your investing preferences. Together, I can help customize your investment approach. Using an understanding of your priorities and investment personality as a foundation, I help you access the full breadth of resources from Bank of America’s banking products and services and Merrill’s investment insights to address all aspects of your financial life.

Capabilities

My process is designed to help deliver a customized, consistent experience to assist clients not only in wealth accumulation and preservation, but in areas that go beyond investments. My ability to provide access to the investment insights of Merrill, trust and fiduciary services from Bank of America Private Bank, and the banking convenience and lending solutions of Bank of America offers a way to help clients manage all of the pieces of their financial lives. I view myself as a financial resource, helping clients with potential solutions for transferring wealth to the younger generation.

Trust and fiduciary services are provided by Bank of America Private Bank, a division of Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation (“BofA Corp.”).

Focus On Retirement Planning

Our primary focus is on helping clients with retirement income planning. Our focus is on developing an approach that takes into account your feelings about 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 and giving to charities
  • Work: Working in retirement, selling or starting a business
  • Finance: Bringing it all together; defining your financial goals
We’ll measure success together over time by the amount of progress you are making toward reaching your goals, making thoughtfully considered adjustments as events and conditions warrant.

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

As a Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Advisor, I focus on connecting all aspects of clients’ financial lives to help them prioritize and pursue goals that matter most to them. I work with individuals and families to understand their financial situation, risk tolerance, time horizon and liquidity needs. I help them articulate their short- and long-term goals, then work with them to establish a financial approach aligned with what they strive to achieve. I do so while combining personalized service with the investment insights of Merrill and access to the banking convenience of Bank of America.

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 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.

      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.

      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.