Profile

Vivek Thoppay began his career at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2002.  As the founder and strategic leader of The Thoppay Team, he serves a select group of highly successful clients, designing strategies that reflect their unique circumstances.  For almost two decades, he has built a team that emphasizes intellectual rigor, in-depth customization and committed service.  He and his team work closely with ultra-affluent individuals and families, helping them streamline financial complexities and capitalize on the opportunities of substantial wealth.   

Vivek has significant experience advising senior executives, entrepreneurs, and multi-generational families. He has previously been recognized by Barron's in 2019, 2020, and 2022 as one of America's top 1200 advisors (Published annually in February-March. Rankings based on data as of September 30 of prior year), and by Forbes in 2018, 2020, and 2021 as one of California’s Best-In-State advisors (Published annually Jan – April. Rankings based on data as of June 30 of prior year). 

From the outset Vivek and his team asks clients what matters to them. The value we provide depends to a great extent on our ability to encourage ongoing dialog and build trusted relationships.  Our clients refer us to their friends and colleagues because they appreciate our diligence, skill and reputation. 

My days are spent working closely with high net worth families to explore their best financial options, given their unique, individual situations. My goal is to answer questions such as, what do I need to retire? Should I refinance my mortgage or buy rental properties? How do I protect my family from major life events? How do I plan my estate for optimal transfer to the next generation?  Answering these questions while addressing all available options and scenarios builds comfort. Helping families meet or exceed their financial goals has always been my main driver.

Vivek graduated from Santa Clara University, where he received his MBA degree in Finance. Prior to joining Merrill Lynch, Vivek worked at DuPont in finance and sales in the semiconductor division, technical marketing in the FREON® replacement group, and process engineering in the TEFLON® group. Vivek earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Virginia.  Vivek resides in Saratoga, CA, with his wife, Mallika, and two sons, Saahil and Rishaan. Vivek was born in India and raised in the U.S. on East Coast. Vivek has been in the San Francisco Bay Area for over two decades.


WHAT DO WE BELIEVE?
• Busy clients don't always have time to optimally manage the moving parts of their financial picture. That's why our holistic approach extends to areas that may be neglected.
• Being an effective advisor means appreciating a client's concerns and challenges. Some clients are selling a business and eyeing the next opportunity – others are moving closer to retirement, or moving closer to family.
• By diversifying clients' portfolios using an institutional financial strategy, we aim to take risk "off the table." To optimize clients' overall wealth, we may coordinate with their CPAs and attorneys.

*Lending Services are through Bank of America, N.A. (NMLS#632765)

*Source: The Barron’s “Top 1,200 Financial Advisors: State-by-State” list, published annually in February-March. Rankings based on data as of
September 30 of prior year.

The Barron’s “Top 1,200 Financial Advisors” ranking considered advisors with a minimum of seven years financial services experience
and who have been employed at their current firm for at least one year. This is a list of the top advisors in each state, with the number
of ranking spots determined by each state’s population and wealth. Other quantitative and qualitative measures include assets under
management, revenues generated by advisors for their firms, and the quality of the advisors’ practices, regulatory records, internal
company documents, and 100-plus points of data provided by the advisors themselves. Rankings and recognition from Barron’s 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. Barron’s is a trademark of Dow Jones
& Company, Inc. All rights reserved.

*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.

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.