Now’s the time to have the bull at your back, with Merrill.

Now’s the time to have the bull at your back, with Merrill.

Merrill believes the future is bullish, even in the most unpredictable of markets. To see you through uncertainty and help you to find opportunities, we invite you to check out the latest investment insights from our Chief Investment Office.

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Jeffrey A James, CPFA, CFP

Vice President
Wealth Management Advisor
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Merrill Lynch
Wealth Management

Accessible, knowledgeable and experienced, I am committed to building and maintaining strong client relationships. I am passionate about what I do and I bring that passion to helping every client make what may be the most important financial decisions of their lives.

Profile

I am a CFP® professional and a Wealth Management Advisor who joined the Santa Rosa office of Merrill in 1994. I am a qualified Portfolio Manager who, in addition to providing traditional advice and guidance, can also help clients pursue their objectives by building and managing my own personalized or defined strategies, which may incorporate individual stocks and bonds, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management model portfolios, and third-party investment strategies. When servicing clients through the firm's Investment Advisory Program, as a Portfolio Manager I may manage investment strategies on a discretionary basis. I help clients develop strategies to manage their personal and business finances. I am a graduate of U.C. Davis, and am active with various civic groups, including currently or previously serving on Boards or committees with the following organizations: Sonoma-Marin Fair, Family Justice Center Sonoma County Foundation, Sonoma County Farm Bureau, Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce, Rohnert Park Chamber of Commerce, Sonoma County Fair and Active 20-30 Club. My wife Judy and I live and raise winegrapes in the Cotati area.

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

    UC Davis

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

No two investment approaches are alike because no two investors are alike. I'll examine several components — your life priorities, investment personality and financial situation — and work together to help you create a customized, actionable approach with personalized advice and measurable goals. I'll help you track progress to your goals and work with you to adjust your investment approach over time, as needed.

Capabilities

I have the experience, knowledge and tools to fully understand each client’s current financial situation and to help them create potential solutions designed to pursue their short- and long-term objectives. I offer a range of capabilities, including retirement income planning and potential wealth transfer solutions from Merrill and access to estate planning services and philanthropic solutions through Bank of America.

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

It’s important to plan for your financial future, which means getting more than investment advice. I believe you may find value in a one-on-one relationship with someone dedicated to knowing who you are and what you want to accomplish. Someone who knows your kids’ names, how hard you worked to get where you are, how you define a successful life and how you view investing. My commitment is centered in helping clients achieve their goals by making their needs and wants a priority. My advice and financial approach are guided by what’s important to you, and our success is defined by your satisfaction over time.

Welcome

My mission is to understand you and what matters most to you. To take the time, to ask hard, smart questions and to listen carefully, then to understand, in great detail, exactly where your wealth stands today, and where you’d like it to be tomorrow. I help you design and implement a customized wealth management approach that helps you and your family pursue your personal financial goals while helping manage investment risk. My wealth management approach is about using wealth to help turn goals into reality.

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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    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

      I believe it’s important that you seek the advice and guidance of an experienced financial advisor who can thoughtfully analyze your situation, work with you to identify potential solutions that address your needs, and clearly communicate them to you. I want to work with you to develop your wealth management approach for the future.

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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.