Tom Weisenfels is Delaware's Best and Top Financial Advisors, ranked the #1 Advisor in Forbes "Best-In-State Wealth Advisors" list for 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022+ (published annually Jan - April. Rankings based on data as of June 30 of prior year)+, and was named to Barron's America's Top 1,200 Advisors for the eighth time in 2022.++ (published annually in March. Rankings based on data as of September 30 of prior year.) His 30+ year career focuses on detailed planning, retirement issues, wealth and portfolio management, and total financial advice for high net worth, executive, and retired clients. He is a Delaware native, completed his B.S. in Business & Engineering at the US Military Academy at West Point; completed Airborne, Air Assault, and Ranger schools; and is an Army officer veteran of the Desert Storm war. His business achievements include being a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® certificant#, a designation awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.; a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, CRPC certificant ##; and a Certified Kingdom Advisor® Christian financial counselor. He also is part of Merrill Lynch's Retirement Education Services area that assists DuPont, Corteva, Chemours, and other corporate retirees in the area.   Tom lives in Greenville with his wife, Melissa, and two children, Lilly and Andrew, along with their Boxer dog, Maple. 

The team's relationship with clients starts with a full profile of their current situation, goals, needs, risk tolerance, timelines, and preferences. An analysis is done to review future outcomes, areas needing attention, tax#, debt, home financing, estate planning services, insurance (life, disability, long term care, survivor), employer benefits, education, special needs, philanthropic & charitable concerns, tithing, retirement, principal preservation, portfolio structure, and income stream needs. Once the analysis is complete, a specific implementation strategy is drafted that gives written particulars on how to proceed. This strategy includes details on account structure, portfolio design, trust funding, distribution strategies, allocation##, and specific investments and strategies to be used.  The plan is clear, sets expectations and accountability for the team and clients, and integrates client preferences to ensure comfort in proceeding forward. Once the strategy is finalized, the team takes on the many responsibilities of transferring, titling, restructuring, updating service items, reporting, and tax record keeping. This simplifies the financial management responsibilities of clients with one-stop personal service. A full suite of technology provides easy access to account information, service requests, transfers, communications, performance, activity, and taxes.

 

The key differences that separate the team from its competitors are as follows: depth of financial knowledge, a detailed and disciplined planning process, written recommendations on all areas prior to investment, use of the team's proprietary ETF portfolios, strict portfolio management discipline, regular rebalancing, thorough understanding of retirement and estate issues, service beyond compare, responsiveness, unquestionable integrity, and accountability. The team develops its own custom portfolios free of bias and provides ongoing advice regards adjustments to holdings, weightings, and objectives. The team is entrusted with over $670 million of client assets (as of 1/2/2023), has extensive training and certifications, 30 years of experience, multiple third party awards, and delivers proactive ideas driven by world class research.

 

The business model allows the addition of quality clients each year and we hope you will be one of them. Initial consultations are complimentary and transparent in providing answers to your questions, recommendations, costs, and an overview on how to proceed. The focus is always on your best interest and how to best achieve financial security and wealth preservation for you and your family. The outcomes are remarkable for clients and consistently show net outperformance with more confidence, simplicity, and time efficiency than the self directed investor.  We ask for the opportunity to earn your business and faith after demonstrating responsive excellence in the financial advisory profession.

 

*CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™  are certification marks owned by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., and awarded to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.  

*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: The Barron’s “Top 1,200 Financial Advisors: State-by-State” list, published annually in 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.  Years prior to 2014, this Barron's list consisted of 1,000 advisors.

+Neither Merrill Lynch nor its Financial Advisors provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. Clients should review any planned financial transactions or arrangements that may have tax, accounting or legal implications with their personal professional advisors.

++Asset Allocation does not ensure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets.

Trey (William III) Jones graduated from Coastal Carolina University where he received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.    He proudly joined Merrill Lynch in 2013, learned operations and service areas, completed extensive advisory training, and has worked as a Wealth Management Advisor since 2017.   He has earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® certification, awarded by the Certified Financial Planner board of Standards, Inc; as well as the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, CRPC® designation.    His advisory practice within the team focuses on retirement, tax efficiency, businesses, foundations, and wealth management strategies to meet the goals of clients.   Trey creates remarkable value by integrating his knowledge through a comprehensive approach to deliver a wide variety of investment, insurance, retirement, and banking solutions so clients and businesses can best meet their unique goals. He enjoys golf, tennis, surfing, and paddle boarding.  Trey lives in Philadelphia, PA, and enjoys his daughter Juliette and dog, June.

+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.

++Asset Allocation does not ensure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets.