Women’s superpower: Investing

Watch our experts share ways to tap into your ability to build a more secure financial future.

Watch now

Meet the Team

Supported by the global resources of Merrill, our 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.

Kurt Lorenzen

Wealth Management Lending Officer

Bank of America, N.A.

NMLS #228680

Candice Neal

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

Welcome

At Hickey Butler Shine & Associates, we have a proud heritage of serving the best interests of clients with a measure of commitment and ethics that often exceeds their expectations.

When clients’ life transitions bring about significant financial challenges, we take a “hands-on, hands-held” approach. With decades of experience, we are sensitive, as well as seasoned. By helping clients make thoughtful, unhurried decisions and feel comfortable with the road ahead, we aim to strengthen their financial and emotional wellbeing.

On any given day, we believe there’s tremendous value in what we do – whether we sit with a widow and help organize paperwork, or deliver enlightened perspectives on optimizing wealth to active and retired corporate executives, business owners, entrepreneurs, physicians, attorneys, and hardworking “millionaires next door” who’ve sacrificed and saved.

As a multi-generational group, the ability of team members to build relationships with clients, their spouses, parents and children occurs naturally. Our ages also help ensure the continuity of thought and consistency of service that we believe client families deserve. We invite you to learn more, in the sections that follow.

What You Can Expect

At Hickey Butler Shine & Associates, we begin with you – where you want to go financially, where you see yourself now, and what you believe stands in your way.

We also want to know about you, as a person. Perhaps your life demands an extra measure of financial advice and attention (following a divorce, the loss of a spouse, the sale of a business, or an inheritance). Or maybe you’re financially astute without the time or desire to manage your wealth alone.

To address your concerns and ambitions, we ask questions. We’ll listen to what you say (and may not say). Many clients don’t know if they’ll have “enough” for retirement. Others want to prepare their children for the responsibilities of wealth. Rather than make assumptions, we’ll make time for multiple meetings with you – at your kitchen table or our conference table. There are no shortcuts to what we do.

With our decades of experience in all kinds of markets, we’ll craft an integrated, risk-managed strategy and encourage you to “stick” with it. Backed by our proactive support staff, we’ll keep you updated on progress being made toward key milestones and your long-term objectives. Keep in mind that our approach is not just holistic – it’s realistic. We will help you aim for goals that we believe are attainable.

Philosophy

At Hickey Butler Shine & Associates, we believe in being exceptional at things we can control.
 
For example, while the markets may behave irrationally, we remind clients that their disciplined decision-making can have a lasting impact on results. Our team understands that being consistent and transparent in communicating with clients helps build a foundation of trust from which meaningful discussions can lead to positive outcomes for intergenerational wealth.

We also believe in:

• Helping clients become well educated, about their strategy and their role in following it. We also devote significant time to walking clients through each step of wealth planning and implementation.

• Engaging with both spouses from the outset and listening to what each of them envisions.

• “Bringing the right people to the table.” We call upon our firm’s specialists and coordinate closely with clients’ CPAs and attorneys throughout the year – to help align tax-minimization and estate planning strategies.

• Formulating each client’s risk-managed investment portfolio by using Merrill research and due diligence, as well as external resources. With no proprietary investments, each portfolio includes what we believe will best fulfill clients’ long-term goals.

• Optimizing both sides of clients’ balance sheets. Providing timely liability management is critical to our mission and client success. In addition to residential lending, we offer access to securities-based lending (a flexible source of short-term funding) through Bank of America, N.A. 

We strive to be the financial advisory team that you genuinely trust and admire for our ability and integrity.

*Any information presented in connection with BofA Global Research is general in nature and is not intended to provide personal investment advice. The information does not take into account the specific investment objectives, financial situation and particular needs of any specific person who may receive it. Investors should understand that statements regarding future prospects may not be realized. BofA Global Research is research produced by BofA Securities, Inc. (“BofAS”) and/or one or more of its affiliates. BofAS is a registered broker-dealer, Member SIPC, and wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation. BofA Global Research does and seeks to do business with companies covered in its research reports. As a result, investors should be aware that the firm may have a conflict of interest that could affect the objectivity of this report. Investors should consider this report as only a single factor in making their investment decision.

The Clients We Serve

At Hickey Butler Shine & Associates, we assist accomplished men and women as motivated as we are. They include active and retired attorneys and physicians, business owners and entrepreneurs, senior-level corporate executives, “millionaires next door” who’ve diligently saved, and generations of client families – in the Chicago area and 37 states. Each of us shares a mission – to help clients accelerate and achieve their visions of success.

While clients have taken distinct professional and personal paths, all can benefit from having cohesive, long-term strategies in place that coincide with their view of the world and their wealth. Many were referred to us by their other trusted advisors, colleagues, and family. The enduring relationships we enjoy with clients tell us they respect our ability to manage their wealth and expectations, and help bring them financial confidence.

We believe that our team’s ages and experiences align nicely with those of clients and their family members. We also believe that clients appreciate our deep level of insight and involvement. With mutual interests and outlooks, we find it fulfilling to assist clients we admire for their achievements and values.

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


      MLBrochure.png

      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.

      Anthem video thumb.jpg 
      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.


      The Power of the Right Advisor®
      Working with a dedicated Merrill advisor means you get personalized investment strategies from Merrill plus access to comprehensive financial solutions only Bank of America can deliver.

      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.