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Profile

Ali's goal is to be a trusted advisor to individuals and families. He provides a personalized wealth management process based on clients' unique goals, time horizons, liquidity needs, and temperament towards risk.

He guides clients through the employer benefits maze to pursue the financial freedom, and retirement they envision. Ali understands that we are living longer, and spending decades in retirement while caring for parents and children. He provides advice and guidance to clients to help remove some of the stress and uncertainties of retirement.

Ali advises clients on all aspects of their financial lives including:

  • 401(k)/Retirement Plans for institutions;
  • Access to banking services, through Bank of America, N.A.;
  • Investments;
  • Retirement Planning; and
  • Trust & Estate Planning Services.


With over 60 years of combined experience, Ali and his team give you access to the significant resources which have made Merrill a household name.

Ali joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 1996 and has been in the Financial Services industry since 1993. He also served honorably in the US Army. He lives in Clive, with his wife, Jan, and son, Joshua. Ali and Jan are both heavily involved with their son's PTA and school volunteer work.

Contact Ali and his team of professional staff, and utilize their insights, breadth of experience, and wisdom to help you achieve your goals, wants, and needs. We look forward to working with you and helping you better prepare.

Our team is involved with local communities, assisting charitable organizations such as Children and Families of Iowa, The Orchard Place, AHeinz 57 Pet Rescue, Food Bank of Iowa, Wounded Warrior Project, VFW, World Central Kitchen, National Parks Foundation, and National Audubon Society. For more information about how we can help you pursue your goals and dreams, contact us at your convenience.

  • EDUCATION

    Redwood High School

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.

Benjamin Suhumskie

Wealth Management Banking Specialist

Merrill

Clint W Weber

Wealth Management Lending Officer

Bank of America, N.A.

NMLS #1289891

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

As your Merrill advisor, I offer advice and guidance based on your goals and priorities -- for yourself and your family. Our approach to financial planning places you -- not the market -- at the center of our focus. I can help you understand the pros and cons of every potential decision, and help you maintain discipline so you can pursue your most important goals. As your needs or market conditions change, I will continue to collaborate with you and help you organize your financial life so that we can agree upon adjustments to your plan, as needed.

Philosophy

I believe the best financial approach is the one that helps you pursue your goals. That's why, from the start, we talk about your aspirations and encourage you to ask questions about issues that matter most to you. Calculating how to manage future health care expenses? College on the horizon? Considering the sale of a business or purchase of a home? Preparing to pass your wealth to future generations? It all starts with a plan intended to help you manage, grow, and preserve your wealth today, while also considering the impact it can have for years to come. With access to the investment insights of Merrill and banking solutions from Bank of America, I will work with you to develop an approach designed to help address your financial needs.

Approach

Every relationship begins 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.

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.

Estate

What would happen to your estate if you were gone tomorrow? Would your surviving family members and beneficiaries be taken care of in the manner you intend?

The attitude of some people is: "Why should I care about my estate? I'll be dead." After you are gone, where would all your money and assets go? Would your estate be distributed in the way you intend? Would the people who depend on you for support today continue to be taken care of? Estate planning is a process, and part of that process is having your estate documents in order.

Some of these documents may play a role in estate planning while you're alive whereas others will play a role after you're gone. All of these documents, however, are important to help manage your estate.

A power of attorney is a legal document that gives a trusted individual the power and authority to act on your behalf in legal and financial matters.

A durable power of attorney authorizes the person you designate to act on your behalf in areas related to investment and financial decisions in the event that you become incapacitated.

A medical durable power of attorney outlines your preferences for forms of medical treatment and gives an individual the authority to make decisions for you if you are unable to make them yourself.

A living will outlines medical procedures you will allow in the event of a debilitating or terminal illness.

A will provides instructions for how you would like your estate to be distributed upon your death.

And, trust records provide pertinent information about the trust you have created to help preserve and distribute your estate.

Do you need all these documents? That will depend on your specific situation. But it's important to have a general understanding of the role each document can play in estate planning.

Capabilities

Merrill’s process is designed to help deliver a customized, comprehensive experience to assist you not only in wealth accumulation and preservation, but in areas that go beyond investments. Providing you with access to the investment insights of Merrill, trust and fiduciary services from Bank of America Private Bank, and the banking and lending solutions of Bank of America offers a way to help you manage all of the pieces of your financial life. Working one-on-one with a Merrill advisor means you have a single point of contact to help you with potential strategies for transferring wealth to the younger generation.

Focus On Individuals, Families and Small Businesses

I believe that financial success can be achieved when you’re able to make investment-related decisions and trade-offs that can help you reach personally meaningful goals. Whether you’re planning your retirement, saving to buy a home or funding a child’s education, the process begins by getting to know you and how you feel about the following:

  • 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 others and giving to charities
  • Work: Working in retirement, selling or starting a business
  • Finance: Bringing it all together and defining your financial goals

Success will be measured 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.

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

      We believe there is no substitute for having a relationship with a team of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Advisors committed to your needs, who can leverage the investment insights of Merrill and offer access to the banking convenience of Bank of America to help clients navigate the financial and economic landscapes. Let’s work together to help you pursue 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.


      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.