Women’s superpower: Investing

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James Wolf, CPFA

Managing Director
Senior Financial Advisor
Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor
Learn more about an advisor's background on
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Merrill Lynch
Wealth Management

You should know what you own, why you own it, what you are paying, and how we are compensated. Successful goals based wealth management goes beyond just these services. It is a collaboration built on mutual trust and personalized service; a collaboration that is built on our conviction to help clients navigate the inevitable transitions and unforeseen events in their lives.

Recognition

Merrill is proud of our advisors who’ve received recognition from financial industry publications or directly from Bank of America Corporation. We believe they are setting the standard for exemplary client service.

James Wolf

Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams” 2024
Published on January 12, 2024. Rankings based on data as of March 31, 2023.*

Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Advisors" 2024
Published on April 3, 2024. Rankings based on data as of June 30, 2023.*

Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams” 2023
Published on January 12, 2023. Rankings based on data as of March 31, 2022.*

Forbes "Best-in-State Next-Generation Wealth Advisors 2019
Published on September 4, 2019. Rankings based on data as of March 31, 2019.

Click here to learn more about advisor recognitions

Profile

James Wolf has been in the financial services industry since 2007 and joined Merrill in 2013. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Marketing from the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. James is a senior member of The Anderson Wolf Godsey Group that has over 90 years of experience.

He focuses on developing strategies for high-net-worth individuals, their families and their businesses to help them pursue their financial goals. He addresses the various aspects of client’s financial lives – family, home, health, giving, work, leisure, and finances. James creates a working list of client objectives including investments, tax minimization, retirement assets and lending services to craft strategies designed to help clients with a clear path to build, manage, and preserve their wealth for current and future generations to come.

His goal is to bring simplicity and clarity to client’s financial lives. He works closely with your attorneys, tax professionals, and business insurance experts.





*Banking products and services provided by Bank of America, N.A.

James is President of the Charlotte Gamecock Club and MyCarolina Alumni Association. He is also a member of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, SC Alpha Alumni Association, Cystic Fibrosis Standout Charlotte, and Gamecock Club Board of Directors. He supports many other charities as well.

  • EDUCATION

    University of South Carolina - Columbia

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.

Jeff M Schappell

Wealth Management Banking Specialist

Merrill

Scott Griffin

Wealth Management Lending Officer

Bank of America, N.A.

NMLS #112175

Ryan Thrower

Wealth Strategies Advisor

Bank of America, N.A.

Past Events

Health Care and Your Retirement

November 13th, 2023|4:00 PM EST

Please join us for an info session on health care and your retirement with Julia Fuentes from Vanguard. 

Please register for the Webex link prior to the Seminar once you receive the invite. Once registered, you will be able to join us for our call!

Healthcare and Your Retirement Webex
Click here to register for the call. 


Attendees and registrants who are not a client of Merrill: By registering for this event and providing the required contact information, you agree 1) to receive email notifications regarding this event; and 2) that Merrill, the Brokerage affiliate of Bank of America, may contact you via telephone and/or email related to this event or to offer other products and services that may be of interest to you, regardless of any Do Not Call or Do Not Email privacy choices you may have previously expressed.

    Helping to secure your retirement with Social Security

    January 30th, 2024|4:00 PM EST

    Please join us for an information session on Social Security with Mike Graci from Blackrock.

    Tuesday, January 30, 2024
    4:00 p.m.

    Please register for the Webex link prior to the Seminar. Once registered, you will be able to join us for our call!

      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

      An effective approach to wealth management requires working closely with you to help identify and define your goals. The process begins by understanding what matters most to you. We help create a financial strategy to pursue your goals that reflects your investment style and is built around your life plan.

      Whether you are focused on growing, preserving or transferring wealth the team is committed to helping you address your financial goals at every stage of your life.

      Capabilities

      Regarding your finances, it is important for you to know exactly where you are, where you want to go, and how much you may need to get there. We work together to develop a personalized financial strategy, providing access to the investment insights of Merrill and the banking convenience of Bank of America, to help you plan for your financial future. We provide transparency on potential risks and opportunities and what you’re paying for and what you’re getting. Understanding that life needs and market conditions can change, we will meet with you to help ensure your strategy stays on track in pursuing your goals and to adjust your approach as needed for the journey ahead.

      Focus On High-Net-Worth Individuals and Families

      Great wealth is not an end in itself. It is a way by which you can decide what you want to accomplish and with whom you wish to collaborate to pursue your goals. Our team is highly experienced about the challenges faced by individuals with substantial wealth.

      A limited client base helps ensure that substantial time and energy can be devoted to assessing and tailoring individual strategies for you. It also allows the team to be responsive to your personal goals and focus on those services that contribute to simplifying your financial life. We believe the value delivered to you reaches well beyond investment management; it extends to the advice and guidance that may be of assistance in nearly every aspect of your financial life.

      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.

      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.

      Our Philosophy

      We believe that communication is crucial to success in managing life’s challenges. That’s why we work to engage families in the financial decision-making process. Communicating openly with family members on the sometimes difficult subject of wealth can be a challenge. We can help facilitate these discussions and offer opportunities to educate the younger generation on all aspects of their finances and affairs.

      The clients we serve tend to have more opportunities because they have a drive to create more opportunities. Such ability and sophistication, however, requires a financial infrastructure that handles the full range of clients' day-to-day needs discreetly and efficiently. Our objective is to bring greater ease and efficiency throughout the entire financial life of a client with a concierge-like level of responsiveness. That's what professional, structured wealth management could do for you.

      Our team can serve your entire family. We can help various members with their individual financial considerations, while keeping true to the overall structure we've helped you design for your family's wealth.

      Welcome

      We make it a point to understand what matters most to each client, whether they’re a retired teacher or selling their company.

      - What will they need to live on and to help their children?
      - Have they structured their assets to serve their goals?
      - Can they afford to buy a second home?
      - How should they support causes near and dear and what about their legacy?

      It’s about understanding the goals they have for their money. More than just serving his clients as their financial advisor, James believes his clients view his team as their financial infrastructure - providing daily guidance to asset management, banking needs, and family and estate planning services.

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

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          Articles

          DISPLAYING:

          Market Briefs

          Women’s Superpower: Investing

          How should taxes factor into your investment decisions?

          Choosing a Retirement Community: 7 Questions to Ask First

          6 Surprising Benefits of Having a Financial Plan

          Social Security: Aiming for Smarter Payments

          5 questions to help plan for healthcare costs in retirement

          3 Ways Trusts Can Protect Your Family

          CIO Video: Market Volatility Update

          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.