Women’s superpower: Investing

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

Watch now

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.

Martha M Spence

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

Profile

My practice works with Physicians & Clinicians, as well as business owners, to reach their financial goals. 

Such as:
Financial planning
Practice startup, practice acquisition, expansions or renovation through my access to Bank of America
Sale of practice or business through our Private Sales Referral Network 
Establishing Defined Benefit Cash Balance Plans, Employee retirement plans or hosting educational events
Strategies to address student loan debt
Banking or borrowing solutions, including Custom Lending, from Bank of America
Philanthropic interests
Saving for kids' education 

To identify your goals we begin with a conversation and specific data to create your custom Personal Wealth Analysis™ (PWA). I then design targeted recommendations to address goals in a disciplined manner, bringing in specialists when necessary.  Over time we update your PWA, re-evaluating the analysis, to help make sure you are still on track toward your goals and those of your practice or business. I thoroughly enjoy building relationships with clients through this process. 

 If you'd like to know more please leave a note or let's schedule a coffee.

 About Martha:

Martha has over 20 years of financial service industry experience and holds her Series 7, Series 66, Series 63 & SIE FINRA industry securities registrations. She also holds her GA Life, Accident and Sickness Insurance Agent License.

Martha is a member the North GA Trust & Estate Planning Council, the Rotary Club of Gainesville and serves on the Board of North Ga Community Foundation. In 2023, Martha was named a Paul Harris Fellow by The Rotary Foundation International.

 
Additionally, Martha was named to the 2024 Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams" list
as a member of the Katulka/Spence Team. Published on January 9, 2024. Rankings based on data as of March 31 2023**

 
She and her teenage son live in Hall County.  As of late, they spend time practicing for Paul to get his drivers license and visiting family in NC.

 *Banking products are provided by Bank of America, N.A. and affiliated banks, Members FDIC and wholly owned subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation.

**2024 Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams” list. Opinions provided by SHOOK* Research, LLC and is based on in-person, virtual and telephone due-diligence meetings and a ranking algorithm that measure best practices, client retention, industry experience, credentials, compliance records, firm nominations, assets under management and Firm-generated revenue (investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerance vary). SHOOK’s rankings are available for client evaluation only, are not indicative of future performance and do not represent any one client’s experience and available for investor help in evaluating the right financial advisor and not an endorsement of the advisor. Compensation was not received from anyone for the rankings study. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Details available at www.SHOOKresearch.com. SHOOK is a registered trademark of SHOOK Research, LLC.

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.

    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.

    Tina Byrnes

    Investment Solutions Group Portfolio Strategist

    Bank of America, N.A.

    Mary Brewer

    Wealth Management Banking Specialist

    Merrill

    Joseph L Crews

    Retirement Specialist

    Bank of America, N.A.

    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

    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.

    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.

    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

    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.

    Welcome

    My mission, first and foremost, is to understand you and what matters most to you. Armed with that information I can ask thoughtful questions -- listening carefully, then understanding in detail where your wealth stands today and where you’d like it to be tomorrow. I help you design and implement a personalized plan intended to help you and your family pursue financial goals while helping manage investment risk. My approach is to focus on potential solutions that can 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.

      #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.

        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.