Women’s superpower: Investing

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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.

Katelyn Aldridge

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

Wide Experience and Diverse Skills Applied to Your Wealth Management Needs

The Roche Hans Orders Group has been helping affluent clients pursue their financial goals through personal service, knowledgeable advice and guidance as well as disciplined investment management for more than four decades. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, we have more than 120 years of combined financial service experience at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management.

During our long tenure in the industry, we have witnessed a variety of markets and economic landscapes. The lessons we have learned have proved invaluable in guiding clients through today's complex, ever-changing investment environment. In addition to substantial real-world experience, we hold a number of professional credentials that enable us to develop a broad perspective on your wealth management needs. Team members work together, each one contributing individual skills and knowledge, to create strategies designed to help you pursue your goals.

Our value to you extends beyond investment management to the highly personalized services and strategies we offer. We are dedicated to helping you take care of your financial well-being so you can concentrate on your life goals.

Extended Capabilities, Specialized Services

We follow a goals-based wealth management approach that encompasses asset accumulation, risk management, tax minimization strategies, retirement planning services and wealth transfer. Whether we're helping you with investing, with streamlining your cash and debt strategies or with managing your retirement income streams, our goal is to assist you in pursuing your objectives.

Discretionary Portfolio Management—Many investors do not have the time or inclination to make the day-to-day decisions necessary to navigate today's fast-moving markets. In addition, markets are not behaving the way they used to, and confidence is scarce. Rick Hans and James Orders are specially qualified to manage discretionary investment strategies appropriate to your unique needs and goals. This discretion allows them to respond to market changes, price volatility and global events, as well as your personal circumstances, to help you stay on track to help meet your financial goals.

Retirement Planning Services—Using Merrill's sophisticated retirement planning tools, we can help you determine how much money you may need to retire when and how you wish. We analyze the likelihood of your achieving your retirement goals and then use that information to suggest an appropriate investment strategy. We are also experienced in advising individuals and businesses on setting up and administering qualified retirement plans, including defined-benefit and defined-contribution plans.

Privately Owned Businesses—We understand entrepreneurs and can provide them with access to valuable products and resources for addressing every aspect and phase of their business. Through Bank of America, we can access specialists to help business owners with managing traditional senior debt, mergers and acquisitions, raising capital and evaluating alternative exit strategies.

Corporate Executive Complexities—We can assist executives in handling the risk inherent in equity awards and concentrated stock positions, for which we may suggest using certain hedging strategies. Additionally, we can help develop trading strategies for restricted stock using exchange-traded funds, selling programs and block trades.

Estate Planning Services—A well-defined wealth transfer strategy can help you preserve your assets and see that your personal wishes are fulfilled. In coordination with your other trusted advisors we can assist you with insurance strategies and, through resources at Bank of America Private Bank, we can help you with trusts and philanthropic solutions designed to reduce your estate tax liability.

Credit and Lending—We can provide access to Bank of America services designed to help you meet your personal cash management and borrowing needs with a variety of credit strategies, loan arrangements, home loan refinancings and cash management solutions.

Education Funding—We can suggest investment vehicles and tax minimization college planning strategies, such as college savings plans and custodial accounts, for your children and grandchildren.

 

Helping Turn Your Vision Into Reality

Our experience has shown us that no two clients—or their financial situations—are alike. Everyone has a unique set of challenges, needs and motivations, and the strategies we create for you are tailored to your individual requirements.

Our approach to wealth management is client-centric. We begin our consultative process by sitting down with you to ask about your goals and fears, both financial and personal. We want to know not only what is important to you but why.

In addition to your history, priorities and aspirations, we gather information about your total net worth, including your assets and your liabilities, your objectives, liquidity needs, time horizon and risk tolerance. Managing both sides of your balance sheet can help you bring the various pieces of your financial life together into an integrated whole. Based on what we learn, we help you develop customized wealth management strategies that take into consideration where you are financially today and where you hope to be in the future.

Helping you manage your investments is just the beginning. We want to become a valued resource for you, your family and future generations.

A Strategic and Diversified Approach to Investing

We focus on long-term results, not short-term market swings. We guide you in developing portfolios that can help see you through different market environments and phases of the economic cycle. This enables you to spend more time enjoying your wealth and less time worrying about short-term market conditions.

We are strong believers in diversification—among and within asset classes, between growth and value styles and across countries. A portfolio that is strategically balanced among domestic and foreign stocks, bonds, cash and other instruments expands the universe of asset classes in your portfolio. We believe that this can help reduce the risk of wide swings in your portfolio's value while allowing it ample opportunity to grow. We may also recommend including nontraditional assets when appropriate, because their low correlation to the stock market may help reduce risk. 

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Our investment approach rests on four key principals of risk management:

  • Downside risk management—We seek to lessen downside risk while simultaneously positioning your portfolio to take advantage of the potential for long-term positive returns. We believe that successful investing is more about avoiding losses than seeking outsized gains.

  • Global diversification—To help reduce the effects of volatility and inflation on your returns, we suggest that you consider broadening your array of investments to include ones tied to foreign as well as domestic markets.

  • Flexibility—Rather than adhere to a strict buy-and-hold philosophy, we strive to help your portfolio respond quickly to market changes, price volatility and global events, so that it can take advantage of opportunities that might enhance your asset preservation and growth.

  • Hedging—We may recommend using various instruments to hedge against adverse price movements.

  • Research is essential to our approach. We use the well-respected research of BofA Global Research and other sources to gain perspective on world events and global economics and capital markets. Drawing on the insights and knowledge these sources impart, we can help you make informed decisions about investments and your overall wealth management strategy.

*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 equity research produced by BofA Securities, Inc. (“BofAS”) and/or one or more of its affiliates. 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.

Investments in foreign securities involve special risks, including foreign currency risk and the possibility of substantial volatility due to adverse political, economic or other developments. These risks are magnified for investments made in emerging markets. Hedging and monetization strategies can result in higher return potential but also higher loss potential. Prospective investors are required to meet certain qualifications and acknowledge they understand the risks associated with certain hedging and monetization strategies that may not be appropriate for all investors.
Some or all alternative investment programs may not be in the best interest of certain investors. No assurance can be given that any alternative investment’s investment objectives will be achieved.
Certain alternative investments carry significant risk and are not subject to the same regulatory oversight as mutual funds and other traditional investments. For these reasons, access to alternative investments may be limited to investors who are designated as sophisticated, high-net-worth investors.

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.


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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.