Mustin Shuffstall Philosophy

DOING MORE FOR FEWER CLIENTS

At The Mustin Shuffstall Group, our mission is to bring tangible real-world benefits to an accomplished clientele that hopes to accomplish more. By digging deeper to help clients identify goals and concerns that they may not have explored with previous advisors, we believe that clients enjoy a more meaningful and fulfilling wealth management experience:

• Rather than being driven by calendars, we’re driven by clients’ ongoing needs and circumstances. Casual and comfortable conversations with both spouses occur naturally, as often as clients prefer.

• Through frequent and friendly discussions with clients, we become familiar with the passions in their lives and the purpose of their wealth. These discussions occur naturally as our ages align nicely with older and younger clients, and with their grown children.

• We remind clients that any decision involving money is good reason to call us – whether they’re weighing the benefits of purchasing or leasing a car, buying or renting out a second home, paying for college, considering long-term care insurance, or something entirely different.

• Highly professional and personalized service is more than our promise. It’s the hallmark of our offering. We are devoted to being approachable and available. In addition, our outstanding client associate, Debbie Rounsaville, is exceptionally knowledgeable and has spent more than 30 years assisting client families.

• When it comes to investing, retirement planning, and intergenerational wealth planning, we are always tax-sensitive. To align our efforts with those of clients’ other advisors, we frequently coordinate with their CPAs and attorneys on tax-minimization and estate planning strategies.

The Clients we Serve

While diverse, our clients share an appreciation for the input and insights of specialists. Like us, they recognize that success is predicated on a lifetime spent listening and learning. Both are critical to achieving personal and financial growth.

At The Mustin Shuffstall Group, we feel privileged to serve active and retired surgeons and other physicians, aerospace and defense professionals, business owners, individuals beginning to accumulate wealth, young families, widows, divorcees, and multiple generations – throughout Maryland and in 20 other states.

The vast majority of clients has been referred to us and is driven by the desire to make intelligent financial decisions. Some want to know what’s required to send children to college, to enjoy the retirement they envision, how to effectively inherit and distribute assets, purchase a first or second home, expand a business or purchase a practice.

Regardless of our clients’ situations or ambitions, we believe that “planning is everything” and that getting out in front of their needs is essential to providing superior wealth management. That’s why we encourage both spouses to work closely with us – and talk frequently to us. We also aim to educate “the next generation” in client families, so that wealth and wisdom can be passed along. By cultivating friendly relationships with clients, we can stay updated on their needs and help them enjoy outcomes that are personally rewarding.

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

We 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.