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.

Nicole S Norris

Forbes "Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State” 2023
Published on February 2, 2023. Rankings based on data as of September 30, 2022.*

Profile

I focus on delivering a comprehensive approach to managing wealth that begins with listening to a client's needs and helping to ensure every strategy is grounded in understanding what each client wants to achieve.  I provide access to the investment insights of Merrill and banking convenience of Bank of America to help address the various aspects of clients' financial lives.  I am driven by my passion for delivering excellent service and helping clients pursue their goals.

I begin each relationship by understanding the background and concerns of my clients. From there, I analyze each situation and develop an financial strategy that is tailored to meet their needs. Choosing the right mix of assets is paramount to a successful portfolio. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, I use my knowledge, resources, and experience to develop this strategy. Each customized strategy consists of high quality, income producing investments. Once I have identified the overall asset allocation, I implement the strategy.

I joined Merrill in 1993 after receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Michigan Dearborn. As a member and President of the Economics Club I was the 1994 recipient of the Wall Street Journal Student Achievement Award, an award given to the student demonstrating outstanding academic performance and contribution to student life.

Today, I am a Senior Vice President and Wealth Management Advisor. Throughout my career at Merrill I have continued to deepen and expand my knowledge. I hold the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. and the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC™) designation awarded by the College for Financial Planning Institutes Corp.

I am also a qualified Portfolio Manager who, in addition to providing traditional advice and guidance, can help clients pursue their objectives by managing on a discretionary basis my own personalized or defined strategies, which may incorporate individual stocks and bonds, model portfolios, and third-party investment strategies. 
 



*Asset allocation, diversification and rebalancing do not ensure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets.

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.

  • EDUCATION

    Grosse Pointe South

    University of Michigan System

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.

Karen Sobh

Wealth Management Banking Specialist

Merrill

Richard Diaz

Wealth Management Lending Officer

Bank of America, N.A.

NMLS #164868

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 a Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Advisor, I offer advice based on your goals and priorities– for yourself, your family, and your business. Our goals-based wealth management approach places the investor at the center of our focus, not the market. I can help you understand the pros and cons of every decision and maintain discipline so you can pursue your goals. As your needs or market conditions change, I will continue to work with you to agree upon adjustments to your investment approach.

Philosophy

It’s important to plan for your financial future, which means getting more than investment advice. I believe you may find value in a one-on-one relationship with someone dedicated to knowing who you are and what you want to accomplish. Someone who knows your kids’ names, how hard you worked to get where you are, how you define a successful life and how you view investing. My commitment is centered in helping clients achieve their goals by making their needs and wants a priority. My advice and financial approach are guided by what’s important to you, and our success is defined by your satisfaction over time.

Approach

Wealth Management is a dynamic process. As I focus on you today and help you identify your goals for tomorrow, we can strive to work together throughout life’s ups, downs, triumphs, and transitions. Helping you pursue your goals starts with getting to know you and your family. My job is to first understand what matters most to you. We will work together to create a financial approach that reflects your investment personality and is built around your life priorities. I will be here to help you make adjustments to your wealth management approach if and when necessary over time.

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.

Capabilities

My process is designed to help deliver a customized, consistent experience to assist clients not only in wealth accumulation and preservation, but in areas that go beyond investments. My ability to provide access to the investment insights of Merrill, trust and fiduciary services from Bank of America Private Bank, and the banking convenience and lending solutions of Bank of America offers a way to help clients manage all of the pieces of their financial lives. I view myself as a financial resource, helping clients with potential solutions for transferring wealth to the younger generation.

Trust and fiduciary services are provided by Bank of America Private Bank, a division of Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation (“BofA Corp.”).

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. So whether you’re planning your retirement, saving to buy a home or fund a child’s education, I start by getting to know you and how you feel about the following seven life priorities.

  • 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

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

      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.


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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 AdvisorTM
      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.