Philip Bruneau is a Senior Vice President and Wealth Management Advisor with BSK Wealth Management at Merrill. Phil works with individuals, couples, families, and businesses, helping them chart a clear and realistic path toward their financial goals. With more than thirty years at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, Phil draws on the knowledge and insight that only experience can provide. His approach is highly personalized, collaborative, and supportive. A clear communicator, he prides himself on explaining strategies and tactics in concrete terms so that clients can grow in their own abilities as stewards of their financial lives and legacies.

Phil is adept in integrated wealth management, unifying and streamlining multiple areas of a client’s financial framework. His areas of focus include portfolio construction, cash-flow analysis, wealth structuring, retirement planning, insurance, and access to lending through Bank of America, N.A. By striving to optimize these parameters, Phil directs a deeply customized approach that reflects each person’s unique circumstances. He believes strongly in the value of long-term planning, laying the groundwork for consistent habits that can help clients transcend life’s uncertainties. Moreover, he takes great satisfaction in unwinding the complexities that significant wealth can entail, adding clarity, comfort, and direction.

Phil joined Merrill in 1990. Previously, he was a defensive tackle in the NFL and USFL, playing with the Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Outlaws, and Oklahoma Outlaws. He also worked in his family’s ranching business in Montana, providing him with first-hand insight into the challenges and satisfactions that business owners can encounter.

Phil earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the University of Central Oklahoma after spending the majority of his college years at Montana State University. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner and holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor designation and the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA) designation.

Phil and his wife Kelly have three adult children, Marlow, Lauren, and Bronson. Phil’s four granddaughters provide him and his family with much joy. Outside of the office, Phil is active with Rotary International and has volunteered extensively with youth sports programs. His hobbies include wood working, cycling, golfing, reading, and following college football.

 



 

Matthew Showalter is a Senior Vice President and Wealth Management Advisor with BSK Wealth Management at Merrill. A veteran advisor with more than thirty years of experience, Matt understands that wealth management is a highly personalized undertaking. He feels privileged to help individuals, couples, and families take something quantifiable–their wealth—and deploy it in pursuit of something beyond measure: their goals and long-term aspirations. He particularly enjoys helping families capitalize on the opportunities at their disposal, weighing their options relative to their unique circumstances, interests, and values. 

A confirmed problem solver, Matt looks to dispel confusion and add clarity to the complexities that significant wealth can entail. He lays out a thoughtful and thorough framework for each client, systematically pursuing his or her goals. He is honored to serve multiple generations of client families, cultivating the habits and mindsets that can foster sound stewardship and financial independence. Matt’s areas of focus include investing, trust and estate planning services, wealth planning and structuring, lending, insurance, retirement planning, charitable giving, and private business services. 

Matt has worked at Merrill since 1990. Prior to joining the firm, he served in the U.S. Army for eight years. He earned his B.A. from the University of New York, Regents College. Committed to ongoing professional development, Matt is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner and holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor designation and the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA) designation.

Matt and his wife Genora have three adult children, Samantha, Julia, and Matthew Jr. In his free time, Matt enjoys giving back to the community. He has held numerous volunteer roles with Gethsemane Church, including Hospitality Lead, Secretary of the Church Council and School Board, and Call Committee leader. Matt has also been extensively involved with Boy Scouts of America, serving as Den Leader, Assistant Scout Master, and Charter Organization Representative. A lifetime learner, he enjoys seeking out new educational opportunities.

Jonathan Brass is a Senior Vice President and Wealth Management Advisor with BSK Wealth Management at Merrill. Jonathan provides tailored advice and guidance to individuals, couples, and families, helping them streamline and coordinate multiple aspects of their financial lives. Deeply knowledgeable about investments, he begins each relationship by determining a client’s goals, risk tolerance, cash-flow needs, tax situation, and time horizon.* Building on this foundation, he crafts customized portfolios designed to advance client’s objectives, capitalizing on the distinctive features and characteristics of varied investment vehicles.

A sound communicator, Jonathan meets regularly with clients to review progress toward their objectives and delineate clear steps forward in their overall wealth plan. He stays apprised of changing priorities and life events, refining his approach in light of the dynamic interplay of the capital markets and fiscal policy. Holistic in his outlook, he is adept in pre-retirement planning, income replacement strategies, legacy design, and trust and estate planning services. A veteran advisor, Jonathan takes great satisfaction in developing long-term relationships with the clients he serves, supporting them through life’s transitions and milestones.

Jonathan joined Merrill in 2006. Previously, he worked at Piper Jaffray, where he spent the first six years of his career.  He earned his B.A. in Finance from the University of St. Thomas and his M.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame. Jonathan is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner and holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor designation and the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA) designation.

A resident of Mendota Heights, Jonathan is married and has three children. In his free time, he volunteers as a youth hockey coach, a role he has enjoyed for many years. His hobbies also include playing hockey and golf, and spending time with his family at the lake.

 



*Merrill, its affiliates, and financial advisors do not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice. You should consult your legal and/or tax advisors before making any financial decisions.