Tune out the noise: Wealth planning for the year ahead

Hear from a panel of experts as they explore how rising interest rates, high inflation and increased volatility are impacting the economy, how family dynamics are changing estate planning and hear some actionable strategies for investors to consider in 2023.

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Gordon C Bentley, ChSNC, RICP, CPFA


Senior Financial Advisor

Learn more about an advisor's background on
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Merrill Lynch
Wealth Management

Understanding your life priorities is an important part of how I work with the clients I serve. It’s not just about markets and returns, it’s about what matters most to you. I welcome the opportunity to show you how we can work together to create a financial approach designed around you, your goals and your aspirations.

Profile

As a Merrill Senior Financial Advisor and Senior Portfolio Advisor Gordon’s goal is to build long-term relationships with his clients. He does this by working to best understand their financial wants, wishes, desires and aspirations. He helps them identify what is most important to them, develop goals and using Merrill’s Personal Wealth Analysis tool, create a wealth management plan to help achieve their goals. He updates the plan every year or more often depending on the life changes they experience. He uses a number of financial strategies to provide for the different stages of their lives. From growth strategies to estate planning, he helps them with every step.

Gordon’s areas of emphasis are Retirement Planning, Retirement Income Strategies, Investment Management and developing financial strategies for families with Special Needs Children. He focuses on finding retirement income strategies to help plan for, generate and manage the income clients need to realize a comfortable retirement.

Gordon is a native of North Augusta, South Carolina. He graduated from Western Michigan University with a bachelor’s degree in Pulp and Paper Engineering and joined Merrill in 2016. He resides in Eagan, Minnesota with his wife, has two grown married daughters, five Grandchildren, and is a board member of the Down Syndrome Foundation and is a committee member of the Minnesota Valley Young Life in Burnsville, Minnesota.


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

*A Senior Portfolio Advisor can help clients pursue their objectives by managing on a discretionary basis custom investment strategies, selecting from a wide range of Merrill model portfolios and third-party investment strategies.

  • EDUCATION

    Western Michigan University

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.

Casey Brown

Wealth Management Banking Specialist

Merrill

Kevin L Quast

Wealth Management Lending Officer

Bank of America, N.A.

NMLS #533126

Joseph McCullough

Wealth Strategist

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

Welcome

As a Merrill Senior Financial Advisor, my goal is to build long-term relationships with clients. I do this by working to best understand their financial wants, wishes, desires and aspirations. We help them identify what is most important to them, develop goals and using our Personal Wealth Analysis tool, create a wealth management plan to help achieve the goals. We update the plan every year or more often depending on the life changes they experience. We use a number of financial strategies to provide for the different stages of their lives. From growth strategies to estate planning strategies, we help with them with every step.

If I can be of any help to you, your family, friends or collogues do not hesitate to call or email.

Philosophy

My areas of emphasis are Retirement Planning, Retirement Income Strategies, Investment Management and developing financial strategies for families with Special Needs Children. I joined Merrill in 2016 and have been in the Financial Services Industry for over eight years.

I WELCOME A CONNECTION IF:
- You need financial help in caring for a child with special needs.
- You have never had a financial advisor and would like to simplify your financial life and plan for the future.
- You are currently retired or are nearing retirement and are seeking a retirement strategy.
- You are dissatisfied with your current financial advisor or financial strategy and would like a second opinion.
- You would like to be connected to anyone in my network.
- You are passionate about Fly Fishing.

Approach

I begin every relationship 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.

Drawing upon research in the field of behavioral finance, Merrill developed the Investment Personality Assessment to help me get to know you better as an investor and help you refine your investing preferences. Together, I can help customize your investment approach. Using an understanding of your priorities and investment personality as a foundation, I help you access the full breadth of resources from Bank of America’s banking products and services and Merrill’s investment insights to address all aspects of your financial life.

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.

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      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.

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      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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      Learn more about the dedicated one-on-one relationship you can have with a Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Advisor.

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      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.

      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.