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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Peter A. Damascus, CPFA, C(k)P, CRPC, CFP

First Vice President
Wealth Management Advisor
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Merrill Lynch
Wealth Management

Whatever your personal goals may be, I will work with you to develop a personalized financial approach designed to help you pursue what’s most important to you.

Profile

Since the day he left the practice of law and joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 1997, Peter Damascus has passionately brought integrity, service & commitment to his clients in helping them achieve their financial goals. In Peter's current role at Merrill he does not provide any legal and/or tax advice. Applying the same attitude as when he was an attorney, Peter stands in front of his clients to take on life’s financial curve balls when they arise and gives them realistic goals, expectations and recommendations.

Peter focuses on two disciplines:
• Business retirement services
• Family wealth planning and asset management

Whether it is corporate retirement planning, individual family planning or estate planning recommendations being sought, Peter and his team are here to help their clients through every step of their financial lives.
In regard to business retirement services, Peter and his team provide recommendations with employee retirement and deferred compensation plans, business cash management and lines of lending. From his perspective, job #1 is to protect and consult for the business owner/trustees of the companies he works with. This includes helping his clients choose the proper retirement plan and design strategies to help them achieve their goals. In addition to retirement plan vendor selection and investment due diligence, Peter’s team places emphasis on providing effective education to employees so they understand why they need to participate in the benefit plans business owners offer & next steps to take to achieve their personal goals.
In regard to family wealth planning and asset management, it is Peter’s philosophy that your family is joining his. His father instilled within him that we all have two ears and one mouth so listening intently to others is critical to success. Through listening, he and his team learn what is truly important in their clients’ financial lives. Once those needs are identified, a collaboration process ensues to develop realistic goals and the best path for clients to achieve them.|With over 22 years of investment experience, Peter holds the Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM and Certified 401(k) Professional designations. Peter is also a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certificant. He graduated from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University in 1995 and passed the New York and California State Bars. Peter is a current member in good standing of both bars, The Supreme Court of the United States and the United States Court of International Trade. As of 2013, he continues to serve as a FINRA Arbitrator so he can apply his professional knowledge and help others.
When he’s not serving his clients, Peter can be found volunteering for the Special Olympics as well as on the pitch as an American Youth Soccer Coach. He’s a proud board member of the Trojan Football Alumni Club as well as a member of the University of Southern California Cardinal & Gold Alumni Group. Peter resides in Southern California and has two beautiful daughters.

*Peter does not provide legal advice in his current role with Merrill.

*Lending Services are through Bank of America, N.A.

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

    Pace University

    Yeshiva University Benjamin Cardozo School of Law

    Ardsley High School

    University of Southern California

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Philosophy

I believe the best financial approach is the one that helps you pursue your goals. That's why, from the start, we talk about your aspirations and encourage you to ask questions about issues that matter most to you. Worried about managing future health care expenses? College on the horizon? Considering the sale of a business or purchase of a home? Preparing to pass your wealth to future generations? With access to the investment insights of Merrill and the banking convenience of Bank of America, I will work with you to develop an approach designed to help address your financial needs.

Welcome

My mission is to understand you and what matters most to you. To take the time, to ask hard, smart questions and to listen carefully, then to understand, in great detail, exactly where your wealth stands today, and where you’d like it to be tomorrow. I help you design and implement a customized wealth management approach that helps you and your family pursue your personal financial goals while helping manage investment risk. My wealth management approach is about using wealth to help turn goals into reality.

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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      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.