Philosophy

Clients come first at Merrill. It’s part of our tradition. It’s important to us to really get to know you and what matters most to you. That’s because once we understand your priorities, we focus on helping you pursue the financial goals you’ve set for yourself and your family. You can expect thoughtful advice and guidance, with access to the investment insights of Merrill and the banking convenience of Bank of America. It’s not about industry benchmarks — it’s about you and your hopes and dreams.
At Merrill, our mission is to help clients identify and pursue their goals at every stage of their lives - from the birth of a child to sending children to college, from planning to healthcare costs in retirement to leaving the legacies they desire. We help clients seek their preferred lifestyles through one-on-one relationship with an experienced financial advisor. And we are committed to client needs, delivering the investment insights of Merrill while offering access to the banking convenience of Bank of America.

What You Can Expect

At The Mir Group, our mission is to summon our wealth of knowledge and complementary skill sets to create uncommon value for clients, their families and employees. The quality and longevity of our client relationships remind us of the roles we play and the trust we’ve earned.

At the foundation of our process is a disciplined, planning-based approach. Its success rests on our ability to have frank conversations with clients, and often learn what they’ve never shared with others. Each of us is inspired by a family’s story of financial and personal achievement. Our job is to make sure that wealth and wisdom are passed along to future generations.

As our client, you can expect that we will:

• Examine your full financial picture, to help enhance you overall financial wellness. Beyond your investments, we will scrutinize your liabilities (including mortgages, other loans and credit card debt), tax liabilities, insurance coverage,Social Security and long-term-care issues, and estate planning documents.
• Explain what actual outcomes look like. Going beyond spreadsheets and simulations, we will illustrate real-world scenarios and discuss them with you. We are here to act as a responsible steward of your wealth and wishes, not show how much we know.
• Craft your wealth strategy once we have a clear understanding of your experience with investing, comfort with risk, need for liquidity, vision for the future, current expenses and cash flow needs. As part of our investment process, we focus on minimizing risk, costs and tax consequences. We are long-term investors and do not look to hit “home runs” with speculative opportunities. For clients whose holdings are subject to their company’s compliance requirements, we are adept at custom-tailoring their portfolios.
• Strive to help you feel comfortable – financially and emotionally. Our strategies are presented and communicated in an uncomplicated manner. When markets are volatile, we will “aggressively” reach out to remind you of the strategy we’ve mutually agreed upon – and the discipline required on your part. Recognizing clients’ voices when they call, we take pride in maintaining contact two or three times each quarter, if not twice each month.
• Rather than wait for you to encounter decisions that we can foresee, we will stand behind you by getting out in front of circumstances you anticipate and those you don’t. This allows us to present thoughtful recommendations with sufficient time for you to decide how to proceed.
• Work closely with you and spouse, your grown children and others you designate – on matters related to wealth transfer, trust and estate planning. And because wise financial habits should be taught to your children, we can talk to them about buying a home or car, and the importance of saving and investing.
• Travel to visit you and/or your employees. We are committed to building a highly personalized dynamic and educating – so that wealth and distribution strategies can be understood, along with the importance of saving consistently.
  
  

Approach

We 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, we 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 us get to know you better as an investor and help you refine your investing preferences. Together, we can help customize your investment approach. Using an understanding of your priorities and investment personality as a foundation, we 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.

RETIREMENT PLANNING & PLANS

Many clients of The Mir Group are planning to go from a demanding career to a well-deserved retirement lifestyle. Others have already retired or have handed over the reins of their companies.

With a large number of clients looking to defer income, minimize tax consequences, and “do right” by their employees, we help them select the ideal building blocks for a group benefit plan. In fact, one area for which we’ve received dozens of referrals is helping business owners navigate the selection and implementation of group retirement plans.

Among our clients’ objectives: Greater cost efficiencies, more investment choices, improved employee education, and more reliable guidance on government regulations than they’ve received previously.

For clients who come to us with existing plans, we find that most we review were designed years ago, perhaps, at a start-up phase. We discover that clients often pay more than necessary,for fewer benefits. Upon examination – and thanks to our firm’s powerful platform – we may be able to reduce costs while delivering a high-caliber client experience for principals and employees.

To complement our knowledge and skills, we deliver the resources and thought leadership of Bank of America and its affiliates. This comprehensive approach helps clients provide a strong, healthy and fully compliant program that runs smoothly, engages employees, and simplifies the sponsor’s role.

Through Merrill Fiduciary Plan Services, we will accept ERISA 3(21) or 3(38) fiduciary responsibility for investment advice and recommendations made in the best interest of your plan Investment Policy Statement (IPS)* and investment menu design based on your plan goals and participant needs. We can also provide comprehensive due diligence processes to identify appropriate investment opportunities, as well as proactive delivery – online or through us – of in-depth investment performance reporting each quarter.

In addition to coordinating with you, we will suggest enrollment meetings with your employees and one-to-one meetings with them, thereafter. Our firm’s resources and expertise are designed to help meet your employees’ financial needs in ways that make sense for your company — strategically, operationally and financially.

Fiduciary Advisory Services is an investment advisory program sponsored by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (also referred to as “MLPF&S” or “Merrill”). Merrill offers a broad range of brokerage, investment advisory and other services. There are important differences between brokerage and investment advisory services, including the type of advice and assistance provided, the fees charged, and the rights and obligations of the parties. It is important to understand the differences, particularly when determining which service or services to select. All recommendations must be based on your best interest. Please refer to the Fiduciary Advisory Services Brochure for information on the program including a description of the series and related fees.