Ken G Secemski, CPFA, CRPC, CDFA, CFP

Senior Vice President
Wealth Management Advisor
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Merrill Lynch
Wealth Management

I focus on addressing the investing and fiduciary responsibilities of institutions as well as the wealth management needs of individuals and families. I work closely with clients to determine their needs so that we can craft customized financial strategies to help them pursue their goals.

Profile

Ken is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® certificant, a designation awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., and holds the Certified Public Accountant (CPA), the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor, CPFA, the Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® CDFA®, and the Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM, CRPC® designations. Ken has over 36 years of experience providing a holistic approach to wealth management, servicing individuals and businesses by managing their assets and liabilities. Ken does not provide legal or tax advice in his role as Senior Vice President; Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, The Financial Planning Association, The Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts, and the New Jersey State Society of CPA's where he has served as Chairman of the Personal Financial Planning Committee and Chairman of Committee Operations. Ken graduated cum laude from Fairleigh Dickinson University, where he received his BS degree in accounting, and also attended the Wharton School for Executive Business Management.

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.

  • LANGUAGES

    English

  • EDUCATION

    Fairleigh Dickinson University

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

No two investment approaches are alike because no two investors are alike. I'll examine several components — your life priorities, investment personality and financial situation — and work together to help you create a customized, actionable approach with personalized advice and measurable goals. I'll help you track progress to your goals and work with you to adjust your investment approach over time, as needed.

Capabilities

We believe that to feel good about your finances, you need to know exactly where you are, where you want to go, and how much you may need to get there. I work with you to develop a customized financial approach, drawing on the best thinking of our firm, to help you with your financial future. I will make it clear what you’re paying for and what you’re getting. As your life needs and market conditions change, we can meet to help make sure you’re on track in pursuing your goals and to adjust your approach as needed for the journey ahead.

Focus On High-Net-Worth Individuals and Business Owners

I  offer clients a breadth of potential solutions, premier customer service and financial tools based on their unique circumstances.

No matter what your goals may be, I begin by helping you define and prioritize your financial goals based on the following seven areas:

  • 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 and giving to charities
  • Work: Working in retirement, selling or starting a business
  • Finance: Bringing it all together; defining your financial goals
I'll also draw on my industry knowledge and experience to offer:
  • Potential risk management solutions
  • Trust and estate planning services
  • Potential wealth management solutions
  • Access to Bank of America for your credit and banking needs
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

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.

Welcome

My goal is to help clients pursue their personal goals, such as planning for and funding their children’s educations, helping to ensure that their money lasts in retirement, planning for their potential health care costs and managing the transfer of wealth to the younger generation. Everything I do takes into account clients’ personal perspectives and priorities. I aim to help bring simplicity and transparency to the complexities of investing; making the intimidating task of planning for the future an exciting journey of managing and helping reach your goals.

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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    #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

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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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      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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      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.