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Merrill lynch

712 INVESTMENT GROUP

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Merrill Lynch
Wealth Management


Experience, service, and a commitment to clients

Our mission is to provide the highest level of professionalism, responsiveness, and service at all times. By combining the culture of a boutique family office with the backing and resources of a global financial institution, we have the ability to handle or delegate any issues or questions affecting your life.

About the 712 Investment Group

The 712 Investment Group is a 20 person wealth management group operating under the umbrella of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, a division of Bank of America Corporation.

While our founding partners’ roots at Merrill date back to the mid 1980’s, the 712 Investment Group was formally organized in 1992 at 712 Fifth Avenue in New York City. With six partners and fifteen supporting associates and specialists, our bi-coastal team has offices strategically located in Midtown Manhattan, the San Francisco Bay area, and Charleston, SC. We accept new clients via personal recommendations from existing clients.

Our team is ranked #10 on the 2022 Forbes "America's Top Wealth Management Teams High Net Worth" list. (*Published on November 8, 2022. Rankings based on data as of March 31, 2022.)

Additionally, our partners, Managing Directors, Richard Wald and Travis O'Brien, and Senior Vice Presidents John O'Neill Jr. and Brian Noone, were all named to Forbes 2022 "Best-in-State Wealth Advisors". (**Published on April 7, 2022. Rankings based on data as of June 30, 2021.)


*Source: The Forbes “America’s Top Wealth Management Teams High Net Worth” list, published on November 8, 2022. Rankings based on data as of March 31, 2022.
Data provided by SHOOK® Research, LLC. Forbes “America’s Top Wealth Management Teams High Net Worth” ranking was developed by SHOOK Research and is based on in-person, virtual and telephone due diligence meetings and a ranking algorithm that includes: a measure of each team’s best practices, client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, including: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. Rankings are based on the opinions of Forbes and not representative nor indicative of any one client’s experience, future performance, or investment outcome and should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor. Rankings and recognition from Forbes are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results. SHOOK’s research and rankings provide opinions intended to help investors choose the right financial advisor and team, and are not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK Research receive compensation in exchange for placement on the ranking. SHOOK is a registered trademark of SHOOK Research, LLC.

**Source: The Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” list, published on April 7, 2022. Rankings based on data as of June 30, 2021.
Data provided by SHOOK® Research, LLC. Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors ranking was developed by SHOOK Research and is based on in-person, virtual, and telephone due diligence meetings to measure best practices; also considered are: client retention, industry experience, credentials, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, such as: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. SHOOK’s research and rankings provide opinions intended to help investors choose the right financial advisor and are not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK Research receive compensation in exchange for placement on the ranking. For more information, please see www.SHOOKresearch.com. SHOOK is a registered trademark of SHOOK Research, LLC.

We start by listening to you to gain a deep understanding of the moving parts of your financial life.  Recognizing the concerns that can affect your family and finances — today and in the future — can put us in a better position to help you develop a wealth management strategy uniquely tailored to your circumstances.

With this understanding, together with an overview of your financial life (income, assets, titling, taxes) we will develop a plan tailored to your goals, liquidity needs, values, time horizon, and risk tolerance.

The customizable strategies we build address a wide range of needs:

  • Investment and retirement income planning
  • Estate planning services and wealth transfer strategies
  • Philanthropic and charitable giving strategies
  • Education funding
  • Lending (Mortgage - NMLS #247463, Securities Based Loans, Custom Financing)
  • Insurance and annuities

Our partners have decades of real life investment experience in allocating billions of dollars across the capital markets.  We are aided in this process by the firm's industry leading research, alongside a team of highly skilled due diligence professionals.

After carefully evaluating your overall financial picture, we will create a custom strategy designed to help you pursue your goals. Our "open architecture" platform gives us access to some of the world's top investment managers together with our own internal research based strategies. During this process (and ongoing), we will also work with your personal tax and estate planning professionals to help ensure your financial strategy is aligned with tax minimization considerations. 

With your investment performance, capital preservation, and legacy concerns top of mind, we will regularly review your investments to help make sure they stay aligned with your goals for your lifetime and future generations.

*Any information presented in connection with BofA Global Research is general in nature and is not intended to provide personal investment advice. The information does not take into account the specific investment objectives, financial situation and particular needs of any specific person who may receive it. Investors should understand that statements regarding future prospects may not be realized. BofA Global Research is research produced by BofA Securities, Inc. (“BofAS”) and/or one or more of its affiliates. BofAS is a registered broker-dealer, Member SIPC, and wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation. BofA Global Research does and seeks to do business with companies covered in its research reports. As a result, investors should be aware that the firm may have a conflict of interest that could affect the objectivity of this report. Investors should consider this report as only a single factor in making their investment decision.

*Institutional Investor magazine announced BofA Global Research as one of the Top Global Research Firms in 2022 based on surveys held throughout the year. The magazine creates rankings of the top research analysts in a wide variety of specializations, drawn from the choices of portfolio managers and other investment professionals at more than 1,000 firms. BofA Global Research is research produced by BofA Securities, Inc (“BofAS”) and/or one or more of its affiliates. BofAS is a registered broker-dealer, Member SIPC, and wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation. Learn more about the methodology at Institutional Investor. Rankings and recognition from Institutional Investor are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results and such rankings should not be construed as an endorsement.

Focus On Individuals, Families and Small Businesses

We 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. Whether you’re planning your retirement, saving to buy a home or funding a child’s education, the process begins by getting to know you and how you feel about the following:

  • 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

Success will be measured by the amount of progress you are making toward reaching your goals, making thoughtfully considered adjustments as events and conditions warrant.

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.

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Helping You Make Your Philanthropic Giving More Gratifying and Impactful

For the past 27 years, The 712 Investment Group has been working with internal specialists to help affluent families, foundations, charities and endowments address their unique charitable objectives. Whether you are in the early stages of giving back to your community, in the process of creating an enduring legacy through family philanthropy, starting a new trust or foundation or need support for an existing program, we are equipped to help you pursue your personal charitable objectives.

Working with Bank of America specialists, we are prepared to help you design and implement philanthropic strategies in a variety of areas, including:

  • Donor-advised funds
  • Foundations and endowments
  • Small family foundations
  • Large public foundations
  • The review and update of investment policy statements, with the help of a specialist from Bank of America Merrill Global Institutional Consulting
*Global Institutional Consulting, operating under the name “Bank of America,” is a business offering products and services for the benefit of institutional and ultra‐high net worth clients and is part of Global Wealth and Investment Management (GWIM), the wealth and investment management division of Bank of America Corporation (“BofA Corp.”). Global Institutional Consultants mentioned herein are registered representatives with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (also referred to as “MLPF&S“ or “Merrill”) and may assist you with investment products and services. The nature and degree of advice and assistance provided, the fees charged, and clients’ rights and Merrill’s obligations will differ depending upon the products and services actually provided. Banking activities may be performed by wholly owned banking affiliates of BofA Corp., including Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC. Brokerage and investment advisory services are provided by wholly owned non-bank affiliates of BofA Corp., including Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (also referred to as “MLPF&S” or “Merrill”), a dually registered broker-dealer and investment adviser and Member SIPC. MLPF&S makes available investment products sponsored, managed, distributed or provided by companies that are affiliates of BofA Corp. Investment products:| Are Not FDIC Insured | Are Not Bank Guaranteed | May Lose Value |

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Helping Meet the Needs of Retirement Plan Sponsors

As an employer, you understand the critical role a well-designed retirement program can play in helping to attract and retain highly talented employees, meet your fiduciary obligations, make the most of your business assets and assist your employees with their retirement savings goals.

We can help you address the various facets of designing defined-benefit and defined-contribution plans, including:

Needs assessment—We can work with you to understand and evaluate your business requirements and assess the various types of retirement plan programs that may be appropriate for your organization.
Investment analysis and menu selection—We can assist you in developing methods for maintaining an investment menu and creating a review schedule for funds.
Employee communication and education—Working with Merrill Lynch financial advisors throughout the country, we can conduct enrollment meetings, educational sessions and ongoing communications with your employees.

  • Your client experience is our most important priority, and we strive to offer the highest level of professionalism, responsiveness, and outstanding service each time you contact us.Travis J. O'Brien | Managing Director | Senior Financial Advisor

Meet the Team

Supported by the global resources of Merrill, our 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.

Conor O'Keefe

Alternative Investments Regional Specialist

Bank of America, N.A.

David Schlansky

Senior Wealth Management Lending Officer

Bank of America, N.A.

NMLS #247463

Megan Pfeffer

Wealth Management Banking Specialist

Merrill

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.

    #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

    You can manage account security with our customizable security capabilities such as touch ID, one time passcode, and other security features

    Access to your complete financial life is available with My Financial Picture, Merrill’s asset aggregation tool

      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 we can help you create a financial approach that reflects your personality. Only then can we 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.

      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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      Transcript of Video 

      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 Advisor®
      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.