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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Ann Bridget Ruane, ADPA, AWMA, ChFC

Senior Vice President
Financial Advisor

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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

Ann serves as a lead advisor and relationship manager to high-net worth individuals, families and organizations.  She holds the Accredited Wealth Manager (AWMA),  Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®), and Accredited Domestic Partnership Advisor (ADPA™) designations.

Whether you are single, married, domestic partnership, divorced, have children or not  -  we all need a “road-map” to grow and preserve for retirement and beyond.  Ensuring the Wealth Plan is in place gives the financial confidence to enjoy what we have worked for and share with future generations or philanthropy when that time comes.  Ann and her team take whatever time is needed to address and educate clients on topics top of mind, and encourage them to address changes that can benefit the short and long-term goals.  

With the team’s experience, education and love of working with clients, they can help individuals, families and institutions pursue and achieve their objectives by building and managing a diversified portfolio which may incorporate cash, individual stocks, bonds and alternatives along with ensuring liquidity is available to meet short-term working capital needs, through access to Merrill model portfolios, and third-party investment strategies – all driven by “risk appetite”.   

Before joining the Merrill Wealth Management team, Ann spent 17 years with Citi Wealth at Work - serving lawyers, individuals, families and institutions.  Our happiest days are when we can help clients navigate their financial road-map to success.   Her career – which spans from being a business education teacher to a financial planner to now managing client portfolios has thought her that every individual has their own goals, objectives, worries and concerns.  We live in a complex and ever changing world, financial confidence and assurance is vitally important to us all.  

On arriving to the United States from Ireland,  Ann made the decision to get her BS degree over evenings and weekends, and then pursued her MBA at The Lubin School of Business in New York City.  It was then she fell in love with working for clients to achieve their financial goals, and then pursued an education in financial planning and investment management.  Ann & her family are residents of CT and they enjoy the walks along the countryside farms, golfing with family and friends and mentors young adults in career choices and achieving their goals.

“I see my job as an advisor in helping solve for my clients’ Goals and Aspirations.  I take great pride in finding solutions that resolve their financial hurdles.”

*Some or all alternative investment programs may not be in the best interest of certain investors. No assurance can be given that any alternative investment’s investment objectives will be achieved.

  • EDUCATION

    Marymount College

    Pace University

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.

Peter Hekl

Wealth Strategist

Merrill

Langston Payne

Senior Investment Advisory Specialist

Merrill

Ritu Makin

Wealth Management Banking Specialist

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

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.

Philosophy

Life is always changing and growing more complex. Your needs and priorities specific to your family, work, health and home are continuously evolving. And since your finances are so deeply connected with the rest of your life, an investment approach that is specific to your unique situations can be helpful. Even if you’re accustomed to managing your wealth on your own, you may find value in having a relationship with someone who understands your priorities and who has the knowledge and resources to help you make more informed decisions, no matter where in your life you are.

Approach

Helping you pursue your goals starts with getting to know you. We will work together to create a financial approach that reflects your investment personality and is built around your life priorities. My process offers a flexible framework we can call upon to help you identify and prioritize your personal and professional financial goals, including areas such as education funding or your lifestyle in the future. I offer potential solutions to provide the “fit” that may best serve your objectives, risk tolerance, time horizon and liquidity needs. I help you understand fees and expenses associated with your accounts.

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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      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.

      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.