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.

Watch now

Profile

Ben joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2020, although he has been with Merrill since 2015. Prior to joining the Spurr Group he worked as an Investment Specialist providing advice to private clients, institutional clients, and wealth managers to develop financial strategies in portfolio management and investment selection. 
 
Ben earned his B.A. in International Politics from Pennsylvania State University. In addition, he is a CFA® charterholder and active member of the CFA Society in New York. 

Ben currently resides in New York City. In his spare time he enjoys fitness, golf and skiing. He is an avid fan of all Boston Sports teams and Penn State football. 

CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute.

  • EDUCATION

    Pennsylvania State 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.

Paul Stauffer

Wealth Strategist

Merrill

Melissa VanMetre

Wealth Management Banking Specialist

Merrill

Ryan Osburn

Senior Wealth Management Lending Officer

Bank of America, N.A.

NMLS #432311

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 believe an effective approach to wealth management requires working closely with you to help identify and define your goals.

My  job is to first understand what matters most to you. We will work together to create a financial approach that reflects your investment personality and is built around your life priorities.

My approach is to help you pursue your goals by providing customized service and potential investment solutions. Whether you are focused on building, preserving or transferring wealth we are committed to helping you address your financial objectives at every stage of your life.

Capabilities

Using the broad investing resources of Merrill, I can also assist with potential solutions for income management, education funding, retirement income planning, and guidance for executives with concentrated stock positions, traditional and alternative investments, wealth transfer and estate planning services. And with your permission we can also work closely with your other professionals, such as attorneys, accountants and specialists, to help you pursue your goals.

DISCLOSURE: Some or all alternative investments may not be appropriate for certain investors. Certain alternative investments carry significant risk and are not subject to the same regulatory oversight as mutual funds and other appropriate investments. For these reasons, access to alternative investments may be limited to investors who are designated as sophisticated, high-net-worth investors.

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

We live in a world that's constantly changing. Markets can fluctuate frequently. Potential investment opportunities can arise daily. Regulations are amended. That's why I believe that you and your situation are the best starting points from which to help plan your financial future: where you are today, where you want to be tomorrow, and what you want to accomplish along the way. Because by understanding you and your priorities, I can more effectively offer my experience and resources and help you build a financial framework that is rooted in the unique complexities of your life.

Welcome

Placing the investor at the center of the wealth management process—while maintaining a market focus — is my goal in helping clients through difficult financial transitions and decisions that occur in their lives. I start by getting to know you, your family and financial situation, helping me understand your risk tolerance, time horizon, liquidity needs, goals, priorities and unique financial concerns. From there, we’ll help you design a customized investment approach, drawing upon the investment insights of Merrill and access to the banking convenience of Bank of America. As your needs or market conditions change, we will meet to track and adjust your approach, as needed.

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 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.

      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.

      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.