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Profile

Gilda holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) designation and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) certificant, a designation awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. She is a First Vice President with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and a Wealth Management Advisor since 1990.

Gilda and her team of firm specialists focus on providing individualized advice and strategies to high net worth individuals and families with complex financial problems. She carefully listens to client concerns and goals and then develops balanced portfolios specifically tailored to include:

- A focus on Retirement and Estate Planning services
- Education Planning
- Lending, including home financing and lines of credit through Bank of America, N.A
- Asset allocation guidelines
- Security or manager selection
- Monthly calls to review performance and changes in market or personal situations

She also focuses on non-profit organizations and small businesses, offering a holistic approach that covers all aspects of the creation of financial strategies that include credit and lending, pension and succession plans and appropriate investments.

Gilda's financial career spans more than three decades. Her tenure at Merrill, which began in 1979, includes time as a futures analyst, serving on the team that created Merrill International Bank, and, in the 1980's, as an interbank currency broker.

Gilda also served as a charter member and floor broker of the New York Futures Exchange, and as a bankruptcy analyst for a major hedge fund. During that time she sat on bondholders' workout committees.|Active in the community, Gilda was a Founder and First Chair of New York Youth at Risk, Inc. She is married to Dr. Marc Borenstein. They have two sons, Daniel, 27 and Michael, 25. She has three step children, Sarah, Jason and Josh, ages 35-48 and two grandaughters.

*CFA® is a registered trademark of the CFA Institute.

*CFP® is a certification mark owned by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., and is awarded to individuals
who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

*NMLS ID 578342

*Asset allocation does not ensure profit or protect against loss in declining markets.

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

    SUNY Stony Brook

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.

Brendan Duffy

Investment Solutions Group Portfolio Strategist

Bank of America, N.A.

Kevin Bautista

Wealth Management Banking Specialist

Merrill

Casely Doryumu

Employee Benefits Specialist

Bank of America, N.A.

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 goal is to connect you to the people, plan and process that best fit your unique ambitions. We help you pursue your personal goals, such as planning for and funding your children’s educations; helping to ensure that your retirement lifestyle their and potential health care costs are covered; and creating a personalized plan designed to help you achieve your family's long-term goals. Everything I do for and with you takes into account your personal perspectives and priorities. I aim to bring simplicity and transparency to the complexities of investing, making the intimidating task of wealth planning an exciting journey of managing and helping you reach your goals.

Philosophy

You live in a world that’s constantly changing. Markets can fluctuate frequently. Potential investment opportunities can arise daily. Regulations are enacted or amended. That’s why understanding you and your situation is the best place to start helping you plan your financial future: where you are today, where you want to be tomorrow, and what you want to accomplish along the way. By understanding you and your priorities, I can more effectively provide you with the experience and resources needed to help you build a personalized plan that is rooted in the unique complexities of your life.

Approach

No two investment approaches are alike because no two investors are alike. Working closely with you the team examines key components of your life plan to help you create a financial strategy with personalized advice and measurable goals. The team helps you track progress to your goals and works with you to adjust your investment style and strategy over time, as needed.

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.

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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      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.