Women’s superpower: Investing

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Recognition

Merrill is proud of our advisors who’ve received recognition from financial industry publications or directly from Bank of America Corporation. We believe they are setting the standard for exemplary client service.

Div Telwala

Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Advisors" 2022, 2023
Published annually Jan- April. Rankings based on data as of June 30 of prior year.

Profile

Div has built an industry-wide reputation and a growing circle of clients by providing thoughtful strategies and straightforward advice. Coupled with his financial acumen and experience, Div’s approach has attracted a diverse clientele – individuals and families that appreciate his personal care and candor.
He was named to the 2022 Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Advisors" list.

Who does Div serve?
A largely referred group of ambitious business owners, physicians, corporate executives and single, divorced and widowed people and their families residing in the Metro New York area, Pennsylvania, Florida and more than 15 other states. Div also advises on the fiduciary issues confronting private entities – assisting owners and plan administrators with building and implementing group retirement plans.

Given the distinct mindsets and motivations of his clients, Div devotes significant time to developing an intimate understanding of how each client views their wealth and the opportunities that come with it. 

 By asking questions and listening (more than talking), he helps clients articulate what they may have never shared in a previous advisory relationship. He may ask, “What would your life look like if money meant nothing? What’s the purpose of your wealth? Who are you responsible for? Do you feel prepared for the unexpected? What’s the one thing you want to do, that you don’t think you can?”

 In many cases, Div collaborates with actuaries, third-party administrators, the firm’s trust professionals, and clients’ CPAs and attorneys – to assist with complex exit planning strategies, tax-minimization and estate planning strategies. Div also offers access to Bank of America for residential and securities-based lending, and practice management solutions.

 “My relationships with clients are based on trust and honesty,” Div explains. “I may say ‘no’ to unwise extravagancies and ‘yes’ to sensible savings, for example. I also remind clients to call me with any circumstance that has financial implications. Working closely with both spouses and entire families, I look to educate, so they can develop and sustain wise financial habits.”

When it comes to investments, Div takes direction from the firm’s Chief Investment Office and favors its model portfolios. Keeping investments simple and diversified, he is tax-sensitive. fee-sensitive and actively manages clients’ portfolios. Based on a client’s risk tolerance, investment timeline, liquidity needs and personal goals, each portfolio he formulates may include a blend of equities, bonds and ETFs.

Div is a qualified Portfolio Manager who can help clients by building and personalizing investment strategies that incorporate individual stocks and bonds along with Merrill model portfolios.  By providing customized sophisticated investment strategies a portfolio manager may manage his strategies on a discretionary basis and integrate his client’s values and beliefs in investment selection.

In 2011, Div joined Merrill after spending eleven years with Smith Barney. A native New Yorker, he resides today in Upper Makefield, Pennsylvania with his wife, Ami Shah, their son (a varsity swimmer) and daughter (a ballet and Bollywood dancer). Active in their daughter’s school activities, Div and Ami also support Roxy Ballet. In his free time, Div enjoys a good game of basketball, hiking and entertaining (as “master” of the grill). He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Stony Brook University.


*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.

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.

  • EDUCATION

    SUNY at STONY BROOK

Professional Staff

Supported by the global resources of Merrill, my 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.

Michael J Friedman

Wealth Management Banking Specialist

Merrill

Christopher Caradec

Wealth Strategies Advisor

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

Approach

Every relationship begins with a conversation, helping you identify and prioritize which goals matter most to you. Whether it's transferring wealth to the next generation, customizing your financial approach to help you pursue your passions, or providing advice and guidance to help you stay informed, I start by listening to learn more about you and your family.

Capabilities

Merrill’s process is designed to help deliver a customized, comprehensive experience to assist you not only in wealth accumulation and preservation, but in areas that go beyond investments. Providing you with access to the investment insights of Merrill, trust and fiduciary services from Bank of America Private Bank, and the banking and lending solutions of Bank of America offers a way to help you manage all of the pieces of your financial life. Working one-on-one with a Merrill advisor means you have a single point of contact to help you with potential strategies for transferring wealth to the younger generation.

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. 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.

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

I believe the best financial approach is the one that helps you pursue your goals. That's why, from the start, we talk about your aspirations and encourage you to ask questions about issues that matter most to you. Calculating how to manage future health care expenses? College on the horizon? Considering the sale of a business or purchase of a home? Preparing to pass your wealth to future generations? It all starts with a plan intended to help you manage, grow, and preserve your wealth today, while also considering the impact it can have for years to come. With access to the investment insights of Merrill and banking solutions from Bank of America, I will work with you to develop an approach designed to help address your financial needs.

Div Telwala

Clients deserve a financial advisor as authentic as they are.

For more than 20 years, I’ve shared my knowledge and know-how
in the same way I would advise a good friend.

That’s the best way I know to help successful people
manage their wealth and expectations.

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.


      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.