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Shams & Associates

Shams & Associates

Global Institutional Consulting
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We craft innovative, bespoke strategies to address your complex financial needs and life goals. Our mission is to provide informed advice, specialized access, and unrivaled service in order to enable you to pursue and achieve your ideal financial outcome.

We start with what’s important to you

We take the time to listen and learn about the needs and goals of our clients — whether it’s working directly with individuals to help pursue personal wealth management goals, or working with organizations to develop an investment strategy, we’re here to help.

About Us

Shams & Associates

Our dedicated team has more than 75 years of combined financial experience and is made up of wonderful people from all over the globe.

Additional Resources

Shams & Associates is supported by talented specialists who have experience working with institutions and share a strong commitment to guiding investment programs and strategic decision making.

Ross Morand

Ross Morand

Alternative Investments Regional Specialist

Bank of America, N.A.

Alberto Alanis

Alberto Alanis

Securities Based Lending Specialist

Bank of America, N.A.

Sara Burns

Sara Burns

Wealth Strategies Advisor

Bank of America, N.A.

Shams mission

We are committed to helping our clients meet their complex financial needs through creativity, flexibility, and customization while providing a highly personalized client experience. At the end of the day, our mission is to make your life easier and help you sleep better at night knowing that you are in pursuit of your financial goals.

Shams & Associates Approach

We offer boutique-like attentiveness and accessibility combined with the global perspective and industry experience of Bank of America Global Institutional Consulting. Our team is passionate about helping clients strengthen and grow their organization, and helping institutions fulfill their goals and missions. When you work with Shams & Associates, you can expect a high level of commitment, teamwork, personalized service and customized strategies.

Institutional Consulting

As a Bank of America Global Institutional Consultant, Shams & Associates is among a select group of highly qualified and credentialed consultants who can provide the in-depth knowledge and customized service and assistance institutional investors need to navigate today’s financial landscape and be responsive to evolving market trends.

Shams & Associates

Shams & Associates has decades of experience working with Endowments, Foundations, and Not-For-Profits across the country. As your advisors, we will help provide you and your board access services to understand, craft, and implement a robust Investment Policy Statement (IPS), and we will assist the board and other executives to properly execute their fiduciary responsibilities.

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.

Maziar Shams

Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Advisors" 2019 - 2023
Published annually Jan- April. Rankings based on data as of June 30 of prior year.

Solutions for Institutions

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Helping institutions meet their investment needs

We put the resources and intellectual capital of Merrill to work for institutional clients like you by delivering thoughtful advice and sophisticated investment strategies through focused client-centric consulting. We help organizations like yours address today’s complex investment challenges through an integrated, goals-based investment process that enables them to redefine success, manage risk and help fulfill their missions.

Endowments, Foundations and Nonprofits

We understand the issues nonprofits, endowments and foundations address in funding their missions in an ever-changing financial climate. Drawing on the global resources of Bank of America Corporation and its affiliates, we offer insight, guidance and personalized service to help institutions develop and execute investment strategies focused on what matters most to them and the people they serve.

Impact investing and/or Environmental Social Governance (ESG) investing has certain risks based on the fact that ESG criteria excludes securities of certain issuers for nonfinancial reasons and therefore, investors may forgo some market opportunities and the universe of investments available will be smaller.

Investment Solutions

We provide access to a broad suite of potential investment solutions for non-profit organizations, foundations, endowments and corporate retirement and pension plans. Our level of involvement is based on your preference — from traditional consulting, to client-directed implementation, to full discretionary outsourced CIO services. We work with your CFO, board  of directors and investment committee to develop a tailored investment strategy that is consistent with your culture, goals, preferences and risk profile.

Disciplined Investment Process

We follow a disciplined process that helps to address your organization’s changing needs and provides you with a potentially higher probability of achieving your long-term investment goals.

1

Investment Policy Statement Development and Review

Act as liaison between institutional clients and Merrill's Investment Policy Statement (IPS) service, which creates and modifies an IPS, based on the client’s investment goals and objectives.

2

Strategic Allocation Modeling

Customizable asset allocation based on the Chief Investment Office capital market assumptions.

3

Investment Manager Due Diligence

Recommend investment solutions leveraging Merrill's thorough and rigorous due diligence process.

4

Investment Manager Search and Selection

Advanced portfolio construction techniques combined with client specific objectives and Merrill's capital market guidance.

5

Portfolio Strategy

Leverage Merrill's global intellectual capital including tactical tilts to potentially help increase returns.

6

Performance Measurement

Review, quantify and evaluate performance to identify opportunities to refine the portfolio’s overall strategy, based on the Investment Policy Statement.

Additional resources for your organization

When you work with Shams & Associates, you benefit from the experience and knowledge we’ve gained from working with many institutions across the nation. We’ll bring all the latest thinking, insights and research from across Bank of America Corporation:

Bank of America Global Commercial Banking (GCB) provides a full range of commercial banking services to help your organization meet today’s challenges head- on and fuel sustainable growth. Bank of America specialists are committed to providing institutions like yours with banking solutions, including cash management and lending while investment solutions are provided by Merrill. GCB offers institutions solutions designed  to help increase cash flow, streamline benefits plans and expand geographically. GCB brings clients the full capabilities of Bank of America Corporation and its affiliates paired with local service.*

Merrill Lynch Wealth Management (MLWM) provides access to market knowledge and financial experience. Merrill  can help your organization make decisions that are appropriate for its needs and goals. Our education and insights can help your organization understand what’s driving today’s markets and tomorrow’s potential global opportunities. MLWM serves clients across the wealth spectrum, with personal advisor relationships that helps each individual investor plan for and pursue their unique financial goals.

* “Bank of America” is the marketing name used by certain Global Banking and Global Markets businesses of Bank of America Corporation. Lending, other commercial banking activities, and trading in certain financial instruments are performed globally by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC.

“Bank of America Merrill Lynch” is the marketing name for the global banking and global markets businesses of Bank of America Corporation. Lending, derivatives and other commercial banking activities are performed globally by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC. Securities, strategic advisory, and other investment banking activities are performed globally by investment banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (“Investment Banking Affiliates”), including, in the United States, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (MLPF&S) and Merrill Lynch Professional Clearing Corp., both of which are registered as broker-dealers and members of FINRA and SIPC, and, in other jurisdictions, by locally registered entities. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Merrill Lynch Professional Clearing Corp. are registered as futures commission merchants with the CFTC and are members of the NFA.

We’re committed to a high standard

Putting clients’ interests first isn’t new, and this isn’t a one-time event. Our clients have been at the center of everything we do since Charles Merrill founded Merrill over a hundred years ago.

Solutions for Individuals

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What Guides Us

At Shams & Associates, our clients are at the center of everything we do. We are committed to helping each one of our clients meet their complex financial needs with creative and adaptive strategies, while providing a highly personalized, white-glove client experience. The ideals of Integrity, Commitment, and Service are more than simple words to us: they are our guiding principles.

Capabilities

It is important to know exactly where you are with your finances, where you plan to go, and how much you may need to help get you there. Drawing on Merrill’s investing insights and with access to Bank of America’s credit and lending solutions, we can offer you a comprehensive, personalized plan to help you pursue your goals. We will provide transparency on what you’re paying for and what you’re getting, as well as potential opportunities and risks. Understanding that life needs and market conditions can change, we will meet with you, as necessary, to help make sure your strategy remains on track to pursue your goals and adjust your approach for the journey ahead, as needed.

The broad investing resources of Merrill provide you with access to potential strategies for income management, education funding, retirement income planning, and guidance for executives with concentrated stock positions. In addition to traditional and alternative investments and wealth transfer solutions through Merrill, you have access to estate planning services from Bank of America. As your single point of contact we can connect with key professionals in your life, working closely with your outside advisors, such as attorneys, accountants and elder care specialists.

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.

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

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There is no substitute for a one-on-one relationship with a Merrill financial advisor committed to your needs.