Taking care of your family and other people in your life
- Trust & Estate Services4
- Education Funding1
- Insurance3
We take the time to listen and learn about the needs and goals of your institution and the people it serves – it’s these real-world insights that guide our strategies and personalized service.
Drawing on the investment insights of Merrill and the banking convenience of Bank of America, and our own extensive knowledge and skills, we are well equipped to:
We are committed to personal, in-depth involvement with retirement plan sponsors and participants, providing them with insightful guidance tailored to their needs and aligned with their interests, values and goals.
We routinely travel across the country to conduct education meetings and seminars with plan participants.
We truly care about clients and are committed to forging and maintaining close long-term relationships with them.
We maintain frequent contact with clients to share investment insights and keep them abreast of our market views.
To help clients make informed decisions, we try to explain issues that may affect their financial well-being in easy-to-understand language.
We hold several client-focused events each year that are both social and educational, addressing such subjects as long-term-care insurance, market updates and investment trends.
As a Bank of America Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor[s] (RAFA), The Porter & Johnson Group is one of a select group of Merrill advisors specialized in defined contribution plans who can add value to your plan by:
Duke Porter is one of a group of Merrill financial advisors designated as a Retirement Benefits Consultant, and also among those designated as a Defined Contribution Investment Consulting (DCIC) financial advisor, and he works to assist defined-contribution plan sponsors with their complex needs. He also holds the Certified 401(k) Professional® (C(k)P®) designation. He is qualified to help retirement plan sponsors design:
Our team was founded on the principle that every client deserves exceptional, highly personalized care. You are our primary focus, and we strive to deliver top-quality service, insightful advice and guidance, and disciplined wealth management.
We are committed to making a positive difference in the social and environmental well-being of our community and serve on the boards of a number of organizations, including the American Red Cross and Reaching 360.
The Porter & Johnson Group is supported by talented specialists who have experience working with institutions and share a strong commitment to guiding investment programs and strategic decision making.
Wealth Strategist
Merrill
Wealth Management Banking Specialist
Merrill
Employee Benefits Specialist
Bank of America, N.A.
Defined Benefits Pension Specialist
Bank of America, N.A.
Market Linked Investments Specialist
Bank of America, N.A.
Alternative Investments Regional Specialist
Bank of America, N.A.
Wealth Management Lending Officer
Bank of America, N.A.
NMLS #1325576
The retirement and financial needs of your employees, as well as the responsibility those needs create for you as an employer, are important to you. We offer the solutions your employees may need to help pursue their financial goals and maintain financial wellness. Our array of resources and experience is designed to help meet your employees’ financial needs in ways that make sense for your company — strategically, operationally and financially. You and your employees will have a team of experienced and passionate advocates for financial wellness on your side. Our team will make your priorities their own so you can focus more on your business.
Your role as a plan sponsor is more challenging than ever, and it’s not something to face alone. We bring the resources and thought leadership from Bank of America Corporation and its affiliates to bear in helping you provide a strong, healthy and fully compliant program that runs smoothly, engages your employees and makes your job easier. We can help you focus on the areas that may be helpful to plan success, including Fiduciary Advisory Services 1 and Education and Plan Services 2 appropriate for your plan.
1 Fiduciary Advisory Services is an investment advisory program sponsored by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (also referred to as “MLPF&S” or “Merrill”). Merrill offers a broad range of brokerage, investment advisory and other services. There are important differences between brokerage and investment advisory services, including the type of advice and assistance provided, the fees charged, and the rights and obligations of the parties. It is important to understand the differences, particularly when determining which service or services to select. Please refer to the Fiduciary Advisory Services Brochure for information on the program including a description of the series and related fees.
2 Education and Plan Services are non-fiduciary services required for Advisor Alliance clients and optional for MLII clients.
3 IPS service is not available for FAS Discretionary. The plan sponsor is responsible for the approval and final adoption of the IPS.
All our efforts revolve around helping your employees pursue their goals. With Bank of America Corporation’s long legacy of service excellence, we take a holistic approach to helping your employees connect their life priorities and financial priorities—in and beyond their benefit plans. By broadening our view to include an employee’s entire financial picture, both in and out of plan, we believe we can help your employees better manage and gain control of their finances.
Personal Retirement Strategy is an online investment advisory program sponsored by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. (“MLPF&S” or “Merrill”) that uses a probabilistic approach to determine the likelihood that participants in the program will accumulate sufficient total assets to achieve their annual retirement income goal. The recommendations provided by Personal Retirement Strategy may include a higher level of investment risk than a participant may be personally comfortable with. Participants are strongly advised to consider their personal goals, overall risk tolerance and retirement horizon before accepting any recommendations made by Personal Retirement Strategy. Participants should carefully review the explanation of the methodology used, including key assumptions and limitations, as well as a description of services and related fees, which is provided in the Personal Retirement Strategy Brochure (ADV Part 2A). It can be obtained through Benefits OnLine or through the Retirement Benefits Contact Center.
Advice Access is an online investment advisory program sponsored by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. (“MLPF&S” or “Merrill”) that uses a probabilistic approach to determine the likelihood that participants in the program may be able to achieve their specified annual retirement income goal and/or to identify a potential wealth outcome that could be realized. The recommendations provided by Advice Access may include a higher level of investment risk than a participant may be personally comfortable with. Participants are strongly advised to consider their personal goals, overall risk tolerance, and retirement horizon before accepting any recommendations made by Advice Access. Participants should carefully review the explanation of the methodology used, including key assumptions and limitations as well as a description of services and related fees, which is provided in the Advice Access disclosure document (ADV Part 2A). It can be obtained through Benefits OnLine or through the Retirement Benefits Contact Center.
Merrill offers a broad range of brokerage, investment advisory and other services. There are important differences between brokerage and investment advisory services, including the type of advice and assistance provided, the fees charged, and the rights and obligations of the parties. It is important to understand the differences, particularly when determining which service or services to select.
IMPORTANT: The projections or other information shown in the Advice Access program regarding the likelihood of various investment outcomes are hypothetical in nature, do not reflect actual investment results and are not guarantees of future results. Results may vary with each use and over time.
When you work with The Porter & Johnson Group, 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.
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.
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.
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.
Your life and goals change. As these changes occur, we can update your approach to reflect them.
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
We offer you access to the investing insights of Merrill, trust and fiduciary services from Bank of America Private Bank, and the banking convenience of Bank of America to help you pursue your goals. We will work to help you stay on track, regardless of what the markets are doing.
¹ Investment products are offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.
² Banking, mortgage and home equity products offered by Bank of America, N.A.
³ Insurance and annuity products offered through Merrill Lynch Life Agency Inc.
4 Trust and fiduciary services are provided by Bank of America Private Bank.
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