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.

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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.

Sean Gentry

Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams” 2023
Published on January 12, 2023. Rankings based on data as of March 31, 2022.*

Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Advisors" 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023
Published annually Jan- April. Rankings based on data as of June 30 of prior year.

Jeff Masters

Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams” 2023
Published on January 12, 2023. Rankings based on data as of March 31, 2022.*

Meet Our Team

Supported by the global resources of Merrill, our 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.

Ryan Casey

Investment Solutions Group Portfolio Strategist

Bank of America, N.A.

Grady West III

Wealth Strategist

Merrill

Paul Baugher

Wealth Management Banking Specialist

Merrill

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

Gentry Masters & Associates

Headquartered in Houston, Texas – Gentry, Masters & Associates has distinguished itself by providing customized advice and guidance to a select group of business owners, corporate executives, and affluent families.

We are a close-knit team that have been entrusted with over $950M in assets, as of April 2023. We are relentless in our focus and risk-adjusted performance relative to a client’s long-term goals. We bring compassion, warmth, and coordination to clients’ wealth management that we feel is distinctive.

Our most recent accolades:

·         Gentry, Masters & Associates named to Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams" list 2023 (Published on January 12, 2023. Rankings based on data              as of March 31, 2022).

·         Sean Gentry named to Forbes ”Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” list 2020 (Published on January 16, 2020. Rankings based on data as of June 30, 2019). 

·         Sean Gentry named to Forbes “Best-in-State Next-Generation Wealth Advisors” list in 2019 (Published on September 4, 2019. Rankings based on data as of March 31, 2019) and the Forbes Top Next Gen Advisors list in 2020 (Published on July 22, 2020. Rankings based on data as of March 31, 2020).


*Source: The Forbes “Top Next-Generation Wealth Advisors” list, published on July 22, 2020. Rankings based on data as of March 31, 2020.

Data provided by SHOOK™ Research, LLC. SHOOK considered advisors born in 1981 or later with a minimum of four years as an advisor. Advisors have: built their own practices and lead their teams; joined teams and are viewed as future leadership; or a combination of both. The ranking algorithm is based on qualitative measures: telephone and in-person interviews, 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. Rankings are based on the opinions of SHOOK Research, LLC and not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. Rankings and recognition from Forbes are no guarantee of future
investment success and do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results, and
such rankings should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK Research receives compensation in exchange for placement on the ranking. Forbes is a trademark of Forbes Media LLC. All rights reserved.

*Source: The Forbes “Best-in-State Next-Generation Wealth Advisors” list, published on September 4, 2019. Rankings based on data as of March 31, 2019.

Forbes “Best-in-State Next-Generation Wealth Advisors” list was developed by SHOOK Research. Advisors considered for this ranking
were born in 1980 or later with a minimum 4 years relevant experience; advisors have: built their own practices and lead their teams;
joined teams and are viewed as future leadership; or a combination of both. Ranking algorithm is based on qualitative measures:
telephone and in-person interviews, 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 criteria because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. Rankings are based on the opinions of SHOOK Research, LLC and not representative nor indicative of any one client’s experience, future performance, or investment outcome. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK Research receives compensation in exchange for placement on the ranking. Forbes is a trademark of Forbes Media LLC. All rights reserved. Rankings and recognition from Forbes are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results and such rankings should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor.

*Source: The Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams" list, published on January 12, 2023. Rankings based on data as of March 31, 2022.
Data provided by SHOOK® Research, LLC.  Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams" ranking was developed by SHOOK Research and is based on in-person, virtual and telephone due diligence meetings and a ranking algorithm that includes: a measure of each team's best practices, client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, including: 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. Rankings are based on the opinions of Forbes and not representative nor indicative of any one client's experience, future performance, or investment outcome and should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor. Rankings and recognition from Forbes are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results. SHOOK's research and rankings provide opinions intended to help investors choose the right financial advisor and team, 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.

We operate as a small boutique-like group inside a global bank offering a suite of family office type services:

1. Wealth Management Planner – We clearly articulate how each financial decision impacts financial security; both in the long and short-term. We focus on outcomes to the stuff that matters to a family: education of future generations, buying a second home, investing in other businesses.

2. Investment Advisory Services – Have a clear understanding of your financial goals to help make sure your lifestyle is never disrupted. The effort is to help secure, improve and preserve investment assets offering a completely objective asset allocation mix.

3. Personal Banker – Facilitate and take care of all credit and balance sheet management including mortgages, credit cards, basic banking, bill payment etc. *

4. Philanthropic Consultant – Assist families in their philanthropic pursuits to establish a family legacy as well as invest in the charitable causes that are most important to them.

5. + Friend – We are intentional about impact every day. We will be in the trenches with you when the world and/or family goals appear to be unbalanced and celebrating with you with life events and when goals have been accomplished.

Banking products and services provided by Bank of America, N.A.

Clients’ lifestyle needs, cash-flow requirements, and wealth preservation goals are the foundation of our work. We begin by asking what matters to the families we serve, and we neverstop asking that question. We have built our team from the ground up to respond to the needs of significant wealth.

We have extensive experience advising clients before, during, and after life’s transitions:

· Family transitions, such as births, weddings, deaths, or divorces

· Purchase, sale, merger, or transfer of a business

· Executive decisions, such as retirement, deferred compensation, board involvement, gifting of a business, or taxes in consultation with your tax professionals

· Philanthropic endeavors and personal gifting

Our team works with clients to nurture a balanced approach to life and wealth, encompassing multiple priorities: family, health, career, and philanthropy. We believe strongly that “success” has many definitions and we strive to be a critical resource for families as they pursue engaged and fulfilled lives.

We recognize that affluence can place unusual demands on families. We offer a range of services to promote lasting legacies through the positive transmission of values and wealth.Specifically, we work with highly respected professionals who can facilitate constructive dialogue about a family’s collective vision and expectations of wealth for multiple generations.

Focused On Consistency

We work with highly successful families who have created significant wealth through years of hard work and sacrifice. We help these clients preserve, deploy, and diversity that wealth effectively. Our first priority is to help families maintain their lifestyles through varied environments.

As wealth managers, we resist fads and group think. We focus our energies on identifying the managers and strategies that we believe can deliver consistent, prudent returns. We offer access to preeminent investment advisors across the globe; we regularly assess investment allocation relative to a client’s goals, risk profile, and return objectives.

Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and Gentry, Masters & Associates is committed to providing a select group of wealthy clients with highly personalized one-on-one service. When you work with us, our knowledgeable, rigorously trained wealth advisors will gain a deep understanding of your goals, help you develop a multi generational wealth strategy, help you track it, and update your strategy as needed. We are committed to providing you access to the investment insights of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and the banking convenience of Bank of America, and we will continue to invest in client tools and new technology to enhance your overall experience as you and your wealth advisor pursue what’s most important to you.

Our Philosophy

We believe your unique goals should be at the center of all of your financial decisions and form the foundation of your financial strategy. Because significant wealth requires customized goal-based financial strategies, we believe in building lasting relationships with a limited number of clients, taking the time to understand your most important priorities for today, tomorrow and your long-term future. Our philosophy celebrates collaboration. Working with a team of specialists, we draw on the resources and insights of a global financial institution to create strategies that reflect your aspirations for yourself and current and future generations of your family. Finally, we believe that while significant wealth brings complex challenges, our experience, passion and perspective can help you simplify your life.

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

      We believe it’s important that you seek the advice and guidance of an experienced financial advisor who can thoughtfully analyze your situation, work with you to identify potential solutions that address your needs, and clearly communicate them to you. We want to work with you to develop your wealth management approach for the future.

      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.