Philosophy

At de Groot and Associates, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all portfolios or fill-in-the-blank wealth management plans. Rather, we tailor our asset management discipline to your individual financial situation, personal goals, and unique vision for your future. Our experienced financial professionals strive to provide you with clear explanations in plain English so that you can make informed choices between meaningful alternatives.

Because there are many factors that may change in your situation or the environment, it’s of the utmost importance to us to be proactive and communicate with you monthly. Throughout our process we keep you informed about economic and financial market conditions that might impact your progress toward short- and long-term goals. We conduct regular reviews to help keep your strategies and portfolios aligned with your changing goals and circumstances. We pay attention to the smallest details, which are important to us because we know they are important to you.

Nobody knows what tomorrow will bring, and your financial future is far too important for you not to be as prepared as possible. As the world around us changes, our commitment, compassion and planning acumen will always be working for you as we strive to deliver a superior wealth management experience.

The Needs of Corporate Executives

As a successful executive, you work hard to help your company grow and thrive. In doing so, you may find that you have some specialized financial needs of your own. Handling the issues involved with equity awards, deferred compensation, 401(k) plans and pension plans, which may represent the highest percentage of your net worth, can be demanding even for the most sophisticated investor.

Working in conjunction with the Global Corporate & Institutional Advisory Services Group at Merrill, de Groot and Associates has considerable knowledge and deep experience assisting corporate executives and directors with their complex needs. We can offer a number of services to help you manage your equity options, restricted stock, concentrated positions, as well as managing your plan contributions and other retirement planning services.

Key decisions around the timing for exercising your options, diversification opportunities around restricted stock lapsing, how to complete the transaction, and whether to hold or sell your acquired shares should be considered carefully. Based on your other holdings, risk tolerance, expectations for future growth and time horizon, we may recommend such strategies as creating liquidity through open-market sales, securities-based lending and trading programs in compliance with SEC Rules 144 and 10b5-1. For concentrated stock holdings, we may suggest advanced techniques to hedge against adverse movement in the markets. And if you plan on holding onto your shares, we can also help with gifting and income options strategies.

Every step of the way, we will assist you with diversifying and monetizing your holdings as part of a total portfolio strategy.

*Options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors. Before engaging in the purchase or sale of options, investors should understand the nature of and extent of their rights and obligations and be aware of the risks involved in investing with options. Prior to buying or selling an option, clients must receive the options disclosure document Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options. This document is available by contacting your Merrill Financial Advisor.

Approach

We begin every relationship 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, we start by listening to learn more about you and your family.

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 help you refine your investing preferences. Together, we can help customize your investment approach. Using an understanding of your priorities and investment personality as a foundation, we help you access the full breadth of resources from Bank of America’s banking products and services and Merrill’s investment insights to address all aspects of your financial life.

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.

Capabilities

Our process is designed to help deliver a customized, consistent experience to assist clients not only in wealth accumulation and preservation, but in areas that go beyond investments. Our ability to provide access to the investment insights of Merrill, trust and fiduciary services from Bank of America Private Bank, and the banking convenience and lending solutions of Bank of America offers a way to help clients manage all of the pieces of their financial lives. We view ourselves as a financial resource, helping clients with potential solutions for transferring wealth to the younger generation.

Trust and fiduciary services are provided by Bank of America Private Bank, a division of Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation (“BofA Corp.”).

Focus On Individuals, Families and Small Businesses

We 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. So whether you’re planning your retirement, saving to buy a home or fund a child’s education, We start by getting to know you and how you feel about the following seven life priorities.

• 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

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.