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.

The Thompson & Braun Group

Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams” 2024
Published on January 12, 2024. Rankings based on data as of March 31, 2023.*

Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams” 2024
Published on January 9, 2024. Rankings based on data as of March 31, 2023.*

Kristi Braun

Forbes "Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State” 2024
Published on February 8, 2024. Rankings based on data as of September 30, 2023.*

Forbes "Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State” 2023
Published on February 2, 2023. Rankings based on data as of September 30, 2022.*

Forbes "America's Top Women Wealth Advisors" 2022
Published on February 4, 2022. Rankings based on data as of September 30, 2021.

John F Thompson

Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Advisors" 2023
Published on April 4, 2023. Rankings based on data as of June 30, 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.

Michael DeLeon

Wealth Management Banking Specialist

Merrill

Mara Bentz

Wealth Management Lending Officer

Bank of America, N.A.

NMLS #1537552

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

Welcome

As Merrill financial advisors, we offer advice and guidance to help successful individuals and families pursue their financial goals. Our financial planning approach places you at the center of our focus, and your priorities, risk tolerance, time horizon, liquidity needs, and personal and professional financial goals. From there, we work with you to develop a personalized plan. Over time, we’ll meet with you to track progress and make adjustments, as needed.

Philosophy

No two people are alike. Consequently, there is no single approach to wealth management that is appropriate for everyone. What matters most to you is what matters most to us. Once we get to know you, your priorities, your goals, risk tolerance, time horizons, liquidity needs and what you want to accomplish over time, only then can the team help you position yourself to identify and address financial challenges and potential opportunities. To that end, we thoughtfully employ our experience and resources to help guide you as you pursue your goals.

Approach

Working with us means working with advisors truly dedicated to helping you pursue your goals. The approach is simple, transparent and supported by thoughtful investment guidance aligned to the goals that matter most to you.

The value of the relationship with you includes:

  • helping you make informed decisions
  • recognizing your life priorities and goals
  • understanding your investment style
  • helping you prioritize and pursue goals
  • being transparent by making possibilities, fees and risks clear
  • taking steps to help you preserve income during a life challenge
  • educating the younger generation about investments and the markets

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.

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. 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.

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 we can help you create a financial approach that reflects your personality. Only then can we 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.