Social Impact Investing

As part of the planning process we undertake with you, we can also discuss your sustainable and impact preferences. By looking at your financial and impact goals together, we can create an investment approach designed to help you drive positive change while pursuing competitive returns. Our Chief Investment Office has classified impact into four themes: People, Planet, Principles of Governance and Prosperity, each of which may be reflected in your portfolio.

*Impact investing and/or Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) managers may take into consideration factors beyond traditional financial information to select securities, which could result in relative investment performance deviating from other approaches or broad market benchmarks, depending on whether such sectors or investments are in or out of favor in the market. Further, ESG approaches may rely on certain values-based criteria to eliminate exposures found in similar approaches or broad market benchmarks, which could also result in relative investment performance deviating.

DISCLOSURE: The Chief Investment Office (CIO) provides thought leadership on wealth management, investment strategy and global markets; portfolio management solutions; due diligence; and solutions oversight and data analytics. CIO viewpoints are developed for Bank of America Private Bank, a division of Bank of America, N.A., (“Bank of America”) and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (“MLPF&S” or “Merrill”), a registered broker-dealer, registered investment adviser and a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation.
 

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.

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.

Welcome

We take the time to know clients as individuals and investors, and we value the relationships we develop. We will work together with clients to understand important financial goals, and then agree upon an investment approach designed to help them pursue each of their goals. We see ourselves as a financial ally for each succeeding generation.

Philosophy

We believe it is important that you take positive steps toward your financial future, and that means getting more than just investment advice.  We take the time to get to know you and your family, your financial situation and what matters most to you. Using an understanding of your life and priorities as a foundation, we can work with you to build a goals-based financial approach.