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What a Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor Can Do for You

When you become a Merrill Lynch client, your Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor will work with you to develop strategies that can help you achieve your most important goals, whether you're saving for your children's education, buying a home, growing your business, or building a legacy for your family.

It starts with a conversation. You and your Financial Advisor will talk about your specific goals, needs, dreams and interests, as well as your entire financial picture. Only then can you work together to match your short- and long-term goals with your personal risk tolerance and investment timelines. As your priorities or global market conditions change, your Financial Advisor will help you find the best solutions to ensure your long-term strategies remain on track.

Merrill Lynch Financial Advisors are supported by the full breadth of the firm's vast resources, including its world-class investment research, which they apply to help their clients manage their portfolios effectively. Depending on your needs, your Financial Advisor also may arrange for you to access the services of institutional-level investment managers through the Merrill Lynch Consults® program.

Using the Total Merrill approach, together you and your Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor will build solutions for your entire financial life.

SUCCESS STORIES: Meet Clients Who Achieved Life Goals with the Help of Their Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor
Thumbnail of Michael Guthrie
Test-Driving Retirement
Thumbnail of Dr. Asfaw
Caring for a Country
Thumbnail of Patti Nowak Turner
When the Lifelong Dream Is Starting Your Own Business

Test-Driving Retirement

"I'm Not Planning to Ever Retire in the Traditional Sense," Says This 56-Year-Old. With the Help of his Financial Advisor, He Doesn't Have to.

"It's a misnomer to call it retirement," says Michael Guthrie, 56, an entrepreneur who has begun to ease out of the business he owns after more than 30 years of a successful career and fatherhood. He sees the future as wide open. "I'm not planning to ever retire in the traditional sense," he says. In fact, he intends to continue investing in other small businesses and dreams of funding a foundation that provides capital and mentoring to young entrepreneurs.

With a portion of the Guthries' wealth already earmarked for family and philanthropy, Michael explains, "We want our portfolio to create retirement income so that we can continue our current standard of living without having to dip into our assets." Guthrie's Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor has helped him structure a portfolio that is designed to do just that.
 
Thumbnail of Michael Guthrie
Test-Driving Retirement
Thumbnail of Dr. Asfaw
Caring for a Country
Thumbnail of Patti Nowak Turner
When the Lifelong Dream Is Starting Your Own Business

Caring for a Country

Thanks to sound financial planning, noted cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Ingida Asfaw was able to deliver on a promise he made some 50 years ago, when he first immigrated to this country: to bring modern medical care back to his African homeland, Ethiopia.

Watch a video of Dr. Asfaw's accomplishments, and visit the Ethiopian North American Health Professionals Association (www.enahpa.org) he founded to see how health care to Ethiopian citizens is being improved.

Then learn more about estate planning and philanthropy and ways you might fulfill your own charitable goals.
 
Thumbnail of Michael Guthrie
Test-Driving Retirement
Thumbnail of Dr. Asfaw
Caring for a Country
Thumbnail of Patti Nowak Turner
When the Lifelong Dream Is Starting Your Own Business

When the Lifelong Dream Is Starting Your Own Business

Lawyer turned restaurateur Patti Nowak Turner is one of thousands of women who leave lucrative careers to start their own businesses every year. They do this despite the fact that it can be more difficult for women to raise capital for a start-up. Turner was fortunate in that she had more than a good business plan, a great partner, and prior restaurant experience. She was inspired by support from Susan Heuer, her Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor.