Erik Johnston

Advisor at Merrill

Updated today

Location

Missoula, MT 59802

Credentials

Series 66

Industry experience

6 years

About

Erik Johnston is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He joined Merrill in 2019 after nearly eight years in the scientific research and development industry. Erik applies skills in critical thinking and problem solving, developed through his scientific background, to assist clients in identifying and achieving their financial goals. He aims to build relationships based on trust and accountability, acting as a dependable resource throughout the financial planning process.

Erik specializes in various financial services including college and education planning, family wealth management strategies, philanthropic planning, socially responsible investing, retirement income, and managing new wealth. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a PhD in Materials Science from the University of Montana. His professional designations include CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP), CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA).

Outside of his professional role, Erik and his family participate in community events and enjoy Montana's outdoor activities such as parks, trails, rivers, lakes, and ski hills. He is involved with organizations including A Carousel for Missoula, Montana Science Fair, Montana Special Olympics, The Dylan Steigers Concussion Project, and spectrUM Science.

Client services

Based on Merrill

Portfolio management Pension consulting Selection of other advisers Educational seminars or workshops
Performance measurement reports, allocation modeling, ips, research reports and services, see schedule d

Expertise

Wealth management Retirement income strategy Charitable giving & philanthropy ESG / Sustainable investing

Occupation focus

Based on Merrill

Executive Founder/Business Owner

Demographic focus

Young Families Values-based investing SRI/ESG (Socially Responsible Investing/Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance)

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Fee options

Percentage

$0 - $2,000,000: 1.10% (for Managed Strategy with MFSA under $2 million) $2,000,000+: 1.00% (for Managed Strategy with MFSA at and above $2 million)

Other

Account minimum: $2,000,000 minimum to qualify for Premium Access Strategy per SEC data and Merrill brochure context; no other firm-wide minimum clearly stated

Location

330 N Higgins Ave

Missoula, MT 59802

Most active in

Montana · Texas

Work history

bank of America, N.A

2019 - Present (7 years)

Merrill

2019 - Present (7 years)

UnEmployed

2019 - 2019 (1 year)

Merrill

2019 - 2019 (1 year)

UnEmployed

2019 - 2019 (1 year)

The University of Montana

2017 - 2018 (1 year)

Unemployed

2016 - 2016 (1 year)

Rivertop Renewables

2011 - 2016 (5 years)

Disclosures

Exclamation point means they have disclosures of this type. Check mark means no disclosures of this type were found.

Business activities & affiliations

user avatar

Geoffrey G

CFA®, Series 65

Missoula, MT

Inukshuk Investments, LLC

Geoffrey Gilbert is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 65 license with 19 years of industry experience. He has been managing Inukshuk Investments, LLC since 2013. The firm provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, businesses, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. Inukshuk Investments employs an active, world-cap strategy that incorporates fundamental, cyclical, and technical analysis across a range of portfolio styles, including Aggressive Growth, Total Return, and Conservative Income.

Active portfolio management Retirement withdrawal strategies College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Divorce financial planning Founder/Business Owner Executive Mid-Career Professionals
user avatar

Ward W

Series 63, Series 65, Series 66

Missoula, MT

Sapphire Financial Strategies, L.L.C.

Ward Wenholz is a financial advisor with Sapphire Financial Strategies, L.L.C., holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and over 21 years of industry experience. He has worked at Sapphire Financial Strategies since 2018 and previously at First Advisors National from 2015 to 2018. Wenholz is also president and owner of Sapphire Financial Services, Inc., where he sells fixed insurance products. Sapphire Financial Strategies provides ongoing portfolio management and advisory services primarily to individual clients, utilizing a multi-disciplinary investment approach that includes fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis alongside value investing principles. The firm manages discretionary assets in the mid-teens of millions and serves several dozen individual accounts.

Annuities Real estate investing

Caleb P

CFP®, ChFC®

Missoula, MT

Advanced Practice Planning, LLC

Hi, I'm Caleb, the Founder and CEO of Advanced Practice Planning, LLC and husband to a PA-C. We help PAs retire with confidence. As a husband of a PA-C and brother of a physician, I uncovered a troubling trend in the financial planning industry. Advanced Practice Providers were consistently overlooked while their physician counterparts enjoyed superior service. This disparity fueled my mission to create a solution that bridges the gap created by traditional finance, ensuring that APPs receive the attention and guidance they truly deserve.

General retirement planning Income planning Cash flow / budgeting Doctor or Medical Professional Mid-Career Professionals
user avatar

Molly N

CFP®, Series 63, Series 66

Missoula, MT

MoneySense LLC

Molly Nelson is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 19 years of industry experience. She is the founder and manager of MoneySense LLC in Missoula, MT, where she has worked since 2024. Prior to this, she held roles at Mariner Wealth Advisors, Avantax Advisory Services, and other firms. Molly operates an online financial education platform, The Money Coven, offering educational content and weekly Q&A sessions. MoneySense LLC provides financial planning and education services to individuals, families, and high-net-worth clients, focusing on project-based advice in areas such as retirement planning, tax planning, and investment analysis. The firm emphasizes financial education and offers guidance grounded in Modern Portfolio Theory, typically recommending passive, low-cost index funds without managing client assets directly.

Cash flow / budgeting College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Women Professionals
user avatar

Ryne M

CFP®, Series 66

Missoula, MT

Switchbacks Capital Advisory, LLC

Ryne Mading is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with nine years of industry experience, currently serving clients at Golden State Wealth Management, LLC. His prior experience includes roles at Bank of America, Merrill, and Rocky Mountain Bank. Outside of his advisory work, Mading teaches financial education workshops focused on financial planning and personal finance. Golden State Wealth Management serves individuals, trusts, retirement plans, and business entities with discretionary asset management, comprehensive portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a variety of analytical approaches and offers tailored advice based on client objectives and risk tolerance.

Wealth management Passive / index investing Active portfolio management Tax-loss harvesting
user avatar

Lucas D

Series 65

Missoula, MT

Willow Creek Capital Management, Inc.

Lucas Duffy is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with Willow Creek Capital Management, Inc. He has been with the firm since 2024 and has prior experience at Raymond James Financial Services and Rock Creek Group. Lucas’s background also includes roles at George Washington University and involvement with the Montana Democratic Party. Willow Creek Capital Management provides portfolio management and pension consulting services primarily to pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and institutional clients, while also serving individuals and high-net-worth clients. The firm combines fundamental analysis and modern portfolio theory with a long-term trading approach and offers ESG integration through Morningstar-based screening.

ESG / Sustainable investing Annuities
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