Marcus Burton Childs

Advisor at Merrill — Athens, GA West Hancock Ave

Updated today

Credentials

Series 63

Experience

40 years

Location

Athens, GA 30601

Merrill logo

Merrill

Institution

Total advisors

25,610

Across 3,249 offices

Clients per advisor

70 Very Low

Avg AUM per client

$860,085 Very High

HNW client ratio

29% High

About

Marcus Childs is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he has been assisting clients since joining in 1986. He focuses on providing personalized wealth management advice and has built long-term relationships with a diverse client base including physicians, health care administrators, attorneys, business owners, corporate executives, and retirees. Marcus and his team work closely with clients to understand their financial situations and aspirations, helping them navigate key financial decisions with comprehensive planning.

Marcus holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University System of Georgia and is a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). His expertise includes college education planning, family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, small business strategies, women and wealth, tax minimization, and retirement income. He collaborates with clients' CPAs and attorneys to design philanthropic and estate planning strategies and offers access to lending services through Bank of America, N.A.

Outside of his professional role, Marcus is involved in community initiatives such as supporting Operation Restoration Christian Home for Boys in Trenchtown, Jamaica. He is also affiliated with several organizations including the American Heart Association, Athens Area Community Foundation, Atlanta Lab Rescue, Cafe 1040, Extra Special People, Food Bank of NE Georgia, Integrity Children's Fund, Oconee Humane Society, and the Red Cross Blood Drive.

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 General retirement planning Charitable giving & philanthropy College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Business sale tax planning

Occupation focus

Attorney Founder/Business Owner Executive

Demographic focus

Parents Married/Couples/Partners Mid-Career Professionals Established Professionals Women Professionals

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Fee options

Commissions

SEC-reported: Commissions on certain transactions, including foreign securities and fixed income; mark-ups, markdowns and dealer spreads may apply to some trades.

Location

See office

Athens, GA West Hancock Ave

272 West Hancock Ave

Athens GA 30601

Advisors at this office

19

Most active in

Georgia · Texas

Work history

40 years of industry experience

Bank of America, N.A.

2011 - Present • 15 years

Athens, GA

Merrill

1986 - Present • 40 years

Athens, GA

Disclosures

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

Business activities & affiliations

Cecil S

CFP®

Athens, GA

ARCH Financial Planning, LLC

Cecil Staton, CFP®, is the founder of Arch Financial Planning, a fee-only fiduciary firm based in Watkinsville and serving Athens, Oconee County, Monroe, Macon and the Lake Oconee area. Cecil works primarily with retirees and people approaching retirement who have accumulated $1 million or more and want help turning their savings into a reliable, tax-efficient retirement income plan. He helps clients coordinate investment management with retirement-income planning, Roth conversions and withdrawal strategies, Social Security and Medicare decisions, charitable giving, and estate-plan coordination. Every relationship is built around a comprehensive financial plan, without commissions or product sales. Clients work directly with Cecil for ongoing financial planning and investment management. Meetings are available in person at Arch’s Wire Park office or virtually.

General retirement planning General estate planning guidance General tax planning Social Security optimization Retirement withdrawal strategies Retired University Employee Dentist Doctor or Medical Professional Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964) Approaching retirement Retired
user avatar

Dwight L

Series 63, Series 65

Athens, GA

Langley Wealth Management

Dwight Langley is a financial advisor at Langley Wealth Management in Watkinsville, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 16 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Vickery Financial Services, Inc. and Vickery Langley Wealth Management. Outside of advisory services, Langley is also an independent life insurance agent. Langley Wealth Management serves individual investors and other client types, focusing on non-discretionary portfolio management and standalone financial planning. The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation across diversified mutual fund portfolios, periodic rebalancing, and a long-term investment approach, implementing recommendations only with client approval.

Wealth management
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Kyle R

Series 65

Athens, GA

TROIKA CAPITAL ADVISORS, LLC

Kyle Roney is a Series 65-credentialed financial advisor with 19 years of industry experience, currently operating as the sole advisor at TROIKA CAPITAL ADVISORS, LLC since 2010. Based in Athens, GA, he focuses on discretionary portfolio management and financial planning. Troika Capital Advisors is an independent registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, corporations, and pension or profit-sharing plans. The firm manages approximately $44 million using fundamental analysis and a long-term trading approach, occasionally incorporating options strategies, and emphasizes individualized Investment Policy Statements to document client objectives and risk tolerance.

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Wealth management General retirement planning Charitable giving & philanthropy
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Talbert C

Series 63, Series 65

Athens, GA

Black Lake Capital Corp.

Talbert Cooper is a financial advisor with Black Lake Capital Corp. in Athens, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 18 years of industry experience. He has been with Black Lake Capital Corp. since 2008. Outside of advisory services, he is involved in private land management for a private holding, which may account for up to 10% of his time. Black Lake Capital is an independent SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $17.2 million for individuals, trusts, and limited partnerships. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach with diversified strategies across equities, fixed income, and options, and provides portfolio management, investment counseling, and financial planning tailored to client objectives and risk tolerance.

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Tax-loss harvesting
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Randall C

ChFC®, Series 63

Athens, GA

RChristianFinancial Consultants, LLC "The Clients Fiduciary"

Randall Christian is the owner of RChristian Financial Consultants, LLC and holds the ChFC® designation with 19 years of industry experience. He has been with RChristian Financial Consultants since 2010 and also serves as owner and president of Christian Financial, Inc., a non-investment-related business. Prior to this, he worked at Transamerica Financial Advisors from 2003 to 2006. RChristian Financial serves individual clients, corporations, and retirement plan sponsors by providing discretionary asset management, comprehensive financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services. The firm’s investment approach combines fundamental analysis with portfolio construction focused on long-term buy-and-hold strategies, income, and growth objectives, while offering flexible trading to meet client goals.

Wealth management College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Long-term care insurance Disability insurance Founder/Business Owner
user avatar

Thomas G

Series 63, Series 65

Athens, GA

Liberty Street Capital, LLC

Thomas Greene III is the principal of Liberty Street Capital, LLC in Athens, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials with 19 years of industry experience. He has led Liberty Street Investment Management since 2011. Outside of investment management, he serves as a director for Provident Resources Group, focusing on healthcare, housing, and government burden reduction. Liberty Street Capital provides fee-based, discretionary portfolio management primarily for pooled and entity clients. The firm employs an allocation-driven approach with diversified proprietary portfolios emphasizing low turnover and cost containment, and it maintains a unique affiliation with the principal’s legal practice.

Passive / index investing Active portfolio management
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