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Merlin Earl Ames

Advisor at Arete Wealth Advisors, LLC — Lancaster, WI

Updated today

Credentials

Series 63, Series 65

Experience

19 years

Location

Lancaster, WI 53813

Arete Wealth Advisors, LLC logo

Arete Wealth Advisors, LLC

Multi-team

Total advisors

142

Across 59 offices

Clients per advisor

37 Low

Avg AUM per client

$484,172 Typical

HNW client ratio

65% Very High

About

Merlin Ames is a financial advisor at Arete Wealth Advisors, LLC with 19 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at National Asset Management and National Securities Corporation. Ames also owns Ames Investment and Retirement, an independent financial services business. Arete Wealth Advisors provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm manages assets primarily on a discretionary basis, utilizing both advisor-driven and proprietary model allocations, and integrates affiliated financial businesses and product channels in its service offerings.

Client services

Based on Arete Wealth Advisors, LLC

Financial planning Portfolio management Pension consulting Selection of other advisers Newsletters or periodicals
Non-discretionary investment advice regarding securities of affiliates of masterworks.io, llc.

Expertise

Based on Arete Wealth Advisors, LLC

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Private / alternative investments Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Wealth management

Occupation focus

Based on Arete Wealth Advisors, LLC

Executive Founder/Business Owner

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Fee options

Fixed

Flat fixed fees for financial planning services, negotiated between Advisor and Client

Percentage

$0 - $249,000: 3.00% $250,000 - $749,999: 2.50% $750,000 - $1,499,999: 2.00% $1,500,000 - $4,999,999: 1.75% $5,000,000+: 1.50%

Commissions

Arete Advisors may receive commissions from insurance sales through affiliated insurance agency

Project-based

Hourly fees for financial planning services, negotiated between Advisor and Client

Performance-based

Performance-based fees or carried interest ranging from 5% to 20% on certain private funds as disclosed in offering documents

Other

Account minimum: $50,000 (generally required initial minimum account balance, may be waived based on individual needs and complexity) Fee-only: Hourly fees and flat fixed fees for financial planning services, negotiated between Advisor and Client

Location

See office

Lancaster, WI

207 W Maple Street, Suite B

Lancaster WI 53813

Advisors at this office

1

Most active in

Wisconsin

Work history

19 years of industry experience

Arete Wealth Advisors, LLC

2022 - Present • 4 years

Chicago, IL

Arete Wealth Management, LLC

2022 - Present • 4 years

Chicago, IL

National Asset Management

2018 - 2022 • 4 years

Lancaster, WI

National Securities Corporation

2016 - 2022 • 6 years

Lancaster, WI

Disclosures

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

Business activities & affiliations

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Michelle T

PFS™, Series 65

Platteville, WI

Friday Financial

Michelle Thomson Henry is a financial advisor with Friday Financial, holding the PFS™ and Series 65 designations and bringing 12 years of industry experience. She previously worked for Honkamp Krueger Financial Services for 13 years and has been a CPA at Honkamp P.C. since 2002. Friday Financial provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and participant-directed retirement plans. The firm uses a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach with diversified, passively managed portfolios and employs third-party managers and software to support its investment strategies.

Private / alternative investments Retirement withdrawal strategies Social Security optimization General tax planning College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Founder/Business Owner Executive HENRY (High Earners, Not Rich Yet)
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John D

Series 65

Platteville, WI

Rosemeyer Management Group

John Drefcinski is a financial advisor at Rosemeyer Management Group with a Series 65 designation and one year of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Life Time Financial Services, The Insurance Center, and Northwestern Mutual, as well as experience outside the financial industry. Rosemeyer Management Group is a team-based SEC-registered advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, retirement plan sponsors, and other institutions. The firm manages approximately $691 million in client assets and employs a value-oriented, primarily long-only investment approach, tailoring portfolios to individual client needs and utilizing various analytical methods and strategies.

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Concentrated stock management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Aaron C

Series 63, Series 65

Platteville, WI

Friday Financial

Aaron Cullen is a financial advisor with Friday Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 13 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Honkamp Krueger Financial Services from 2013 to 2026 and has been a partner at Honkamp, P.C., a public accounting firm, since 1997. Cullen also serves as volunteer treasurer on the board of Family Advocates, Inc., a domestic abuse shelter. Friday Financial provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach, typically using diversified, low-turnover, passively managed portfolios supplemented by model portfolios and allocation software.

Private / alternative investments Retirement withdrawal strategies Social Security optimization General tax planning College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Founder/Business Owner Executive HENRY (High Earners, Not Rich Yet)
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Daniel B

Series 63, Series 65

Platteville, WI

United Advisors America

Daniel Baxter is a financial advisor with United Advisors America and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has nine years of industry experience, including roles at Alliance America Corporation and Mutual of Omaha. Outside of his advisory work, he is an insurance agent for Alliance America, focusing on life and health insurance. United Advisors America provides investment management services primarily to individuals near retirement and to pension and profit-sharing plans, offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management along with complimentary financial planning. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based investment approach, utilizing customized asset allocations and model portfolios with mutual funds, ETFs, and select exchange-traded products.

Annuities Long-term care insurance Social Security optimization Retirement income strategy Retired
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Kaley B

Series 66

Platteville, WI

Rosemeyer Management Group

Kaley Bockhop is a financial advisor at Rosemeyer Management Group with five years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at RMG Wealth Management, Rosemeyer Management Group, Compeer Financial, and Badgerland Financial. Outside of finance, she owns and operates Kaley's Cattle LLC, a livestock business. Rosemeyer Management Group is a team-based SEC-registered advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, retirement plan sponsors, and institutions. The firm manages approximately $691 million in client assets and employs a value-oriented, primarily long-only investment approach, tailoring portfolios to client needs while incorporating fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis.

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Concentrated stock management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Brooklyn F

Series 65

Platteville, WI

Rosemeyer Management Group

Brooklyn Flanagan is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor at Rosemeyer Management Group with two years of industry experience. Brooklyn’s background includes roles in banking, tax and accounting, and community-related activities such as working with the Badger Mine & Museum and operating a daycare service. Rosemeyer Management Group provides discretionary asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals and plan sponsors. The firm employs a value-oriented, long-term investment approach combined with integrated financial planning and specialized retirement services.

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Concentrated stock management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
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