Michael Edward Barna

Advisor at Merrill — Belle Mead, NJ

Updated today

Credentials

Series 66

Experience

13 years

Location

Belle Mead, NJ

Merrill logo

Merrill

Institution

Total advisors

25,610

Across 3,238 offices

Clients per advisor

70 Very Low

Avg AUM per client

$860,085 Very High

HNW client ratio

29% High

About

Michael Barna is a Senior Resident Director at Merrill, where he serves dual roles as a Wealth Management Advisor and Resident Director of the Chester, NJ office. In his capacity as Resident Director, he supports, coaches, and mentors the Financial Advisors and associates in his office. As a Wealth Management Advisor, Michael works with business owners, senior executives, and multi-generational families, providing customized financial strategies and sustained advice.

His areas of expertise include college education planning, corporate executive services, divorce transition planning, equity compensation services, family wealth management strategies, services for endowments, foundations, and non-profits, legacy planning, personal retirement planning, philanthropic planning, and small business strategies. Michael holds several professional designations, including Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). He earned his bachelor's degree from Seton Hall University.

Michael is actively involved in his community as an Ambassador to the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce and as a Board of Trustee to the Somerset County Business Partnership. His personal interests include baseball, football, golfing, reading, spending time with his family, swimming, traveling, watching movies, and writing.

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

Equity Recipients (RS/RSU, SOP, ESPP) Family Business General retirement planning Charitable giving & philanthropy College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)

Occupation focus

Executive Founder/Business Owner

Demographic focus

Established 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

Belle Mead, NJ

Belle Mead NJ

Advisors at this office

1

Most active in

New Jersey · Texas

Work history

13 years of industry experience

Bank of America, N.A.

2017 - Present • 9 years

Princeton, NJ

Merrill

2017 - Present • 9 years

Princeton, NJ

Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association

2015 - 2017 • 2 years

New York, NY

Morgan Stanley

2013 - 2017 • 4 years

Lawrenceville, NJ

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

Timothy M

CFP®, Series 66

Martinsville, NJ

Condor Capital Wealth Management

Timothy Moran is a CFP® and Series 66-licensed financial advisor at Condor Capital Wealth Management with 11 years of industry experience. He has previously worked at Investors Bank/Citizens, Allied Wealth Partners, Prestige Wealth Management Group, Wells Fargo Bank, PNC Investments, and Edward Jones. Moran is based in Martinsville, NJ and has been with Condor since 2023. Condor Capital Wealth Management serves individuals, business entities, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting using a fee-only investment approach that includes equities, fixed income, mutual funds, ETFs, and alternative strategies such as direct indexing and cryptocurrency exposure under adviser oversight.

Private / alternative investments ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting Income planning
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Damian M

Series 63, Series 65

North Plainfield, NJ

Hillgate Financial, LLC

Damian Mbadugha is the sole advisor at Hillgate Financial, LLC, a New Jersey-registered investment adviser. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 13 years of industry experience. In addition to his advisory role, he is registered as a commodities trading advisor, and works as an insurance agent and tax preparer, focusing on research during weekends. Hillgate Financial provides discretionary investment supervisory services to individuals, trusts, and estates, applying modern portfolio theory to build diversified portfolios primarily using passively managed funds and ETFs. The firm emphasizes tax-aware strategies and manages a historically significant asset base with a focus on individualized client portfolios.

Passive / index investing
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Michael K

Series 63, Series 65

Princeton, NJ

Endowbridge Capital, LLC

Michael Karris is the sole advisor at EndowBridge Capital, LLC in Princeton, NJ, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations with 10 years of industry experience. He has been with EndowBridge Capital since 2013. EndowBridge Capital provides discretionary investment management and sub-advisory services primarily to institutional and nonprofit clients such as endowments, foundations, and pension plans. The firm offers balanced growth and income strategies implemented through transparent, low-cost ETF portfolios guided by a modern endowment investment approach.

Passive / index investing Active portfolio management Wealth management Factor investing / smart beta Real estate investing Founder/Business Owner Values-based investing
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Robert G

CFP®, CFA®

Princeton, NJ

Roche Financial Partners LLC

Robert Gregov is a CFP® and CFA® with 21 years of experience in financial advising. He has been with Roche Financial Partners LLC since 2004. Roche Financial Partners LLC is an independent firm providing continuous financial oversight and discretionary investment management to individual clients and their families. The firm employs a diversified, tax-aware asset allocation strategy using low-cost index funds and incorporates derivatives in separately managed accounts to manage risk, with portfolios tailored to client specifications.

Wealth management General retirement planning Cash flow / budgeting
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Michael B

Series 66, Series 65, Series 63

Highland Park, NJ

Aliya Financial

Michael Benklifa is a financial advisor at Aliya Financial with 14 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66, Series 65, and Series 63 licenses. His prior work history includes roles at LPL Enterprise LLC, Better Options LLC, Alight Financial, USAA Financial Advisors, MassMutual Investors Services, and UBS Financial Services, among others. Aliya Financial is an independent investment adviser that provides investment management and integrated financial planning to individuals, families, trusts, estates, and small business owners. The firm employs a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis and offers both traditional diversified portfolios and options-based income strategies, delivering advice and financial planning together under an asset-based advisory relationship.

Retirement income strategy Income planning Long-term care insurance Options & derivatives strategies Cash flow / budgeting Retired Founder/Business Owner
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Jerrold T

Series 65

Highland Park, NJ

Parkview Capital Management

Jerrold Trub is a financial advisor at Parkview Capital Management with 19 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority since 1993, where he serves as a Director of a business unit conducting operational reviews. Parkview Capital Management primarily serves individual clients, offering discretionary investment advisory services along with financial planning and consulting. The firm’s investment approach centers on fundamental equity analysis supplemented by option-based overlays, including the use of LEAPS and covered-call writing, which is a distinguishing feature of their portfolio management.

Options & derivatives strategies Active portfolio management
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