Rajan Shankara is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he has been serving clients since 1993. He co-founded The Verschuur / Iyer Group in 1999 and focuses on helping a limited circle of clients and their families achieve financial security through cohesive strategies tailored to evolving needs. Rajan specializes in legacy wealth planning, portfolio management, retirement planning, philanthropic planning, tax-efficient investment strategies, and values-based investing, including socially responsible and ESG approaches. He serves clients across diverse areas such as college education planning, family wealth management, LGBT wealth planning, women and wealth, and sports and entertainment.
Rajan holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® designation and is also a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) with expertise in sports and entertainment finances. He graduated with a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin System. Known for a transparent and collaborative advisory style, he engages regularly with clients and their families to support informed financial decision-making and goal achievement. Rajan has been recognized by Forbes on the "Best-in-State Wealth Advisors" list multiple times from 2018 through 2025.
Outside of his professional role, Rajan is active in community efforts, including supporting Chicago-based Spark Ventures and The Shelby Goldstein Memorial School in Zambia, which provides education and meals for orphans. He serves on The Buckingham Club Committee of Chicago, part of the University of Wisconsin Foundation, raising funds for healthcare causes. Rajan resides in Chicago with his wife and two children, and enjoys boating, surfing, fishing, snowboarding, live music, traveling, and studying German.