Bethesda, MD 7501 Wisconsin Ave Office

Stephen Taft is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management with over 35 years of experience in financial planning and portfolio management. He holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) certification and the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC™) designation. Stephen focuses on helping clients simplify and organize their financial lives through a personalized approach that begins with a comprehensive Wealth Management Analysis. His expertise covers areas including college education planning, family wealth management strategies, services for endowments, foundations, and non-profits, personal retirement planning, philanthropic planning, and portfolio management services. Stephen works closely with clients to identify and prioritize their goals, taking into account risk tolerance, time horizon, and liquidity needs to develop tailored financial strategies. Stephen holds a Bachelor's Degree from Dartmouth College and is fluent in English and Portuguese. Outside of his professional work, his personal interests include cooking, football, golfing, music, skiing, soccer, tennis, traveling, and spending time with his family.

Benjamin Jolly is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He graduated from Washington and Lee University with a bachelor's degree in Economics in 2002 and began his career in financial services the same year. Over the past two decades, he has focused on private wealth management, working closely with individuals and private businesses. Ben's expertise includes assisting attorneys at large global law firms with personal wealth management planning, including retirement and college funding goals, as well as survivor needs. He has experience advising clients through significant career transitions, such as moving to partnership roles or shifting to government positions. Additionally, he works with private real estate businesses to manage and coordinate their corporate retirement plans, collaborating with corporate finance and human resources departments. He holds several professional designations, including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP), Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA), CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). Ben is fluent in both English and Spanish. In his leisure time, he enjoys golfing, skiing, surfing, and tennis.

George Murdoch is a financial advisor at Merrill with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Merrill and Bank of America, he held roles within Scouting America for eight years across various regional councils. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations using model-based and discretionary investment strategies developed by internal teams and third-party managers.

Jonathan Stroebel is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He specializes in assisting successful business owners and their employees in achieving a worry-free retirement by providing customized investment and planning processes. Drawing on the resources of a top-ranked global institutional research firm and an experienced advisory team, Jonathan aims to help clients navigate market volatility, inflation, taxes, and other financial challenges that can impact long-term savings. Jonathan holds a Bachelor's Degree from Washington and Lee University and maintains several professional designations, including Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP), Certified 401(k) Professional (CKP), CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Benefits Consultant (RBC). He is a member of professional organizations such as the CFA Society Washington, DC, Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, and Society of Financial Service Professionals. Beyond his professional commitments, Jonathan is involved in his community through All Saints Church in Chevy Chase, MD, coaching youth soccer with MSI Soccer, and supporting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. His personal interests include boating, golfing, music, soccer, spending time with family, and tennis.

Edwin Alvarez is a financial advisor with Merrill, holding a Series 66 designation and six years of industry experience. He has also worked at Bank of America since 2006. Outside of his advisory role, he is the owner of ELG Investment Group LLC, a for-profit entity not related to investment advisory activities. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm offers model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Barry Shapiro is a Wealth Management Advisor and Senior Vice President at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He co-founded the Sorkin Shapiro Unikel Group, overseeing a team of six professionals dedicated to serving the diverse financial goals of their clients. Barry began his career in financial services in 1996 and joined Merrill Lynch in 2008. He works primarily with corporate retirement plans and high-net-worth families to enhance their financial well-being. Barry specializes in a range of services including retirement income planning strategies, wealth transfer, insurance services, and philanthropic strategies. As a Retirement Benefits Consultant, he is part of an elite group of advisors qualified to address complex retirement investing challenges, assisting corporations with retirement plan enhancement, needs assessments, investment analysis, menu selection, and employee education. He holds a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Maryland College Park and holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA), Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), Retirement Benefits Consultant (RBC), and Sports & Entertainment (SE) designations. Barry emphasizes personal service and objective advice, aiming to build enduring relationships with clients through disciplined investment management and comprehensive financial guidance.

So Myong Kim is a financial advisor at Merrill with six years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Bank of America, HSBC Securities, HSBC Bank USA, and MB Financial Bank. His current role is based in Bethesda, MD. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm offers model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Laith Layous is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. In this role, he focuses on building long-term relationships with clients and their families, developing personalized wealth management strategies tailored to their individual needs, goals, values, and aspirations. Laith works closely with clients to understand what matters most to them, determining their appropriate level of risk and positioning them to pursue their long-term financial objectives. Laith holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Miami and has earned the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. He communicates fluently in English and Chinese, supporting a diverse client base. Committed to community involvement, Laith participates in volunteering activities aligned with Merrill's tradition of community service.

Herlin Reyes Ramos is a financial advisor at Merrill with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Bank of America, N.A. since 2017, including his current role at Merrill beginning in 2022. Merrill, along with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations using a range of model-based and discretionary investment strategies.

Gregory Papa is a Private Wealth Advisor at Merrill Private Wealth Management and a co-leader of Jacobs, Papa & Associates. He holds dual roles as a Private Wealth Advisor and a Merrill Institutional Consultant, positions that require specialized training and accreditation. Greg has been with Merrill since 2003 and carries twenty years of industry experience, having started his career in 2000 at FX All, an institutional electronic currency trading platform. Greg applies his expertise in capital markets to craft customized financial strategies tailored to the individual objectives, risk tolerances, and liquidity needs of his high-net-worth clients. His responsibilities include evaluating external investment managers, constructing portfolios, performing asset allocation using traditional and alternative investments, managing risk, and developing hedging strategies. He is a qualified Portfolio Manager able to provide discretionary management services through the firm's Investment Advisory Program. Greg earned a Bachelor's degree in Finance from Georgetown University and holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) designation. He is involved with philanthropic organizations such as Make A Wish, Catholic Charities, and WINNERS Lacrosse. Greg resides in Bethesda, Maryland, with his family and maintains personal interests in baseball, cooking, fishing, football, golfing, reading, running, skiing, and travel.

Keith Unikel is the Senior Resident Director at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He joined Merrill Lynch in 2009 and has been serving as Resident Director of the Bethesda office since 2016. With a career beginning in 2006 in the financial services industry, Keith focuses on addressing the wealth management and investment needs of individuals and families with a fiduciary standard of care. He works closely with clients to craft customized strategies that align with their goals. Keith takes the time to understand the true purpose of clients' wealth and develops tailored strategies to meet their complex financial and investment needs. His areas of expertise include college education planning, family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, liquidity management, personal retirement planning, philanthropic planning, portfolio management services, socially responsible and ESG investing, tax minimization, and retirement income. He spends considerable time analyzing and evaluating the team’s wealth strategies to build customized investment portfolios. Keith earned a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Maryland. He holds several professional designations including the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). Outside of work, Keith enjoys golfing, reading, and spending time with his family in Potomac, MD.

Michael Ellis is a Wealth Management Advisor and Senior Vice President with the Baker - Ellis Group at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in Bethesda, Maryland. He provides portfolio management services and focuses on areas such as college education planning, family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, managing new wealth, individual and corporate investment strategy, and retirement income. His approach involves working one-on-one with clients to develop personalized financial strategies aligned with their long-term goals. With 17 years of experience in the securities industry, Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in finance from Salisbury University and has earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. He also holds the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. As a portfolio manager, he manages clients' personalized investment strategies, which may include individual stocks and bonds, model portfolios, and third-party investment strategies. Michael participates in community volunteer activities, reflecting the Merrill tradition of service in the communities where he works.

Russell Brown is a financial advisor at Merrill with 50 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has been with Merrill since 2008, also having worked at Bank of America, N.A. since 2011. Merrill, along with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm offers model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors, with support for trading, account administration, and custody.

Melissa St. Louis is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where she has been employed since 2003. She serves as a Financial Advisor with The Baker - Ellis - Pappert Group based in Bethesda, Maryland. Her approach focuses on delivering a robust planning process and developing customized strategies tailored to individual client needs to help pursue their financial goals. With over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, Melissa holds multiple professional designations, including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP), CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). She earned her Bachelor's Degree from George Mason University. A native of Northern Virginia, Melissa lives in Rockville, Maryland with her family. She participates in community volunteer activities and enjoys personal interests such as cooking, music, traveling, and yoga.

Graham Taft is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and a member of the Taft Group. He joined Merrill in 2024 after four years of experience in Financial Services Risk Management advisory consulting at Ernst & Young. Graham holds his Series 7 and Series 66 FINRA registrations, as well as professional designations including Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). Graham and the Taft Group focus on helping clients simplify and organize their financial lives through a highly customized service that begins with a Personal Wealth Analysis, a holistic wealth management tool designed to address all aspects of a client's finances. His client focus areas include college education planning, executive compensation, family wealth management strategies, employee financial health, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, portfolio management, and retirement income. He incorporates financial planning customized to each client's goals, risk tolerance, time horizon, and life circumstances. Graham holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the Pennsylvania State University, Smeal College of Business. Outside of his professional work, he enjoys camping, football, golfing, hiking, music, reading, soccer, and spending time with his family.