Fort Wayne, IN Dupont Circle Dr W Office

Thomas Witte is a financial advisor at Merrill with a Series 66 designation and no prior industry experience. His background includes roles at Bank of America, Charles Schwab, and several positions related to Indiana University Bloomington. 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, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Daniel Finley is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Since joining Merrill in 1999, he has built extensive experience in delivering personalized wealth management strategies. His areas of expertise include corporate executive services, divorce transition planning, employee benefits planning, family wealth management strategies, institutional and corporate benefit services, services for endowments, foundations, and non-profits, personal retirement planning, portfolio management, sports and entertainment, and retirement income. Daniel holds a Bachelor's Degree from Indiana University and maintains professional designations as a CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Benefits Consultant (RBC). Born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, he is a father of three and emphasizes collaboration with clients to develop financial strategies aimed at achieving long-term goals. He is also a member of the Rotary organization. Outside of work, Daniel enjoys basketball, billiards, cooking, football, golfing, hiking, music, reading, spending time with his family, and watching movies.

Trenton Stuckey is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He has been with Merrill since 1994, following his graduation from Butler University. In his role, he provides a broad range of financial services including wealth management and retirement income planning. As a qualified Portfolio Manager, Trenton manages personalized or defined investment strategies on a discretionary basis, utilizing individual stocks and bonds, model portfolios, and third-party investment strategies to help clients achieve their financial objectives. Trenton holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) designation from the College for Financial Planning Institutes Corp. He also maintains various FINRA registrations including Series 7, Series 9, Series 10, Series 63, and Series 65, as well as an Indiana Life and Health Insurance license. His expertise encompasses college education planning, legacy planning, liquidity management, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, portfolio management, tax minimization, and retirement income. In addition to his professional duties, Trenton serves on the boards of the Community Foundation of DeKalb County and DeKalb Health, and he has previously served on the board of the Red Cross of Northeast Indiana. He resides in Auburn, Indiana with his wife Jennifer and their four children.

Jordan Van Der Weele is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. With over 10 years of experience in the financial services industry, Jordan has held positions at Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, and Merrill. He specializes in developing data-driven strategies to help clients build portfolios that align with their risk tolerance and financial goals. Jordan’s expertise includes general investing, philanthropic planning, tax-advantaged solutions, retirement planning, and preparing for unexpected financial events. He takes a personalized approach by understanding each client’s unique priorities and providing ongoing advice and guidance. Jordan holds the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation and earned a Bachelor's Degree from Auburn University. Outside of his professional work, he mentors with Statement Arts and has interests in hiking, boating, chess, and spending time with his family.

Krista Hamilton Smith is a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and a member of the SSK Group. She has been with Merrill Lynch since 2001 and has over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. Krista focuses on helping clients develop solutions and providing investment guidance for individuals, families, and their businesses by understanding their financial goals. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Applied Management from Trine University and maintains Series 7 and Series 66 FINRA registrations, as well as an Indiana Health and Life Insurance license. Krista is also a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) and participates in several professional organizations including the American Red Cross, Indiana Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, The Trust for Public Land, and Trine University Alumni. Krista lives in Angola, Indiana with her husband and has three grown children. Her personal interests include biking, boating, camping, cooking, gardening, music, traveling, yoga, and spending time outdoors with her family.

Melissa Stout is a financial advisor with Merrill in Fort Wayne, Indiana, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 42 years of industry experience. She has been with Merrill since 1980 and has worked at Bank of America since 2009. Outside of her advisory work, she is the sole owner of a revocable trust. 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, offering model-based and discretionary strategies for a range of individual and institutional clients.

Kirkland Johnson is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, bringing over 35 years of experience in the financial services industry. Since joining Merrill in 1994, Kirk has focused on helping clients pursue financial lifestyles aligned with their personal goals by utilizing a goals-based Wealth Management process, global resources, and advanced web technology. He works primarily with high net worth clients, assisting them in identifying and prioritizing objectives such as estate planning, investments, tax minimization, wealth transfer, and retirement income. Kirk holds multiple FINRA registrations, including Series 7, Series 6, Series 65, and Series 63, as well as an Indiana health and life insurance license. He has earned the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC™) and Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS™) designations from the College for Financial Planning Institutes Corp. He also holds both a bachelor's and master's degree from Indiana University. Kirk emphasizes collaboration with a Wealth Management Lending Officer from Bank of America, N.A. to provide personalized banking guidance that complements clients’ financial strategies. In addition to his professional pursuits, Kirk has contributed extensively to philanthropic boards at both local and national levels and is a long-term volunteer in the Fort Wayne community. He resides in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he enjoys spending time with his family and four children.

Robert Podschlne is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He focuses on establishing a wealth management process for individual clients by utilizing the Personal Wealth Analysis® (PWA) platform, which helps clients develop a financial game plan tailored to their essential and aspirational goals. His expertise includes retirement planning, lending needs, insurance needs, wealth preservation, and portfolio management services. Robert works closely with clients and their families to set and pursue goals related to college education planning, family wealth management strategies, personal retirement planning, individual and corporate investment strategy, and retirement income. Robert holds a Bachelor's Degree from Central Michigan University and the Professional Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. Outside of work, he enjoys baseball, basketball, football, music, spending time with his family, watching movies, and woodworking.

Tyler Haire is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, joining the firm in 2017. He brings more than six years of experience in the financial services industry, focusing on assisting individuals, business owners, and companies navigate the financial impacts of life events, market fluctuations, and regulatory changes. Tyler works closely with high-net-worth individuals and families to understand their financial situations, risk tolerance, and goals, crafting personalized strategies to help prioritize and pursue their long-term financial objectives. Tyler holds multiple professional designations, including the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) certification awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., as well as the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA) credentials. He earned his bachelor's degree from Indiana University/Purdue University at Fort Wayne. Leveraging Merrill Lynch’s resources and research from BofA Global Research, Tyler provides clients with access to comprehensive services such as income management, education funding, retirement planning, and estate planning, while collaborating with other professionals as needed. In addition to his professional commitments, Tyler values community involvement and dedicates time volunteering with local organizations. Outside of work, he enjoys football, golfing, and spending time with his family. His personal philosophy emphasizes working one-on-one with clients to develop tailored financial strategies aligned with their unique goals.