Sarasota, FL Office

Jeffrey Herr is a financial advisor at Merrill with 37 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has been with Merrill and Bank of America, N.A. since 2016. Merrill serves a broad range of clients, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and institutional clients, by offering managed account programs, discretionary portfolio management, and brokerage execution services. The firm emphasizes manager selection and tax-efficient investment strategies and is closely integrated with Bank of America’s broader banking and capital markets platform.

Charles Belluardo is a Senior Financial Advisor and a founding partner of The Beacon Group. With over 25 years as a licensed investment professional, he specializes in portfolio management, focusing on managing risk through technical analysis, portfolio hedging strategies, and portfolio management policy. He is dedicated to building long-term client relationships and delivering client service by aligning financial strategies with clients' goals and values. Charlie holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) certification as well as the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA) designation. He also holds titles as a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), Retirement Benefits Consultant (RBC), and in Sports & Entertainment (SE). He earned a High School Diploma from Southern Regional High School and attended Georgian Court College without obtaining a degree. Outside of his financial advisory role, Charlie has been a professional and amateur automobile racecar driver for over 15 years, competing across the U.S. and Canada. He has two children and has also raised two foster children. His personal interests include adventure sports, spending time with his family, traveling, and watching movies.

Beth Robak is a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. She works closely with clients and their families to develop tailored financial strategies aimed at addressing complex financial challenges and achieving both short- and long-term goals. Her collaborative approach involves coordinating with clients' CPAs, attorneys, and other professionals to deliver comprehensive wealth management solutions. Beth leverages investment insights from Merrill and the banking services of Bank of America to assist clients in navigating changing market conditions and financial opportunities. Beth has particular expertise in serving entrepreneurs, business owners, and women professionals. She understands the complexities involved in managing business growth, succession planning, and employee benefits, as well as balancing business and family financial needs. She also focuses on helping women engage actively with their family's financial planning and supports female business owners in aligning their personal and professional goals. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University and an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. Beth is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) and a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). In addition to her professional role, she participates in community volunteer activities. Her personal interests include boating, golfing, reading, skiing, swimming, traveling, volleyball, and spending time with her family.

Wayne Reid II serves as a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. In his role, he focuses on developing personalized financial strategies designed to help clients pursue their long-term goals. He brings a results-driven, client-focused approach to wealth management, working one-on-one with clients to tailor strategies around their individual financial needs. Wayne Reid II has an extensive background as a Chief Investment Officer of a family office and fund of hedge funds. His expertise encompasses business, legal and operational due diligence, portfolio strategies, technical and quantitative analysis, hedging, risk management, and knowledge of derivative instruments. His client areas include family wealth management strategies, institutional investment consulting, legacy planning, managing new wealth, portfolio management services, sports and entertainment, tax minimization, and retirement income. He earned a Bachelor's degree from the University of South Carolina and holds multiple master's degrees from Georgia State University, including a Master of Business Administration and two Master of Science degrees. Wayne holds several professional designations, including Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA), Chartered Market Technician (CMT), CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP), and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA).

Steven Guggenheim is a Managing Director and Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He focuses on employee benefits planning, family wealth management strategies, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, individual and corporate investment strategy, and retirement income. Steven works one-on-one with clients to develop personalized financial strategies designed to help pursue their long-term goals. Steven graduated from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business in 1982. He began his career at a Cincinnati-based financial institution, where he assisted in taking the company public in 1987 and later helped sell it to a regional bank in 1993. Retained by the bank, he played a role in launching brokerage services in the mid-1990s before joining Merrill Lynch as a Financial Advisor in 1997. He holds the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. Outside of his professional work, Steven follows the Merrill tradition of community involvement and volunteers with organizations in his area. He enjoys baseball, basketball, football, and spending time with his family.

Christopher Caledonia is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He began his financial services career in 2000 and has over two decades of experience advising clients in wealth accumulation, preservation, and transfer. He utilizes a defined four-step process that includes portfolio development, liability management, tax minimization strategies, and asset preservation, with a focus on ensuring a lifetime retirement income stream for clients. Christopher primarily serves semi-retirees, retirees, and business owners, providing comprehensive wealth management strategies tailored to their individual needs. Christopher holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Elon University in North Carolina, where he studied Leisure/Sports Management. Since moving to Sarasota in 1999, he has worked closely with clients to help them achieve their financial goals through careful planning and adjusting strategies as circumstances dictate. He holds the designation of Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). Residing in Sarasota with his wife Vanessa and their two children, Christopher enjoys attending cultural events within the community as well as participating in basketball, tennis, and golf. He emphasizes placing his clients' interests first in his advisory approach.

Fern Schwartz is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, bringing over 40 years of experience in the financial services industry since beginning her career in 1982 as a Merrill Financial Advisor. Throughout her career, Fern has built a practice serving more than 150 individuals, multi-generational families, and small business clients by focusing on their unique challenges and goals in areas including college education planning, family wealth management, LGBT wealth and personal retirement planning, philanthropic planning, portfolio management services, small business strategies, and tax minimization. Fern graduated with high honors from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a bachelor's degree in business and holds the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. She has received multiple firm recognitions for her service and leads her practice according to a philosophy of integrity, respect, and personalized client engagement. Beyond her professional pursuits, Fern is actively involved in community leadership. She has served on the boards of the Magee Womens Research Foundation, Jewish Family and Children Services, Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children, and the Women’s Leadership Council for United Way in Pittsburgh. She has also co-chaired the Jewish Women’s Foundation and The Center for Women. Outside of work, Fern enjoys gardening, traveling, reading, photography, and spending time with her family. Her husband Steve was part of the practice for 20 years before retiring in 2024, and their son Zach joined The Schwartz Group as a Financial Advisor in 2021.

Sabrina Wiesel Crammer is a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and a founding partner of The Beacon Group. She brings over two decades of experience in the financial services industry, including more than ten years as a financial advisor and compliance director at a major financial firm prior to joining Merrill in 2013. Sabrina specializes in family wealth management strategies, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, and addressing the unique needs of women and wealth. Her expertise lies in creating and implementing individualized financial analyses that encompass both assets and liabilities of her clients. Sabrina emphasizes extensive dialogue to develop strategic approaches that often incorporate trusts and other tax-efficient vehicles, while staying mindful of current regulations and opportunities. She collaborates with clients’ CPAs and attorneys when appropriate to ensure an integrated financial strategy aligned with clients’ short- and long-term objectives. Sabrina holds a bachelor’s degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University and professional designations including Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Benefits Consultant (RBC). She has been recognized in the Financial Times “401 Top Retirement Advisers” list in 2017 and Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams” list in 2023 and 2024. Outside of her professional role, Sabrina enjoys global travel with her son Elliot, as well as reading, cooking and bicycling.

Douglas Armstrong is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He specializes in managing the financial affairs of families and business owners, focusing on areas such as divorce transition planning, executive compensation, family wealth management, legacy planning, retirement income, and portfolio management. Douglas works closely with clients to develop personalized financial strategies tailored to their individual goals and circumstances. He holds a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree from the University of Connecticut. Douglas has earned several professional designations, including Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). His approach emphasizes a holistic and customized planning process, aiming to be a trusted resource for clients throughout all stages of life. Douglas is actively involved in his community and values volunteering with local organizations. Outside of work, he enjoys boating, golfing, and spending time with his family.