West Des Moines, IA Ashworth Rd Office

Matthew Turcotte is the Resident Director at Merrill, where he provides financial advice and guidance tailored to clients' goals and priorities for their personal, family, and business financial needs. He emphasizes a wealth management strategy that centers on understanding the client's life and objectives rather than focusing solely on market trends. Matthew focuses on a comprehensive wealth management approach that begins with understanding a client's family, financial situation, and priorities. He works collaboratively to create flexible, personalized strategies that adapt to changing needs and market conditions. He offers access to Merrill's investment insights alongside Bank of America's banking and lending solutions to address diverse financial aspects. His areas of expertise include corporate benefits, retirement planning, executive compensation, and portfolio management services. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Northern Iowa and maintains professional designations such as CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). Outside of his professional role, Matthew is involved in community volunteering and engages in various personal interests including adventure sports, baseball, biking, football, golfing, hiking, hunting, running, and spending time with his family.

Lisa Adams is a financial advisor at Merrill with 28 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at RBC Capital Markets for 17 years before joining Merrill in 2025. 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, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Seth Harjes is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, specializing in helping individuals and business owners achieve financial clarity and long-term security. Based in Iowa, he focuses on understanding each client’s full financial picture to create personalized and flexible wealth management strategies. His approach integrates investment insights from Merrill and banking and lending solutions from Bank of America. Seth’s expertise covers a broad range of areas including divorce transition planning, employee benefits planning, family wealth management, retirement income, tax minimization, and planning for defined benefit and contribution plans. He holds the professional designations of CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). Seth earned his Bachelor's Degree from Grand View University. Outside of his professional work, Seth enjoys activities such as billiards, camping, chess, cooking, fishing, gardening, hiking, hunting, pickleball, and spending time with his family. His personal philosophy centers on delivering financial clarity so clients can focus on enjoying life rather than managing money.

Ali Shemirani is a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he has worked since 1996. With a career in financial services beginning in 1993, Ali provides a personalized wealth management process tailored to clients' unique goals, time horizons, liquidity needs, and risk temperament. He advises individuals and families on various aspects of their financial lives including 401(k)/retirement plans for institutions, access to banking services through Bank of America, investments, retirement planning, and trust and estate planning services. Ali specializes in guiding clients through the complexities of employer benefits to help them pursue financial freedom and a secure retirement. He understands the challenges of living longer and managing multiple caregiving roles and aims to help reduce the stress and uncertainties associated with retirement. He and his team leverage extensive resources accumulated over decades of combined experience. Ali holds a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation and earned his High School Diploma from Redwood High School. He served honorably in the US Army. Ali resides in Clive with his wife, Jan, and son, Joshua. Both Ali and Jan are actively involved in their son's school community through the Crossroads Park Elementary PTA and support the West Des Moines School District and West Des Moines Soccer Club. Additionally, Ali participates in various charitable organizations including Children and Families of Iowa, The Orchard Place, AHeinz 57 Pet Rescue, Food Bank of Iowa, the Wounded Warrior Project, and others.

Reagan Adjei is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. In this role, he works directly with individuals, families, and business owners to help them make informed financial decisions and build personalized portfolio strategies. Reagan's approach centers on understanding each client's unique goals and priorities. He focuses on simplifying complex financial topics and providing ongoing advice that adapts as clients' situations evolve. His expertise includes retirement planning, wealth growth, and preparing for major life events. He holds the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation and earned a Bachelor's Degree from Grand View University.

Matthew Vorm is a financial advisor at Merrill with 15 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Merrill since 2012, concurrently working at Bank of America, N.A. since 2013. 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 and third-party managers.

Pingping Larson is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. She focuses on delivering personalized wealth management strategies that align with clients’ individual priorities and evolving market conditions. Her practice encompasses a broad range of services including education planning, family wealth management, legacy planning, retirement income, philanthropic planning, tax minimization, and portfolio management, with special attention to women and wealth. With six years of experience in the financial industry, Pingping draws on her personal journey from financial uncertainty to stability, which fuels her commitment to financial literacy and empowering clients through tailored strategies. She holds professional designations including Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (AWMA), CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP), CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). Pingping earned her bachelor's degree from Fujian Normal University and completed an accredited certificate program at Northwestern University. Fluent in English, Chinese, and Mandarin, she is also a member of Toastmasters International. In addition to her professional role, Pingping contributes to her community through involvement with Better Money Habits for Students and Habitat for Humanity. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, fishing, gardening, hiking, pickleball, running, scuba diving, table tennis, traveling, and spending time with her family.

John Freeman is a financial advisor with Merrill in West Des Moines, IA, holding a Series 66 designation. He has approximately one year of industry experience, including previous roles at Bankers Life and Bank of America. 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, utilizing both internal and third-party portfolio managers.

Andrew Blake is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management who works with families in Iowa and across the country. He partners with his father, David Blake, in The Blake Group to serve the diverse financial needs of a high-net-worth clientele, including business owners, physicians, attorneys, widows, widowers, and multiple generations of families. Since joining Merrill in 2012, Andrew has been involved in portfolio management, overseeing personalized and defined strategies that may include individual stocks, bonds, Merrill Lynch model portfolios, and third-party investment strategies. He holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP) certification, the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC) designation, and is a qualified Portfolio Manager. Andrew employs a disciplined, planning-based approach that scrutinizes liabilities alongside investments, providing streamlined access to Bank of America Wealth Management and Commercial Banking services when appropriate. Andrew obtained his Bachelor's Degree from the University of Iowa. Outside of his professional work, he enjoys biking, football, golfing, music, running (including marathons), skiing, swimming, traveling, and spending time with his family.

Brian Thomas is a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He has been with Merrill since 2008, bringing extensive experience from his prior 12 years as a commercial banker, where he served the diverse financial needs of individuals and institutions. Brian holds the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor® (CPFA) designation and is a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Iowa State University. Born and raised in Iowa, Brian currently resides in Pella, where he owns a hunting farm. Outside of his professional work, he enjoys baseball with his two sons and follows the Chicago Cubs.

Kimberly Ranallo is a financial advisor at Merrill with 18 years of industry experience, holding a Series 66 designation. She has worked at Merrill since 2014 and has been affiliated with Bank of America, N.A. since 2016. Outside of her advisory role, she is a co-owner of a family rental property in Waukee, Iowa. 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 a range of model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Paul Rouse Jr. is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. In his role, he works directly with clients to identify their financial goals and develop portfolio strategies tailored to reach those objectives. He provides ongoing advice and adjusts portfolios as clients' situations evolve. Paul's areas of expertise include college education planning, family wealth management, legacy planning, liquidity management, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, philanthropic planning, portfolio management services, tax minimization, and retirement income. He holds professional designations as a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa. Outside of his professional work, Paul enjoys basketball, football, golfing, pickleball, scuba diving, spending time with his family, tennis, traveling, and watching movies.

Anthony Ranallo is a Wealth Management Advisor and Managing Director at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he leads The Ranallo Group. This team is one of the largest wealth advisory groups in Iowa, managing over $2 billion in individual and institutional assets as of January 2026. The group focuses on working with corporate retirement plans and qualified individuals, emphasizing retirement asset accumulation and distribution strategies. Anthony has been active in the financial services industry since 2002, providing services in investment consulting for defined contribution plans, personal retirement planning, family wealth management strategies, and managing new wealth. His practice advises attorneys, physicians, business owners, and corporate retirement plans, offering customized services including investments, retirement planning, trust and estate planning services, and banking and cash management through Bank of America. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Arizona State University and completed a Master of Science in Financial Planning at the College for Financial Planning in Denver, Colorado. Anthony has attained several professional certifications including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP), Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA), CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Benefits Consultant (RBC). Outside of his professional work, Anthony enjoys cooking, golfing, soccer, and spending time with his family.

David Blake is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he has been serving clients since 1981. Over his career, he has worked with a high-net-worth clientele, including business owners, physicians, attorneys, widows, widowers, and multiple generations of families. Currently, he leads The Blake Group, which provides a holistic, goals-based wealth management approach to clients across the country. David holds a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ designation and is a qualified Senior Portfolio Advisor within Merrill Lynch's Wealth Management Investment Advisory Program. He specializes in managing discretionary custom investment strategies, selecting from a wide range of model portfolios and third-party investment strategies. His focus areas include legacy planning, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, tax minimization, and retirement income. He and his team emphasize transparency, client education, and the incorporation of clients' motivations and aspirations into long-term financial strategies. David earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa. In his personal time, he enjoys basketball, football, and golfing.

Ronald Barnes is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he has been tenured since 2005. He specializes in developing strategies and providing advice tailored to the financial objectives of individuals, their families, and businesses. His client focus areas include divorce transition planning, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, individual and corporate investment strategy, and retirement income. Ron holds several professional designations, including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP), CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). He is also a qualified Portfolio Manager, managing personalized or defined strategies on a discretionary basis that may include individual stocks and bonds, Merrill model portfolios, and third-party investment strategies. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Iowa State University in 1987 and a Master's Degree in Business Administration from Southern Methodist University in 1994. Ron grew up on a family farm in Iowa, where he remains involved, and currently lives in Altoona, Iowa with his wife and two children. His personal interests include biking, football, hunting, and spending time with his family.