John Peterson has been a Merrill Financial Advisor since 1995, beginning his career in Anchorage, Alaska. He concentrates on retirement  planning and investment portfolio strategies for high net worth individuals and business owners. John follows a disciplined process that begins with first taking the time to fully understand each client’s particular needs, concerns and priorities. It’s not just about markets and returns, it’s about what matters most to you. John received his BS from the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) and earned an MBA from Chapman University. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^®, CFP^® certificant, a designation awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. John has experience speaking on a broad range of financial topics. He has served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Alaska – Anchorage, and on numerous non-profit boards during his career at Merrill. He and his wife Colleen have two children, Nate and Maggie. In his free time, he enjoys swimming, cycling, fishing, skiing and a wide variety of other outdoor sports. He is a 2-time finisher of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, which crosses the state of Alaska.
I follow the deep-seated Merrill tradition of participating in the communities we serve. This drives my interest in spending time volunteering with organizations in our community.