The SM Group

Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
100 Spectrum Center Drive
Suite 1100
Irvine CA 92618
(949) 859.2987
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We can help you grow and preserve your wealth, we strive to do more by helping you organize your financial life. We are committed to helping you address long-and short-term goals and can be a calming presence during career, business and life transitions.
The SM Group
About Us
About us

We believe financial planning should be clear, transparent, and focused on what matters most to you and your family. Our mission is to help clients build, preserve, and grow wealth through thoughtful guidance, personalized planning, and long-term collaboration.

Drawing on more than 40 years of combined experience serving commercial and retail banking clients, we understand the unique connection between personal and business finances. Over the years, we have seen that many business owners, executives, and professionals devote their time and energy to building successful careers, growing businesses, and caring for their families, often leaving little time to bring their personal finances together into a clear, coordinated plan. We help bring all the moving pieces together, providing clarity, structure, and confidence so our clients can focus on what they do best.

Our commitment extends beyond our clients to the generations that follow. Whether helping children and grandchildren establish credit, manage cash, invest for retirement, purchase a home, or develop sound financial habits, we believe financial education is one of the greatest gifts a family can pass forward. At your direction, we can also help facilitate family conversations around legacy planning, wealth transfer, and preparing future generations not only to inherit wealth, but to understand it, appreciate it, and use it wisely.

Meet Our Team
Michael Scherer,

CFP®, CPFA®

Vice President, Wealth Management Advisor
949.859.2987
Han Mao
Assistant Vice President, Senior Financial Advisor
949.598.5403
Margarita F Munoz
Margarita F Munoz
Officer, Registered Senior Wealth Management Client Associate
949.598.5448
Additional Resources
The following specialists do not make securities recommendations. Please contact your Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Advisor if you have questions about how a specialist might be able to assist you.
Nitasha K Kriplani
Wealth Management Banking Specialist
Merrill
Sara Burns
Wealth Strategies Advisor
Merrill
About Merrill

Bringing fresh perspectives to your financial life

The financial decisions you make today can help determine the future you build for yourself and your family. Carving a clear path forward starts with connecting your life and finances. A Merrill advisor provides access to the investing insights of Merrill and banking capabilities of Bank of America to help you make informed decisions as you pursue your goals.

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Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, and the CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.