Kaufman Kast & Wasfy
Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
At Kaufman Kast & Wasfy Wealth Management, we have a proud story that continues to be told. It revolves around the relationships we enjoy with generations of clients and non-profit organizations we admire and support.
Who do we serve?
- Ambitious individuals who want to put their wealth to work and minds at ease. Diverse in lifestyles, livelihoods and life goals, our clients include thought leaders, founders and other entrepreneurs and business owners, corporate executives, and government officials.
What do we believe? - Going the extra mile for clients is never going out of our way. We have structured our team to deliver a white-glove service experience that is rare among advisory teams. Our “extra hands” and” hands-on approach” allow us to be extremely proactive in helping clients plan for circumstances they anticipate and those they don’t – well in advance of critical decisions.
- Learning and educating are at the foundation of our mission.
- Rather than make assumptions, we make time to listen, learn and stay on top of clients’ situations and ambitions. We also look to educate at every opportunity. While our typical client is well-educated and financially astute, we prefer to set expectations early and explain the breadth and depth of our offering. The more our clients understand our perspectives on markets and risk, the more value we can provide.
To learn from clients, we ask questions meant to provoke discussions around their goals and the purpose of their wealth:
- What do you want your money to do for you?
- Why do you work so hard?
- What worries you financially and otherwise?
- What do you enjoy most?
- How do you want to spend retirement?
- What values guide your decisions around money?
- Do you want to beat the market, or meet your goals?
- How involved do you want to be in investment decisions?
- How can we simplify your financial life?
- What is your current advisory relationship like?
- How would you like to financially impact your kids?
In addition to clients’ goals, we look for “holes” in their financial pictures – areas that many have been ignored in a previous advisory relationship. These “blind spots” often include insurance coverage, liability management, and estate planning considerations that need to be made sooner, rather than later.
When it comes to investments, we lean on our firm’s award-winning research and experts we’ve known for years. With a focus on managing risk, expenses and tax consequences, we favor unweighted sector indexes, core U.S. portfolios, exposure to best-in-class global and small cap stocks, and for some clients, alternative investments.
We are also highly skilled and motivated to identify opportunities on both sides of a clients’ balance sheet. Our numerous contacts throughout Merrill and Bank of America, N.A. include banking, trust and small business specialists whom we frequently “bring to the table” for residential, securities-based and other lending solutions.
*Some or all alternative investment programs may not be in the best interest of certain investors. No assurance can be given that any alternative investment’s investment objectives will be achieved.
*Institutional Investor magazine announced BofA Global Research as one of the Top Global Research Firms in 2023 based on surveys held throughout the year. The magazine creates rankings of the top research analysts in a wide variety of specializations, drawn from the choices of portfolio managers and other investment professionals at more than 1,000 firms. BofA Global Research is research produced by BofA Securities, Inc (“BofAS”) and/or one or more of its affiliates. BofAS is a registered broker-dealer, Member SIPC, and wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation. Learn more about the methodology at Institutional Investor. Rankings and recognition from Institutional Investor are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results and such rankings should not be construed as an endorsement.
At Kaufman, Kast & Wasfy, we know that families have different financial needs at different moments in time. We also recognize that clients have specific financial, personal and emotional characteristics that dictate how we can serve their best interests.
Therefore, it's appropriate that we develop a clear notion of what a fulfilling life means to them. We take no shortcuts to exploring clients' objectives and creating a highly personalized and proactive dynamic.
What can you expect?
• A warm, genuine relationship in which we stay in touch and on top of your needs. In a short time, you'll see that we enjoy working together as a team – and with you.
• Our seven talented professionals are as motivated as the clients we serve. Our four advisors have spent more than 75 years at Merrill combined (much of that time working together).
• We embrace innovative thinking and a team approach that brings clients our complementary skillsets and real-world solutions. Our group currently manages more than $1.4 billion in clients' assets and their expectations. This is a responsibility we take seriously.
• We have chosen to serve fewer clients and, therefore, can deliver more value than you might have found elsewhere. We believe that our success – and yours – is predicated on the caliber of acumen and attention we provide.
• We promise to do what we say, follow up, and follow through – every time.
• We enjoy rolling up our sleeves and tackling clients' most formidable challenges and urgent concerns. Engaging clients in discussions surrounding the people and passions in their lives, we summon our emotional intelligence to hear what they say, and may not say. Rather than follow a calendar, frequent conversations help us stay current with clients' situations and ambitions.
• We stand behind clients by getting in front of the decisions they need to make. Providing superior wealth management demands that we are proactive and consistent.
• Our 360-degree approach allows us to address wealth transfer, wealth structuring, tax planning and charitable planning from a trust and estate planning perspective. Comprehensive planning is the bedrock of our approach and critical to our clients' long-term success.
• With your wealth and wishes in mind, we will craft a tax-sensitive investment strategy on your behalf – and measure success as defined by you, not an industry benchmark.
CFP®, CIMA®, CPFA™, CRPC™
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.
