Morris Hancock Hall Ballard Group
Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
7310 North Lake Drive
Floor Gr
Columbus GA 31909
(706) 494.5350
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We work with families to help enhance and preserve their wealth and legacy.
Morris Hancock Hall Ballard Group
Welcome

Our mission, first and foremost, is to understand you and what matters most to you. Armed with that information we can ask thoughtful questions -- listening carefully, then understanding in detail where your wealth stands today and where you’d like it to be tomorrow. We help you design and implement a personalized plan intended to help you and your family pursue financial goals while helping manage investment risk. Our approach is to focus on potential solutions that can help turn goals into reality.

Recognition
David C. Hancock
Managing Director, Wealth Management Advisor
Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Advisors", 2024
(Published on April 3, 2024. Rankings based on data as of June 30, 2023.)
Forbes "Top Next-Generation Wealth Advisors Best-in-State", 2023-2024
(Published annually Aug - September. Rankings based on data as of March 31 of current year.)
Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams", 2023-2024
(Published annually in January. Rankings based on data as of March 31 of prior year.)
Financial Planning's "Top 40 Brokers Under 40", 2024
(Published on February 6, 2024. Rankings based on data as of Sept 30, 2023.)
Show more recognition
Morris Hancock Hall Ballard Group
Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams", 2023-2025
(Published annually in January. Rankings based on data as of March 31 of prior year.)
About Us
Approach

Every relationship begins with a conversation, helping you identify and prioritize which goals matter most to you. Whether it's transferring wealth to the next generation, customizing your financial approach to help you pursue your passions, or providing advice and guidance to help you stay informed, we start by listening to learn more about you and your family.Your approach to investingDrawing upon research in the field of behavioral finance, Merrill developed the Investment Personality Assessment to help us get to know you better as an investor and potentially help you refine your own investing preferences. By gaining a deeper understanding of how you think and feel about investing through this assessment, we can customize the financial approach we develop together to help you pursue what matters most to you. Our Investment Personality Assessment is one of the ways to help us get to know you - to understand your goals and priorities. These questions will help us provide you with additional insights and resources.Understanding your goals and prioritiesYour life and goals change. We have tools to help you keep track of these changes so they can be reflected in your financial approach.

Thursday, May 22nd 2025| 12:00 ET
Balancing Money & Mind

Balancing money and boosting your mindset

Learn how your beliefs and attitudes toward money matters can help you reimagine your financial situation and make positive changes.

Thursday, June 5th 2025| 12: 00 ET
Balancing Money & Mind

Balancing money and boosting your mindset

Learn how your beliefs and attitudes toward money matters can help you reimagine your financial situation and make positive changes.

Friday, May 9th 2025| 12:00 ET
Money Minutes!

Join us at noon Eastern on the second Friday of every month for our Money Minutes series. Our quick, interactive workshops cover topics relevant to everyday life to help you prioritize your financial ...

Friday, June 13th 2025| 12:00 ET
Money Minutes!

Join us at noon Eastern on the second Friday of every month for our Money Minutes series. Our quick, interactive workshops cover topics relevant to everyday life to help you prioritize your financial ...

Friday, July 11th 2025| 12:00 ET
Money Minutes!

Join us at noon Eastern on the second Friday of every month for our Money Minutes series. Our quick, interactive workshops cover topics relevant to everyday life to help you prioritize your financial ...

Thursday, May 29th 2025| 3:00 ET
Education Planning

Learn about the different ways you can prepare for a child's education costs.

Monday, May 12th 2025| 2:00 ET
Social Security

Get the information you need to help you make the most of your Social Security benefits.*

** This material should be regarded as general information on Social Security considerations and is not in...

Wednesday, May 28th 2025| 3:00 ET
Investing with Confidence

For those already familiar with investing basics, we'll review the information that could help you make sound investment decisions and build a portfolio appropriate for your goals.

Meet Our Team
A.J. Morris,

CRPC™

Managing Director, Senior Consultant
706.494.5350
David C. Hancock,

CFP®, CPFA®, CRPC™

Managing Director, Wealth Management Advisor
706.494.5338
Gina L. Hall,

CFP®, CPFA®, CRPC™

Senior Vice President, Wealth Management Advisor
706.494.5308
Mathes Ballard,

CFP®, CPFA®, CRPC™

First Vice President, Wealth Management Advisor
706.494.5316
Jay Morris,

CFA, CPFA®

Vice President, Wealth Management Advisor
706.494.5329
Lisa B. Hilsinger
Officer, Wealth Management Client Associate
706.494.5353
Christy T. Güt
Officer, Wealth Management Client Associate
706.494.5354
Jason E. Mills
Wealth Management Client Associate
706.494.5327
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.
Shonalee Gamble
Wealth Management Banking Specialist
Merrill
Ryan Thrower
Wealth Strategies Advisor
Bank of America, N.A.
Bradford L Cottrill
Senior Wealth Management Lending Officer
Bank of America, N.A.
NMLS #652549
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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Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™, CRPC™, and the CRPC™ logo are certification marks or registered certification marks of The College for Financial Planning Institutes Corp. in the United States.
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.
CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks of the CFA Institute.