Dan’s long career at Merrill has afforded him relationships and friendships beyond what he ever expected. Since 1987, he has attracted a loyal circle of successful women and men in the Chicago area and on both coasts. They include physicians, attorneys, teachers, business owners with 401k plans, young couples beginning to accumulate wealth, and generations of families (including those with special needs children). 

“I need to appreciate clients’ motivations and ambitions,” Dan says. “What are their proudest achievements? What are their biggest worries for themselves and their families? And why have they come to me?”

In early discussion, Dan focuses clients on what he calls “wealth beyond you” and its purpose – for a fulfilling retirement, or a creating a family or philanthropic legacy. Meeting with both spouses as often as possible, Dan asks about their visions of the future – pointing out that “retirement is not a finish line and that – when every day is Saturday – clients need to find meaning and joy in their endless free time.”

To serve clients’ best interests, Dan works to provide unselfish and unbiased guidance. Aiming to educate at every opportunity, Dan helps clients appreciate the risk they take with their investments and across their financial lives. He also encourages wise financial habits – from disciplined spending to consistent saving. It is Dan’s practice to simplify financial matters and explanations for clients. By distilling facts and figures into easily understood recommendations, he finds that clients are better able to follow the strategy they’ve agreed upon.

When it comes to investments, Dan utilizes the strategic recommendations of the firm’s Chief Investment Office professionals to build an asset allocation that can help each client stay on track through periods of volatility. Ultimately, Dan’s objective is to create a mix of investments that helps clients be successful and feel positive about the road ahead. He also aligns his tax-minimization and estate-planning strategies with clients’ CPAs and attorneys.

A lifetime learner, Dan believes that his rigorous industry training has given him an extra measure of knowledge that can benefit clients and their families. He holds the Certified Private Wealth Advisor^®  (CPWA^®) certification administered by the Investments & Wealth Institute^™ (The Institute), the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor, CPFA^® designation awarded by the National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA), and the Chartered Special Needs Consultant^™ (ChSNC^®) designation from the American College for Financial Services.

Dan also holds the firm’s Senior Portfolio Manager title – allowing him to help clients pursue their objectives by managing on a discretionary basis his own Personalized or Defined Strategies, which may incorporate individual stocks and bonds, Merrill model portfolios, and third-party investment strategies. A Senior Portfolio Manager may also make their strategies available to clients working with other Merrill advisors.

Dan holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of South Dakota and a place in his heart for sailing – having competed in America’s longest freshwater race (the 333-mile, Chicago-to-Mackinac Race on Lake Michigan) more than 20 times. On dry land, Dan and his wife, Therese, follow their teenage son’s travel baseball team and enjoy cooking and baking together at their home in Lemont, Illinois.


*Merrill, its affiliates, and financial advisors do not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice. You should consult your legal and/or tax advisors before making any financial decisions.

*Asset allocation, diversification and rebalancing do not ensure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets.

*The Chief Investment Office (CIO) provides thought leadership on wealth management, investment strategy and global markets; portfolio management solutions; due diligence; and solutions oversight and data analytics. CIO viewpoints are developed for Bank of America Private Bank, a division of Bank of America, N.A., (“Bank of America”) and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (“MLPF&S” or “Merrill”), a registered broker-dealer, registered investment adviser and a wholly owned subsidiary of BofA Corp. This information should not be construed as investment advice and is subject to change. It is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to be either a specific offer by Bank of America, Merrill or any affiliate to sell or provide, or a specific invitation for a consumer to apply for, any particular retail financial product or service that may be available.