James Smith
Jim Smith, Senior Vice President and Wealth Management Advisor, joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 1986. Along with a team of Firm specialists, he focuses on the creation of strategies and recommendations for clients that are designed to help them meet their short and long-term financial goals, including retirement and estate planning services. His approach to wealth management is consultative, objective and committed to excellence. He prides himself on his ability to listen to and interpret clients’ ideas about their financial situations, preferences and goals and he uses the vast resources of Merrill to help them explore a wide range of possible strategies.
Jim has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Mississippi. Jim is a qualified Portfolio Manager who, in addition to providing traditional advice and guidance, can help clients pursue their objectives by building and managing his own personalized or defined strategies, which may incorporate individual stocks and bonds, Merrill model portfolios, and third-party investment strategies. When servicing clients through the Firm’s Investment Advisory Program, a Portfolio Manager may manage his strategies on a discretionary basis.
Active in his community, Jim served on the Board of Directors of the Madison County Economic Development Authority (MCEDA) representing District 3 as well as served on the Board of Directors of the Madison County Business League and Foundation. In addition, Jim previously served on the Madison County Planning and Zoning Commission representing District 3 and was President of the 500 member Dinsmor Homeowners Association where he served for over 10 years. For more than 30 years, he has also trained in the art of Taekwondo and has achieved the rank of 3rd degree black belt.
Jim is a native of Jackson and lives in the Reunion community in Madison, MS with his wife Kerri and two children, Maggie and James. He and his family attend Broadmoor Baptist Church
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.
My mission, first and foremost, is to understand you and what matters most to you. Armed with that information I can ask thoughtful questions -- listening carefully, then understanding in detail where your wealth stands today and where you'd like it to be tomorrow. I help you design and implement a personalized plan intended to help you and your family pursue financial goals while helping manage investment risk. My approach is to focus on potential solutions that can help turn goals into reality.
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.
